VT Interfaith Power and Light Newsletter

GREEN MOUNTAINS, BLUE WATER:
Earth Care News from
Vermont Interfaith Power and Light (VTIPL)
October 2015
In this newsletter:
Don’t Miss VTIPL’s 2015 Conference!
Pope Francis’ Address to Congress
Pope Francis on Climate Change and more
VT Comprehensive Energy Plan: Public Hearings
Button-Up Vermont Day – November 7
VECAN Meeting in Fairlee – Dec. 5th
ICAW Poster Contest
Fossil Fuel Divestment – Now Easier
The Christian Case for Solar Tax Credit
A New Awakening: Prophetic Climate Witness
DON’T MISS VTIPL’S 2015 CONFERENCE!
The conference, “Leading Action on Climate: Tools for Faith
Communities,” is in less than two weeks – on Sat., Oct. 17
from 9:30 – 3:30 at Christ Episcopal Church in Montpelier.
Tim DeChristopher, a climate activist and Harvard Divinity
School student, is the Keynote speaker. The film “Bidder 70”
is about the action Tim took to disrupt an auction of oil and gas
leasing on public land in Utah. Tim will be with us for the day.
Four great workshops, the “bookstore”, catered lunch, sponsors’
displays, and music complete the day. Register online or print
out the registration form here: https://www.vtipl.org/node/299
Help us spread the word! More information is on this flier:
If you’d like to receive a bulletin insert, send an email to info@vtipl.org
POPE FRANCIS’ ADDRESS TO CONGRESS
Watch Pope Francis’ address to Congress – even if you
already saw it, you may want to watch again. If you had any
trouble understanding his words, this video has subtitles. In the
bottom right corner of the video “screen”, click on the small
box with “cc” to turn on subtitles: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WhLwWNnf3o
POPE FRANCIS on CLIMATE CHANGE and more
An IPL colleague from Washington State co-authored a concise
summary of Pope Francis’ position on climate change, caring
for creation, and caring for the poor, among other topics. The
article also has a link to additional information. Read it here:
VT COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY PLAN: Public Hearings
Vermont’s Public Service Department will complete it’s update
of the state’s Comprehensive Energy Plan by year’s end. Public
hearings are being held around the state as part of this process.
All the hearings run from 6 – 8 p.m. Here’s the schedule:
October 7: Lyndonville- Lyndon State College, Moore
Community Room.
October 13: Essex- Essex High School cafeteria
October 21: Montpelier- VT College of Fine Arts, Noble Hall
October 26: Bellows Falls- B. F. Union H.S. auditorium
October 29: Rutland- Rutland Reg. Med. Ctr., CVPS/Leahy
Community Health Education Center
BUTTON UP VERMONT DAY – NOVEMBER 7
This year’s Button Up Day on Nov. 7 is a great opportunity to
get resources and get going on making your home, business
or community building more energy efficient. For information
about 2015 Button Up Day, go to:
VECAN MEETING in FAIRLEE – December 5th
The Vermont Energy and Climate Action Network (VECAN)
annual meeting will be on Saturday, Dec. 5. Richard Heinberg,
author and Sr. Fellow at the Post Carbon Institute, will be the
keynote speaker at the annual Community Energy and Climate
Action Conference. Plan to come! It will be from 9 – 4:30 at
Lake Morey Inn in Fairlee. More information is here:
ICAW POSTER CONTEST
Anyone can enter a poster in the International Composting
Awareness Week contest. This year’s theme is “Compost! The
Soil and Water Connection.” The contest is from September 1
until November 14, 2015, and the prize is a $500 savings bond.
The winning poster will be used to promote International
Composting Awareness Week: May 1 – 7, 2016. Details here:
FOSSIL FUEL DIVESTMENT – Now Easier
The non-profit organization “As You Sow” has recently
launched a new website that will make it easier to divest
from fossil fuels. Here’s a good article that tells more and has
a link to As You Sow’s new website:
THE CHRISTIAN CASE FOR SOLAR TAX CREDIT
Extending solar tax credits beyond the end of 2016 should be
bipartisan — something all can support. The article below in
“The Hill” makes the case:
REMINDER:
A NEW AWAKENING: Prophetic Climate Witness
The Season of Prophetic Climate Witness, Oct. 4 – Feb. 7,
is a transdenominational Christian movement for climate
solutions – through preaching, prayer, and practice. It’s
sponsored by New England Regional Environmental Ministries.
They ask that at least one sermon be preached on climate
change as a pressing moral issue during this season.
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