To Till and to Tend

Top of the Crop

This past Shabbat we observed the High Holy Day of Yom Kippur. Many of us spent the holiday fasting and thinking of ways in which we could make changes in ourselves to do “tshuvah” or “return” to make a stronger connection with God, and living a Jewish life focused on the protection of God’s Creation. (Check out last week’s To Till and To Tend blog:”Seeking Forgiveness for Our Transgressions” on the topic of Yom Kippur.) Now, with the harvest holiday of Sukkot arriving, we find another opportunity to return and reconnect with Creation, and the blessings our land and water provide. Sukkot and its relationship to the natural world and water have been discussed for centuries. Recently, Rabbi Arthur Waskow of the Shalom Center spoke of Sukkot on this topic saying, “The festival [Sukkot] is focused on the health of the earth, the interplay of all life which brings the harvest that feeds us all. In the ancient Temple, there was a ceremony of offering water on the first day – pouring it into a sacred spout right next to the Altar. Rabbi Akiba taught that our pouring water was intended to remind God to pour water – that is, to send the rain so crucial to the arid Middle East.” So Sukkot is a powerful moment to affirm healing and protection of the earth. Take one of the seven days to write your local newspaper about the need to preserve the power of the EPA to limit CO2 emissions — despite efforts by Big Coal and Big Oil to cripple the EPA.”

The Slick

The Blown-out BP well Pronounced Dead on Yom Kippur

While the holiday of Yom Kippur was being observed by Jews around the globe this past Saturday, the cement injected into the bottom of BP’s blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico was being pressure tested. U.S. officials formally declared an end to the worst oil spill in U.S. history Sunday, a milestone that followed nearly five months of dashed hopes and blistering criticism of BP leadership and many others involved. The disaster began April 20, when an explosion killed 11 workers, and sank the drilling rig leading to the oil spill, and environmental and economic devastation. (CNN)

The Oil Spill’s Money Squeeze on Environmental Science

Despite the potential significance of studying the long-term effects of the oil and dispersant spilled into the Gulf of Mexico, research money has either run out or become tied up in red tape. The discovery of oil droplets in larval fish and evidence of stress and even genetic damage in plankton exposed to the spill have caused great concern for industry and biologists alike. Many scientists across the Gulf Coast are racing to analyze the BP oil spill’s effects, but there are few places to turn for funding help. “Independent research is being squeezed by federal agencies on one side and BP on the other,” said Dr. Harriet M. Perry, the director of the fisheries program at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, whose only offer of help has come from BP (she declined). “It’s difficult for the fishing community and the environmentalists to understand why we are not receiving the money that we need.” The only federal agency to distribute any significant grant money for oil spill research, the National Science Foundation, is out of money until the next fiscal year begins Oct. 1^st, and BP’s $500 mil in funds have become mired in a political fight over control. (NY Times)

Community News and Views

Upcoming Webinar on “The Story of Noah and its Relationship to Climate Change”
October 7^th at 10:30 AM EST

By focusing on the Torah portion and story of Noah as a parable, we will seek to reach out to Jews about how we can be active as a community in responding to climate change by having an engaging discussion on the issues with experts on climate policy and science, as well as Jewish life. This webinar is part of a broader series of events leading up to the Jewish reading of the Torah portion of Noah on October 9th and the secular www.350.org global day of action on October 10th. Speakers for the webinar are as follows: Dina Kruger, Director of EPA’s Climate Change Division, Rabbi Saul J. Berman, Stern College Professor and Orthodox rabbi, and Ken Mankoff, scientist and public speaker formally of Columbia University NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and the Colorado Boulder Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics. This webinar is one of numerous programs being conducted by diverse Jewish groups with different types of audiences in mind during the same time period. The webinar will be open to the general public but focused on the Jewish communities and their leadership.

Check out the Shabbat Noach Resource Guide from the Green Chevre

COEJL has compiled a resource guide around Shabbat Noach with information from a network of leading Jewish environmental organizations including: Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Canfei Nesharim, Hazon, the Shalom Center, and the JRF and the Reconstructionist Movement. Visit the resource page here. Learn more and share it with your community.

Join COEJL and Hazon in a day of action!

