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Passover & Climate Change: Continuity with the Future

By reuben

By Joelle Novey, director of the Greater Washington Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVA) “In every generation one must look upon herself as if she personally came out of Egypt.” On Pesach, we are told to feel as if we personally went free from Mitzrayim, and the rituals of the seder help us cultivate that “memory” in many ways: we eat not […]

Passover & Climate Change: Continuity with the Future

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Joelle Novey
Joelle Novey

By Joelle Novey, director of the Greater Washington Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVA)

“In every generation one must look upon herself as if she personally came out of Egypt.”

On Pesach, we are told to feel as if we personally went free from Mitzrayim, and the rituals of the seder help us cultivate that “memory” in many ways: we eat not only the unleavened bread that the Israelites ate in their haste, but also foods symbolic of their experience: bitter herbs, salt water “tears”, and haroset “mortar.” We tell the story of the Exodus aloud, engaging the youngest and oldest at the table. At some seders, the participants “lash” each other with scallions, reenacting slavery, and come to the table with bags packed for a journey.

Jewish tradition has developed a suite of experiential rituals for ensuring that we personally experience the Exodus in every generation.

Our generation of Jews, free from slavery, now faces a new burden along with the entire human family. 97% of scientists have concluded that our burning fossil fuels is pouring heat-trapping climate pollution into the atmosphere, causing our Earth to warm.

One reason people have been slow in responding is that we’re wired to focus on more immediate threats. The human brain is “a beautifully engineered get-out-of-the-way machine … for things out of whose way it should right now get,” writes Daniel Gilbert in the Los Angeles Times. “… then, just a few million years ago, the mammalian brain learned a new trick: to predict the timing and location of dangers before they actually happened … But this innovation is in the early stages of development …”

Tragically, writes Gilbert, human beings “haven’t quite gotten the knack of treating the future like the present it will soon become.”

Perhaps the Jewish knack for connecting with the past can help us. The Haggadah insists that we experience continuity with generations that experienced the Exodus in the past. The climate crisis asks us to feel a sense of personal continuity with generations in the future.

What if we used the seder not only to feel as if we personally were present in the Passover story, but also to experience ourselves in the world our grandchildren will live in, in the climate we are damaging now?

If, in this generation, we looked upon ourselves as sitting side-by-side with those who’ll gather around our families’ seder table in two or three generations … what would we be doing about climate change now?

Author bio:

Joelle Novey is the director of Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVA), which works with hundreds of congregations of many traditions across Maryland, DC, and Northern Virginia to save energy, go green, and respond to climate change. She davens at Tikkun Leil Shabbat and Minyan Segulah.

We Are “Springing into Action”!

By reuben

Though the week’s main events have passed, it’s not too late to be involved. Click here to join NCIPL’s virtual advocacy campaign and send a message to your representatives asking them to support clean energy for North Carolina!   Thank you to everyone who helped make our Spring Into Action kickoff week a success! You participated from all over the […]

We Are “Springing into Action”!

Though the week’s main events have passed, it’s not too late to be involved. Click here to join NCIPL’s virtual advocacy campaign and send a message to your representatives asking them to support clean energy for North Carolina!

Faith Voices for Clean Energy Advocacy Day
NCIPL leaders with state senator Josh Stein

 

Thank you to everyone who helped make our Spring Into Action kickoff week a success! You participated from all over the state, listening in to our webinar, sending messages to your representatives through our virtual advocacy campaign, and traveling in person to enjoy our Spring Into Action Celebration and participate in our inaugural Faith Voices for Clean Energy advocacy day. It’s been quite a week!

Greg Andeck, EDF
Greg Andeck, EDF

We started things off last week with an Advocacy Webinar, co-hosted with Greg Andeck from Environmental Defense Fund, where we talked about the current state of clean energy policies, the legislative process, and how to put our faith into action through advocating with compassion. Check out that webinar here.

We were lucky to have a special guest for this week’s activities, the Rev. Sally Bingham, founder and President of Interfaith Power & Light. She helped kick things off this past Tuesday with a special call to action announcing NCIPL’s Spring Into Action campaign; click here to view her message.

Rev. Sally Bingham
Rev. Sally Bingham
NCIPL EWG
John Seymour, NCIPL Energy Savings Analysis Auditor, receiving his award.

