Earth Ministry/WAIPL staff traveled to our nation’s capital in early May for the national Interfaith Power & Light (IPL) conference and lobby day. Over 75 religious leaders from 40 states around the country participated, and LeeAnne Beres and Jessie Dye represented Washington State.
The theme of this year’s conference was Telling Your Story: Climate Change is a Moral Issue.Research shows that storytelling based on moral values moves people to act for social change more effectively than policy arguments. Conference participants focused on telling faith-rooted stories of our families, neighbors, and communities in pursuit of climate protection and the common good.
LeeAnne and Jessie led a session on how to write and publish a successful creation care OpEd as a way to share religious leaders’ stories in local newspapers.
On lobby day, all of the state leaders went to Capitol Hill to tell these stories.LeeAnne and Jessie represented you, our faith communities and members, when they met with the Washington State Congressional delegation.
With our U.S. Representatives, Earth Ministry/WAIPL advocated for clean air and climate protection through the EPA industrial carbon regulations, and development of clean renewable energy through federal tax credits for wind, solar, and geothermal projects. Our staff also met with Washington’s Senators in support of public lands – thanking them for their leadership in funding outdoor recreation and conservation projects through the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and for preserving the President’s ability to designate national monuments under the Antiquities Act.