Andy & Carol Phelps
Andy & Carol Phelps bring their faith, love of nature, and global humanitarian work to Wisconsin Creation Care Ambassadors. Carol’s background in teaching and psychology complement Andy’s background in science and engineering, to help them understand the human and technical challenges of addressing today’s environmental crises.
Carol first became aware of Climate Change in 2004. She was flabbergasted – How could anyone affect the climate, much less cause natural disasters?! Yet a bit of research revealed the enormity of the situation, when she discovered that humans were in fact unwittingly destroying the climate of their own planet.
The Phelps have supported Christian and humanitarian work around the globe for decades, working on clean water, maternal & newborn health, solutions to poverty, education, and disaster relief. They soon realized that everything they care about the most – the well-being of humanity and nature, and even the future of their own children – was tied to a stable global climate and well-functioning ecosystems.
At a world missions conference in 2019, Carol felt called to climate activism. She realized that if enough people unite to save God’s Creation, the one habitable planet we have to live on has a fighting chance. She started educating others about the climate crisis, and later that year, she attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP 25, in Madrid.
The Phelps now help with renewable energy projects around the globe – starting with solar for their own home, their church, and their town hall, and reaching as far afield as Uganda and Bhutan. The Phelps began a Green Team at their church. They initiated a “My Planet My Future” display at the Madison Children’s Museum, and began the annual Madison Earth Day EV Parades. They helped start Renew Wisconsin’s EVs for Good Program, and a Resilient Communities Program for libraries across America. Carol is also active in 350 Madison, and one of the founders of Wisconsin Creation Care Ambassadors.