Earth Ministry / Washington Interfaith Power & Light

Earth Ministry/WA IPL

For a Just and Sustainable World

Category: Climate News

How Bellingham’s faith communities unite in action

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"The Multi-faith Network for Climate Justice is a group of Bellingham residents from faith and wisdom communities that gather monthly to discuss climate change and justice. Gross said the group fills participants’ unmet craving to explore the intersection between their faith and human-caused climate change, which is bringing more frequent, severe extreme weather and disrupting ecosystems around the world. 'People came because their own faiths weren’t talking about it, and they wanted to,' Gross said."

Washington passes most climate-friendly building codes in the nation

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Washington celebrated an exciting win this Earth Day when the Washington Building Codes Council passed groundbreaking building codes for new commercial and large multi-family buildings! Starting July 2023, new commercial and multi-family residential buildings will be required to be built with high-efficiency electric heat pumps for water and space heating.

As Build Back Better stalls, faith leaders call Biden, Senate to ‘moment for courage’ on climate

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Earth Ministry/WAIPL is proud to join with faith leaders across the country in sending a letter calling for President Biden, Senator Schumer, and the U.S. Senate to act with conviction and courage and not to delay enacting the Build Back Better Act which will protect our climate and put our nation on the path of climate justice, environmental justice, and intergenerational justice.

WA Building Electrification Codes

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Continued dependence on polluting fossil fuels, especially fracked gas, is not faithful. Join us in supporting an energy code that requires electric heat pump technology for water and space heating in commercial and multifamily buildings. Add your name to Earth Ministry/WAIPL’s clean buildings faith community letter to the Washington State Building Code Council!

Supporting Electrifying Bellingham

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On December 6, 2021 the MNCJ (an affiliate of Earth Ministry/WAIPL) Leadership Team approved the signing of a letter from the Electrify Bellingham Coalition that encouraged the city council to pass polices requiring new building electrification policies. The leadership Team finds the letter to be consistent with, and supportive of, the MNCJ’s mission, vision and guiding values.

Interfaith Petition to President Biden at COP26

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We are joining with National Interfaith Power and Light to gather signatures from people of faith around the country on a petition to President Biden, urging him to be a leader in climate crisis response at COP26. Let’s demonstrate that people of faith in the U.S. are watching the negotiations, and urging the U.S. to do its fair share at COP26.

Traveling Climate Change Display

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University Congregational UCC’s Sacred Earth Matters Committee has created a traveling climate change display that you can host at your house of worship, school, or community organization. The display is often used in conjunction with an educational climate change program, and is available for use one month at a time. Its purpose is to dramatically raise awareness, educate, encourage, and motivate collective and personal action.

MNCJ Net of Interconnection Project

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In the fall of 2021, The Multifaith Network for Climate Justice (MNCJ), an Earth Ministry/WAIPL affiliate, initiated a community Net of Interconnection project. The inspiration for this project is rooted in the mythic story of Indra’s Net. MNCJ’s Net of Interconnection was created with the intention that it would “travel” throughout Whatcom County faith and wisdom communities as well as houses of worship to display, and additions to the Net would be made along the way.

Clean Cars Petition to Gov. Inslee

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Earth Ministry/WAIPL is joining with the Faith Action Network and our other partners in the Clean Cars campaign to petition Gov. Inslee, asking him to honor the desire of the legislature and the electorate by issuing an executive order setting forth the Clean Cars 2030 EV target.

NW tribes want to be at the table for green energy planning

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When green energy projects bloom across Washington, many are on cultural sites important to tribes in the region. The Yakama Nation’s director of natural resources feels torn about the increasing number of windmills and dams in his tribe’s ancestral territories. While Phil Rigdon (Yakama) supports the pursuit of greener energy sources, he has also been part of the tribe’s opposition to these developments when they negatively impact cultural sites. Their concerns are not often heard by developers.

Advocacy Update: Vetoes, Statements, and Letters – Oh My!

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Well, we’re not in Kansas anymore Dorothy! The dust is settling from our spring advocacy efforts – many thanks to all of you who put your faith into action with Earth Ministry / Washington Interfaith Power & Light. Before we all are swept up in summer fun, here’s an update of where things stand with our work for environmental justice in Washington State.

Earth Ministry/WAIPL works within the unceded territories of Northwest Native nations. Our office is on the traditional land of the first people of Seattle, the Duwamish People past and present. Land acknowledgement is one way to resist erasure of Indigenous histories as well as to honor tribes and the land itself.