Background

Background 
Christine Muller

This course is the product of an individual initiative with the support and collaboration of many people. 

Throughout my life, I have studied environmental problems and have found spiritual solutions in the Baha’i teachings. The worsening environmental crisis propelled me to share them with others. Therefore, I decided to systematically study climate change in preparation for the creation of the presentation Climate Change, Science and Religion – a Dialogue with Songs. However, in 2005, no educational materials on climate change were available. In fact, it was quite difficult to find much information on the internet – just the opposite from today when we are drowning in information. This happened at a time when Baha’i communities have begun to contribute to social transformation with systematic grassroots education through study courses. It became clear that an interfaith study course on climate change could contribute meaningfully to these efforts. 

The course was first published by the International Environment Forum on 9 November 2009. It was updated in 2011, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020, underwent a fundamental redesign in 2024, and was updated again in 2025. The feedback of many participants and facilitators of study circles, weekend courses at Louhelen, Green Acre, and Bosch Baha’i Schools and of summer schools in the UK, the USA, and Australia have been incorporated, as well as the experience from teaching courses on climate change and sustainable development for the Wilmette Institute Institute and for the Baha’i Institute for Higher Education in Iran (BIHE) over many years.

Suggestions for further improvement and feedback about your experiences with the materials are always appreciated. Please contact Christine Muller at

Acknowledgements

Warmest thanks and deep appreciation go out to many friends around the world – from the UK, Honduras, the US, Switzerland, Australia, and Bosnia Herzegovina – who contributed to this course and have made it a consultative ongoing project. The following individuals helped in big and small ways with sharing experiences as facilitators, with contributing their professional scientific or technical expertise, with proof reading, and in other ways: Arthur Dahl, Peter Adriance, Michael Richards, Larry Staudt, Ray Frackelton, Carol Curtis, Michel Muller, Martina Muller, Gerhard Muller, Philip Koomen, Jenny Lockwood, Al Riebau, Sharon Miller, Melodie Taylor, Margie Smith, Mary Hansen, Michael Moum, Gary Colliver, Laurent Mesbah, and Wendy Wisniewski, as well as many other friends who provided feedback.

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last update 15 August 2025