GREEN MOUNTAINS, BLUE WATER: Earth Care News from Vermont Interfaith Power and Light (VTIPL) – December 2013

In this newsletter:

  • End-of-Year Gift
  • Fall Conference Keynote Address
  • Cool Congregations Challenge
  • Preach-In: February 14 – 16, 2014
  • Tipping Point Film Showing in Newport
  • Obama and Climate Change- Rolling Stone Article
  • Hot Topic: Vermont Net Metering
  • Resources from VECAN Annual Meeting
  • Three Interesting Reports

END-of-YEAR GIFT

Please consider making an end-of-year donation to VTIPL

so we can continue to help faith & spiritual communities and

individuals take action on climate change. A challenge grant

will match your gift dollar for dollar. VTIPL is a 501(c)3 non-

profit – gifts are tax deductible. Send your check to VTIPL at

P.O. Box 209, Richmond, VT 05477 or donate online: www.vtipl.org

 

FALL CONFERENCE KEYNOTE ADDRESS

VTIPL’s fall conference on Nov. 16 was a great success! If

you weren’t able to attend this year, please plan to come to

our 2014 conference. Dr. Stephanie Kaza’s excellent keynote

address was filmed and has been shown a number of times on

CCTV, Burlington’s public access channel 17. CCTV will show

it again on Tuesday, Dec. 24 at 5:30 pm. It’s been distributed to

public access stations around the state. If people request it, the

stations will likely show it. You can also watch it online here:

https://www.cctv.org/watch-tv/programs/facing-climate-chaos-hope-and-action-empowering-people-faith-and-spirit

 

COOL CONGREGATIONS CHALLENGE

National Interfaith Power and Light is sponsor of this annual

contest for congregations. If in the past year your faith com-

munity has done a project in one of the categories below and

it’s completed by Dec. 31, consider entering the Cool Congre-

gations Challenge. The deadline to enter is Jan. 31, 2014. The

five categories are: Cool Congregation Planner; Energy Saver;

Renewable Role Model; Sacred Grounds Steward; and Com-

munity Inspiration. The Grand Prize is $1000 and it goes to the

congregation that wins overall. In each category, the first-place

winners receive $500 and other awards will also be given. For

details go to: www.coolcongregations.org/take-the-challenge/what-is-ccc/

 

PREACH-IN: February 14 – 16, 2014

During the weekend of Feb. 14 – 16, pastors of many faiths all

across the country will be preaching about stewardship of the

environment, climate change, and related topics. This annual

event is sponsored by national Interfaith and Light, and they

provide many resources to help pastors. To find out more or

to pre-register, go to www.preachin.org

 

TIPPING POINT FILM SHOWING in NEWPORT

This showing of the documentary “Tipping Point: The Age of

the Oil Sands” will be on Mon., Jan. 20, 6:30 pm, in Room 250

of the Hebard State Building, above CCV’s Newport Academic

Center at 100 Main Street. A panel discussion will follow the

film and VTIPL will participate. The film is about the mining

of tar sands in northern Alberta and the effects on indigenous

communities, the land, water, and air. CCV-Newport and The

Newport Community Justice Center sponsor the event.

 

OBAMA and CLIMATE CHANGE- Rolling Stone Article

This article, by Bill McKibben, about President Obama’s climate

change record was just published in the Dec. 19 – Jan. 2 issue:

www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/obama-and-climate-change-the-real-story-20131217

 

HOT TOPIC: VERMONT NET METERING

Vermont’s net metering law has helped many Vermont home-

owners and Vermont businesses go solar, but since some VT

utilities have reached the state-mandated 4% cap, they have

stopped permitting new solar installations. This is putting the

brakes on renewable energy when it’s critical for our state,

world, and climate that renewable energy be expanded (and

fossil fuel use decreased). Vermont’s legislature will soon look

at this issue. It’s important that Vermonters speak to legislators

and let them know how essential it is that the law be fixed so

that citizens will again be permitted to install solar systems.

Read more about this issue on websites of VECAN (VT Energy

and Climate Action Network) and VT Public Service Dept.:

www.vecan.net/hot-topic-vermont-net-metering

https://publicservice.vermont.gov/topics/renewable_energy/net_metering

 

RESOURCES from VECAN ANNUAL MEETING

VT Energy and Climate Action Network (VECAN) held their

annual meeting on Dec. 7 at Lake Morey Inn. It was, as usual,

a fantastic conference with many wonderful speakers and

workshops. Some of the sessions were filmed and workshop

leaders made their materials available. You can watch the

Keynote address of May Boeve, 350.org‘s Executive Director,

watch The Rev. Susanna Griefen’s excellent panel presentation

(and others), and read the inspiring speech by youth leader and

Sharon Academy senior Margaret Gish. They are posted on

the VECAN website: www.vecan.net/annual-conference-2013/

 

THREE INTERESTING REPORTS

-The World Meteorological Organization has released a report

about the climate of the last decade: “The Global Climate 2001 –

2010: A Decade of Extremes” Read about it here: https://www.wmo.int/pages/mediacentre/press_releases/pr_976_en.html

 

-Scientist Richard Heede’s peer-reviewed research into the

carbon emissions of the world’s largest fossil fuel producers

is the subject of this article which states, “Heede concludes that

nearly two-thirds of carbon dioxide emitted since the 1750s

can be traced to the 90 largest fossil fuel and cement producers,

most of which still operate.” Read it here: https://carbonmajors.org/download-the-study/

 

-Vermonters for a Sustainable Population recently released a

report titled, “What is an Optimum Sustainable Population for

Vermont?” Find it here: www.vspop.org/htm/opt_sustainable_report_vt_2013_small_ver3.pdf

 

CONTRIBUTE TO HELP VTIPL CONTINUE ITS WORK

Send a check (address below) or donate at the website.

 

Vermont Interfaith Power and Light (VTIPL) educates people

of faith 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