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December 2008 Edition
North American Association for Environmental Education 38th Annual Conference; Oct 7–10, 2009 ~ Portland,OR
NAAEE welcomes presentation proposals linked to the 2009 conference’s strands and threads. The NAAEE Guidelines set the standards for high-quality environmental education. The Guidelines establish criteria for the development of balanced, scientifically accurate, and comprehensive environmental education programs. For more information about guidelines and proposal submission Click Here.
...Fresh from the Presses... Money & Faith: The Search for Enough edited by Earth Ministry's Michael Schut.
Money and Faith encourages you to listen to your own story as you consider issues of happiness and trust, investments and retirement, equity and ecology, and scarcity and abundance. A diversity of voices and a community-building study guide make this an ideal resource for both individuals and groups. Click here to review the book and order a copy.
Special Workshop for New Trier Congregations. January 11, 2009 ~ Illinois.
This event is planned as a workshop for sharing ideas and resources among congregations and to create new partnerships and programs. New Trier congregations vary widely in the ways they address environmentalism, so there is a lot to share. Please email clare@faithinplace.org for more information.
The Green Bible for Christmas
Just in time for giving and receiving The Green Bible will encourage you to see God's vision for  Creation. This first Bible of its kind includes inspirational essays from key leaders such as N. T. Wright, Barbara Brown Taylor, Brian McLaren, Matthew Sleeth, Pope John Paul II, and Wendell Berry. The Green Bible will help you see that caring for the Earth is not only a calling, but a lifestyle. Click Here to order your copy of this wonderful new Bible
Why We Celebrate!
The National Council of Churches Eco-Justice program want you to have blessed and Christ-filled holiday season. Remember what this season is truly for and give generously to those less fortunate, some of the greatest gifts you can give are those from the heart. Read Christmas Prayers here.
Want to find Healthy Toys for your children this season?
Visit The Healthy Toys website before you visit the stores this Christmas. Healthy Toys includes test results for more than 1,500 toys. Visit them at http://www.healthytoys.org/, then purchase responsibly.
60 Simple Steps to Reduce Global Warming
Lighting your Christmas tree with LED lights instead of incandescent lights can reduce CO2 by as much as 122 pounds a season. Here are 60 simple steps that can help cut your emissions of carbon dioxide all year long. Whenever you save energy - or use it more efficiently - you reduce the demand for gasoline, oil, coal and natural gas. Click here to view the list.
Eco-Justice
Working Group
Church
of the Brethren
Environmental
Justice Office of Presbyterian Church (USA)
Presbyterian
Washington Office
Episcopal
Ecological Network
Greek
Orthodox Church in America
Lutheran
Earthkeeping Network of the Synods
Reformed
Church in America
United
Church of Christ
United
Methodist Board of Church and Society
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The Low Carbon 12 Days of Christmas!
...This Christmas Let’s Keep Coal Out of Our Stockings!...
1. Send Electronic Christmas Cards.
2. Make Your Own Decorations.
3. Buy a Living, Local Christmas Tree.
4. Use LED Christmas Lights.
5. Do Your Christmas Shopping with Reusable Bags.
6. Give Responsibly.
7. Local and energy efficient gifts are Great!
8. Use Reusable or Recycled Gift Wrap.
9. Practice Alternative Giving.
10. Limit Your Travel.
11. Serve Local Food for Christmas Dinner.
12. Remember Why We Celebrate!
Click Here for details on the Low-Carbon 12 Days of Christmas and ways to celebrate the birth of Christ. Need ideas for giving "Green", low-carbon gifts, our Green Gifts website here.
Have a Toxic-Free Christmas!
WARNING! Don’t Dump Phthalates on Our Children
Scripture teaches us that we are all created in the image of God and that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. That applies to our children too. This year President Bush signed into law a bill banning toxic phthalates used in toys for small children. However, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is charged with implementing and enforcing the ban, has interpreted the law to mean that while manufacturing must stop, existing stocks of these toys can still be sold. As a result, these unlabelled toys are being sold at discount prices that will ensure their popularity as Christmas presents, actually increasing the risk of exposure. Protect your children and learn more here!
Want to do more? Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. To protect the “little children” of whom Jesus says, “…it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” (Matt. 19:14)
Green Gift Ideas for the Christmas Season
 There are many ways to protect God's Creations this season and for many Christmas seasons to come. Green Gifts are not just knitted socks that you forget about. They are are hip, interesting, fashionable and most important they help us protect God's Creation. Consider giving an Eco-Friendly gift. It's easy, just check out the Eco-Justice web page of great Green Gift ideas and order online from your favorite site.
