I am sitting in a café on Madison Avenue in New York. It is 36°C outside (or 97°F, as the locals prefer), and I can honestly say it is a little warmer than I like. Thank the Lord for air conditioning. Literally. 

With such extreme heat, and skies occasionally tinged orange by smoke from the Canadian wildfires, it is hard not to think about climate change… and sun cream. Lots of it. 

Pope Leo XIV warns that, “Extreme natural phenomena caused by climate changes provoked by human activity are growing in intensity and frequency.” He challenges us to respond not only with concern, but with faith put into action. 

In his Message for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation 2025, he reminds us: 

“Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience.” 

Care for creation is therefore not an optional extra for Christians. It is part of our discipleship. He also writes: “By working with love and perseverance, we can sow many seeds of justice and thus contribute to the growth of peace and the renewal of hope.” 

It is easy to think that solving climate change depends entirely on governments and international organisations. Certainly, political action is essential. Yet the most powerful image I have seen during my time in New York was not at the United Nations or on the news. 

On Sunday, as we drove through Cornelia Street, I watched an elderly man leave his apartment carrying a bucket of water. He crossed to the small island in the middle of the road and carefully watered a struggling young tree. Around him were blaring horns, traffic, noise and the usual New York chaos. He could not solve climate change, but he could care for one tree. 

That image has stayed with me. He did not see a hopeless situation. He saw something he could do. 

Imagine if Edinburgh planted a new woodland of 300 trees. That would be wonderful. But imagine something even more powerful. Imagine if 300 people each planted one tree. Not just a woodland owned by the council, but 300 homes, 300 gardens and 300 Christians making a personal commitment to care for creation. 

Pope Leo calls us to move “from words to deeds.” Perhaps that begins not with waiting for someone else to act, but by asking ourselves a simple question: 

What is the one tree I can plant? 

Deacon Eddie White