Long
Island Interfaith Environmental Network
Energy Efficiency for Religious Congregations
Seminar a Great Success
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Wednesday, April 16th, 2008
at the Molloy College Suffolk Center
Over 100 were in attendednce to hear how thier places of worship could save money on their energy bills, and take better care of creation.
All places of worship use energy, and often pay large bills. Energy efficiency and renewables are an important way to reduce energy consumption, foster good stewardship of the environment,
and maybe even lower energy costs.
The attendees learned from a panel of expert speakers and exhibitor tables what incentive programs and financing options are available to places of worship, and what inspiring places of worship in our region have already achieved.
The seminar featured displays from the following vendors:
- Premier Power (Solar)
- Snappy Solutions (green cleaners)
- Tragar Oil (biodiesel)
- Ecologic Advisors, Portfolio Management for Environmental Investors
- LI Energy Partners
- LIPA
- Solar Center
- National Grid
- Energy Curtailment Specialists
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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.
TheLong Island Interfaith
Environmental Networkis made up of various faiths including representatives from
Catholic Charities, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of
Huntington, St. Martin of Tours Outreach, Amityville, Sophia
Garden/Homecoming, the LI Council of Churches, Molloy College,
and New York State Interfaith Power & Light.
Encourage your
congregation to participate; all faiths welcome. Find out
more by calling the Neighborhood Network at 631-963-5454. |
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 Lords 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 natures integrity
has been our delight, so the horror of natures 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:
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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
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