Interfaith Power and Light: a Religious Response to Global Warming

I would like to invite you to consider joining Interfaith Power & Light, as I have done. As the planet faces an unprecedented global climate crisis that is already negatively impacting many communities around the world, especially lower income people and those in the Southern hemisphere,  it is time for the religious communities to work together to address this issue. IPL is doing great educational work and is well worth supporting. I recently took part in an event at a Catholic Church sponsored by this organization and Progressive Christians Uniting and was deeply impressed. Here's a letter I recently received from this organization that explains its mission:

[Those involved with] Interfaith Power & Light [seek] to be faithful stewards of Creation by responding to climate change and promoting clean energy solutions. Global warming is one of the biggest threats facing humanity today. The integrity of life – life that religious people are called to protect – is jeopardized by our continued dependency on fossil fuels for energy. By adding your voice to our network, you’re taking a powerful stand to protect the Earth for future generations.

IPL is a growing national network, encompassing 40 state affiliates, 18,000 congregations, and hundreds of thousands of individuals. We believe global warming is not just a scientific or political issue, but a moral issue that our country must address from the perspective of our shared values: our responsibility to be stewards of Creation and to leave a safe climate for our children and future generations.

To keep up with IPL and the latest news on climate change, check us out on Facebook.

IPL congregations are walking the talk by modeling energy stewardship and promoting energy conservation, efficiency and renewable energy in our houses of worship. But in order to truly stem the tide of climate change, we need policy change on the local, state, national, and international levels. That’s why IPL advocates for immediate limits on carbon pollution and a rapid transition to a clean energy economy.

We are excited that you have joined us, and we look forward to working with you to protect Creation.

Faithfully,

The Rev. Canon Sally G. Bingham
President, Interfaith Power & Light
 

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Latest News on Greywater from Greywater Action

If you want to find out more about greywater, I suggest you get on the mailing list of Greywater Action. Here's Laura Allen's latest update:

Could we be nearing the end of the drought? What ever the future holds now is a great time to get your rain barrels and tanks ready to catch some of the wild rain expected to come this winter. But will it be enough? According to NASA scientist Bill Patzert we shouldn't count on it. "... I’m not calling this a drought-buster yet,” Patzert said.

Some people are calling California's new shower head regulations "stingy," they'll require shower heads to put out 2 gallons per minute, which will be reduced to 1.8 gallons/minute in two years. But why wait for state regulations when we can get even lower flow showerhead today? From the affordable High Sierra 1.5 shower head down to the lowest, re-engineered shower head that uses 0.75 gallons/min, according to the new SF start-up company Nebia, without sacrificing comfort. 

Looking for a greywater installer? Visit our installers directory to find one. We recently finished another 5 day training and graduated 20 more people. Check out some of the systems they installed as part of the training here.

Tell your friends or family who live in Pasadena to check out the new incentive program offered by Pasadena Water and Power. PWP customers get free classes on greywater, a voucher to buy the parts, and a site visit from a Greywater Action instructor to help them design the system.

Upcoming Workshops

Northern California and SF Bay Area:

• (next week!) Arcata. Free presentation: Create Your Own Water-Wise Home and Landscape. August 24th, 7pm, at the D Street Community Center in Arcata, CA. More information here.
• Build your own rain barrel workshops in Napa (morning) and Calistoga (afternoon). Oct 10th (check back later for details)

Los Angeles area:

• (next week!)Drought Proof Your Landscape with Greywater. August 27th, 7pm at the Los Angeles EcoVillage. Cost is sliding scale $5-$15. More info here
• (next weekend!) Pasadena: Greywater 101 Symposium. Aug 29th, 1pm-3pm. Free workshop. More info here.
• (next weekend!) LA. Design your own laundry greywater system. August 30th, 10am-12:30pm at the Los Angeles EcoVillage. Sliding scale fee $20-$40. More information and registration here.
• Hands-on greywater installation workshop. September 5th, 11am-4pm at a private home in Topanga Canyon. Sliding scale $30- $100. More information and registration here.
• Ventura. Design your own laundry greywater system. Sept 26th, 10am-noon at Aqua-Flo Irrigation. Sliding-scale fee $20-$40. More info and registration here. 

