Eco-Justice Connection

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NCIPL hosts webinar on NC’s Clean Energy Plan

By chris

On January 16th, 2019 NC Interfaith Power & Light partnered with NC Governor Cooper’s office to offer a free webinar on Executive Order No. 80, North Carolina’s Commitment to Address […]

NCIPL hosts webinar on NC’s Clean Energy Plan

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On January 16th, 2019 NC Interfaith Power & Light partnered with NC Governor Cooper’s office to offer a free webinar on Executive Order No. 80, North Carolina’s Commitment to Address Climate Change and Transition to a Clean Energy Economy. Jeremy Tarr, Policy Advisor for the Environment, Energy, and Transportation, and Sushma Masemore, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environment from the NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) presented the history, plan, and timeline of Executive Order No. 80. Following the presentation was a Q&A session. This event was free and open to the public. We look forward to developing more of these as the governmental agencies leadership on climate action develops.

For more information about the Executive Order click here: https://deq.nc.gov/energy-climate/climate-change/nc-climate-change-interagency-council

Click here for the presentation slides: https://files.nc.gov/ncdeq/climate-change/interagency-council/Climate-Change-Council-Dec-19-2018-Mtg-Powerpoint-FINAL.pdf

Next NC Climate Change Interagency Council Meeting

February 19, 2019 
10:00 a.m. -2:30 p.m.
Museum of the Albemarle 
501 South Water Street
Elizabeth City, NC 27909

Meeting info sheet

Supporting NCIPL in this Season of Giving ~*~

By chris

Faithful Friends, BLESSINGS UPON ALL OF YOU who not only understand that climate change is very real… but are also contributing your time, talent, and treasures to help make a […]

Supporting NCIPL in this Season of Giving ~*~

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Faithful Friends,

BLESSINGS UPON ALL OF YOU who not only understand that climate change is very real… but are also contributing your time, talent, and treasures to help make a difference!

The events of 2018 have made it very clear that our work, to develop hope-filled responses to our changing climate, is becoming increasingly effective.  Faith-based messages and messengers provide non-partisan, moral perspectives on issues, lifting our voices to the front of the climate conversation.

Our work together in 2019 will be more important than ever. If you have not yet already made a tax-deductible donation to NCIPL we hope you will do so today.

Please click here to make a secure donation online

— or mail a check to —

NC Interfaith Power & Light, 27 Horne Street, Raleigh, NC 27607.

With your financial support NCIPL will be growing our staff, and therefore our impacts across the state, as we continue to create meaningful change towards a low-carbon sustainable future for all.

I am preparing for 2019 with anticipation and compassion and am grateful to share this journey with you!

Smiles of this Sacred Season,


Susannah Tuttle joyfully serves as NCIPL’s Director.
It is all of you that inspire her leadership, each and every day!

A Solution for Depleted Soils & Souls

By chris

Last Saturday, NCIPL Director Susannah Tuttle and I had the opportunity to attend a conference entitled “Waste Not: Living the Low Carbon Life” in Raleigh. Leaders in the industries of food […]

A Solution for Depleted Soils & Souls

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Last Saturday, NCIPL Director Susannah Tuttle and I had the opportunity to attend a conference entitled “Waste Not: Living the Low Carbon Life” in Raleigh. Leaders in the industries of food waste, composting, and soil regeneration gathered with church and community members to discuss the power of composting and reducing food waste. Friends, it was incredible and we left inspired. 

First, we learned that one third of food produced all over the world is wasted, with 40% of food grown in the United States being thrown away. The vast majority of this food ends up in landfills, where it decomposes and contributes to global climate change through significant greenhouse gas emissions.

After confronting these difficult statistics, we were presented with a truly hopeful opportunity. While food waste contributes significantly to global climate change, composting food waste is among the most significant climate solutions that there is! Using compost returns much needed carbon to our depleted soils—and the carbon just keeps coming. Compost continues to sequester carbon from the atmosphere long after it has been applied. In other words, the carbon in our atmosphere isn’t bad: it’s just misplaced. Reducing our food waste, and producing/using compost, all present significant climate solutions!

