On Thursday, June 30, 2011, Texas Impact Executive Director Bee Moorhead and Texas Interfaith Power & Light (TXIPL) Coordinator Amanda Robinson spoke as guests on the "Shades of Green Energy" radio show on KOOP 91.7 FM in Austin. The show is archived for listening here.

Host John Hoffner asked Bee about the interfaith nature of Texas Impact's work, its approach, and the people and communities involved. Bee also spoke about the 82nd session of the Texas Legislature and how some new programs will help strengthen community-government partnerships.

In Amanda's interview, the conversation focused on interfaith religious environmentalism and the educational and outreach work of both TXIPL and the national organization, Interfaith Power & Light.

You can listen to the interview online here.

Top cash prizes of $1,000 will go to winning contestants in four categories: energy efficiency, renewable energy, grounds and water conservation, and inspiring congregants to lower energy use at home. 

Projects of any size completed in the last year between October 20, 2010 and October 20, 2011 qualify, and there's no fee to enter. Entries are due by October 20, 2011. 

Cool Congregations Challenge is sponsored by Interfaith Power & Light, which works in over 10,000 congregations and has affiliates in 38 states and Washington, D.C. Texas IPL is based in Austin, TX. IPL promotes stewardship of Creation by responding to global warming through the promotion of energy conservation, energy efficiency, renewable energy.

This month, we take on the Texas drought. Jennifer Walker, Water Resources Specialist for the Sierra Club, will join our call to provide an overview of the situation; explore how the drought is affecting different areas, people and ecosystems; and answer your questions. We will also explore ways that congregations can conserve water and help others in our communities.

As always, we will have some time for callers to ask questions, share ideas and connect.

July Interfaith Environmental Conference Call

     Wednesday, July 27, 2011, 12:00-1:00 p.m.

     Dial-in number: (712) 432-3066 

     Conference Code: 424548

To RSVP for the call, receive a copy of the call's agenda or request notes from the call, please e-mail Amanda. Feel free to invite others to participate in these calls!

In our monthly environmental calls, we seek to connect faith leaders around the state who are engaged in the work of caring for creation; provide updates about environmental legislation and advocacy opportunities; keep you current on new programs and initiatives; and create a space for sharing hopes and frustrations, plans and ideas, stories and prayers.

The Texas Legislature this session passed a number of bills that provide hands-on things your congregation can do to help the environment and help other people—and in some cases, do both at the same time. We are excited about some of these new opportunities—so much so, we’re making plans to visit different areas of the state to provide legislative wrap-up sessions.

There are a couple of different ways to find out more about what environmental, energy and food-related bills passed this session. Right now, we've done presentations in Austin and Houston, and Fort Worth is next. Also, our June conference call focused on this topic. Here are the details:

Thursday, August 4, 2011 in Fort Worth – 7:00 p.m.
This event co-sponsored by the Tarrant Area Community of Churches; please RSVP by e-mailing Rev. Melinda Veatch.

If you would like more information, or if you’re interested in scheduling a visit to your community, please contact Amanda.

Past presentations:

·      Tuesday, June 28, 2011 in Houston – 2:00 p.m.

·      Wednesday, June 29, 2011 Interfaith Conference Call – 12:00 p.m.

·      Tuesday, July 5, 2011 in Austin – 7:00 p.m.

Chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s diseases are on the rise, and increasingly these conditions are linked to the way we live--including exposure to toxins in the environment and in products we use every day. Join us for a call on May 23rd at 1:00 p.m. to learn how to incorporate healthy diets and lifestyle choices such as exercise and toxic-free living into your spiritual practices to protect your body, future generations, and God’s Creation. Some studies show that making lifestyle changes at any age can slow or reverse some chronic diseases.

Join the National Council of Churches Environmental Health Initiative on May 23rd at 1pm (Central Standard Time) for a teleconference and webinar on Healthy Aging with Dr. Ted Schettler of the Science Environmental Health Network, Maria Valenti of the Collaborative on Health and Environment, and Chloe Schwabe, the NCC Environmental Health Program Manager. Whether you are 70 or seven, this teleconference can provide you opportunties to improve your health and care for the health of others in your life. Register for the call here.

