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Social Justice, Action & Activism
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When you hear these words, what do you immediately think or feel?  Do you envision sign-waving, angry people yelling at men in suits?  Do you feel a sense of community members bonded together marching for a common cause?  Do you see the signing of legislation that preserves and protects the future?  All of these are examples of zeal in action. 
Zeal gets things done, and just like the winds, the tides, and the storms, the work of zeal, especially in relation to the environment, often meets opposition. Yet zeal must be maintained if progress of any sort is to be attained because there will always be opposition.  This is the second area in which to engage zeal in support of the environment.
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Who would oppose actions to preserve and protect the environment and experience the benefits of such efforts?  In short, plenty of people - people with significant political influence at the local, state, federal, and international levels.
At the risk of oversimplification, there are many interests around the world that benefit financially by having fewer, not more, regulations to follow.  These include, but are not limited to, organizations that benefit from easy access to and unfettered use of land, air, and waters; disposition of waste byproducts of production, and minimal guarantees for worker safety.
Yet it is not only producers who benefit financially from minimal environmental protections, so do consumers.  People want cheap goods, so producers will find a way to deliver.  But what is the long-term cost of these products to the earth and current and future generations?  Producers and consumers need to activate their faculty of zeal to make the changes that are necessary for the repair and preservation of a sustainable environment.  Civic engagement is key.
Civic engagement (which includes activism, social action, and social justice) is the right and responsibility of all members of a free society. It is a term that encompasses all aspects of citizenship and conveys with it the idea of civility - respect for, though not necessarily agreement with, individuals whose opinions counter one’s own. 
Civic engagement also is an urgent call for individuals to understand the process by which legislation (at all levels of government) is written and who benefits from the legislation.
Within Unity and other New Thought communities, there is an active perspective that “we don’t get political.” Legally, faith communities cannot be partisan, that is, promote a candidate or a particular political party; however, faith communities have long advocated for legislation that represents their values.
Many denominations have lobbying arms such as the Friends Committee for National Legislation (Quakers) or Office of Government Relations (Episcopal Church, USA), and the United Methodist Church Building (Methodist) sits on a corner directly across from the US Capitol and the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC.
“Through thoughts, words, and actions, we live the Truth we know.”
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Unity's 5th Principle, "Zeal"
Why would Unity Truth students not engage with the process of advocating for environmental well-being in the political arena where the policies that create the problems or solve the problems are written?  How many times have Unity leaders exhorted, borrowing from our Quaker friends, “Give your prayer feet”?  Legislation and policy decisions have utterly enormous consequences, and if Unity Truth students do not understand, inform, or participate in the process, we are deliberately and intentionally curtailing our capacity to “co-create a world that works for everyone.” 
Through the activation of our zeal faculty, we can break from any resistance to civic engagement and live the truth we know.  We must, because as Fillmore said, “Without zeal, stagnation, inertia, and death would prevail throughout the universe.”  More immediately to us, he could have said, “Without zeal, stagnation, inertia, and death would prevail on planet earth.”
How do we engage zeal on the governmental and/or legislative level?  Easy.  Make sure to know who your elected officials are on every level.  Learn their positions. Be on their distribution lists and when they ask for input, give it!  Give input even if they don’t ask for it.  
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Additionally, align yourself with local, state, national, and international organizations that advocate for environmental care. When any of them requests an action, research the action, then decide if you are going to participate.
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Here are a few useful action items:
Visit the website truthunity.net , Fillmore Faith
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Read any - or all! - of the 1920 Unity magazines, looking for connections and inspirations between the Twelve Powers and the environment.
Research the city or county environmental agencies and activities in your area.
Civilians are often invited to attend public hearings, serve on advisory councils, and participate on local boards.  Get involved and be a voice for environmental wellness and sustainability.
Create a list of all the elected officials who represent you.
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Investigate their stances on environmental issues.  Contact them with praise for the work they are doing to support environmental wellness or offer them suggestions for how to improve their environmental records.
Here’s some personal thoughts about zeal from EarthCare Core Team member, Mary Gerken.
Getting to Know Your Community
A.  What is the name of the department in your county and/or city that handles issues related to the environment?
B. Who is the head of that department or those departments?