With free, unbiased information and technical support from ENERGY STAR, your congregation can more easily improve stewardship of your budget’s energy dollars and of the earth.
If future generations are to remember us more with gratitude than sorrow, we must achieve more than just the miracles of technology. We must also leave them a glimpse of the world as it was created, not just as it looked when we got through with it.
Submitted by Shelley on Tue, 2008-03-04 22:47
Austin Climate Clergy Connection Wrap-Up
The Austin Climate Clergy Connection meeting that took place on Monday, February 18th, was a hit! The conference was attended by 40 clergy members and lay-leaders. Among the clergy attending were Rabbi Steve Folberg (Congregation Beth Israel), Rev. Tina Carter (The Rock United Methodist Church), and Rev.
Submitted by Shelley on Tue, 2008-03-04 22:05
Earth Stewardship in San Antonio: Thursday, March 6th
The San Antonio Community of Churches and Solar San Antonio have worked to bring clergy and lay members of San Antonio area houses of worship together at a reception on March 6, 2008 to learn from one another about the stewardship of the Earth. The reception is part of the Stewardship Earth Weekend being promoted by the San Antonio Community of Churches, the Archdiocese of San Antonio, the Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of San Antonio and other communities of faith.
Event Info
Stewardship Earth Weekend Reception
3-6 pm on Thursday, March 6, 2008
Beacon Hill Presbyterian Church
1101 W. Woodlawn, San Antonio, TX
Submitted by Shelley on Tue, 2008-03-04 17:05
Sustainable! Food, Environment, and Economics Conference March 28th-29th
"Sustainable! Food, Environment, and Economics" Spirituality and Activism Conference is fast approaching! On March 28th and 29th, this exciting event will take place at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church. Among the speakers will be UT Professor Robert Jensen and York University Professor Justin Podur. Texas Interfaith Power & Light will be giving a workshop on the faith community's involvement in the environmental movement. If you are interested in attending, please see the information below:
North Texas Methodist Green Contract on Sierra Club Radio
TXIPL director Bee Moorhead was interviewed on nationally syndicated Sierra Club Radio about the North Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church's recent bulk contract for green electricity. Listen to the interview HERE
Submitted by Shelley on Thu, 2008-02-07 20:18
Don't Toss It! Everything you need to know about recycling Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs)
There have been many reports floating about telling about mercury in CFLs. We are here to set the record straight and ensure that you know the right and wrong ways to dispose of your eco-friendly light bulbs.
Is it true that CFLs contain mercury? Why and how much?
CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing – an average of 5 milligrams (roughly equivalent to the tip of a ball-point pen). Mercury is an essential, irreplaceable element in CFLs and is what allows the bulb to be an efficient light source. By comparison, older home thermometers contain 500 milligrams of mercury and many manual thermostats contain up to 3000 milligrams. It would take between 100 and 600 CFLs to equal those amounts.
Submitted by Shelley on Tue, 2008-02-05 20:15
New for 2008: Congregational Fundraisers for ShopIPL
"Bright Ideas" ShopIPL Energy Efficient Congregational Fundraising Packet
Bright Ideas! fundraisers
are a great chance for your faith community to save on energy costs and be
better stewards of God’s creation. The sale can raise funds for your projects
or help pay for energy efficient upgrades to your house of worship.
The documents below can help get you started!
Austin Clergy Climate Connection
A Dialogue on Austin Clergy Response to Climate Change and the Environment
February 18, 2008, 8:00AM to Noon, Congregation Beth Israel, 3800 Shoal Creek Boulevard, Austin, Texas
Co-Chairs:
- Rabbi Steve Folberg, Congregation Beth Israel
- Reverend Sam Riccobene, First Presbyterian Church
- Reverend Tina Carter, The Rock United Methodist Church
Sponsors:
- Texas Impact/Texas Interfaith Power & Light
- Austin Area Interreligious Ministries
Every day we see more information about the religious community getting involved in environmental issues. There are many who would say the environment is the defining issue facing faith communities today. But exactly how and where do we fit in?
Submitted by Shelley on Fri, 2008-01-11 20:29
Focus the Nation quickly approaching!
Focus the Nation,
a national initiative to educate about and involve people with the fight
against climate change, is coming up January 30 – 31, 2008.
Click here for more
information on how you can involve your congregation. To find out if any churches or universities
in your area are participating, go to this
website.
Submitted by Bee on Thu, 2008-01-03 16:08
Dallas Morning News Coverage of North Texas Methodist Green Power Purchase
Methodist churches unite to buy green energy
180 North Texas UMCs will boost windmill-driven power
Submitted by Bee on Thu, 2008-01-03 16:03
Hats off to Illinois Interfaith Power & Light
We're used to everything being bigger in Texas, but today TXIPL salutes our colleagues at Illinois IPL and the faith communities they work with for winning our friendly competition to see which state could generate the most sales on ShopIPL during our first six months of operation. Illinois IPL and their parent organization Faith in Place generated double TXIPL's sales on IPL's energy efficiency webstore, and they celebrated today by donating 500 CFLs to a congregational outreach ministry to be distributed to low-income seniors.
TXIPL members, don't let this early upset discourage you! Visit ShopIPL.org in 2008 for great deals on energy efficient products that will help reduce air pollution and global warming and reduce your electric bills.
Here's Illinois IPL's press release:
What do you love most about Texas? The stars at night? The sage in bloom? The prairie sky?
The Austin Community Climate Protection Plan, which aims to make Austin the leading city in the nation in the fight against climate change, has created a Carbon Footprint Calculator which can be used anywhere in the state. Carbon dioxide (CO2), and other greenhouse gases, can have a profound effect on the climate. The first step in decreasing this impact and protecting our climate is to know your carbon footprint.