To take further action and call for testing and regulation of chemicals, please read and add your name to the Interfaith Statement for Chemical Policy Reform.

Please join us on Wednesday, May 25th at noon for our next monthly interfaith conference call. In this month's call, we will focus on state and national-level energy-policy updates--and how we as people of faith can respond. Tyler Edgar, Assistant Director of the Climate and Energy Campaign for the National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Program, will update us on recent efforts in Congress to undermine the Clean Air Act. We will also be joined by Colin Meehan, Clean Energy Analyst with the Environmental Defense Fund, who will give us an update about energy issues on the state level.

     May Interfaith Call for Caring for Creation

     Wednesday, May 25, 2011, 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.

     Dial-in number: (712) 432-3066  

     Conference Code: 424548

In our monthly environmental calls, we seek to connect faith leaders around the state who are engaged in the work of caring for creation; provide updates about environmental legislation and opportunities for involvement in the legislative session; keep you current on new programs and initiatives; and create a space for sharing hopes and frustrations, plans and ideas, stories and prayers.

To RSVP for the call, receive a copy of the call's agenda or request notes from the call, please e-mail Amanda.

New dates & times. The dates and times for the rest of our 2011 calls can be found here.

Please join us on Wednesday, April 27th at noon for our next monthly interfaith conference call. In this month's call, we will focus on how chemicals in everyday products affect human health--and how we as people of faith can respond. Lindsay Dahl, Deputy Director of Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families will be on the call with an overview of this issue. Click here to learn about the Safe Chemicals Act that was recently introduced in the U.S. Senate.

Also on the call, Ilan Levin, Senior Attorney and Texas Program Director of the Environmental Integrity Project will provide an update on environmental legislation at the state level, and we will explore ways to engage our faith communities on issues of environmental justice around Mother's Day this year. (Note: Dates and times for the rest of 2011 calls have changed--please see a full listing of new dates and times below!)

     April Interfaith Environmental Conference Call

     Wednesday, April 27, 2011, 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.

     Dial-in number: (712) 432-3066  

     Conference Code: 424548

In our monthly environmental calls, we seek to connect faith leaders around the state who are engaged in the work of caring for creation; provide updates about environmental legislation and opportunities for involvement in the legislative session; keep you current on new programs and initiatives; and create a space for sharing hopes and frustrations, plans and ideas, stories and prayers.

To RSVP for the call, receive a copy of the call's agenda or request notes from the call, please e-mail Amanda.

New dates & times. The dates and times for the rest of our 2011 calls have changed! Please update your calendars with the following dates and times of our monthly interfaith environmental calls. (Note: these are all Wednesdays.)

• April 27, 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
• May 25, 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
• June 29, 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
• July 27, 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
• August 24, 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
• September 21, 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
• October 19, 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
• November 16, 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
• December 14, 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.

Please join us on Tuesday, March 22nd at 10:00 a.m. for our next monthly interfaith conference call. In this month's call, we will offer updates and overviews of legislative activity at both the national and state-level, paying particular attention to how Texans can engage and respond in faithful witness.

• Andree Duggan, Communications and Campaigns Coordinator for Interfaith Power & Light, will provide an overview of national policy issues.
• Craig Adair, Chief of Staff for Texas House Representative Lon Burnam, and Legislative Aide Matt Johnston, will provide an overview of state-level policy issues.

March Interfaith Environmental Conference Call

     Tuesday, March 22, 2011, 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.

     Dial-in number: (712) 432-3066  (Note: this is a new number!)

     Conference Code: 424548

In our monthly environmental calls, we seek to connect faith leaders around the state who are engaged in the work of caring for creation; provide updates about environmental legislation and opportunities for involvement in the legislative session; keep you current on new programs and initiatives; and create a space for sharing hopes and frustrations, plans and ideas, stories and prayers.

To RSVP for the call, receive a copy of the call's agenda or request notes from the call, please e-mail Amanda.

April's call is scheduled for Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at 10:00 a.m.