Earth Care News
September 2016
In this newsletter:
Registration Now Open for Deep Change for Climate Justice Conference
Merchants of Doubt Film Showing in Northfield
Season of Creation: September 1 – October 4
New Course on Water Resources
Button Up Day is November 12 — Mini-grants are Offered
New England Quakers’ Statement on Climate Change
Leaders of Alaska Interfaith Power and Light Speak Out
Renewable Energy Vermont Conference: October 13 – 14
Reminder: Way to Go! Challenge — September 26 – October 7
and Four More Articles
Registration Now Open for Deep Change for Climate Justice Conference
Register Now for our annual conference, Deep Change for Climate Justice: Coalescing a Transformational Movement! The conference will be October 15 – 16 in White River Junction. The Rev. Fred Small and Sherri Mitchell, our two main speakers, will be with us to facilitate throughout the weekend. Register for one day or two — find out details at the conference website. You can also print out the registration form from the website and mail it in with a check. The cost for the conference goes up on October 1. The conference schedule is on the website along with more information about our speakers, sponsors, and program. The workshop descriptions will soon be added. Don’t miss this event! For more information, email or call 802-434-3397.
Merchants of Doubt Film Showing in Northfield
On Thursday, September 22 at 6:30 pm, the excellent documentary, Merchants of Doubt, will be shown at Northfield United Methodist Church (52 South Main Street). The film exposes the concerted strategy Exxon and other corporations used, taking a page from the tobacco industry playbook, to create doubts about the facts of global climate change and to block action. Come see this important film! Contact VTIPL at802-434-3397 or by email for more information. Its free and open to all; a discussion will follow.
Season of Creation: September 1 – October 4
In 1989, the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch first designated September 1 as the World Day of Prayer for Care of Creation. Pope Francis and other religious leaders worldwide now join in this World Day of Prayer. It has become the first day of the Season of Creation which continues until October 4, the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi. Many Christian congregations around the world are holding prayer services during this Season. Find out more about it here.
New Course on Water Resources
Lake Champlain Sea Grant offers Sustainable Landscape Stewards: Natural Aquatic Systems, a new course being held at UVM for community leaders, municipal employees, and concerned citizens. Participants will gain understanding of watershed science and how land use and increased storm events impact water resources, and they can earn 1.25 UVM continuing education credits. The class will meet on Wednesday evenings and has one Saturday morning field trip. It runs from September 21 – October 19. Registration deadline: Sept. 9. The website has more information. Questions? Contact: Linda Patterson by email or call 802-656-7668.
Button Up Day is November 12 — Mini-Grants are Offered
Efficiency Vermont is offering up to 15 mini-grants (max. of $2,500/grant) to Town Energy Committees or other groups for outreach and promotion of Button Up Day events. Local energy groups are encouraged to think broadly about the best ways to engage with community members around improving thermal efficiency, and are encouraged to implement community engagement activities both on and leading up to Button Up Day on Nov. 12. Deadline for proposals: Sept. 7 at 5 pm. Learn more at thewebsite – scroll down to “Button Up Day of Action Community Grants.”
New England Quakers’ Statement on Climate Change
At their annual meeting last month, New England Quakers (aka Friends) “heard a Divine call to the witness of addressing climate change.” The brief statement they approved, called the 2016 Yearly Meeting Minute on Climate Change, is well worth reading. In the second paragraph they say, “This is not just one concern among many to be carried by only some among us. We all live on this planet and are all complicit in altering its climate. It is incumbent upon every Friend and every Friends Meeting to discover how God is leading us to do our part to reverse this great threat.” Go here to read the statement.
Leaders of Alaska Interfaith Power and Light Speak Out
Alaska IPL’s co-chairs, Charles Rohrbacher and Stuart Cohen, wrote a good editorial for the Juneau newspaper, Juneau Empire, about climate change as a moral issue. Read their editorial.
Renewable Energy Vermont Conference: October 13 – 14
This annual conference will be held at the Sheraton Hotel in Burlington. Click here for more information and to register.
Reminder: Way To Go! Challenge — September 26 – October 7
Find more information. at the Facebook page. Go here for the promotion kit.
Four More Articles
– “A World at War” by Bill McKibben — article in the New Republic.
-“America’s First Offshore Wind Farm May Power Up a New Industry” by Justin Gillis — NY Times article.
-“Changing opinions on climate change, from a CNN meteorologist” by Chad Myers, CNN meteorologist — read it here.
-“Is Natural Gas a Bridge Fuel?” article in Yale Climate Connections
VTIPL educates people of faith and spirit about the climate crisis and actions to care for Earth.
Vermont Interfaith Power and Light
P.O. Box 209, Richmond, VT 05477
info@vtipl.org 802-434-3397 www.vtipl.org
