To Till and to Tend

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What is the “climate gap?” Rajendra Pachuari, chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change eloquently explained the meaning of the term “climate gap” when he said, “It’s the poorest of the poor in the world, and this includes poor people even in prosperous societies, who are going to be the worst hit.” With this understanding, COEJL continues to work towards addressing the urgent issue of climate change and its effects on all people, particularly those with lesser means. That is why COEJL has been very much in support of the JCPA’s 2010 Fighting Poverty with Faith mobilization. After a successful effort, on November 22^nd, the JCPA will hold an press event in Washington D.C. to proclaim the conclusion of this initiative, and the importance of remaining engaged in fighting poverty within and among faith communities. COEJL understands how the poorest of the world will be impacted the most severely by changes in the climate, and therefore considers climate change one of the most serious environmental and humanitarian matters in need of our immediate attention.  Read my full article on the climate gap here.

Sustainably Yours,

– Sybil Sanchez, Director

P.S. You can help take action on this and other urgent matters by making a contribution to COEJL now. Thank you for your hard work to protect the environment.

Community News and Views

Chanukah and energy go hand in hand. During the holiday of Chanukah, we celebrate the miracle of one day’s worth of oil and light lasting for eight days. With this in mind, COEJL and the Religious Action Center, along with a network of Jewish organizations, have put together a gift resource guide and fun program material (Green Movie and Book Guides for example) to engage your community to help save energy for the festival of lights and beyond. Check out our Energy Program & Gift Guide and make this Chanukah a green one.

San Antonio CRC Launches “A Day of Rest” Project on Dec. 12th. The Energy and Environment Committee of the Community Relations Council of San Antonio Texas is launching a new project called “A Day of Rest” with a walk-a-thon on December 12th, 2010 at 12:30 PM CST. The event will be held at the Campus for the San Antonio Jewish Community located at 12500 N.W. Military Highway in San Antonio Texas. The goal of the project, according to Mike Stern, committee chairman, is to encourage people to reduce their consumption of fossil fuels.  The principal method the committee will advocate is to reduce driving by the equivalent of one day a month.  This method of energy conservation has two benefits.  First, it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming, thereby giving our much-abused planet “a day of rest.”  And secondly, it will help reduce funding for terrorism. Go to the website for more information.

After the Spill: Interfaith Community Launches Long-Term Gulf Restoration Project. The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism has launched After the Spill: Religious Communities Restoring the Gulf, an online project of the Religious Action Center (RAC). The RAC, along with COEJL, and over 15 other Jewish and Christian partner groups in the Gulf and across North America, are committed to the long-term Gulf restoration following the BP oil spill disaster. Go to Afterthespill.com and check out this recent Huffington Post article by RAC Sustainability Program Coordinator Rachel Cohen for more information.

Save the Date: March 9th, 2011 Energy Forum in DC. COEJL is hosting an Energy Forum in Washington D.C. following the JCPA Plenum. We will bring Jews around the country together to work toward a better future, healthier environment, and more secure energy future. Join national leaders, communal professionals and environmental experts. More details soon.

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Top of the Crop

The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) was established in 1965 to protect America’s Great Outdoors, using royalties paid by oil companies to the government to fund the conservation of natural resources. Yet, since its inception, the Fund has never received sufficient appropriations from Congress and its funds were instead used elsewhere. COEJL is working to change that by asking our community members like you to take action on this important issue now. Please join us in this important campaign to urge Congress and President Obama to preserve our natural resources and fully fund the LWCF when Congress returns on November 15th. Take action now!

Even though there’s been more than enough oil revenue for the LWCF at no cost to the American taxpayer, Congress has failed to use that money for its intended purpose (its recent low in appropriated funding was just $138 million, less than one-sixth of what it could be).  Over the years the Fund has been shortchanged by some $17 billion – a huge loss for our communities, and for Creation. Send Congress and the President an email now, and tell them to fully fund the LWCF.

Sustainably Yours,

– Sybil Sanchez, Director

P.S. You can help take action on this and other urgent matters by making a contribution to COEJL now. Thank you for your hard work to protect the environment.

Word on the Hill

Post-Election Environmental Analysis. Thirty Congress members who supported climate and energy legislation were voted out of Congress, but whether that was a key factor remains a source of debate. It is expected that the new Republican majority in the House will seek to slow and prevent major climate legislation and EPA regulation on greenhouse gasses while also advocating judicial nominations more in line with their base in their efforts to do so. However, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), the new congressional outlook is in fact quite favorable for the wind industry overall. Many incoming freshmen hale from states with growing wind power industries and interest. This could make support for wind power and legislation for a renewable electricity standard  (RES) bi-partisan while also helping create new green jobs.

Community News and Views

Chanukah and energy go hand in hand. During the holiday of Chanukah, we celebrate the miracle of one day’s worth of oil and light lasting for eight days. With this in mind, COEJL and the Religious Action Center, along with a network of Jewish organizations, have put together a gift resource guide and fun program material (Green Movie and Book Guides for example) to engage your community to help save energy for the festival of lights and beyond. Check out our Energy Program & Gift Guide and make this Chanukah a green one.

Save the Date: March 9th, 2011 Energy Forum in DC. COEJL, working with a network of national organizations consisting of members of the Jewish community, CRC professionals, and environmental and governmental leaders, will be hosting an Energy Forum in Washington D.C. following the JCPA Plenum. The goal is to bring Jews around the country together to discuss ways to work toward a better future on the common ground of a healthy environment, green jobs, and a secure energy future through action and education. More details soon.