Help as we team up with StopOil! and 350.org on 10/10/10 to paint schools roofs in Harlem. White rooftops reflect more sunlight than black rooftops do, reducing roof temperatures by 60 degrees and indoor temperatures by 10 to 20 degrees. This saves the need for energy-wasting AC. Mayor Bloomberg jump-started the “NYC Cool Roofs” program in 2009, in order to help NYC achieve a PlanNYC goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030. Come be a part of this day of climate change action, education, and community building. Please RSVP to climate@hazon.org if you are interested.  More details to follow.

Green Israel Summit 4: Green Renewal Shabbat!
(Green Zionism)

When: Shabbat Noach, Oct. 8 — 10, 2010
Where: Eden Village Camp, just north of New York City
Who: Young Jewish environmentalists, ages 18-40

As we read about the Biblical flood and the renewal of the earth on Shabbat Noach, we will learn how to renew ourselves and the environment. Celebrate Shabbat Noach with stories, lectures and discussions in a welcoming, pluralistic setting. Explore the Jewish back-to-the-land movement and what Zionism means today. Learn about energy conservation, population growth, suburban sprawl, Negev preservation, and environmentalism during a time of war. Meet other young Jewish environmentalists from across North America. Green Israel Summit (GIS) 4 is run by the Green Zionist Alliance and co-sponsored by COEJL, the American Zionist Movement and Hazon.

Arava Institute for Environmental Studies “With Earth and Each Other: A Virtual Rally for a Better Middle East,”

On November 14th, the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies based at Kibbutz Ketura (www.arava.org) is hosting “With Earth and Each Other: A Virtual Rally for a Better Middle East,” with top speakers and performers, celebrating AIES’s groundbreaking work and its larger commitment to both ecological and communal coexistence.  Visit www.withearthandeachother.org for more information.

Boston COEJL Works with the Synagogue Council of Massachusetts to “Pledge to Green”

In conjunction with the Synagogue Council of Massachusetts, Boston COEJL has been conducting a “Pledge to Green” drive among state synagogues. Thus far, 29 synagogues have pledged with more expected. Those who have not yet pledged will be contacted after the holidays as the council is seeking 100% participation. Some of the tips recommended to the synagogues have been simple money saving green efforts such as the “three basics”: recycling, changing light bulbs to CFLs, and using power strips that you can plug everything into and shut off when leaving (these last two steps are guaranteed to cut your electric bill by half within the first month!). For more tips, please check out Boston COEJL’s Green Guide at http://bostoncoejl.org/rich_text_2.html.

Top of the Crop

The High Holy Days and Yom Kippur are upon us. And with them comes a time for introspection and a time to seek forgiveness for our transgressions from the people in our lives, and perhaps more importantly from God. It is well known that we humans have caused much destruction to God’s Creation. From mountaintop removal, to the dumping of toxins in our rivers and oceans, to the tremendous overuse of carbon-based fossil fuels polluting our seas and skies, we have done much to harm and little to help Creation as a species. And along with these harmful actions we are now heating up the planet and beginning to witness disastrous results as the floods in Pakistan and fires in Russia exemplify. As Jews we need to think about ways in which we can change this dilemma. In fact we are obligated to follow the principle of bal tashchit, do not destroy (Deuteronomy 20:19) and instead to till and to tend the land as its protector. In his article Jews, Jewish Texts, and Nature: A Brief History,  Rabbi Daniel Swartz quotes the following from the Torah:  “When Noah came out of the ark, he opened his eyes and saw the whole world completely destroyed. He began crying for the world and said, God, how could you have done this? … God replied, Oh Noah, how different you are from the way Abraham … will be. He will argue with me on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah when I tell him that I plan their destruction… But you, Noah, when I told you I would destroy the entire world, I lingered and delayed, so that you would speak on behalf of the world. But when you knew you would be safe in the ark, the evil of the world did not touch you. You thought of no one but your family. And now you complain? Then Noah knew that he had sinned (Midrash Tankhuma, Parashat Noach).”

As we consider our own actions we too can consider the errors of our ways and seek means to correct our path. We can support efforts to reduce our use of energy in all its forms. We can push our government to build alternative-energy infrastructure and stop using fossil fuels to light, heat, and transport us in our daily lives. We can upgrade and build sustainable buildings and cities that are self sufficient in every way. We can help support emotionally, physically, and financially those people and nations who will suffer the most as the climate changes. And finally, we can reach out to those same souls and ask their forgiveness for our transgressions. Go to www.coejl.org/covenant and take the pledge to do your part. G’mar Chatima Tova.