Noel Lyons, President of McGill Compost, gave the keynote address at Waste Not. He spoke of his company, which focuses on commercial composting, in addition to the connection he has felt to the land since his childhood in Ireland. Then, he gave suggestions regarding how to begin our own composting/waste reduction journey. We’d like to share some of those suggestions with you today:

  1. Compost your food waste at home! This can be done with a small kitchen compost or a larger backyard set-up. If you’re in the Raleigh/Durham or Asheville areas, you can also compost through CompostNow! For the price of 1 cup of coffee a week, the folks at CompostNow will pick up your food scraps and transform them into rich compost. Choose to have the finished product delivered to you for use, or donated to local farmers and organizational partners!
  2. Use compost! It is only by using compost that carbon is returned to the soil, and compost is not just for gardens! Consider spreading compost through your yard, on your church grounds, or at your child’s school. The folks at the NC Composting Council can help with resources and questions.
  3. Educate your friends, family, and faith community about the power of composting! Look to Zero Waste Church for ideas on how to get your faith communities involved.

This Wednesday, December 5th, is World Soil Day. We hope that sometime this week, you have the chance to breathe in the smell of the earth, cup the dirt in your hands, and give thanks. We hope you’ll consider composting in recognition of the world’s soils and their life-giving and regenerative power. We also hope you’ll take some time to learn more about Composting, Regenerative Agriculture, and Food Waste Reduction as solutions to climate change.

We know that climate change impacts the poorest among us most severely. This holiday season, let’s take steps to love our neighbors and all of creation more holistically. Thank God for the soil!

 

Sarah Ogletree
NCIPL, Sacred Foodscapes Program Intern

Going Green During The Holidays

By chris

The food that we consume as a part of the holiday season impacts the health of our climate and our communities. For this reason, we at NCIPL would like to […]

Going Green During The Holidays

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The food that we consume as a part of the holiday season impacts the health of our climate and our communities. For this reason, we at NCIPL would like to share the following resource from the national office of Interfaith Power & Light (IPL). Many blessings as you gather with your families and friends in a spirit of gratitude!

“Today more and more people are concerned about where our food comes from and how eating meat affects the climate. For some people that means becoming vegetarian but for many others it is about making conscious choices about when meat is eaten and where it comes from. They don’t give it up completely but choose to eat a little less meat. And there are many options for choosing local, organic, and humanely raised foods.

Download this report to learn more about how your holiday food choices can benefit the climate.

Factory farms have been shown to be a huge impact on our environment and our climate. According to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), animal agriculture is responsible for 18 percent of all human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, including 37 percent of methane emissions and 65 percent of nitrous oxide emissions. The methane releases from billions of animals on factory farms are 70 times more damaging per ton to the earth’s atmosphere than CO2.

The good thing is now we have many alternatives with a wide range of socially responsible, small-scale farms that produce locally. This alternative produces high-quality food and supports farmers who produce healthy meat, eggs and dairy products using humane methods. You can also choose to add more plant-based items to your meals.

The FAO also reports that currently one-third of the food we produce is either lost or wasted. The global costs of food wastage is in the range of $2.6 trillion a year, including $700 billion of environmental costs & $900 billion of social costs.  Whether we over shop for the meal or never get around to finishing our leftovers many Americans end up having food go bad.

You can learn more about how to reduce your food waste in this kit.

The Winter Holiday Season is a time of year that honors all that we are grateful for. It is a celebration of the bounty provided by the earth… and a holiday where people of all faith traditions can gather their loved ones and be thankful for all we have.  This guide talks about three ways we can celebrate while lowering our carbon footprint. As you plan your Holiday Feasts, keep climate in mind.”

Going Green this Thanksgiving

By chris

The food that we consume as a part of the Thanksgiving holiday impacts the health of our climate and our communities. For this reason, we at NCIPL would like to […]

Going Green this Thanksgiving

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The food that we consume as a part of the Thanksgiving holiday impacts the health of our climate and our communities. For this reason, we at NCIPL would like to share the following resource from the national office of Interfaith Power & Light (IPL). Many blessings as you gather with your families and friends next week in a spirit of gratitude!