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Support the Iran agreement

Now is the time to contact our elected officials and let them know we support this agreement. Last year I went to Washington, DC, to lobby for this agreement on Quaker lobby day. It has become increasingly clear that this agreement would help reduce the risk of war (and nuclear proliferation) in the Middle East. We can't pass up this opportunity to give negotiations a chance.

Dear Anthony Manousos, We have less than 30 days to protect the nuclear deal with Iran before a critical September vote. Is your senator speaking out for peace? Critics of the deal are spending millions and millions of dollars to convince members of Congress that this is a bad deal. Even if you've called or emailed already, many members of Congress are still making up their minds about the deal. Don't let money drown out the voices of the majority of people who support the deal. Contact your members of Congress today. I want to respond to questions you’ve raised and direct you to additional information: Is this a good deal? Yes. This deal dramatically shrinks Iran's nuclear program and gives inspectors the access they need to verify the deal. Could we negotiate a better deal? There’s no guarantee that Iran would come back to the negotiating table if the deal is rejected now. Scuttling this deal could mean no deal at all. Why is this deal important? This deal with Iran is the best chance we have to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran and another U.S. war in the Middle East. Should we trust Iran? This deal is about verification, not trust. Inspectors will have the access they need to find out if Iran is cheating on the deal. Why does the September vote matter? The vote will be incredibly close, and Congress could vote to reject the deal. That would jeopardize all this progress. Find out more on our website. Act now: Urge your members of Congress to speak out for the Iran deal. This vote will be a huge opportunity for Congress to support diplomacy—an answer to war and global conflict, an opportunity to support the vital work for peace. Thank you for your work for peace. Sincerely, Diane Randall Executive Secretary

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Act locally and nationally for environmental justice and an earth restored

This week I was thrilled to be able to bring Timothy Murphy, executive director of Progressive Christians United, to speak about environmental justice at ICUJP. His message was clear and powerful: we need to keep in mind the big picture (a radical transformation of our economic system to make it earth-friendly) and at the same time work locally to make incremental changes needed to help shift public attitudes and make a difference in the lives of those who are the most impacted, namely, low income people. I have included the latest PCU newsletter below. I recommend that you support this extremely important organization. Timothy is doing some very fine work!

I was also pleased to receive an email from another eco-activist friend, Joe Morris of Santa Monica Meeting, informing me  about an interfaith march on Climate Change in DC in Sept. This is the time to do all we can to let our officials know we take this concern seriously.  Note  that our Yearly Meeting approved two minutes on climate change that we are being asked to consider. See http://laquaker.blogspot.com/2015/07/facing-challenge-of-climate-change-some.html.

 

Here is Joe's letter: 

Please consider joining the historic Interfaith March on Climate Change on Thursday morning, September 24th, in Washington, D.C.   O n the National Mall in Washington, D.C., it may become the largest ever march and rally on climate change.    It is scheduled to coincide with Pope Francis's address on September 24th to a joint session of Congress.  

 

Quaker Earthcare Witness together with an ecumenical coalition of dozens of other religious and secular groups, e.g., Church World Service, Religions for the Earth, Islamic Society of North America, Franciscan Action Network, Sierra Club, and Citizens Climate Lobby, will call for a strong and binding international climate treaty and commitment to making lifestyle changes as a moral duty to humanity and our shared global environment. 

 

If you wish to attend, check out their website: www.moralactiononclimate.org.   Contact me for information about connecting with others locally who will be attending.  My phone: 310-828-4195 or dpj1942@earthlink.net   If you ever plan to go on a climate change event, this is the one!

