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Why Participate
Concern for the earth is at the heart of religious tradition. Christians and Jews reflect on God’s creation of the world and recall humanity’s responsibility to care for all of this creation. Muslims understand humanity’s role as stewards as an act of submission to Allah. Buddhists recognize the interrelatedness of all forms of life. Hindus revere nature as expressions of divinity. Despite the differences in faith and language, each of these religions shares a common concern for the health and welfare of the entirety of creation. Our calling as people of faith is to protect and sustain the creation that, in turn, supports and nurtures humankind.
Global warming is a religious issue:
- As Psalm 24 tells us, "the earth is the Lord's and all that is in it." We do not own it, but are to care for it as a sacred trust. Global warming will hurt God's creation.
- Second, as God's people, we are "our brothers' and sisters' keepers" and are to attend to the well-being of our neighbors. Global warming will hurt God's people.
- Third, doing unto others as we would have done to ourselves impels us to protect and restore the world our neighbors inhabit as we would most want it protected for ourselves.
- Fourth, God requires us to "do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly..." Because we of the industrialized nations created the increase of greenhouse gases, we have a special responsibility to do something about it.
As people of faith and as citizens, global warming presents us with these tasks:
- To take responsibility for dealing with global warming in our own choices and actions before expecting or demanding this of others.
- To reduce our use of energy and of things we don't really need that require energy to make and to use.
- To help those in need improve their lives without using more energy from damaging sources.
- To inform ourselves about public policy relating to global warming at all levels: local, regional, national, and international
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Simple Actions
Go on a Low Carbon Diet
With GIPL's Power Lite program, you can reduce your weight on the planet and slim down your ecological footprint.
Start Power & Light in Your Congregation
Georgia Interfaith Power & Light works through congregations in Georgia to be stewards of God's creation. Find out how you can join.
Use Less Gasoline
Concerned about rising gasoline prices? The best way to spend less on gas is to use less. Check out our list of tips for conserving gasoline. It's not only nice to your pocketbook, it's good for God's creation!
Possible Action Steps for You and Your Congregation
- Include care of Creation in your worship and liturgy
- Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs
- Conduct an energy audit of your home and congregational space
- Learn about the feasibility of solar power in your house of worship
- Turn off your computer and monitor at night
- Turn off lights in rooms that are not being used. Where practical, use motion or light sensors to light areas only when needed
- Use programmable thermostats to only cool or heat areas when they are in use
- Begin carpooling to worship services and congregational meetings
- Buy Energy Star appliances
- Join GIPL!
- Stop coddling your church's organ
- Spread the word and add to this list
CO2 Reduction Worksheet
The worksheet will help you to calculate your energy savings. Together we can reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions and energy waste.
Download our global warming energy savings worksheets. They will help you to calculate your personal energy savings - a great way to assess how you can help reduce CO2 emissions and help to preserve our environment.
Want Even More Suggestions?
Check out this guide to Thinking Green.
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