To Till and to Tend

Last week Senator Barbara Boxer released her principles for global warming legislation, a set of ideals she hopes will guide Congress as it crafts climate legislation this year. The principles are laudable (read what the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism had to say here), promoting programs that help the global poor adapt to the effects of climate change and invest in clean energy technology as we cut our carbon emissions.

Senator Boxer is not the only one to commit to going green this year; even the organizing committee for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics has promised a carbon neutral event. However, these commitments mean little without the pressure that forces our leaders to follow through on their promises. The Olympics are a massive undertaking with a huge carbon footprint as athletes, sponsors, media, and spectators travel from around the world to participate, and the committee has so far failed to create a plan to offset air travel emissions or otherwise truly green the Games. As the Olympic committee waivers in its dedication, a group of over 70 Canadian competitors are now demanding that the committee begin to move towards its stated goals immediately. As one of the most watched events worldwide, the Games are a great opportunity to set an example of environmentally-conscious action on a truly global stage. However, if the organizing committee fails to honor its promises, the Games could be an environmental disaster for the entire world to see.

In other news, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm used her State of the State address this week to call for a dramatic decrease in reliance on coal and oil power in Michigan during the next decade. Governor Granholm urged increased investment in clean technology and weatherization to increase efficiency in homes and public buildings as the foundations for a new green economy for her state. Coming from an industrial state hit especially hard by the economic downturn, the steps taken by Michigan should serve as an example to other states and to our federal government as we face economic and environmental crises.

Acting on our principles is often harder, and less publicly appealing, than declaring them. However, President Obama is acting on his commitment to take swift action on environmental issues, promulgating a new series of regulations on efficiency standards for appliances and light bulbs. While complex administrative regulations that dictate how our toasters and microwaves work may not fit into simple sound bites that appeal to the press, these regulations and others like them cut our carbon emissions, spur technological innovation and save us all money. These are the small steps we must be taking as we move towards a clean energy future.

Strong principles are great, but they are only a very early step in what promises to be a long and difficult fight over environment and energy issues in the months and years to come. As we move from awareness to intent to action, let us not forget both our lofty goals and the incremental steps needed to get there. To help, the Union for Reform Judaism recently announced its Greening Reform Judaism webpage, a comprehensive online resource for all things Jewish and green. Check it out and let us know what you think, as we move together from principles to action.

Rachel is an Eisendrath Legislative Assistant working on environment and energy issues at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in Washington, DC. She will be a regular guest blogger on To Till and To Tend this year, posting entries every other Thursday. This, and all of Rachel’s entries, can also be found on the Religious Action Center blog.