Periodic news items and alerts about global climate change justice, energy efficiency, energy conservation, and sustainable energy alternatives for congregations.
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Blessings!
Tim Kautza
Coordinator
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CONTENTS:
WITH INCREASED CERTAINTY, UN CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT RELEASED
MORE THAN 100 PARTICIPANTS FROM 30 CONGREGATIONS MAKE COOL CONGREGATIONS A HIT IN CEDAR FALLS AND IOWA CITY; PLAN TO ATTEND ONE NEAR YOU WHILE YOU STILL CAN
CONGREGATIONAL IIP&L MEMBERS CONTINUE TO CLIMB
BANGLADESH AMONG COUNTRIES TO BE MOST SEVERELY IMPACTED
HELP SUPPORT IOWA INTERFAITH POWER & LIGHT
CLIMATE CHANGE ALREADY IMPACTING INDIA’S POOR AND SACRED CREATION
INDONESIANS WANT ABOARD THE BIOFUELS BANDWAGON
THE HISTORICAL CONSENSUS ON CLIMATE CHANGE
STEP IT UP!
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WITH INCREASED CERTAINTY, UN CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT RELEASED
Late last night the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) adopted the Summary for Policymakers of the first volume of "Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis", also known as the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4). The Summary can be downloaded in English at http://ipcc-wg1.ucar.edu/wg1/docs/WG1AR4_SPM_PlenaryApproved.pdf.
In the strongest language the IPCC has ever used, the panel says global warming is "very likely" (90% certainty ) caused by human activities and "would continue for centuries … even if greenhouse gas concentrations were to be stabilized. It is reported that many scientists had argued during the editing process that the report should say it is "virtually certain" (99% certainty) that human activities are causing global warming. For related story in the Los Angeles Times, visit http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-warming2feb02,0,7334392.story
Some U.S. scientists, notably Dr. Michael C. MacCracken, former leader of the U.S. Office of Climate Change, a reviewer for some of the new assessment, and science consultant to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on global climate change, said that lowering worst-case … estimates would "result in a serious misimpression being conveyed to policy makers and the public." In fact, he said, most American experts have felt that the estimate was already too optimistic. For more regarding related opinions, visit http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/02/science/02oceans.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Rising temperatures will leave millions more people hungry by 2080 and cause critical water shortages in China and Australia, as well as parts of Europe and the United States, according to a draft of the IPCC report of Working Group II "Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Due for release in April but detailed in web media sources, the report said an additional 200 million to 600 million people across the world would face food shortages in another 70 years, while coastal flooding would hit another 7 million homes. For more about the IPCC visit http://www.ipcc.ch/
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MORE THAN 100 PARTICIPANTS FROM 30 CONGREGATIONS MAKE COOL CONGREGATIONS A HIT IN CEDAR FALLS AND IOWA CITY; PLAN TO ATTEND ONE NEAR YOU WHILE YOU STILL CAN
Current limited funding for Cool Congregations workshops makes it most important to register to participate in those already scheduled. There is still room at the remaining three workshops listed below. Although the current round of workshops are being offered free of charge to participants, there is no guarantee that future workshop can be subsidized by Iowa Interfaith Power & Light (IIP&L) and Iowa Interfaith Climate and Energy Campaign (IICEC). So, plan to attend one of these nearest you.
Participants of the three-hour workshop learn how to organize a congregation-wide stewardship program where congregants can increase energy efficiency, save money and reduce global warming pollution. Workshop participants learn how to help congregants measure their carbon footprint (i.e. their family contribution to global warming) and then determine how to reduce their impact. These workshops are presented by 3 women from St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Cedar Falls who created the Cool Congregations workshop. For more information about the workshops contact the local organizer specified below. Workshops are open to all people of faith.
Des Moines, Feb. 3, 2007; St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral; contact Rev. Muffy Harmon, muffy007@aol.com
Cedar Rapids, Feb. 17, 2007, Christ Episcopal Church; contact Beth Robbins, robbinse1@msn.com
Dubuque, March 31, Church of the Resurrection; contact Paul Schultz, schultzpf@msn.com
Workshops are free, but participating congregations are asked to join Iowa Interfaith Power and Light at the $50 membership level. Individuals may join at any level they wish.
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CONGREGATIONAL IIP&L MEMBERS CONTINUE TO CLIMB
Three new congregations have joined IIP&L in recent weeks bringing the total to 18 congregations and 45 individuals.