“Today more and more people are concerned about where our food comes from and how eating meat affects the climate. For some people that means becoming vegetarian but for many others it is about making conscious choices about when meat is eaten and where it comes from. They don’t give it up completely but choose to eat a little less meat. And there are many options for choosing local, organic, and humanely raised foods.

Download this report to learn more about how your holiday food choices can benefit the climate.

Factory farms have been shown to be a huge impact on our environment and our climate. According to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), animal agriculture is responsible for 18 percent of all human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, including 37 percent of methane emissions and 65 percent of nitrous oxide emissions. The methane releases from billions of animals on factory farms are 70 times more damaging per ton to the earth’s atmosphere than CO2.

The good thing is now we have many alternatives with a wide range of socially responsible, small-scale farms that produce locally. This alternative produces high-quality food and supports farmers who produce healthy meat, eggs and dairy products using humane methods. You can also choose to add more plant-based items to your meals.

The FAO also reports that currently one-third of the food we produce is either lost or wasted. The global costs of food wastage is in the range of $2.6 trillion a year, including $700 billion of environmental costs & $900 billion of social costs.  Whether we over shop for the meal or never get around to finishing our leftovers many Americans end up having food go bad.

You can learn more about how to reduce your food waste in this kit.

Thanksgiving is a time of year that honors all that we are grateful for. It is a celebration of the bounty provided by the earth… and a holiday where people of all faith traditions can gather their loved ones and be thankful for all we have.  This guide talks about three ways we can celebrate while lowering our carbon footprint. As you plan your Thanksgiving, keep climate in mind.”

NEWS RELEASE: Eagle Solar & Light Becomes First Solar Energy Lessor in North Carolina

By chris

We hope this inspires communities of faith to take advantage of this opportunity to access solar panels without having to put any money down! RALEIGH, NC (October 16, 2018) — On […]

NEWS RELEASE: Eagle Solar & Light Becomes First Solar Energy Lessor in North Carolina

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We hope this inspires communities of faith to take advantage of this opportunity to access solar panels without having to put any money down!

RALEIGH, NC (October 16, 2018) — On Monday, the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) approved Eagle Solar & Light to become the first licensed solar electric generator lessor in North Carolina. The leasing of solar energy facilities is a critical component of the bipartisan House Bill 589, “Competitive Energy Solutions for North Carolina,” which was passed by the NC General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Cooper in July 2017.

While North Carolina has experienced dramatic growth in utility-scale solar over the past decade, it, unfortunately, lags far behind other states in rooftop solar.  HB589 will help meet customers’ demand for rooftop solar by not only allowing leasing but also by offering NC Solar Rebates for some Duke Energy residential, commercial and non-profit customers who install rooftop solar until 2022.

Susannah Tuttle, Director of NC Interfaith Power and Light (NCIPL) remarked on the occasion, “We are relieved that North Carolina finally has a leasing option to help provide opportunities towards meeting demand for rooftop solar power.  I am glad that the General Assembly, our Governor, and many stakeholders recognized the need and am grateful for Eagle Solar & Light taking this first step in being approved by NCUC as an official lessor.”

NCIPL is a program of the North Carolina Council of Churches, comprised of 27 distinct judicatories from 18 denominations with 1.5 million congregants across the state.

Sam Yates, CEO of Eagle Solar and Light, stated that “A fair and transparent lease, coupled with the NC Solar Rebates can be an excellent opportunity for non-profit groups and others to reap both the benefits of solar power.  We look forward to partnering with congregations, community development partners, and others who want to contribute to a greener future”.

Eagle Solar & Light has been active in North Carolina since 2016, and now has offices in Highlands and Chapel Hill.  Eagle Solar & Light is a regional leader in architecturally-advanced, aesthetically-designed solar energy systems and energy saving products that offer long-term economic benefits. For more information please contact Scott Alexander at salexander@eaglesolarandlight.com.

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Contact info@ncipl.org for more information about how you can go solar today!

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