Tuesday evening we had our very first Spring Into Action Celebration, which featured a reception at the Museum of Natural Sciences.  Rev. Bingham shared a very moving account of her personal journey to this work, and we honored of John Seymour, one of our main auditors for our Empowered Energy Program which provides energy savings analysis for faith communities at no charge.  John has performed over 100 of these energy savings analyses.  Thanks to those involved and the many friends who came out for this fun evening!

We were also lucky to have Dayna Reggero and the Climate Listening Project with us. Check out the short video they made about the event at their facebook page.

Spring Into Action Celebration
Enjoying the Spring Into Action Celebration

Our final event was NCIPL’s inaugural Faith Voices for Clean Energy, a day of advocacy at the state legislature. We had 30 people come and take part in 27 meetings with key legislators throughout the day. NCIPL is extremely grateful to all those who took part in this momentous event. We shared our vision with over two dozen representatives, letting them know that people of faith across the state yearn for sustainable energy and a clean, healthy North Carolina.

Faith Voices for Clean Energy Advocacy Day
Advocacy Day participants start the day off with a prayer

We could not have done it without a lot of support.   First off, thank you to everyone who took part in our events this past week and who support our work year round. We were also glad to have so many friends from groups we work with in attendance, including those from the Creation Care Alliance of Western North Carolina, Audubon North Carolina, and the Southern Environmental Law Center. We would also like to extend a special thanks to the Raleigh office of the Environmental Defense Fund who were integral in helping put on the week’s events. Finally, we would like to thank the Rev. Sally Bingham for her inspiring presence and leadership which helped make these events successful.

Faith Voices for Clean Energy Advocacy Day
Scott Hardin-Nieri, Bruce Clarke, Veronica Shingleton, Jane Laping, and the Rev. Thomas Murphy

It’s also not too late to get involved! You can still take part in our Spring Into Action Campaign through our virtual advocacy page, where you can send a message to your representatives asking them to support clean energy for North Carolina.

We hope you stay tuned and stay in touch! We can’t wait to have more special events like these and move creation care to the forefront of our spiritual and political lives.

NCIPL’s Advocating with Compassion Webinar with Environmental Defense Fund’s Greg Andeck

By reuben

We have created a pre-advocacy day webinar covering logistics for Faith Voices for Clean Energy Advocacy Day, how to talk to elected officials, and a briefing on clean energy policies.  You can view the recorded webinar here. Thank you to those who took part in our Advocating with Compassion webinar yesterday, and a special big thanks […]

NCIPL’s Advocating with Compassion Webinar with Environmental Defense Fund’s Greg Andeck

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We have created a pre-advocacy day webinar covering logistics for Faith Voices for Clean Energy Advocacy Day, how to talk to elected officials, and a briefing on clean energy policies.  You can view the recorded webinar here.

Greg Andeck, EDF
Greg Andeck, EDF

Thank you to those who took part in our Advocating with Compassion webinar yesterday, and a special big thanks to Greg Andeck from the Environmental Defense Fund’s Raleigh office. Greg was one of the presenters and provided a lot of helpful updates about current policies affecting clean energy in North Carolina.

Susannah Tuttle and Veronica Shingleton also shared, Susannah about putting our faith into action through incorporating compassion into our political change efforts, and Veronica with an in-depth but accessible explanation of the political process.

This webinar was a fun kick-off to next week’s Inaugural Spring Into Action Celebration and our very first Faith Voices for Clean Energy Advocacy Day. Tuesday’s Spring Into Action Celebration will feature a reception and remarks from Interfaith Power & Light founder and President Rev. Sally Bingham. During Faith Voices for Clean Energy Advocacy Day, we will meet with members of the General Assembly to hear their vision for North Carolina and express support for new and existing clean energy policies; Rev. Bingham will also be accompanying us during this event.

We’re looking forward to more exciting events next week and hope you can take part!

