Vermont Interfaith Power & Light (VTIPL) works to educate
Vermont’s faith communities about the climate crisis and the
threat it presents to our planet. VTIPL’s goal is to move faith
communities toward responsible stewardship of Creation by
reducing greenhouse gas emissions through personal and
community action. VTIPL helps people take action in their
houses of worship, homes, and workplaces to conserve energy,
use it efficiently, and increase the use of renewable energy.
Please share this newsletter with others. To submit items
or give updates, send an email to info@vtipl.org
PHOTO GALLERY OF OCT. 24 ACTIONS
We’re gathering photos for VTIPL’s website of actions
in towns all over the state on International Day of Climate
Action, Oct. 24th. To date, we have photos from Barre,
Burlington, Essex Center, North Pomfret, and Rutland.
We hope other towns will soon send photos, as attach-
ments, to info@vtipl.org. (Please forward this to people
who have the photos.)
WHERE BELLS RANG
Many faith communities in Vermont rang bells on Oct. 24
to sound an alarm about the climate crisis. Bells rang out
in these 16 towns: Barre, Bennington, Bethel, Brandon,
Burlington, Charlotte, East Corinth, Essex Center, Forest
Dale, Greensboro, Killington, Montpelier, Northfield,
Norwich, Randolph, Tunbridge, and perhaps other towns
as well. Help us build a complete list of where bells rang.
If you know of any places that aren’t on this list, or you
have corrections, email: info@vtipl.org to let us know.
This list will be included on VTIPL’s website.
COMMUNITY ENERGY AND CLIMATE ACTION
This conference will be held at Lake Morey Inn, Fairlee,
on Saturday, Dec. 5. It’s sponsored by UVM Extension
and VT Energy and Climate Action Network (VECAN).
The goal is to provide strategies communities can use
to reduce energy costs and reduce greenhouse gases
released into the environment. Pat Parenteau, environ-
mental law professor at VT Law School will give the
opening address and Sen. Bernie Sanders will give the
afternoon keynote. There are many workshops being
offered. The registration fee is $20; it includes lunch.
For more details and to register, go to: www.vecan.net
CLEAN ENERGY JOBS AND AMERICAN POWER ACT
Work on this legislation (also called the Kerry-Boxer bill)
continues in the U.S. Senate. Vermont’s senators are
supportive of a strong climate bill, but it’s an uphill battle
in many states. If your friends, relatives, colleagues in
battleground states will ask their senators to support the
climate bill, it could help. The national Interfaith Power &
Light website (www.theregenerationproject.org) has info
about the bill; fact sheets and an IPL priority list are in
the lower left corner of the homepage. To take action,
go to: http://action.theregenerationproject.org
MANY HEAVENS, ONE EARTH
This international conference, sponsored by the Alliance
of Religions and Conservation (ARC), was recently held
in England at Windsor Castle. Religious leaders from all
over the world attended and discussed climate action
plans that the various faiths will implement. The radio
program “Living on Earth” (which airs on VT Public Radio)
included an interview about the conference with the ARC
Secretary General, Martin Palmer. To hear it, click the
link below, then click on “RealAudio for this Story”
www.loe.org/shows/segments.htm?programID=09-P13-00045&segmentID=1
A transcript of the interview is also included at this site.
Interfaith Power & Light founder, The Rev. Sally Bingham,
attended and has a brief clip in the interview.
OUR INDIVISIBLE ENVIRONMENT
The Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was
the sponsor of the “Symposium on the Mississippi” which
was held in October. While in this country, he took
advantage of the opportunity to travel around, speaking
to many audiences and getting his message out through
different media. He wrote an op-ed that “The Wall Street
Journal” published. Click on the link below to read it:
online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704500604574485341504345488.html
WREATHS FROM GREEN MOUNTAIN MONASTERY
Sister Gail and Sister Bernadette hand harvest in a
sustainable manner all the balsam for their wreaths. The
balsam is organically grown on Green Mt. Monastery
land in Greensboro. Wreaths are 20 inches, decorated
with pine cones and a bow and cost $25 + shipping. For
orders of 10 or more, they will deliver them in Vermont.
Please consider placing orders for parishes, churches
and groups. Order soon by email - Attn: Sr. Gail at
greenmountainmonastery@together.net
ENERGY STAR FOR CONGREGATIONS
The “Energy Star” program of the Environmental Protec-
tion Agency has a website and it includes a part that’s
specifically designed to help congregations save energy.
Check it out here:
www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=small_business.sb_congregations
Also on this website is “Putting Energy into Stewardship:
Congregation Guide.” Find it at:
www.energystar.gov/ia/business/small_business/congregations_guidebook/co...
Here’s some information from the website:
If America’s more than 300,000 houses of worship cut
energy use by 10%:
-Nearly $200 million would be saved for congregations’
missions and other priorities.
-More than 5.4 billion kWh of electricity would be
available without additional cost and pollution.
-More than 2 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions
would be prevented, equivalent to the emissions of about
400,000 cars, or to planting over a half million acres of
trees.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Please help VTIPL match a grant by sending a check to:
Vermont Interfaith Power & Light
P.O. Box 728, Richmond, VT 05477
Tel. 802-434-7307 info@vtipl.org www.vtipl.org
