Rhode Island Interfaith Power & Light                   September/October 2007

 

Developing a religious response to global warming         info@riipl.org

 RI - IPL Newsletter

 

Save the Date: January 10, 2008.

Conference: Greening your Congregation. The faith-based communities’ first-ever climate change conference in Rhode Island. Place and time to be announced.

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Reminder: for energy-efficient products at a good price, http://www.shopipl.org/, checkout code shopipl gets 10% discount.

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Our free course offerings are complete. We’ll come to your congregation with any of these presentations:

·       “An Inconvenient Truth” the movie

·       “Greening the house of worship”, from EPA EnergyStar Congregations Network

·       “Save Energy Costs and Save the World”, how your congregation’s households can reduce their “carbon footprint”

Plus a special YOUTH PROGRAM – an INTERFAITH ECO-HIKE – you can see pictures at www.riipl.org/eco_hike. Next dates are NOVEMBER 4 and NOVEMBER 18. A group can send up to 10 youth members age 7-15 at a group cost of $25. Call (401)267-0029 for reservations or email hbrown@riipl.org.

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ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS: STORY #1: St. Augustine’s in Kingston

          The term “greening”, which once applied specifically to the process of decking a church in preparation for the Christmas Season, is assuming a new meaning at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Kingston. Stewardship of the earth is being taken seriously. 

          This summer through the efforts of the parish Green Team St. Augustine’s developed goals and signed a covenant of commitment with Rhode Island Interfaith Power and Light (RI IPL). Some of the goals include providing climate change education and conversation opportunities with a faith perspective to congregation and community members, proposing an environmental stewardship resolution to be discussed at the annual Diocesan Convention in October, evaluating energy usage in the church buildings, and making energy efficient adjustments in an ongoing manner.

In fact, after an energy audit arranged through National Grid, St. Augustine’s has been able to purchase replacement lighting fixtures and started saving money immediately, even after paying for the new equipment, because of lower energy costs.

          At the “Burgers and Bulbs” sale held on the Church’s URI Campus grounds over the course of Labor Day weekend, students had an opportunity to purchase single compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL’s) for their dorm rooms...as well as the bulbs that bloom in the spring.  Information on the environmental value of CFL’s and ways to select and dispose of them was made available.     

          Plans are in process for a November program, a corollary to the showing of “An Inconvenient Truth” which occurred last May.  The book Low Carbon Diet is being purchased in order to facilitate more awareness and involvement, and parishioners continue to contribute ideas and articles from an array of publications, local and national, which add to the knowledge base and spur ideas for future efforts. 

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ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS: STORY#2: St. Theresa’s Parish, Providence

St. Theresa’s is upgrading their lighting. Their estimated annual savings will be almost $400, and the payback will be under a year. Best of all, they will reduce their carbon footprint by over 3000 kilowatt hours.

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ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS: STORY#3: Temple Emanuel, Providence

With the support of the RI Jewish Environmental Alliance (RIJEA), Temple Emanuel has embarked on an ambitious three-point program to 1) reduce their energy usage; 2) reduce their solid waste through improved recycling; and 3) strengthen their ties with local producers. As the result of an energy audit and related improvements they estimate the Temple will save 26,000 kwhours per year, and they are putting the Temple and congregants into clean energy programs. On November 3 they will conduct an Environmental Sabbath at the Temple, which will coincide with Step It Up 2007.

 

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RI-IPL Calendar:

September 30 - Interfaith Eco-Hike for children

October 3 - Aquidneck Island clergy lunch meeting

October 10 - An Inconvenient Truth, St Mary’s, Providence

October 14 - RI Energy Expo (come visit our display table), 10-5 pm

October 16 - Sacred Trust Forum, Hartford (Ct-IPL)

October 28 - Save Energy Costs and Save the World, Temple Torat-Yisrael

October 30 - RI – IPL October Steering Committee meeting, 5 pm. Location TBA. Presentation by Peoples Power and Light

November 3 - Step It Up – Roger Williams Park

                    Environmental Sabbath, Temple Emanuel, Providence

November 4 - Interfaith Eco-Hike

November 15 – St. Augustine’s, Kingston – 7 pm “Solutions” a follow up to the film “An Inconvenient Truth, refreshments

November 18 - Interfaith Eco-Hike

January 10, 2008 – GREENING YOUR CONGREGATION – time/place TBA

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Volunteers Needed:

Steering Committee, researchers, website design, communications, curriculum development

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Donations needed: We need a laptop computer that will run Microsoft Power Point. Financial donations are gratefully accepted.

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Visit our website www.riipl.org

 

RI Interfaith Power and Light
230 Lantern Lane E
No. Kingstown, RI 02852
(401)267-0029
(401)338-3916 cell
http://www.riipl.org/
(401)268-3833 fax