Pop Culture Goes Green!

This Saturday July 7th, 2007, Live Earth concerts will occur around the globe as various and multiple pop stars combine their powers of mass media to achieve global awareness. Live Earth is a 24-hour, 7-continent concert series that will bring together more than 100 music artists and 2 billion people to trigger a global movement to solve the climate crisis.

Live Earth marks the beginning of a multi-year campaign led by the Alliance for Climate Protection (with former Vice President Gore as the Chair), The Climate Group and other international organizations to drive individuals, corporations and governments to take action to solve global warming.

Thanks to the Texas Legislature's work last month, the national renewable energy certification body Green-e has announced they will certify Texas renewable power effective immediately. This means that individuals, congregations and other purchasers can have confidence that by purchasing Texas-generated green power, they are meaningfully reducing global warming emissions as well as emissions of nitrous oxide (NOx) and other contaminants that pollute Texas' air and contribute to asthma and other health problems.

Green-e certification is a "Good Housekeeping seal of approval" for renewable energy, similar to "Fair Trade" or "Certified Organic" labels on food products.

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Texas Interfaith Power and Light joins with the Regeneration Project to invite clergy and leaders of religious organizations to sign a petition calling the U.S. Government to take massive action to address the global warming crisis.

Individuals and congregations can take concrete steps to reduce their own global warming pollution emissions directly AND to advocate for policies that will reduce global warming pollution in Texas, the US and world.

Reduce Your "Footprint" Buying electricity that comes from renewable sources, making buildings more energy efficient, and choosing products that use less energy are all ways to cut your own global warming emissions. Here are lists, links and tips to get you started.

Advocate for Policy Change Call for public policies that reduce global warming pollution and deal effectively with carbon emissions. Invite your local government to join the US Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement, urge legislators to require strict pollution controls on power plants, and encourage the Texas congressional delegation to support mandatory global warming pollution caps. 

i thank You God for this most amazing day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything which is natural which is infinite which is yes

130 Texas Congregations to Join in National Week of "Spotlight on Global Warming"

View the List of Texas Congregations and Find a Showing in Your Area

NEW: Download global warming information for Texas congregations 

Join us during the week of October 1 through 8, as congregations around the country hold screenings of the new global warming movie An Inconvenient Truth and other new global warming feature films. 

At a time when Texas leads the United States in global warming pollution, Texas religious communities are participating in an unprecedented project to help people of faith understand and engage the issues surrounding global warming and possible solutions.

More than 130 Texas congregations will be hosting screenings of the new global warming documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” during the week of October 1-8. They will be among 4,000 congregations across the U.S. showing the film that week.

The weeklong event—called “Spotlight on Global Warming”—is sponsored nationally by Interfaith Power and Light, an organization of congregations and individuals devoted to deepening the connection between ecology and faith. There are 18 state Interfaith Power and Light chapters, including Texas Interfaith Power and Light.

The world’s religious traditions are clear in their message that God loves the whole creation and calls people to care for the Earth and everything in it. Religious leaders of all faiths are increasingly vocal in their calls for strong action on global warming to protect human life and all creation.

Texas leads the nation in global warming pollution but there’s good news, too: Texas has the greatest renewable energy potential of any state, and this year became the largest wind power producer in the US. It’s a key time for people of faith and all Texans to engage in the debate surrounding global warming solutions.

Texas Interfaith Power and Light (TXIPL) is a nonprofit religious education project that helps congregations of all faiths in Texas take action to reduce global warming and air pollution through energy conservation and renewable energy strategies. TXIPL is one of 23 state IPL organizations.

Under the leadership of our steering committee, we provide theological and policy education, training, products and services that congregations and their members need to incorporate emissions reduction and renewable energy into their day-to-day activities and operations.

TXIPL is Texas’ only statewide, interfaith environmental organization with formal ties to the state’s Christian, Jewish and Muslim denominational bodies. TXIPL is a project of the Texas Impact Education Fund.

Texas Interfaith Power and Light is part of a national movement with
branches in 23 states. Interfaith Power and Light is a ministry devoted
to deepening the connection between ecology and faith. Our goal is to
help people of faith recognize and fulfill their responsibility for the
stewardship of creation. Specifically, the IPL campaign is mobilizing a
national religious response to global warming while promoting renewable
energy, energy efficiency and conservation. People of faith have an
opportunity to put their faith into action and help reduce the
devastating effects of global warming. http://www.theregenerationproject.org/

TXIPL is a project of the Texas Impact Education Fund. TXIPL’s steering committee includes members of Texas Impact’s board of directors as well as renewable energy experts and religious leaders from a variety of faith traditions.

Texas Interfaith Power and Light Steering Committee

Dennis Corkran, Corkran Oil and Gas, Austin
Rabbi Steve Folberg, Congregation Beth Israel, Austin
John Hoffner, Conservation Services Group, Austin
Nancy Benthien, Consultant, Houston
Karl Rabago, AES, Washington, DC
Gary Stuard, Interfaith Environmental Alliance, Dallas
Kathy Tullos, Haynes and Boone, Austin
Ian Benois, Thompson Corporation, Austin
Rob Borowski, University of Texas School of Community and Regional Planning, Austin