Holy Ground: A Gathering of Voices on Caring for Creation.
Edited by Lyndsay Moseley and the staff of Sierra Club Books
In Holy Ground, leaders from many faith traditions, along with writers who hold nature sacred, articulate the moral and spiritual imperative of Earth stewardship. In essays, sermons, and other short pieces commissioned or gathered for this book, they share personal stories of coming to understand our unique power and responsibility to care for creation. A book to be treasured and shared widely, this landmark collection will bring together caring people of all faiths and all beliefs on common, holy ground. To order your copy or to ship a copy for the holiday season Click here.
7th Annual Ecumenical Advocacy Days
"Enough for All Creation" March 13-16, 2009: Washington, D.C.
We live in an increasingly interconnected world and have an enormous impact on each other and Creation. As the Earth's temperature rises we see a strain on food production and an increase in severe storm events. Our increasingly co-dependent economies lift a few individuals up to great heights while keeping others living lives of destitution. Join us at the 7thannual Ecumenical Advocacy Days, as we explore ways to bring about a world with 'Enough for All Creation'. Learn about the connections between climate change, migration and poverty in the U.S. and around the world. Come together with faith-based advocates and activists from across the United States in the nation's capitol March 13-16 as we discuss the abundance of our world and how it can be allocated in a way that is fair and just for all Creation. Register now at www.advocacydays.org!
2009 Fellowship Focuses on Global Climate Change and Poverty
The 2009 Eco-Justice fellowship training class, held in the summer  of 2009, will focus on global climate change and poverty. This training class is essential for anyone engaged in the faith-based eco-justice movement and provides support for emerging practitioners engaged in global climate change work. Training is held in a retreat style format and is limited to 20 people. Applications to participate in the in this summer's training program are now being taken. For more information about the program and to review the application details please visit our website by clicking here.
 Religious Community Gathers in Poland for UN Climate Talks
Close to 100 representatives for the worldwide religious communitygathered in early December to participate in the United Nations (UN) climate negotiation gathering in Poznan, Poland. Highlighting the need to protect vulnerable populations for climate change, the World Council of Churches issued astatement to the UN gathering and hosted an ecumenical worship celebration at a local Polish congregation. Click here to read the full statement. In attendance were several U.S. faith representatives including representatives from the NCC Eco-Justice Program office, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in American, and the Presbyterian Church USA.
From the Desk of . . .
Cassandra Carmichael, Eco-Justice Program Director "Why does Jax cower like that when someone comes in the house with a hat on?" my husband Mark asked me, obviously alluding to the fact that Jax is indeed a very large dog. "He is a rescue dog and was probably abused by some man wearing a hat," I replied in my most patient voice. I reached down to pet Jax, but I could feel Mark's eyes roll behind my back. He expected Jax, as a big dog, to be, confident and fearless. It struck me then that failed expectations and assumptions sometimes get in the way of relationship and fellowship. I was reminded of this on my recent trip to Poland for the United Nations climate negotiations. Prior to this trip, I had made a promise to myself to always make an effort to learn a wee bit of the language before entering a foreign country. "Hello." "Thank you." I had seen a friend once enter a foreign country, refusing to make an effort to speak the language, and I had been embarrassed at her assumption that everyone would accommodate her. As happens in life, things got busy and I didn't make the time to learn a single word of Polish. Although I made it to the hotel and meeting without incident, there was a hollowness to my interactions with the Poles because we couldn't communicate at all. English wasn't as prevalent as I had assumed. Despite my language deficiency, though, I decided to go to the local swimming pool for a workout. I suppose, like my friend, I expected that someone would speak English. Someone would be there to accommodate me. I was wrong. Not a single person spoke English. I was at a complete loss as to how to find the ladies locker room or the pool itself. I did eventually find the locker room, following the sound of a hair dryer which led me to the showers, which are almost always located right outside the door to the pool. But I learned a lesson about assumptions and expectations that can potentially get in the way good experiences and fellowship. Just like my Poland experience, Mark and Jax are learning that false expectations can get in the way of true fellowship.
The National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Programs wish you and your family blessings for the Christmas Holiday Season. Let us all remember why we celebrate this season!
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