Earth Care News
September 2017
In this newsletter:
Register Now for VTIPL’s Building Local Resilience – Inspiring Climate Action!Conference
Congregations Can Be Conference Sponsors
Climate Blessing
Harvard Study Finds Exxon Misled Public About Climate Change
Tell Vermont Attorney General: Investigate Exxon!
Petition: Publish Climate Science Report
Joint Message from Pope Francis & Patriarch Bartholomew
Button Up Vermont Resources
Vermont Climate and Health Alliance
Reminder: Action for Ecological Justice Conference
Climate Change Made Hurricane Harvey More Deadly
Convincing Doubtful Evangelicals About Climate Change
Register Now for VTIPL’s Building Local Resilience – Inspiring Climate Action! Conference
Registration is open for VT Interfaith Power & Light’s 2017 conference, Building Local Resilience – Inspiring Climate Action! Don’t wait to register – the October 13 registration deadline will come quickly. You can register online here or go to the website event page and print the registration form from the attachment. The conference features fantastic leaders, great food, wonderful sponsors, music and more! It will be on Saturday, Oct. 21st at First Congregational Church in Manchester. Come and invite your friends!
Much conference information is on the event page on VTIPL’s website including Keynote Speaker Deb Markowitz’s photo & bio, workshop topics, registration info, the conference flyer and more.
The workshop leaders are:
Building resilient communities- Ruah Swennerfelt
Climate legislation advocacy- Rep. Robin Chesnut-Tangerman & Tom Hughes
Climate science update- Alan Betts
Effective community organizing- Mary Gerisch & Rachel Smolker
Help with building energy efficiency- Paul Markowitz & Ron McGarvey
Watershed stewardship- Rev. Nancy Wright
Congregations Can Be Conference Sponsors
Congregations are helping VTIPL by sponsoring the conference with a donation of $50.00 or more. The names of congregational sponsors will be included in printed materials. The sponsorship form is in an attachment near the end of the website page. To be included in the congregational sponsor list, send in the form by Sept. 30. Thank you!
Climate Blessing
For the Season of Creation, an IPL colleague, Sr. Joan Brown, shared this:
We hold brothers and sisters who suffer from storms and droughts intensified by climate change.
We hold all species that suffer.
We hold world leaders delegated to make decisions for life.
We pray that the web of life may be mended through courageous actions to limit carbon emissions.
We pray for right actions for adaptation and mitigation to help our already suffering earth community.
We pray that love and wisdom might inspire my actions and our actions as communities… so that we may, with integrity, look into the eyes of brothers and sisters and all beings and truthfully say, we are doing our part to care for them and the future of the children.
May love transform us and our world with new steps toward life.
Harvard Study Finds Exxon Misled Public About Climate Change
In this article, a Harvard study by Geoffrey Supran and Naomi Oreskes is described which analyzes Exxon’s research and public statements and shows a sharp contrast between what the company told the public about climate change and what it knew.
Tell Vermont Attorney General: Investigate Exxon!
As the article above details, Exxon has long been misleading the public about climate change and it’s risks. Here’s an opportunity to ask Vermont’s Attorney General, T.J. Donovan, to open (or join) an investigation into Exxon’s cover-up.
Petition: Publish Climate Science Report
The Climate Science Special Report gives “an updated detailed analysis of the findings of how climate change is affecting weather and climate across the United States.” The report has been approved by the National Academy of Sciences, but scientists fear the Administration might interfere with the report’s peer-reviewed scientific conclusions before releasing it. This petition urges the Administration to release it without interference. Act Now – the deadline to sign is 9/7/17.
Joint Message from Pope Francis & Patriarch Bartholomew
The Pope and Patriarch released a joint statement for the September 1 World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. The title of their statement is Cry of the earth and cry of the poor are one voice. More is in this article.
Button Up Vermont Resources
This year, instead of a Button Up Day in early November, there will be a Button Up season lasting a couple of months. Efficiency Vermont will provide resources such as LEDs to energy committees and other community partners working to engage residents in reducing energy use in their homes and communities. They will also provide educational materials, media and social media support, and guidance and training to local energy committees. In exchange, these committees will be asked to commit to implementing at least two community engagement activities of their choosing. For example, tabling at town events and workshops. Contact Paul Markowitz at 802-540-7608 for more information or email.
Vermont Climate and Health Alliance
This is a newly formed group of Vermont physicians, nurses, therapists, veterinarians, researchers, health aides, and other health professionals who share a deep concern about the impacts of climate change on human health. They are convinced that climate change will become the major threat to human health in the 21st century. They have written a letter to Vermont legislators, and they intend to weigh in through testimony and in other ways on the potential health benefits of proposed climate-related legislation. Find out more at their website.
Reminder: Action for Ecological Justice Conference
As the major event in the Year of Creation, this conference, open to all, will be held at St. Michael’s College on September 30. More information is at the website. Register now!
Climate Change Made Hurricane Harvey More Deadly
Climate Scientist Michael Mann explains in this article the role climate change played in the unprecedented Hurricane Harvey disaster.
Convincing Doubtful Evangelicals About Climate Change
Read about how Katharine Hayhoe, Climate Scientist at Texas Tech, is successfully educating doubtful evangelicals about climate change.
VTIPL helps people of faith and spirit to better understand the climate crisis and to take action 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