Word on the Hill

Democrats in the Senate Seek Action on Energy Measures

Though their time may be limited due to other priorities before the November elections, the Senate may consider measures on U.S. EPA climate rules, power plant pollution curbs and energy tax incentives. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) last week acknowledged that the Senate’s chances of passing sweeping or even scaled-back climate legislation this year are slim to none, but he held out hopes for moving forward on a slimmed-down energy package soon or perhaps in a post-election lame-duck session. Reid suggested last week that a narrow energy bill could see floor action before the election. “I think we should take a run at it,” he said during a clean energy meeting in Las Vegas. “Even Washington is ready for that, so I’m going to try.” (NY Times) 

The EPA is Authorized to Regulate Greenhouse Gasses, but Some in Congress Wish to Slow it Down

In the absence of comprehensive energy and climate policy, it falls on the EPA and President Obama’s administration to curb carbon emissions by implementing the Clean Air Act. Now that the Senate has returned from recess, those opposed to greenhouse gas regulation, are seeking to strip or delay the EPA’s ability. But EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson sent a warning shot to Congress that any efforts to remove authority from the EPA would be vetoed by the President. “The President and the White House have been clear that they would veto any attempt to take away authority here,” Jackson said. COEJL has been outspoken in its position against the “Dirty Air Resolution” and other attempts at banning EPA regulation of the Clean Air Act. (NRDC Switchboard), (Bloomberg Businessweek)

White House says “No” to Carter’s Solar Panels

Bill McKibben, the founder of 350.org, led a group of environmental activists to Washington in a bio-diesel van hoping to persuade President Obama to re-install a set of solar panels originally put up by then President Jimmy Carter in the late 1970s. But the recent initiative ended in disappointment when the White House declined to accept the panels last Friday. (The Guardian UK)  The panels had been stored at Unity College in Maine where COEJL board member Mitch Thomashow presides as president. Read more at Unity College’s website on this story: (Unity College)

Community News and Views

Shabbat Noach Resource Guide from the Green Chevre

COEJL and the Green Chevre network that includes, among others: Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Canfei Nesharim, Hazon, the Shalom Center, and the JRF and the Reconstructionist Movement, have combined their efforts to compile a resource guide around Shabbat Noach.

Go to Shabbat Noach to learn more and share it with your community.

Upcoming Webinar on “The Story of Noah and its Relationship to Climate Change.”

By focusing on the Torah portion and story of Noah as a parable, we will seek to reach out to Jews about how we can be active as a community in responding to climate change by having an engaging discussion on the issues with experts on climate policy and science, as well as Jewish life. This webinar is part of a broader series of events leading up to the Jewish reading of the Torah portion of Noah on October 9th and the secular www.350.org global day of action on October 10th. It is one of numerous programs being conducted by diverse Jewish groups with different types of audiences in mind during the same time period. The webinar will be open to the general public but focused on the Jewish communities and their leadership. Flag the date October 7^th at 10:30 AM EST (subject to change) Check back soon for details.

Green Israel Summit 4: Green Renewal Shabbat!

(Green Zionism)

When: Shabbat Noach, Oct. 8 — 10, 2010

Where: Eden Village Camp, just north of New York City

Who: Young Jewish environmentalists, ages 18-40 *

As we read about the Biblical flood and the renewal of the earth on Shabbat Noach, we will learn how to renew ourselves and the environment. Celebrate Shabbat Noach with stories, lectures and discussions in a welcoming, pluralistic setting. Explore the Jewish back-to-the-land movement and what Zionism means today. Learn about energy conservation, population growth, suburban sprawl, Negev preservation, and environmentalism during a time of war. Meet other young Jewish environmentalists from across North America. Green Israel Summit (GIS) 4 is run by the Green Zionist Alliance and co-sponsored by COEJL, the American Zionist Movement and Hazon.

Arava Institute for Environmental Studies “With Earth and Each Other: A Virtual Rally for a Better Middle East,”

On November 14th, the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies based at Kibbutz Ketura (www.arava.org) is hosting “With Earth and Each Other: A Virtual Rally for a Better Middle East,” with top speakers and performers, celebrating AIES’s groundbreaking work and its larger commitment to both ecological and communal coexistence.  Visit www.withearthandeachother.org for more information.