 

Joe Morris

PYM Unity with Nature Rep

Santa Monica Meeting

PCU E-Newslettertr August 6, 2015   Environmental Justice  Is Local Dear Anthony,  Grassroots groups around the country should be congratulated for the government's release of the Clean Power Plan to reduce emissions from power plants, for they know that national victories are the outgrowth of many cumulative local efforts. They remind us that if we want to have healthy communities and minimize climate disruption, we have to fight where we are. Some call it "watershed discipleship." Others use the phrase: think global, act local. I like "planetary gospel." What matters is the activity itself! It can sometimes seem that the big fights and inspiring campaigns happen in far-flung places: federal approval forShell to drill in the Arctic, and the blockadia-style action in Portland to stop such drilling, for example. However, when we focus exclusively on inter/national news actions, or think that politicians speaking publicly on an issue is the beginning and end of it, we greatly misplace our own crucial role. Last week, I attended a city commission gathering in Carson, CA, focused on the need to expand a ban on fracking there. Approximately 100 people gathered and spoke; there was nothing particularly flashy about it. It was about people protecting themselves and fighting for environmental justice. To protect people's health essentially requires at least 1500 feet separating residents and extractive industries. The LA metro area is an oil region, but the consequences of any extraction so close to existing neighborhoods inevitably impacts people's wellbeing. I was inspired by the testimonies I heard from allies across the region as well as residents of Carson demanding that they be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. The fight in Carson is not over. Before the end, they will need to hear from other allies and people of faith. Last week's EPA announcement is one prominent step amidst hundreds of others that need to be taken by people like us. And while we take one step in the right direction, our country sometimestakes five backwards elsewhere. We can help ensure that at least in our region, we are actively part of the solution for healthy neighborhoods, against environmental racism, and towards the end of extraction. We can't wait for people from far away to solve this. This is our problem. Please see below two workshops over the next week that can help you engage with these issues. Stay tuned for upcoming faith-rooted solidarity actions alongside our neighbors touched by the racist effects of fossil fuel extraction. I hope to see you there! With an eye to the local, Timothy Murphy Executive Director This Week From PCU Action & Events Anniversaries in the News Quote of the Week Action & Events  Saturday, August 8: Climate Change and Faith       PCU is offering a training on forming small groups to study and act on climate change. This training is targeted to persons wanting to organize a group of friends, church members, etc. It will be offered online through google chat: no need to worry about driving in traffic! It will be led by PCU's executive director Timothy Murphy as well as the atmospheric scientist Jill Craven. Time: 10 AM - 12 PM. Contact the office to register. Tuesday, August 11: Walk the Talk Next week in South Pasadena you have the opportunity to "Walk the Talk" of how any efforts to care for the earth must naturally be integrated with other justice issues like poverty, public health, and pollution effects. The bi-lingual (Spanish/English) event will include: an overview of some of the most important religious writings on ecology the latest on California legislation and ways we can lend our voices resources for households & congregations to be more energy/water-efficient a presentation by GRID Alternatives of Greater Los Angeles, which installs NO COST solar systems on homes in regionally- and income-qualified owned homes. Details: DATE/TIME: Tuesday, August 11, 8:30-11:00am-breakfast included! PLACE: Holy Family Catholic Church, 1527 Fremont Avenue; parking across the street behind St. Joseph Center, 1524 Fremont Avenue RSVP here. Organized by Interfaith Power and Light and co-sponsored by Progressive Christians Uniting. Save the Date: Friday-Saturday, September 18-19 Confronting the Powers: An Anti-Racism Workshop What is the difference between racism and personal prejudice? How can we dismantle racism internally and socially? Why does racism still grip the United States? If these questions interest you, you should consider attending PCU's fall 1.5 day workshop, organized in collaboration with the Pro-Reconciliation/Anti-Racism Committee of the Disciples of Christ! You don't have to have been trained before. All it requires is some time and an open heart and mind. Activists, laity, clergy, and allies are all welcome! The training will be at Westminster Gardens in Duarte, CA. Costs will be minimal other than for food and hotel (if you live too far away to commute). A flyer is included. Contact Paulina to indicate your interest. Click here to download the flyer.    Anniversaries in the News Voting Rights 50 Years On  In the midst of a broad assault to roll back voting rights, it's worth celebrating where the spirit of the Voting Rights Act is being strengthened. At the Voting Rights Act's 50th anniversary, California is moving towards restoring voting for persons with felonies who are under community supervision. Click here to read more. Atomic Attacks: Never Again  Wednesday afternoon, or August 6 in Japan, marked the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima with a nuclear weapon. Groups and activists both local and international remembered this event through a moment of silence and vigil. Read more here and here. Quote of the Week Today, however, we have to realize that a true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. ~Pope Francis, from the encyclical "Praised Be"