Conservative movement launches ‘green’ initiative. The Conservative movement has launched the Sustainable Synagogues Initiative, a movement-wide environmental initiative. The project seeks to provide resources to encourage Conservative institutions to adopt “green” policies. The three year initiative, beginning in December, is a joint project of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs, the Women’s League for Conservative Judaism and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, which have joined the interfaith environmental coalition GreenFaith. Read the full press release here to find out more.

After the Spill: Interfaith Community Launches Long-Term Gulf Restoration Project. The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism has launched After the Spill: Religious Communities Restoring the Gulf, an online project of the Religious Action Center, COEJL, and over 15 other Jewish and Christian partner groups and faith communities in the Gulf and across North America committed to long-term Gulf restoration following the BP oil spill disaster. Go to Afterthespill.com and check out this recent Huffington Post article by RAC Sustainability Program Coordinator Rachel Cohen for more information.

Jewish National Fund and Greenfaith present: Judaism and the Environment Webinar Series starting Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010. Judaism and the Environment is a unique series of webinars designed to educate and equip Jewish leaders for environmental action. Join JNF for a unique and practical educational experience that will strengthen the Jewish community’s environmental leadership, help synagogues attract new, younger members, and reduce synagogue and other community institutions’ operating expenses. Registration is available at http://www.jnf.org/greenfaith. For more information, contact JNF at: education@jnf.org or 212-879-9305 x263.

Top of the Crop

This has been a difficult week, but it is reflective of an even harder year and decade. Thirty representatives who supported the climate bill were voted out of office. The fact that analysts are debating how the failed climate bill impacted this election was a result of the failed climate bill makes one thing clear – our work together has just begun.

In our Governance Committee meeting this week, we discussed what the elections results might mean in terms of climate policy and how the big picture affects COEJL’s Jewish Energy Covenant Campaign. We returned to our core mission – Protecting Creation, Generation to Generation and raising energy awareness in Jewish life today.

Our need for energy security and independence tells us we can’t afford despair in the face of challenge. We must renew our own Jewish Energy so we can advocate for renewable energy!

Here’s how you can build a more hopeful world with COEJL.

• Support the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Join us in this important campaign to urge Congress to preserve our natural resources upon their return on November 15th.
• Protect the Clean Air Act.While comprehensive legislation on energy and climate policy might be stalled, greenhouse gases are still being emitted. That’s why we must support the EPA in doing its job now.
• Sign the Jewish Energy Covenant Campaign pledge. While watering the grass, we must also grow the trees. Please join us for the long haul today.
• Make a contribution now. Like a tree, COEJL also needs nurturing. Your support will help us grow tall and strong together.

Sustainably yours,

Sybil Sanchez
Director

From the Hill

Climate Watch Post Elections. Prop 23 dies at the hands of the voters of California on Tuesday, but Prop 26, dubbed the “Prop 23’s evil twin” passed silently in the night. Prop 26 could undermine how cuts in greenhouse gas emissions are implemented by changing the definition of environmental fees.

How Conservation fared on Election Day. Voters across the country yesterday overwhelmingly approved a variety of measures for land conservation, generating a total of $2 billion, according to results tallied by the Trust for Public Land, a national conservation organization. There were 35 proposals for conservation funding, and 28 passed, for an approval rate of 80%. We hope that Congress follows the lead of the voters and approves full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund this year.

Community News and Views

COEJL Director On Judaism as a Green Religion – Philadelphia Area This Weekend. On Friday, November 5th, at 7:30PM, COEJL Director, Sybil Sanchez will speak at B’nai Jacob synagogue in Phoenixville. On Shabbat morning, November 6th, at 12:15 PM Ms. Sanchez will also speak at Beth Sholom Congregation, Elkins Park. She will discuss the topic of Jewish environmentalism today, energy awareness in the Jewish community, and how Judaism is inherently a green religion.

Save the date for COEJL meeting in Washington D.C. on March 9th, 2011.

NRPE Names New Executive Director. COEJL’s major partner the National Religious Partnership for the Environment (NRPE) has named Matthew Anderson-Stembridge as its new executive director. Anderson-Stembridge has previously held posts with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the National Council of Churches and Faith in the City. The NRPE is comprised of four major religious organizations and alliances, including COEJL, which together serve tens of millions of Americans.

Several Jewish Greening Programs Accepting Applications. The Jewish Greening Fellowship and Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center are launching their second year of the Jewish Greening Fellowship, which trains staff at Jewish summer camps, synagogues and JCCs in the New York area. COEJL is represented on the fellowship’s board. For more information, click here. In a similar effort for teens, the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan, ICCY, and Hazon are accepting applications for the Teen Greening Fellowship. For more information contact Yael at 646-505-4413 or gavronsky@jccmannhattan.org. Funding for this program has been provided by UJA Federation of New York.

Jewish National Fund and Greenfaith present: Judaism and the Environment Webinar Series starting Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010. Judaism and the Environment is a unique series of webinars designed to educate and equip Jewish leaders for environmental action. Join JNF for a unique and practical educational experience that will strengthen the Jewish community’s environmental leadership, help synagogues attract new, younger members, and reduce synagogue and other community institutions’ operating expenses. Registration is available at http://www.jnf.org/greenfaith. For more information, contact JNF at: education@jnf.org or 212-879-9305 x263.

After the Spill: Interfaith Community Launches Long-Term Gulf Restoration Project. The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism has launched After the Spill: Religious Communities Restoring the Gulf, an online project of the Religious Action Center, COEJL, and over 15 other Jewish and Christian partner groups and faith communities in the Gulf and across North America committed to long-term Gulf restoration following the BP oil spill disaster. Go to Afterthespill.com and check out this recent Huffington Post article by RAC Sustainability Program Coordinator Rachel Cohen for more information.