Boston COEJL Works with the Synagogue Council of Massachusetts to “Pledge to Green”

In conjunction with the Synagogue Council of Massachusetts, Boston COEJL has been conducting a “Pledge to Green” drive among state synagogues. Thus far, 29 synagogues have pledged with more expected. Those who have not yet pledged will be contacted after the holidays as the council is seeking 100% participation. Some of the tips recommended to the synagogues have been simple money saving green efforts such as the “three basics”: recycling, changing light bulbs to CFLs, and using power strips that you can plug everything into and shut off when leaving (these last two steps are guaranteed to cut your electric bill by half within the first month!). For more tips, please check out Boston COEJL’s Green Guide at http://bostoncoejl.org/rich_text_2.html.

Hazon Bike Ride

Hazon hosted the 10th Annual New York Jewish Environmental Bike Ride over Labor Day Weekend, September 3-6, 2010. The NY Ride Jewish Environmental Bike Ride was more than a ride on a bike – it was a four-day event that included a Shabbat retreat at Workmen’s Circle’s Camp Kinder Ring, and a trip to Camp Eden Village, the new Jewish environmental summer camp. More importantly, the event raised money for cutting-edge Jewish environmental projects in the United States and Israel.  Learn more here. (Hazon)

This past Sunday, August 29^th, Katrina turned five. But don’t jump on the phone to order a cake and some ice cream just yet. Normally this might sound like a birthday for a young girl and cause for celebration – where’s my party hat? But in actuality we are marking the fifth anniversary of a major storm that decimated the entire Gulf region.

Rather, let’s take the time to reflect about what happened five years ago, the lives that were impacted, and what we can do to help those affected and our planet going forward. This anniversary may be the perfect time to support climate and environmental measures that will ultimately prevent such a disaster from happening again. Especially now as we watch citizens of another country deal with the devastation of climate-related disaster in Pakistan.

With the inaction of Congress moving climate legislation forward thus far, the ball rests firmly in the hands of the EPA and its regulations of greenhouse gasses – and it also rests with, well, us. If the US public has a say in the matter, there may be some hope and momentum building to support comprehensive climate policy. The majority of people polled in the US expressed support for stronger EPA regulations, not weaker. So I guess you could say that if Congress won’t do it – we must. The coming weeks of Rosh Hashanah and the High Holy Days and Shabbat Noach provide a means for the Jewish people to speak as a common voice on this issue. COEJL, along with a network of Jewish environmental organizations is in the process of creating a resource guide to help engage, energize and educate our diverse communities on climate issues and relate them to the story of Noah and the flood. Stay tuned for an announcement and a link to the website. For a resource sheet that will get you started on the coming High Holy Days and Shabbat Noach, visit the COEJL home page at: www.coejl.org. For more information about Katrina’s anniversary, visit the Religious Action Center.

Shana Tova from COEJL! We’ll talk again in the new year.

Poll shows support for EPA regulations of greenhouse gasses. Polster Joel Benenson is circulating poll data that may be helpful in defending against coming attacks on the EPA regarding its authority to regulate greenhouses gases.  Benenson writes in his memo: “Our recent polling for the NRDC Action Fund shows that a large majority of voters want the government to regulate greenhouse gases and that they are solidly opposed to Congress interfering with this task.” Sixty percent polled supported it whereas only thirty-four percent opposed it, and fifty-one percent of voters say they have a favorable view of the EPA. Furthermore, sixty eight percent polled say they want the government to do more to hold corporations accountable. The poll was conducted among 1,401 registered voters from August 10-15 with plus/minus ratio of error of 2.6%. (Politico)

This is important news which reflects the opposite view of what we see in at least one contentious Senatorial race. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who last year tried to ban the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases (legislation which COEJL opposed) lost the primary race (Associated Press) for the Alaskan Senate seat to Joe Miller, a former Fairbanks judge and a Tea Party favorite who is known for denying the reality of climate change (NY Times).  Both are publicly opposed to the pending EPA regulations.