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Black Scholar Dr. Jamal-Dominique Hopkins Speaks About the Dead Sea Scrolls and Africans in the Bible, Supports Community Development Initiative

This article I wrote describes a significant event sponsored by the North Fair Oaks Empowerment Project that took place at Greater New Guide Baptist Church. Jill and I are both delighted that his article appeared in "a locally owned and operated independent African American newspaper" that has served our community well for many years. Kudos to all who made this remarkable event a success, especially the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance,Pastor Sterling Brown, Pastor John Bledsoe, and our team of dedicated community residents and leaders.

Black Scholar Dr. Jamal-Dominique Hopkins Speaks About the Dead Sea Scrolls and Africans in the Bible, Supports Community Development Initiative

“I am the only African American scholar to have done doctoral work on the Dead Sea Scrolls,” Dr. Jamal-Dominique Hopkins told his audience on July 24, 2015, when he spoke at Greater New Guide Baptist Church in Altadena, a small but Spirit-filled church led by Pastor Sterling Brown.

“I had no idea what I was getting into when we invited him,” said Pastor Brown. “But I’m really glad we did. Dr. Hopkins took me back to my days in seminary in Nashville, and I was so intrigued I want to get together with him and find out more. Greg Ellis, a member of my congregation, felt the same way.”

Dr. Hopkins’ talk was sponsored by the North Fair Oaks Empowerment Initiative, which is supported by the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance (IMA), the oldest association of African American pastors in Pasadena.

A nationally known scholar and public intellectual, Dr. Hopkins not only earned his Ph.D. from the University of Manchester, he also started a non-profit think tank, the Institute for Advanced African American Christian Thought, and is the author of Ten Things Every Christian Should Know and Thinking Out Loud: Reflections on Life, Faith, Culture and Crisis.

“Without an African consciousness,” Dr. Hopkins explained, “one cannot fully and accurately read the Bible.”

To read more, go to Black scholar talks about the Dead Sea Scrolls and Africans in the Bible

Floyd Schmoe, Homes for Hiroshima, and Sadako Sakaki: Building Peace Together

Floyd next to the statue of Sadako
 in the Seattle Peace Park

Reflection to be given on "Cranes of August" Hiroshima Day at the Long Beach First Congregational Church. Thursday, August 6, at 7:00 pm.  241 Cedar Avenue - Long Beach, CA. See Long Beach Congregational Church event

  I feel honored to be here in a church with people of diverse faiths reflecting on an event that forever changed history. Seventy years ago, the United States dropped an atomic weapon on Hiroshima that instantly killed over 75,000 people and caused the deaths of 200,000 more through radiation and other after effects. This was the beginning of the Atomic Age and of a fifty-year-long Cold War, a period that has traumatized all of us, not just the victims of that terrible explosion. We are all still living in the shadow of a mushroom cloud that could one day engulf us.

