Climate Action
Climate Action
Interfaith Climate Action – First Hill
People of faith responding to the existential threat of climate change
Rabbi Arthur Waskow
American Baptist Policy Statement on Ecology
Photo of Earth from the Apollo 17 mission – NASA
Who We Are
We are members and friends of Bet Alef Meditative Synagogue and Seattle First Baptist Church who are learning about the causes and effects of human-caused climate change and are working in concert with other local and regional groups to maintain a livable climate. Interfaith Climate Action – First Hill sponsors educational events, supports climate-friendly legislation and policy, and opposes actions that would increase global warming.
Thanks for visiting this web page. We hope you find useful information, ideas, and most of all, encouragement to join in an emboldened movement to confront climate disruption from a faith perspective.
We normally meet by Zoom on the fourth Sunday of the month. If you would like to learn more or receive notices of meetings and events, please contact Keith Ervin, , 206-371-3834.
How do we end the use of climate-disrupting fossil fuels in our homes and other buildings? And equally important, how do we do it in a way that doesn’t place an unfair burden on marginalized communities?
Interfaith Climate Action – First Hill and partners have created Green Buildings Now to help facilitate a just transition from climate-damaging fossil-fuel energy systems to non-polluting electric systems. Green Buildings Now is building a fund that will help marginalized communities share the benefits of clean energy.
At the request of community leaders, we are partnering in the creation of a South Beacon Hill Resilience Hub on the campus of Bethany United Church of Christ. The Resilience Hub will provide a safe haven for residents in the event of a climate emergency such as extreme heat, cold or wildfire smoke.
Your donations to Green Buildings Now will weatherize buildings and replace fossil fuels with heat pumps and other non-polluting electric systems in racially and ethnically diverse Beacon Hill. Work on the Resilience Hub has begun, but more funds are needed. Visit greenbuildingsnow.org to learn more and donate to this important environmental justice project.
Some of Our Accomplishments
- Founded Green Buildings Now
- Lobbied legislators and participated in youth-led climate march.
- Planted trees to celebrate Tu BiShvat, the Jewish New Year of the Trees.
- Participated in Taming Bigfoot, a friendly competition to reduce our personal carbon footprint.
- Co-sponsored two day-long faith in action climate conferences.
- Participated in prayer vigils with Faith Action Climate Team members.
- Hosted a six-session book group on Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone’s “Active Hope.”
- Ongoing action to lower our personal and communal carbon footprints.
- Organized premiere performance of jazz artist Nelda Swiggett’s mixed-media work on climate change, The Alaska Suite: a story of beauty, loss and hope.
- Arranged for purchases of carbon credits offsetting greenhouse gas emissions from our worship buildings and individuals’ personal lives.
How We Can Live More Lightly on the Earth
Things you can do now to lower your personal carbon footprint
These specific areas are places you and I can make a big difference NOW as we change our lifestyle and consumption habits to reduce the amount of carbon we are each producing.
Transportation
+Discontinue travel by airplane unless you have to.
The bottom line is we need to drastically reduce our air travel! If you’re planning a trip or vacation and thinking about flying, look at the CARBON cost of the trip. Log on to Taming Bigfoot (www. Taming-Bigfoot.org) to find out how much projected carbon will be emitted when you travel by air vs, by car or train or bus. Consider not taking trips that involve flying. Just because you can doesn’t mean it’s the best thing to do.
+Rideshare
Cultivate connections in your community and share rides.
Take public transit, walk or bike.
+Replace your gas combustion car with a hybrid, better yet an electric vehicle.
There are A LOT more affordable options for electric and electric hybrid (electric/gas) vehicles now. Take a look at the Chevrolet Volt, or Nissan Leaf for starters. Go test drive. Buy a used one!
Home Energy Use
+Replace all your light bulbs with LED bulbs!
+Wash your clothes in cold water.
+Dry your clothes on a clothes rack instead of using a dryer. Dryers use a lot of energy.
+Have an energy assessment of your home to learn about low costs things you can do to increase energy efficiency.
Food Consumption
+Practice not eating meat on certain days of the week.
+Reduce or discontinue your consumption of beef and lamb.
+Eat locally grown food that you can purchase at a farmer’s market or through a community supported agriculture program (Produce boxes). Share one with a friend if a box feels like too much.
+Make a commitment to eat in-season food. Foods have carbon footprints too. Foods that have to travel by airplane and long distance across the country… well, you get the point.
+Decrease use of bottled water. This decreases your plastic purchases and lowers risk of plastic pollution. Get a reusable water bottle and practice taking it with you wherever you go.
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