GWIPL Newsletter: September 2007

IN THIS ISSUE
Faith Community in the Spotlight
Opportunities
Upcoming Events

Faith Community in the Spotlight - St. Columba's Episcopal Church in Washington, DC

In August, Interfaith Power and Light's across the country announced the launch of the online store shopIPL.org. This online store allows communities of faith and their members to purchase energy efficiency, water conservation, and weatherization products at discounted prices. St. Columba's Episcopal Church in Washington, DC was the first faith community to take advantage of this new resource. Led by their environmental committee, St. Columba's purchased 33 light emitting diode (LED) exit signs, estimated to save their parish $20,000 over the life time of the products. Even better, these signs will pay for themselves in one year's time. "Saving money and energy has never been so easy," said John Wickham, Co-Chair of the environmental committee. Read more in an article from the Episcopal News.

Your faith community can join St. Columba's and retrofit your community's building using shopIPL.org or hold an energy efficiency products sale - for more information check out http://www.gwipl.org/save_energy/buy.asp#group. Let us know how you do, so we can feature you!

Opportunities

1. Interfaith Declaration on Global Warming: Join religious leaders around the country in calling for "An Interfaith Declaration on the Moral Responsibility of the U.S. Government to Address Global Warming," which calls on Congress to enact mandatory limits on greenhouse gases. Signatures will be collected until September 14, when the declaration will be delivered to Congress by Interfaith Power and Light. Please ask your religious leader to add their signature online, joining over 500 who have already signed the declaration.   For more resources and information on shopIPL, please visit www.gwipl.org/save_energy/buy.asp

2. High Holidays Climate Change Activities: The Jewish New Year is a time of repentance, prayer, and tzedakah. What better time of year to reflect on climate change and our relationship to creation? GWIPL and our Green Tikkun partners have put together three activities for you and your synagogue's green team. They include: A letter which each environmental committee can post to their synagogue's website or send over their list-serve. A prayer to add to the Tashlikh service and finally a letter you can write to the editor about what you have decided to change in 5768. For more information please visit www.gwipl.org/greenmenorahtikkun.asp#High

3. CCAN's Climate Organizing & Leadership Development (COLD) Training Series
Do you have the skills you need to fight global warming? The COLD series will feature expert speakers, guest trainers, and provide you with the valuable skills that you need to become a better organizer in your area.   The Chesapeake Climate Action Network is offering the trainings in four locations: Washington, DC, Baltimore, MD, Falls Church, VA and Richmond, VA. Visit the CCAN website for more information.

4. Other Opportunities: We are still scheduling our youth program Being Cool for this fall, and we would love to come to your house of worship and help you with a walk through energy assessment. Also don't forget to take the Cool Capital Challenge - congregational teams are already saving 175,558 pounds of CO2 and $14,907.54 this year alone by becoming more energy efficient. To sign up go to www.coolcapitalchallenge.org or for more resources to help engage your congregation visit www.gwipl.org/Coolcapitalchallenge.asp  

Upcoming Events

Oct. 14 - Stepping Up to the Challenge: How Your Congregation can be a Part of the Climate Solution, GWIPL's first annual summit
Come join with other "green" faith leaders from the area to learn, share, and take action to help your congregation be leaders in stopping climate change. Workshops will include affording your green building, global warming policy and advocacy, sustaining your green group, and food and global warming.
Where: St. Columba's, 42 01 Albemarle St. NW, Washington, DC 20016
When: Oct. 14 from 1:45pm to 5pm
RSVP: Allison@gwipl.org or visit the GWIPL website for more information

Nov. 2-5 - Power Shift 2007 - Youth Climate Summit
This fall youth (ages 16-26) from across the country will convene in Washington, DC to change the climate on global warming in the United States. Together, we will create a shift in the fight for a clean and just energy future. There will be a special track for faith communities which will include workshops on leading your community in reducing your house of worship's carbon foot print, and creating "green" worship services. The summit is taking place from Nov. 2-5 at University of Maryland, College Park. You can register at http://powershift07.org/register.

Please also contact Allison at Allison@gwipl.org or 202-885-8684 if you or your congregation would be interested in housing participants.

Sept. 23 - We Have the Power: Become a Carbon Buster for Cool Capital Challenge!
Please attend the Cool Capital Challenge's Leadership Training. Learn more about what you can do to reduce your carbon emissions and to empower your friends, neighbors, and community members to do the same. And share your own ideas for meeting the challenge of climate change in our region with like-minded people.
When: Sept. 23, 2-5pm
Where: Josephine Butler Parks Center, 2437 15th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009
RSVP: Please email info@coolcapital.org

Sept. 25 - Greening your Congregation
Presentation on EPA Energy Star resources, what local congregations are doing and information on Arlington's Fresh AIRE initiative to address climate change. Learn how your congregation can reduce energy use and save money! Practical information on assessing and reducing your energy use, purchasing clean, renewable energy, and including environmental stewardship into your teaching and worship! Sponsored by Arlington County, Arlington Interfaith Council, GWIPL, and VA IPL.
When: 9/25, 7-9pm
Where: Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, 4444 Arlington Blvd, Arlington, VA
RSVP: Please contact Joan Kelsch, jkelsch@arlingtonva.us or 703-228-3599

Other Events:

Sept. 8, 9:15am: Tikkon Olam Shabbat Sermon by Rabbi Steven Gutow, Executive Director of the Jewish Council on Public Affairs (JPCA) and a Board member of the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL) at Har Shalom, 11510 Falls Road in Potomac, MD. For questions, contact tikkunolam@harshalom.org

Sept. 23, 5pm: "Serving God - Saving the Planet" author Dr. Matthew Sleeth will speak at Grace Fellowship Church, Timonium, MD. For more information, contact Heidi Schreiber-Pan at (410) 593-9988 or schreiberpan@gmail.com.

Sept. 30, 9am-6pm: "It Is Easy Being Green" Sukkot Celebration and Conference, sponsored by the Baltimore Jewish Environmental Network, Pearlstone Conference and Retreat Center, Reisterstown, MD.
Program: www.greensukkot.com
Directions: www.pearlstonecenter.org/pages/thecamp.html

Go to the GWIPL Event Calendar

Support GWIPL today
You can make a secure online donation at http://www.gwipl.org/support_us.asp. Every dollar helps us to protect creation.

 

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