Long Island Interfaith Environmental Network

There is growing interest among many religious institution around the country in good stewardship of the planet earth. The Neighborhood Newtork is working to foster and harness this interest on Long Island, to create positive change. To that end we have joined with a number of representatives of religious congregations to form the Long Island Interfaith Environmental Network (LIIEN).

The committee was developed to educate leaders and facility managers about energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies that they can implement in their places of worship. This will reduce the negative impact of the house of worship's operations on the environment, and potentially save money on energy bills. It will also provide a role model to encourage congregants/parishioners to take steps to use energy more wisely. As this cooperative effort progresses, the L.I. Interfaith Network will broaden its scope, to deal with a variety of environmental issues.

Click here to download a pdf version of the LIIEN flyer.

A Growing Movement

Concern for environmental issues, particularly global warming, is becoming more and more an important issue for people of faith. Organizations around the country are focusing on the intersection of faith and environmental action.

• Interfaith Power & Light
• Greenfaith
• Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life
• Evangelical Environmental Network
• Interfaith Climate Change Network
• National Religious Partnership for the Environment
• Religious Witness for the Earth

There have been a number of stories in the national press including the New York Times, and PBS's Moyers on America concerning this movement.

Why are Global Warming and Clean Energy Issues of Faith and Morality?

1.) Love God / The Divine -- Stewardship of Creation

2.) Love “neighbors” / fellow humans -- Environmental Justice

Stewardship of Creation

“The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and all those who live in it.” Psalm 24:1

“The Holy Blessed One took the first human, and passing before all the trees of the Garden of Eden, said, ‘See my works, how fine and excellent they are! All that I created, I created for you. Reflect on this, and do not corrupt or desolate my world; for if you do, there will be no one to repair it after you.’ ” Midrash Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:13

“Greater indeed than the creation of humankind is the creation of the heavens and the earth. Yet, most of humanity does not understand.” Qur'an 40:57

“The earth should not be injured, the earth must not be destroyed!” St. Hildegard of Bingen

“The earth we inherit is in danger…. As the wonder of nature’s integrity has been our delight, so the horror of nature’s disintegration now becomes our sorrow.”
Rabbi Alexander Schindler, former president of Union of American Hebrew Congregations

“The dramatic threat of ecological breakdown is teaching us the extent to which greed and selfishness . . . are contrary to the order of creation. . . . The ecological crisis is a moral issue.” Pope John Paul II

Environmental Justice

The "Golden Rule"

"Not one of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for yourself." The Prophet Muhammad, 13th of the 40 Hadiths of Nawawi

"In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets." Jesus, Matthew 7:12

"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. This is the whole Torah; all the rest is commentary. Go and learn it."  Hillel, Talmud, Shabbath 31a

"Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful." The Buddha, Udana-Varga 5.1

Low income people and people of color are among the most vulnerable to the adverse impacts of global warming & air pollution. Author Ross Gelbspan notes that "Enhanced CO2... will decimate food crop growth in the tropical latitudes where the majority of the world's poorest and hungriest people live."

The committee presented a conference on Energy Efficiency for Religious Congregations, Thursday, May 10, 2007. The confernece was held at the Molloy College Suffolk Center in Farmingdale.

The event was attended by over 80 representatives of congregations including Christian, Jewish, Unitarian, and Moslem places of worship. The participants received both inspiration, and practical information on how to make their operations more energy efficient.

Conference Presentations:

Ed Thompson of Molloy College

Welcome & Introduction, Ed Thompson, Molloy College

Background: Why Clean Power is a Faith and Moral Issue, Sister Jeanne Clark, Queen of the Rosary/Sophia Garden and Beth Fiteni, Neighborhood Network

Inspiring Projects in the Region, Rabbi Larry Troster, Greenfaith, NJ

Incentive Programs for Places of Worship on Long Island, Stacey Wagner, Clean Energy Initiatives, LIPA and Matt Dugan, Keyspan