Melissa Barnston

Every small step makes a difference along our walk of faith with God, so what can you do to care for the environment? 17 Jul 2026 Credit: Andrés Pacheco/Tearfund If you’re reading this, then it probably means you’re passionate about justice, God’s creation, and showing care and compassion for people living in poverty. Sometimes, it can feel like we will never be able to solve the world’s problems.

June 3 was Earth Overshoot Day for the UK – the date when, if the whole world used resources the way people in the UK do, humanity would exceed what the natural world can produce in one year. We each need food, shelter and energy to survive and thrive, and God made, loves and sustains the air, land, water, plants and animals that we rely on to live. But, Earth Overshoot Day reminds us of the brokenness of our relationship with creation and with each other.

Uncomfortable, crowded, often unsanitary and lacking in most of the basic necessities for life – food, clean water, toilet facilities, access to work, schools for children – the only thing the camps for displaced people just outside Goma have to offer is safety. For hundreds of thousands of people seeking shelter from the violent conflict in other parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), these camps are a desperate bid at survival. But they are not safe.