News

My Jewish Learning

Picture courtesy of myjewishlearning.com

My Jewish Learning was launched in 2003 with the initiative to empower Jewish discovery for anyone interested in learning. Their website includes helpful guides on celebrating, eating, living, mourning, praying and studying. Their study section includes Science and Ecology, which includes articles written on Jewish Science, the ethical treatment of animals in Judaism, sustainable Jewish eating, nature and the environment, and more environment related posts. To learn more, click here.

2017 Faith Climate Action Guide

Picture courtesy of ohipl.org

Interfaith Power&Light has created a 2017 Faith Climate Action Guide. This guide lists easy ways everyone can get involved and help advocate for the health of our environment. To view the action guide, click here.

Bowling Green Church Installs Solar Panels

Picture courtesy of
ohipl.org

Peace Lutheran Church in Bowling Green has installed solar panels on the south side of the building that are expected to save up to 25% of their utility bill. The solar panels are one of three projects that are a part of the churches mission of Creating Christ Connected Community. The other two projects include helping a Syrian Refugee family and building a new playground. To read more about their mission and current projects, click here.

WATERSHED: Replenishing Water Values for a Thirsty World

Picture courtesy of worldwatervalues.org

On Wednesday, 22 March – World Water Day 2017 – Pope Francis will begin a global conversation in efforts to shift how the world values and understands water. WATERSHED will be launched on World Water Day as the first in a series of programs and activities planned for the next five years. WATERSHED will consist of four main events: a global social media conversation among the public that encourages them to share compelling stories about water values by using  #MyWaterStory, a public participation in a live broadcast of the events and activities, an expert workshop that brings together different perspectives and objectives concerning water issues, and a virtual reality experience inside “The Miracle Molecule” which is a model of an H2O molecule that brings water risks to life. To learn more about this event, click here.

Legal Rights Granted to New Zealand River

Picture courtesy of npr.org

The Whanganui River in New Zealand has been granted the legal rights of a human as of Wednesday March 15, 2017. The Maori tribe, who call the river Te Awa Tupua, have been fighting for its protection since 1873. The case is one of New Zealand’s oldest in history with more than 140 years of legal struggles. The 90 mile Whanganui River will now be represented by two legal guardians, one from the Maori tribe and one from the government. According to NPR, the New Zealand government stated that they recognized the deep spiritual connection between the tribe and its ancestral river and their view of the river as an invisible and living whole. To read NPR’s full article and a video clip of the tribe’s reaction to the court’s decision, click here.

Currency Causing Issues

Hindu temple

Photo Credit: http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/739093/New-five-pound-note-animal-fat-tallow-Hindu-Muslim-Jewish-Bank-England

The Bank of England released a new £5 note that caused some controversy with many different religious groups recently. The Bank is not disclosing what products are being used to make the tallow in each notes, and different animal products may be the answer. Depending on how these new notes are made, their use may go against the teaching of many different religions, ranging from Judaism to Buddhism. To check out the full story, click here.

Engaged Organizations: GreenFaith: The Interfaith Partners for the Environment

The GreenFaith logo taken from greenfaith.org.

GreenFaith is one of the oldest religious-environmental organizations in the United States. They were originally named Partners for Environmental Quality and were founded by Jewish and Christian leaders in New Jersey. They believed communities needed an organization to connect religious traditions with the environment. Their early work included promoting the use of renewable energy in religious institutions, convening a conference that drew leaders from religious, academic, governmental, and business sectors to talk about environmental protection, and encouraging the use of green energy to the general public. In the early 2000s, they had their first Environmental Health and Justice Tour in Newark where they explored the different proportions of suffering to urban communities. It was then that they changed their name to GreenFaith.

Since then, GreenFaith has launched programs all over the state of New Jersey and beyond. Lighting the Way is one of their programs that installed solar panels on religious institutions around the state. Between 2004 and 2006, they organized Sustainable Sanctuaries and Green Flag, GreenFaith Schools Pilot Program. Both took initiative to integrate environmental care into the worship of religious communities and faith-based schools to help “green” their establishments. Since then, the have been honored at Windsor Castle, featured in documentaries including Renewal, and recognized with the Energy Star for Congregations Special Award from the EPA.

In order to accomplish these impressive goals, GreenFaith has stayed committed to their beliefs that protecting the earth is a religious value and environmental stewardship as a moral responsibility. Additionally, their three core values, spirit, stewardship, and justice, are what they use to guide their work and define their goals. Spirit is their belief that religious traditions are sacred and that people grow spiritually through a strong relationship with the Earth. Stewardship is their belief that religious members have the opportunity to lessen their impact on the environment. Justice is their belief that all people deserve a healthy environment regardless of their race or income. To read more and explore their efforts, click here.

Engaged Organizations: Be Just. Be Green. The United Methodist Womene

The United Methodist Women logo taken from unitedmethodistwomen.org.

The United Methodist Women is the largest denominational faith organization for women. They have approximately 800,000 members whose mission is to protect spiritual growth, develop leaders, and advocate for justice. One of their main principles includes promoting economic and environmental stewardship and sustainability. In addition, The United Methodist Women’s national office has made climate justice one if its four social justice priorities. More specifically, they focus on climate change affecting people differently. Their main claim is that climate change is not an equal opportunity phenomenon. This claim is what led to The United Methodist Women establishing The Women’s Carbon Fund.

The Women’s Carbon Fund is the first organization started by a women’s group that is dedicated to carbon issues. It focuses on women and children, primarily because they make up 70% of the world’s poor, according to unitedmethodistwomen.org. Their goals are to take into account gender roles and to incorporate women’s voices because they believe policy makers fail to do so. This organization supports women-led projects that lower CO2 emissions, communities whose lives have been affected by climate change, and climate and energy advocacy initiatives led by women for women.

In order to continue supporting and educating, The United Methodist Women have a phenomenal website. Their website includes tools to aid in sustainable living and advocacy in a theological way, a carbon footprint calculator, articles on climate justice, and a simulation experience to better understand environmentally downgraded communities.  Their focus on environmental justice stems from their theological belief from the United Methodist Book of Discipline, “All creation is the Lord’s, and we are responsible for the ways in which we use and abuse it.  Water, air, soil, minerals, energy resources, plants, animal life, and space are to be valued and conserved because they are God’s creation and not solely because they are useful to human beings.  God has granted us stewardship of creation.  We should meet these stewardship duties through acts of loving care and respect (Social Principles, 160).”

To read more or explore their website, click here.

 

The People’s Climate March

The People’s Climate Movement is planning a march on April 29 in Washington DC. They are aiming to stand up to protect the future of the planet, the safety of communities, and the health of families. Their website contains their platform, which includes rapidly reducing greenhouse gas and toxic pollution, protecting human rights and native ecosystems, and many more goals. Disclaimer: this event is highly political.

Congregation Tifereth Israel

What: Congregation Tifereth Israel 2017 Scholar-in-Residence Weekend. Congregation Tefereth Israel will be sharing Judaism and Environmentalism/Sustainability this weekend. You can register below and check out the details on their flyer here.

Where: 1354 E Broad St, Columbus, OH 43205, USA

When: February 3rd, 5:30pm – 9:30pm & February 4th, 9:30am – 9:30pm