Congregational members are St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Cedar Falls; Des Moines Islamic Center; Redeemer Lutheran Church, Indianola; Queen of Peace Catholic Church, Waterloo; St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, West Des Moines; Congregation of the Humility of Mary, Davenport; St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Des Moines; Christ Episcopal Church, Cedar Rapids; Grace Lutheran Church, Davenport; St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Hanover; St. Patrick Catholic Church, Cedar Falls; Unitarian Universalist Society, Cedar Falls; and Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Dubuque: United Church of Christ, Cedar Falls; St. Timothy’s United Methodist Church, Cedar Falls; Coralville United Methodist Church, Coralville; First Christian Church, Coralville; and Vineyard Community Church, Iowa City. For more about membership, visit http://www.ncrlc.com/1-pfd-files/IIPL_Brochure_final.pdf
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BANGLADESH AMONG COUNTRIES TO BE MOST SEVERELY IMPACTED
If climate change continues unabated, the plight of Bangladesh, where half its population lives below the poverty line and which fights an annual battle against floods, provides a grim lesson. "If the sea level predictions are true, parts of the country will simply disappear," said Jo Scheuer, deputy country director of the United Nations Development Programme in India as most parts of Bangladesh are less than 30 feet above sea level. Rising seas coupled with storm surges could put large parts of the population and agricultural land under threat of severe flooding. This will be the case for many Pacific island nations, as well. The result will be forced migration of people to other nations. For more, visit http://www.ft.com/cms/s/171a7d64-b20d-11db-a79f-0000779e2340.html
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HELP SUPPORT IOWA INTERFAITH POWER & LIGHT
This electronic newsletter now reaches more than 700 Iowans; religious leaders, people of most every faith, readers, and activists concerned about global warming and the resulting impacts of global climate change on creation and poor and vulnerable people. We receive kudos weekly from many who are pleased to receive the newsletter and who praise the work of our two organizations. Iowa Interfaith Power & Light is a membership organization. Congregational membership (church, synagogue, mosque, center, school, hospital, or organization) is $50. You can become a member with any contribution you feel is appropriate. Contributions can be sent and made payable to IIP&L, 4625 Beaver Ave., Des Moines, IA 50310-2145. For more about membership, visit http://www.ncrlc.com/1-pfd-files/IIPL_Brochure_final.pdf Your support is greatly appreciated and will put to good use.
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CLIMATE CHANGE ALREADY IMPACTING INDIA’S POOR AND SACRED CREATION
The waters bring life - but here in the Sundarbans, (see http://www.betelco.com/bd/sundar/sundar.html) the world's largest mangrove forest, the waters are also taking life away. This delta of tidal waterways, mud flats, and small islands straddles India and Bangladesh and his home to the Bengal tiger.
As sea level rises - partly as a response to climate change - two islands have vanished from the map. Some 6,000 people have had to be relocated there because their land is underwater. Local officials warn that the way the sea is rising, by the end of the century there will not be thousands on the move along this coastline - there will be millions as the entire delta is submerged.
People upriver from the delta, also suffer from global warming as the glacier that feeds the river recedes and melts completely, they will lose their summer supply of water. That will leave millions of people short of water for part of the year - at a crucial time when crops are thirsty as well as people. For more, visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/6319921.stm
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INDONESIANS WANT ABOARD THE BIOFUELS BANDWAGON
Local landowners see an immediate improvement in their subsistence way of life as plantations companies rent their land to grow biofuel crops of oil palm, cassava, or sugar cane. Landowners had difficulty feeding their families say nothing about sending their children to schools, but "after the plantation took over, more people came and suddenly we had roads and schools. We've also opened a small shop, so it's improved our income significantly," according to one landowner. And, the Indonesian government wants more of it. Global demand for alternative fuels is growing, and Alhilal Hamdi, head of Indonesia's new Biofuels Development Board, says now is the time for his country to tap into it. Since the beginning of the year, dozens of new deals to develop biofuels plantations have been agreed, including one involving the Chinese state-owned off-shore oil corporation, estimated to be worth $5.5bn.
But that’s not the whole story. Pak Noordin works with the local pressure group Oil Palm Watch. To date, he says that around a third of palm oil concessions have been built on previously forested land. "The threat to the forests today comes from palm oil," he said, "because in clearing the land, they have to cut everything, they leave nothing behind and that completely destroys the biodiversity. It's different with logging concessions - they leave a bit behind." For more, visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6320285.stm
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THE HISTORICAL CONSENSUS ON CLIMATE CHANGE
Naomi Oreskes, professor of science history at the University of California at San Diego, reflected yesterday in the Washington Post about the past. With the expectation of the release of the IPCC reports referred to above, she says "from a policy perspective, what matters is not what's new but what's old. What matters are not the details that may have shifted since the last report, or that may shift again in the next one, but that the broad framework is established beyond a reasonable doubt. Although few people realize it, this framework has been in place for nearly half a century, and scientists have been trying to alert us to its importance for almost that long." To read her opinion piece, visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/31/AR2007013101808.html
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STEP IT UP!
Bill McKibben is starting a movement to create large-scale gathering of humanity to draw attention to the perils posed by climate change and to call for its prevention. On April 14, a new organization called Step It Up 2007 is inviting organizations to hold rallies and events across the country—a National Day of Climate Action. So far, over 300 events are planned in 39 states. Please go to http://stepitup2007.org/ and join one or create an event in your community. It can be as humble as a sign, as entertaining as theater, or as bold as a mass demonstration.
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