Earth Care News
April 2018
In this newsletter:
VTIPL Annual Conference’s Keynote Speaker: George Lakey
Faith Climate Action Week: April 14 – 22, 2018
Bennington’s Second Congregational Church Wins National Award
Urge VT Senators to Keep Funding for a Study of Carbon Pricing in Budget
Enter Efficiency Vermont’s Video Contest!
350Vermont’s Building Ground Leadership Training
Clean Water Network Meeting on May 15
Film About Standing Rock to Show at VT State House
New Book: Climate Church, Climate World by Rev. Jim Antal
Five Commentaries/Articles
Reminders: Hinesburg Energy Workshops; LEAP Energy Fair
VTIPL Annual Conference’s Keynote Speaker: George Lakey
George Lakey, author of Viking Economics: How the Scandinavians Got It Right – and How We Can, Too, will be the Keynote Speaker at VT Interfaith Power & Light’s annual conference on Sat., Oct. 13, 2018 at Faith United Methodist Church in South Burlington. Find more about George and read articles he wrote here. Watch this newsletter for more conference details in coming months.
Faith Climate Action Week: April 14 – 22, 2018
National Interfaith Power & Light’s Faith Climate Action Week will happen soon! Clergy and lay leaders across the country will preach about global climate change, give workshops, lead activities to help people conserve energy and use it efficiently, and take action in other ways. Contact VTIPL if your congregation will be participating. National IPL’s website has resources.
Bennington’s Second Congregational Church Wins National Award
Congratulations to Second Congregational Church in Bennington for winning national Interfaith Power & Light’s Cool Congregations’ Community Inspiration Award! They won the $1,000 prize for their Sun and Fun community event that welcomed all and included: a celebration of solar energy; great music and food; demonstrations on bee-keeping, electric bikes, and a tiny house; activities for kids; a seminar on climate change; and a panel on going solar, among other activities. More info is on the national ipl website and in this VTDigger article.
Urge VT Senators to Keep Funding for a Study of Carbon Pricing in Budget
Please urge your state senator(s) to keep the funding for an impartial carbon pricing study in the budget! The Vermont House of Representatives has voted for this funding. It’s now being considered by the Senate Appropriations Committee before going to the full Senate. Find out more and take action at the Energy Independent Vermont website.
Enter Efficiency Vermont’s Video Contest!
This video contest promotes energy efficiency in the home. Make your video and enter soon — the deadline is Earth Day: April 22. Videos are to be 60 seconds (or less); through showing, explaining, or singing, they should convey why the home needs to be weatherized. The contest is open to legal Vermont residents age 18 or older who own an eligible property (single family detached home). Enter videos via the website or Facebook. The Grand Prize is a Home Performance with ENERGY STAR project of up to $5,000, and there are three second prizes. More information is on the website.
350Vermont’s Building Ground Leadership Training
The weekend-long Leadership Training will be Fri. Apr. 27 – Sun. Apr. 29. It will build skills necessary for climate justice work, focusing on sharing fundamental frameworks about climate justice and building relationships that empower effective leaders. The priority application deadline is 9 am on Mon. Apr. 9. Here are the details.
Film About Standing Rock to Show at VT State House
Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman is hosting the showing of Awake: A Dream from Standing Rock at the Vermont State House cafeteria on Thurs. Apr. 26. Arrive at 5:30 for a light supper; the movie will be shown at 6 pm and will be followed by a panel/attendee discussion. The event is free and open to all.
Clean Water Network Meeting on May 15
This meeting of the Clean Water Network will be from 8:30 am – Noon on May 15 at ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain in Burlington. It will include a Legislative Wrap-Up Panel Discussion with: Emily Boedecker, Commissioner of the VT Dept. of Environmental Conservation; Chris Pearson, Chittenden County State Senator; and Rebekah Weber, Lake Champlain Lakekeeper for the Conservation Law Foundation. Find out more and register here.
New Book: Climate Church, Climate World by Rev. Jim Antal
The book Climate Church, Climate World: How People of Faith Must Work for Change by The Rev. Jim Antal, President and Conference Minister of the United Church of Christ in Massachusetts, has recently come out. This link has more information.
Five Commentaries/Articles
-Leaving the World a Better Place — VTDigger commentary by Rabbi Michael Cohen of Manchester Center, VT.
-A Business Case for Carbon Pricing — Times Argus commentary by Chris Miller, the activism manager at Ben & Jerry’s.
-All In For Clean Water — Caledonia Record commentary by David Deen, Chair of the VT House Committee on Fish, Wildlife, and Water Resources.
-Towns Tell State Leaders to Act on Climate Change. Are They Listening? –Elizabeth Gribkoff and Kelsey Neubauer report in this article that residents in 35 Vermont towns voted overwhelmingly in support of Town Meeting climate change/renewable energy resolutions.
-U.S. Judge Dismisses Exxon Lawsuit to Stop Climate Change Probes — Jonathan Stempel reports that a federal judge recently dismissed Exxon Mobil’s lawsuit which tried to stop probes into what it knew about climate change.
Reminders: Hinesburg Energy Workshops; LEAP Energy Fair
Moving Toward Zero Energy Workshop Series
This workshop series, The Path to Greater Home Comfort and Energy Savings: Moving Toward Zero Energy, is hosted by and is being held at NRG Systems, 110 Riggs Rd., Hinesburg. Two of the four workshops in the series remain – on Apr. 11 and May 2. Workshops begin at 6:30 pm with networking; the presentations run from 7 – 9 pm. The series is free and all are welcome to attend one or both of the workshops. Contact Chuck Reiss: 802-482-3295.
LEAP Energy Fair: Saturday, April 7, 9 am – 3 pm, Duxbury
Waterbury LEAP (Local Energy Action Partnership) sponsors this free energy fair, held at Crossett Brook Middle School Gym in Duxbury. More information is here or contact Ned Houston at 802-244-7829.
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