McCrory must lead effort away from coal

By nancy

Op Ed in Citizen-Times by Jane Laping, interim coordinator of the Creation Care Alliance of Western North Carolina, NCIPL’s western regional partner. As a Christian, I believe that creation is a gift intended to sustain life. The earth has an intricately balanced system that relies on clean air, clean water and fertile land to nourish […]

McCrory must lead effort away from coal

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Jane LapingOp Ed in Citizen-Times by Jane Laping, interim coordinator of the Creation Care Alliance of Western North Carolina, NCIPL’s western regional partner.

As a Christian, I believe that creation is a gift intended to sustain life. The earth has an intricately balanced system that relies on clean air, clean water and fertile land to nourish and sustain plant and animal life of all kinds, including our own.

Along with a growing number of people of faith and conscience, I am concerned that the energy sector is putting this sacred balance at risk by continuing to rely on burning fossil fuels that pollute our air, water and climate. And I believe Gov. Pat McCrory must lead the effort to do something to change that.

Last year a Duke Energy coal ash storage pond broke and spilled up to 39,000 tons of coal ash into the Dan River, contaminating some 70 miles of downstream water.

But that’s not all. The citizen’s group, Asheville Beyond Coal, recently released a report stating that once every 3-4 days for the past several years, air pollution from sulfur dioxide at Duke’s Asheville plant is 3 to 3.5 times higher than what our Environmental Protection Agency has said is safe for public health. This poses another potentially serious health risk to the citizens of Western North Carolina from burning coal.

There are limits to the amount of pollution that our planet can process through its own natural systems. These systems are under threat everywhere, and the changes to our climate are happening now. Floods and fires, huge storms and wild fluctuations in temperatures are now common across the United States, including here in WNC.

Power plants in the U.S., like Duke’s Asheville plant, produce 38 percent of the carbon pollution that is principally responsible for the disruption to our climate that we are all witnessing.

The EPA recognizes that the energy sector is the largest contributor of carbon dioxide. Last year, the EPA released the first carbon pollution protections to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. This summer, the protections will be finalized to reduce pollution from power plants and address the skyrocketing carbon dioxide emissions that are contributing to climate change.

The EPA will allow individual states flexibility to develop plans to reduce carbon emissions from power plants like Duke Energy’s Asheville plant. McCrory must lead the effort to develop and implement a strong clean power plan for our state, and include community groups in the process. We deserve a plan that will protect the health of the residents and the environment of North Carolina and limit the devastating effects of climate change that we are already experiencing.

God’s creation is too great, too wonderful and too precious to do anything less.

Jane Laping, M.S., M.P.H., is interim coordinator of the Creation Care Alliance of Western North Carolina.

Spring Into Action with IPL Founder & President, Rev. Sally Bingham

By albert

NCIPL’s Inaugural Spring Into Action Celebration with Rev. Sally Bingham Tuesday, March 24, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences 11 W. Jones Street, Raleigh NCIPL’s inaugural Spring Into Action Celebration features a reception and remarks from Interfaith Power & Light’s founder and president Rev. Sally Bingham. Rev. Bingham has brought […]

Spring Into Action with IPL Founder & President, Rev. Sally Bingham

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Rev. Sally Bingham

NCIPL’s Inaugural Spring Into Action Celebration with Rev. Sally Bingham

Tuesday, March 24, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
11 W. Jones Street, Raleigh

NCIPL’s inaugural Spring Into Action Celebration features a reception and remarks from Interfaith Power & Light’s founder and president Rev. Sally Bingham. Rev. Bingham has brought widespread attention to the link between religious faith and the environment through her work, including with The Regeneration Project and as lead author for Love God, Heal Earth. She serves as Canon for the Environment in the Episcopal Diocese of California. The event is free and open to the public but registration is required.

Faith Voices for Clean Energy Advocacy Day

Wednesday, March 25, 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
NC General Assembly

Interfaith Power & Light founder and president Rev. Sally Bingham will join NCIPL at the NC General Assembly in Raleigh for the Faith Voices for Clean Energy Advocacy Day. We will meet with members of the General Assembly to hear their vision for North Carolina and to express support for new and existing clean energy policies. NCIPL has recorded a webinar on the policy issues we are watching, what to expect during Advocacy Day, and to answer questions. For those who cannot join in person, they can log on and send emails to General Assembly members starting the evening of March 24. Click here to register.