We must not forget the horrors of August 6 and 9, 1945, or try to justify or mitigate it in any way. As people of faith, we must face the abyss, confess our sins (including the sin of not doing enough to oppose the evil of war) and commit ourselves to doing our best to insure that there are no more Nagasakis and Hiroshimas.

One of the powerful symbols of the anti-war movement has been a girl by the name of Sadako Sakaki. She was a toddler when she was exposed to the nuclear radiation of the Hiroshima bomb and she contracted leukemia. She knew of a Japanese legend that said if you fold 1000 paper cranes, you will prolong your life. She began folding cranes and completed 644 before she died. Her friends completed the rest, which were buried with her. Sadako’s death was premature and tragic, but her act of faith was not in vain. Children throughout Japan and the world began folding paper cranes, praying for peace. Today her memory lives on in the hearts and minds of countless people, especially young people, reminding us of the preciousness of life and the need for us to do all we can to abolish nuclear weapons and end the threat of war.

If you go to Seattle, not far from the Quaker meetinghouse, you’ll see a Peace Park with a bronze statue of Sadako Sasaki holding a paper crane. This park was dedicated on August 6, 1990, the 45th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing. It was funded largely through a remarkable Quaker named Floyd Schmoe, whom I had the honor of meeting and interviewing on his 104^st birthday in 2000. Even at that ripe old age, Floyd was full of life and curiosity and humor. If I ever reach that age, I want to be like Floyd!

Floyd building a home in Hiroshima

Floyd was trained as a naturalist, taught at various Universities, and wrote beautiful books about Puget Sound and Mt Rainier; however, much of his life was spent promoting peace. During WW I he was a conscientious objector and served on the ambulance corps in France. During WWII, he helped the Japanese who were being sent to detention camps and became close friends with Gordon Hirabayashi, the famous Japanese Quaker who resisted being sent to the camps and later won a landmark Supreme Court case that helped Japanese internees to receive reparations. Having made many close friends who were Japanese, Floyd was horrified by the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He decided he wanted to go to Hiroshima and build homes for the victims of the bombing. He didn’t have any money or institutional backing, but when he mentioned his leading in a Christmas letter, thousands of dollars poured in and he was able to go to Hiroshima in 1948 and build homes.

Floyd in front of an Hiroshima home

His act of compassion won the hearts of the Japanese people, which is why he became the second recipient of the Hiroshima Peace Center's Peace Award in 1988. Floyd used the money he received from this prize to build the Peace Park in Seattle that honors Sadako Sasaki.

I could spend hours describing the amazing life of this dedicated Quaker, and the numerous projects he did for peace. But I don’t think Floyd would want me to do this. I think he’d rather that I tell you that  like Sadako, he was a human being like us  and what he did, we can also do. When the Quaker received the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1947, the Quaker scholar Henry Cadbury spoke words that I have taken to heart:

"Common folk, not statesmen, nor generals, nor great men of affairs, but just simple men and women, if they devote themselves … can do something to build a better peaceful world.”

History shows us the profound truth of these words. Ordinary people like us can make a difference. I believe that if we work together, we can abolish nuclear weapons,  end war, and create a peaceful world. This is what God and what our hearts yearn for, and with God’s help we can do this. Peace begins with us, with small acts done with great faith and love.

Save the planet and save money: some practical ideas that will make a difference!

Rolling out the "green carpet"
with a do-it-yourself graywater system

The presentation on “Living Sustainably and Abundantly”that Jill and I did a at the Arroyo Food Coop went well and we were very pleased by the enthusiastic response. Around 30-35 people showed up and they were keenly interested in practical ways they could reduce their water and energy usage. We were especially impressed by Pastor Clayton Golliher who started a gray water business that is truly innovative and inspiring. He has invented gray water kits that don’t require tapping into existing plumbing and therefore don’t require permits. He has checked with LA City officials and all his devices are completely legal. You can install them yourself or get help from his team at a very reasonable price. He hires ex-gang members and donates profits to help the homeless. As far as I can determine, this guy is a saint, yet he is utterly practical and down-to-earth. You can find out more at graywaternow.com. How will gray water make a difference? A UCLA study of gray water concluded:

