News
Churches Gather to Celebrate Earth Day
From worship services to picnics, from advocacy to clean up projects, churches and people of faith are celebrating the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. The National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Program wants to hear your stories of how your faith community engaged issues of creation care. Click here to share your stories of how you celebrated Earth Day. Check out stories from other churches and communities here.
Stewardship Opportunities for Maryland Congregations
The National Council of Churches will be giving presentations to Maryland congregations interested in becoming Stewards of the Bay congregations. Learn practical ways your congregation can care for Creation in the Chesapeake by installing rain gardens or rain barrels, conserving water, or improving the energy efficiency of your church buildings. Contact Lizzie McGurk of the National Council of Churches Eco-Justice program at if you would like to have a presentation at your church and download Stewards of the Bay Resources.
Ask Congress to Protect Creation and Children from BPA
As the Senate addresses important food safety legislation in the coming weeks, we have an opportunity to ensure that a toxic chemical, bisphenol-A (BPA), is removed from food and beverage products including baby bottles, sippy cups, liquid infant formula and other canned items. The Centers for Disease Control found BPA in the bodies of 93% of people they tested. A new study found BPA in the ocean water and sand. BPA is linked to cancer, type II diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, fertility challenges, and other health concerns. The most harm is caused in low doses. This is an important justice issue for children, workers, low-income communities, and God's Creation. Ask your Senator to protect children and Creation by phasing out BPA in food and beverage containers in place of safe alternatives here.
Industry and government are beginning to respond to public concern. Five states and some countries passed legislation to phase out BPA. Baby bottle manufacturers are now producing safe alternatives. The EPA and FDA expressed concern about this chemical in baby bottles and suggest safer alternatives. Administrative action could take years when we have enough studies to act now. We need swift action to protect all of God's children. Ask your Senator to cosponsor S. 593 to phase out BPA in food and beverage containers when safer alternatives exist. Click here for more information on BPA and other toxicants.
Environmental Protection Agency Announces New Mountain Top Removal Regulations
In a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Jackson sent on March 12th, the faith community said that all "should have equal access to a just economic system and a healthy environment, yet this is not being realized in Appalachia and the situation is getting increasingly worse. We, therefore, ask the Obama administration to demonstrate the wisdom and fortitude needed to stop this injustice." On April 2nd the EPA announced a set of actions to further clarify and strengthen environmental permitting requirements for Mountain Top Removal (MTR). EPA Administrator Jackson went on to note that it was a false choice between jobs and care for Creation that the people of Appalachia have been being asked to make.
Keep Calling for Change
The faith community has been a steady and continuous voice calling for an end to MTR, and these steps by the EPA bring hope that that voice is being heard. However, don't let it stop there. Click here to take this opportunity to call on Congress to make the change in the Clean Water Act permanent.
Events
Join PC(USA) for a Stewardship of the Land Event
Stewardship of the Land: A Christian Community Gathering, a weekend retreat to inspire us to be stewards of the land, will take place on May 21-23 at Bluestone Camp and Retreat near Hinton, WV. Joel Salatin, a sustainable farmer featured in Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma will be the keynote speaker. Learn more and register.
Come to a Conference on Cultivating Creation Care in Churches
Leading Churches in Green Pastures: A Conference for Church Leaders who Wish to Cultivate Creation Care in Their Churches will be held May 23rd-25th at the Fowler Camp and Retreat Center in Speculator, NY. The conference will explore how faith informs our stewardship of the earth, ranging from our gardening to our preaching. Click here for more information, and here for a schedule.
Explore the Global on Water Crisis with a Faith Perspective
Join the Ecumenical Water Network and End Water Poverty as they seek to hold world leaders accountable. An international meeting featuring world leaders on Sanitation and Water will be held in Washington DC on April 23, 2010. Click here for more information on the meeting and join in the clean water movement.
Student Christian Fellowship Conference Gathering on Issues of EcoJustice
The North American Region of The World Student Christian Fellowship is hosting a regional conference in Ottawa Canada, June 10-13. Let their Be Life: Christian Activism, Social Justice, and the Future of the Earth seeks to educate students on the spectrum of global ecological crisis and of the intricate connections of climate change and poverty, which in turn helps the students to approach the ecological issues in a holistic manner. For more information click here.
Spirituality and Sustainability Conference at Chestnut Hill
Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia will host an event on spirituality and sustainability in hopes of supporting leaders of faith communities who promote sustainable living on June 11-13, 2010. Miriam Therese MacGillis, co-founder of Genesis Farm, will be the keynote speaker providing seasoned information and inspiration. Click here for more information.
Resources
Churches in North Carolina Connect for Earth Day
The North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light has compiled a list of events and gathered worhip and activity resources to connect people from around the state on Earth Day. Click Here to access resources and see the many events being held by churches state wide in North Carolina.
The Sacred Earth: Bringing Faith and Conservation Together
Click here to listen to Dekila Chungyalpa, the World Wildlife Fund US director for the Greater Mekong Program as she talks about the many projects that benefit both communities and wildlife in the Mekong region in Southeast Asia. Listen to her conversation concerning religious institutions and concrete conservation results. Click here for more information on the projects in the Mekong area.
