Sierra Club Releases National Faith Appreciation Report:

“Faith in Action” highlights environmental initiatives from 50+ faith groups.

June 20, 2008, Washington, DC – Highlighting one exceptional faith-based environmental initiative from each of the fifty states, the Sierra Club today released its first ever national faith appreciation report, “Faith in Action: Communities of Faith Bring Hope for the Planet.” The report illustrates the growing momentum of the “creation care” movement and recognizes local leaders.

“This report demonstrates that the call to care for the earth comes no matter what one’s faith background is,” said Lyndsay Moseley, of the Sierra Club’s Environmental Partnerships Program. “We are inspired by the faith community’s leadership in working to protect the planet, and this report is our way of saying ‘thank you’ to the many people of faith working on creation care initiatives across the country.”

The National Faith Appreciation Report is a project of the Sierra Club’s Environmental Partnerships Program, which works actively with faith groups around the United States to broaden support for environmental protection.

“We are excited by the opportunity to recognize these phenomenal efforts, and hope that this report will further encourage people of faith by illuminating a broad array of successful models of environmental engagement,” said Moseley.

The groups highlighted are engaged in a variety of environmentally-conscious initiatives.

Some examples from the report include:

• The Texas Christian Life Commission, the largest Baptist organization in Texas educating congregations about creation care and calling for a moratorium on building new coal-fired power plants to reduce health risks.
• The Sterling, Va., Community Lutheran Church, whose Earth-Keeping Ministry operates a garden providing organic produce to local low-income families.
• North Dakota’s Prairie Stewardship Network, an ecumenical organization educating the faith community and others about clean energy and global warming.
• Hazon, a Jewish environmental organization in New York City which organizes community bike rides and educates about sustainable living.
• The Catholic Dioceses of Pueblo and Colorado Springs, Colo., whose Bishops spoke out in defense of a polluted creek.
• St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church, a Tucson, Ariz., congregation engaging in and teaching about water stewardship and conservation.
• The Islamic Environmental Group of Wisconsin, which is engaged in helping mosques and Muslim families reduce their carbon footprint.

To read the full report, visit www.sierraclub.org

———————-

For those interested in studies more in depth of environmental ethics - here what seems to be an enlightening and very pleasant experience:

 Montana Summer Environmental Ethics Institute.

See www.umt.edu for more details.

The Center for Ethics at The University of Montana will hold its third annual Environmental Ethics Institute in early August of 2008. The institute provides a unique opportunity for scholars, students, professionals, and interested citizens to gather in  Missoula , MT to discuss and reflect on environmental issues.

The institute consists of a seminar, a course, and several public lectures/panel discussions.  Students may enroll for either the 5-day course or the 2-day seminar (or both).  The course requires 4 to 5 weeks of asynchronous online study prior to 5 days of face-to-face contact in Missoula . Students last year loved this format, one commenting that it was “the perfect balance of a variety of teaching strategies!” The seminar is a new offering in 2008, and will be held over two days. A wide variety of interested individuals — students, professors, community members and professionals– will have the opportunity to take part. To learn more about the Environmental Ethics Institute and last year’s events visit: http://www.umt.edu/ethics/Qeei/2007/defa…

The 2008 course offering will be Environmental Ethics and Policy, taught by Andrew Light, Professor of Philosophy and Public Policy at the University of Washington .

The 2008 weekend seminar will be taught by Karen Warren, Professor of Philosophy at Macalester College ( St. Paul , MN ), and is called Gender, Health, The Environment, and Social Justice: Exploring Their Interconnections.

Registration information can be found at:  http://www.umt.edu/ethics/programs/EEI.h…

For more information please contact Dane Scott ( dane.scott at mso.umt.edu) or Christopher Preston ( christopher.preston at mso.umt.edu)