“…If just 10 percent of Southern California homes reused their graywater, that savings would equal the output of a desalination plant.” See http://www.scpr.org/news/2014/03/20/42917/our-homes-could-be-recycling-gray-water-right-now/

As Jill and I did our homework for our presentation about gray water, solar panels, and other responses to the climate crisis, it became clear that we need to do more than just recycle our bottles and change our light bulbs to LEDs. Our planet is in crisis and we need to take serious action as individuals and as a nation. Fortunately, there are some actions we can take that would make a significant impact, and they can actually save us money as well as help save the planet. Here are some links that could make a real difference.

Save money and save the planet:

·         Replace your ride. It is clear that we need to get rid of our gas-guzzling cars and invest in electric and electric hybrid vehicles. Wealthy people can get tax write ups of up to $7,000 to purchase cars like our Chevy Volt. This Replace your Ride program allows lower income people to turn in an older, higher polluting car and receive $2,500 to $9,500 in vouchers toward a newer model. www.replaceyourride.com. Our next-door neighbor is taking advantage of this program, so we know it works. Please spread the word about this and other programs on this list.

·         Obtain easy, affordable financing for solar panels, gray water, and a host of other conservation and energy-saving measures. I checked out this program and found that it makes it easy to make living sustainably affordable. For instance, if we had taken out an $18,000 loan to pay for our solar panels, gray water system, and turf removal, we would have to buy back $1,600 a loan for a 20 year loan. This sounds like a lot, but our savings on electricity and water bills would be $1,800 the first year and would increase by at least 4% a year after that. This means that it’s cheaper to make your home sustainable than it is simply to leave it as it is. If you want to save the planet and save money, I recommend checking out HERO.com.

·         Pasadena Water & Power and SoCal Water$Mart*: Find out about city rebates for water-wise and low energy products that could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars. For example, laundry to landscape gray water systems, $300 rebate for efficient washing machine, etc. www.pwp.com     

·         Learn about low-cost Earth-friendly cleaning products. Most of them are cheaper than the toxic chemicals we purchase from the super market, and they work just as well. http://laquaker.blogspot.com/2015/05/earth-friendly-gray-water-cleaning.html.

·         Learn about the latest developments in gray water. greywateraction.org.

·          Graywater systems you can install yourself. Graywater.now. This is the cheapest and easiest way to save water.

·          Reliable local solar installer.  http://www.altadenasolar.com/#!

·           Solar panels: Sustainable Solutions Partners:   http://sustainsp.com4

Offset your carbon footprint by investing in renewable energy sources:

·         Calculate your carbon usage and offset it. Terrapass.com. If you travel by plane and want to offset your carbon footprint, you can donate to terrapass and they will invest in planting trees, solar and wind energy projects, etc. Obviously it would be better to stay home and conserve energy, but if you must travel, this is a good way to “make amends.”

·         Purchase 100% sustainably produced energy from the city of Pasadena for only 2.5 cents extra per Kwh. I love this program! You don’t have to install solar panels or be a home owner to power your appliances with sustainable energy. Just be willing to up an extra $5 or $10 a month. This seems like a relatively small price to pay to save the planet! Call 626-744-4005 or go to www.pwp.com  

OK, if all this sounds too hard, try what  Bill McKibben suggests:  

   "If we all used clotheslines, we could save 30 million tons of coal a year, or shut down 15 nuclear power plants. And you don't have to wait to start. Yours could be up by this afternoon. To be specific, buy 50 feet of clothesline and a $3 bag of clothespins and become a solar energy pioneer."

Check out my "solar-powered clothes dryer." We still use one to dry our sheets and towels!

http://laquaker.blogspot.com/2010/02/solar-powered-clothes-dryer-and-new.html