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:
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