Human Face of Environmental Inequality Symposium

Thursday, March 26, 1 p.m. – Friday, March 27, 2:45 p.m.
Benson University Center, Wake Forest University
1834 Wake Forest Road, Winston-Salem

Human rights and the humanities are vital lenses for understanding the unequal impacts of climate change and environmental degradation as well as the values that shape our responses. This symposium features several prominent speakers, including Interfaith Power & Light founder and President Rev. Sally Bingham, along with panels on values and morality, local engagement, and impacts on indigenous peoples. The symposium is free and open to the public. Click here to register.

Birds Can Make You Want to Take Action on Climate Change

By reuben

By NCIPL Intern Rubaina Anjum When it comes to talking about climate change, NCIPL focuses on the positive and hopeful messages. We love to let everyone know of the excellent work that faith communities and others in the area are doing to combat climate change. And research shows that talking positively about climate change is more […]

Birds Can Make You Want to Take Action on Climate Change

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By NCIPL Intern Rubaina Anjum

Cardinals in snow

When it comes to talking about climate change, NCIPL focuses on the positive and hopeful messages. We love to let everyone know of the excellent work that faith communities and others in the area are doing to combat climate change. And research shows that talking positively about climate change is more helpful than trying to instil fear on the consequences of inaction. Fear based messaging has been quite popular in the climate change movement but its success in producing a response is questionable. Imagery of doom, apocalyptic language, warnings of dire consequences etc., are more likely to evoke unpleasant feelings, apathy, and denial, or simply overwhelm most people. Keeping the emphasis on positive messages and raising awareness about how to act to mitigate climate change have been shown to be effective and empowering.

However, another factor that could possibly be a key motivator for climate change action is empathy. A Cornell study revealed that empathy for birds can cause bird lovers to be more willing to decrease their carbon footprints. The researchers surveyed a group of 3,546 people, a large number of which were bird watchers. The study aimed to find what sort of messages about the impacts of climate change led people to have an increase in interest in taking climate change action. The survey respondents were asked to state their willingness to reduce their carbon footprint when presented with the following messages:

  1. Climate change is a danger to people.
  2. Climate change is a danger to birds.
  3. If a large number of Americans do something small to reduce their use of fossil fuels, it would have a large impact on our national carbon footprint.
  4. If a large number of Americans do something small to reduce their use of fossil fuels, it would have a large impact on our national carbon footprint—and be of benefit to future generations.

The first two messages are fear-based and the last two highlight positive impacts of small but collective actions. As expected, messages 3 and 4 increased willingness to take action, significantly. The first fear-based message did not have a significant impact on willingness to reduce carbon footprint. But the second message involving a threat to birds, had the most significant impact, and led to an increase in willingness to take action.

Robin 2

As the survey group primarily consisted of bird watchers, it’s probably correct to assume that the respondents cared very much about birds. The study concludes that while fear-based messages are usually ineffective, a reminder of the potential threat to a species of interest can evoke empathy and elicit significant interest in taking corrective action.

Similarly, a study in the UK found that when people were presented with ‘icons’ (conceptualizations of climate change impacts, e.g. an image of a polar bear would be shown but the respondents’ perception of it was the icon), they engaged the most with the icons that they described as relatable. Local rivers and lakes and London were some of the icons that were most popular amongst respondents. They considered these icons to also be relevant to people in their community and the UK. Other studies also show the importance of empathy in climate change action motivation:

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

We can see that it is not only species that can stir empathy, but also favorite places (or perhaps the idea of the places). Thinking of melting glaciers and rising seas is scary to the point of being driven away from taking corrective measures. But threats to objects that have an important connection with people are more likely to make them take notice and act!

Thinking about climate change impacts in terms of the changes in these places and species can help in motivating individuals in our communities to voluntarily make climate friendly changes in lifestyle. Therefore, from a conservation perspective, it is important for this sort of empathy to be cultivated. For our communities, it means not only promoting engagement with nature- especially in the local area- but also encouraging community members to interact more with each other, to use local spaces, and to come to appreciate and adore their surroundings.

 P.S. For a helpful guide about the effects climate change could have on birds, check out this PDF from Audubon.

P.P.S. Enjoyed this blog? Want to stay in touch? Stay connected through our newsletter, blog, facebook, and twitter, and consider making a donation to keep this work going.