Eco-Justice Connection

An initiative of the North Carolina Council of Churches

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In the Shadows of Riverbend

By nancy

Across the street, a small, unassuming, idyllic Catholic church faces the Duke Power Riverbend Coal Plant at the center of litigation and outrage in response to consistent pollution and lack […]

In the Shadows of Riverbend

Closing the FloodgatesAcross the street, a small, unassuming, idyllic Catholic church faces the Duke Power Riverbend Coal Plant at the center of litigation and outrage in response to consistent pollution and lack of effective coal ash pond treatment. For a new intern at NCIPL, the physicalized contrast contained powerful irony that drove home the nature of our relationship as faithful North Carolinians with utility companies; we will always be living side by side. While utilities provide us the basic comforts of modern life, we see the destructive nature of their work and feel called to act and react against it.

Such was the impetus behind the press conference on Tuesday July 23 that unveiled a major report revealing the damaging toxic pollutants being leached into groundwater and waterways from the discharge from coal plants and the seepage from unlined coal ash impoundment ponds. The Sierra Club and Waterkeeper Alliance, among others, wrote the report and officially released it outside the Riverbend coal plant outside of Charlotte, NC to a crowd of about 40 people.  They called on us all to act with them to get the EPA to pass its most stringent (many would say appropriate) set of proposed laws to limit or eradicate pollution from the single largest point source of water pollution in the country–coal-fired power plants.

Read more here.

More on the gathering, speeches, and atmosphere of the day coming this Friday from NCIPL’s intern Joey Shea.

UCC First Church to Divest from Fossil Fuels

By nancy

As a life-long member of the United Church of Christ (UCC), I feel so proud of my denomination’s actions on Monday when the national synod voted to divest from fossil […]

UCC First Church to Divest from Fossil Fuels

UCC logo simpleAs a life-long member of the United Church of Christ (UCC), I feel so proud of my denomination’s actions on Monday when the national synod voted to divest from fossil fuels.   The United Church of Christ has a tradition of leading in matters of faith and social change.  Right here in Warren County, North Carolina, the UCC commissioned the study that launched the national environmental justice movement.  The UCC has also led in matters of racial equality, women’s equality and LGBT equality.  Now the UCC has become the first major denomination in the USA to commit to divestiture, joining hundreds of colleges and universities around the country doing the same.

The national leaders also passed resolutions calling for the end of mountain top removal of coal.  And they urge individual congregations to get energy audits and work toward being carbon neutral in their buildings and on their campuses.  Our North Carolina UCC congregations are already on board.   Elon Community UCC and First Congregational UCC of Asheville both have installed solar panels, testifying to their commitment to caring for creation and supporting clean renewable energy.

I encourage ALL faith communities in our state to heed this renewed and strong call to lead the way to a clean, carbon neutral energy future.  Check out the NCIPL website for tools, opportunities and ideas on how to start.  If you’re not already a Participating Congregation, become one.  Request an energy audit – remember there is no charge.  Invite us to come present a program.  Submit your success stories to spread the word.  There are many ways to become more fully engaged!

Please join your efforts together with ours.  This is an exciting time!

Kathy Shea, Senior Advisory NCIPL

Read more here about the UCC becoming the first church to divest from fossil fuels.

Filmmaker Visits NCIPL

By nancy

    This month nationally renowned filmmaker, Rocky Kistner visited North Carolina to document features of NCIPL’s emPOWERed program. Film footage included an Energy Savings Analysis (energy audit) at College […]

Filmmaker Visits NCIPL

 

 

This month nationally renowned filmmaker, Rocky Kistner visited North Carolina to document features of NCIPL’s emPOWERed program. Film footage included an Energy Savings Analysis (energy audit) at College Park Baptist Church in Greensboro led by John Seymour, and an interview with NCIPL’s Director, Susannah Tuttle discussing the faith-energy-climate connection.  Interviews about NC congregations that have installed solar panels included:

You can read about all of the NC congregations that have installed solar panels on NCIPL’s success stories webpage. When the film is completed it will be featured on our website www.ncipl.org.

Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, Hayesville

By nancy

Written by Brad Rouse. I have been a member of Good Shepherd since 2007, and the Green Team has been one of our ministries since before that time. Having a […]

Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, Hayesville

energy Good Shepherd HayesvilleWritten by Brad Rouse.

I have been a member of Good Shepherd since 2007, and the Green Team has been one of our ministries since before that time. Having a concern for the environment, I was attracted to become a part of that ministry under the leadership of Amy Nicolson, Meg Whitley and other members.  We meet regularly at the church and look for opportunities to be good stewards of God’s creation through our church community.

At a meeting earlier this year we adopted a mission for the Green Team as follows:

Good Shepherd Episcopal Church Green Team’s mission is to follow God’s commandments that we be good stewards of what we have been given and that we love our neighbor as ourselves. We believe that God was pleased when he created this world and that He values nature as well as man. When God gave man dominion, it was so that we could care for and love His creation as much as He does. Further, when Jesus commanded that we love our neighbor as ourselves, he commanded that we go out of our way to do so and that we have a broad vision of who is our neighbor – not just our tribe, our race, our country, or even our time.  A major part of our mission is simply to make ourselves and others aware that these are God’s teachings and that by caring for the Earth, we are following His command.  Further, we must also make ourselves and others aware that as we have been more and more blessed by “be fruitful and multiply”, we have created the condition that our every action has an impact on God’s creation and on our neighbors who live here now and who will live here in the future. The way we act today is simply not sustainable and if we do not change there will be irreparable damage to His creation and irreparable harm to those who will follow us.  We must act and change.

We also recognize that our awareness as individuals is not enough. We must advocate our point of view in our church, in our families, in our businesses, in our communities, and in our state and national politics.

Finally, awareness and advocacy are not enough. Our mission is also to take action as individuals and as a group to make changes that will reduce the risk and heal the damage.

[Read more…] about Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, Hayesville

NCIPL Director and Volunteer on “Midday Interview” NPR Radio Show

By chris

NCIPL Director (Susannah Tuttle) and Volunteer (Ed Ablard) discuss the work and mission of NCIPL, as well as the wonderful evening Ed organized at his church, St. Paul’s Episcopal. Thank […]

NCIPL Director and Volunteer on “Midday Interview” NPR Radio Show

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NCIPL Director (Susannah Tuttle) and Volunteer (Ed Ablard) discuss the work and mission of NCIPL, as well as the wonderful evening Ed organized at his church, St. Paul’s Episcopal. Thank you SO MUCH to Ed for arranging this interview; it was a pleasure to be with you and all of our coastal allies this week!

Listen to the interview.

Clergy Letter on Keystone Published in Politico

By chris

The following letter was sent to NC House members’ Legislative Directors and Energy and Environmental Legislative Assistants: I wanted to be sure that you saw this letter, published as a […]

Clergy Letter on Keystone Published in Politico

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The following letter was sent to NC House members’ Legislative Directors and Energy and Environmental Legislative Assistants:

I wanted to be sure that you saw this letter, published as a full page ad in Politico, and signed by over 150 clergy from diverse faith traditions and regions urging the President to reject the Keystone XL oil pipeline on moral grounds.

As director of NC Interfaith Power & Light, I want to make sure you know that of the 150 signers of the letter, nearly 40 are from North Carolina.

NC faith communities are leaders in the national movement to leave a safe climate for future generations and to care for God’s Creation as a moral obligation.

NC Clergy Leaders are asking President Obama not to be tempted by the false promise of Tar Sands Oil. The letter is reminding the President of his words in the Inauguration, stating: “As people of faith, we share your conviction that ‘we are commanded by God to care for our planet’ and that the ‘failure to respond to the threat of climate change would betray our children and future generations.’”

We hope you also won’t be tempted by the false promises of the Keystone XL pipeline and the destructive practices of tar sands development. As Rev. Sally Bingham, who organized the letter said, “Building this pipeline is the exact opposite of the course we must take to safeguard our climate and move towards a clean energy economy.”

I’m very proud to serve as Director of NCIPL in support of all people of faith across our grand state and to be in touch with each of you that serve in government.  Thank you for your leadership.

With prayers & hope for the future,