Oil Spill – Day 136: BP remains in spotlight as deep water drilling continues. A report delivered to the House Energy and Commerce committee shows that BP is spending large sums of money on advertising. Although the total figure spent during that period is not public, it is known that, in the 18 weeks since the fatal explosion and subsequent spill, the oil giant has spent at least $1 million a week on public relations in the areas most hit by the spill. (The Telegraph)

As BP continues seeking to conduct damage control, news reports (Boston Globe) say that BP may have “misinterpreted” data that predicted the impending blowout. In other Gulf drilling news, nearly 200 miles from shore, the ‘Perdido’ platform  is the world’s deepest offshore floating oil platform and can pump oil from dozens of wells nearly two miles under the sea while simultaneously drilling new ones. It is part of a wave of new ultra-deep platforms — all far more sophisticated than the rig that was used to drill the ill-fated BP well that blew up in April. Attention remains focused on the safety of such platforms as, the New York Times reports from a former industry executive, “Our ability to manage risks hasn’t caught up with our ability to explore and produce in deep water.” Also according to the Times, “Under a $1 billion initiative announced in July, four oil majors — Chevron, Conoco-Phillips, Exxon and Shell — said they would design and build equipment that could be used to contain and cap well blowouts at depths of up to 10,000 feet. However, they say the new devices will not be tested and ready for 18 months, and the plan is not likely to work in places outside the gulf, like Alaska, where conditions differ.”

COEJL brings rabbinic leaders from Judaism’s broad spectrum together to create environmental resources for High Holy Days. On August 9th, COEJL convened a national conversation involving rabbis from five Jewish religious streams – Conservative, Orthodox, Reconstructionist, Reform, and Renewal – to discuss Jewish environmental resources and sermon materials for the High Holy Days and parshat Noach. Out of this call came a collection of resources for distribution as part of our broader Jewish Energy Covenant Campaign (www.coejl.org/covenant).  The full resource sheet is available at: http://www.coejl.org/TISHREI_5771.pdf. In the same light, Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb delivered an uplifting Dvar Torah at a recent COEJL Governance Committee meeting on August 11^th, where he says, ”…the whole Jewish world (kol ha’olam kulo, the whole world, actually) needs what COEJL has to offer.  And we [rabbinic leaders] are uniquely positioned to bring it not only to the decision-makers within the organized Jewish community, but also to the many influential Jews outside of the ‘four cubits’ of the agency world.” Click here for the full text.

AJC Radio Message: A Sane Energy Policy Urgently Needed, by Executive Director David Harris

August 24, 2010 – New York –AJC Executive Director David Harris calls again for a sane U.S. energy policy in his weekly national radio commentary, airing on 400 CBS stations and heard by more than 35 million. READ & LISTEN

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Green Israel Summit 4: Green Renewal Shabbat!
(Green Zionism)

When: Shabbat Noach, Oct. 8 — 10, 2010
Where: Eden Village Camp, just north of New York City
Who: Young Jewish environmentalists, ages 18-40 *

As we read about the Biblical flood and the renewal of the earth on Shabbat Noach, we will learn how to renew ourselves and the environment. Celebrate Shabbat Noach with stories, lectures and discussions in a welcoming, pluralistic setting. Explore the Jewish back-to-the-land movement and what Zionism means today. Learn about energy conservation, population growth, suburban sprawl, Negev preservation, and environmentalism during a time of war. Meet other young Jewish environmentalists from across North America. Green Israel Summit (GIS) 4 is run by the Green Zionist Alliance and co-sponsored by COEJL, the American Zionist Movement and Hazon.

Hazon Bike Ride
Hazon is hosting the 10th Annual New York Jewish Environmental Bike Ride on Labor Day Weekend, September 3-6, 2010. The NY Ride Jewish Environmental Bike Ride is more than a ride on a bike – it is a four-day event that includes a Shabbat retreat at Workmen’s Circle’s Camp Kinder Ring, a trip to Camp Eden Village, the new Jewish environmental summer camp is also included. More importantly, the event raises money for cutting-edge Jewish environmental projects in the United States and Israel.  Learn more here. (Hazon)

Arava Institute for Environmental Studies “With Earth and Each Other: A Virtual Rally for a Better Middle East,”

On November 14th, the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies based at Kibbutz Ketura (www.arava.org) is hosting “With Earth and Each Other: A Virtual Rally for a Better Middle East,” with top speakers and performers, celebrating AIES’s groundbreaking work and its larger commitment to both ecological and communal coexistence.  Visit  www.withearthandeachother.org for more information