Interfaith Power & Light

A Religious Response to Global Warming

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January 19, 2021

Interfaith Power & Light calls for Confirmation of Biden’s Climate, Interior, and EPA nominees

MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release: January 19, 2021 

Interfaith Power & Light calls for Confirmation of Biden’s Climate, Interior, and EPA nominees

Oakland, CA– Interfaith Power & Light and its state affiliates expressed strong support for President-elect Biden’s choices for key climate and environmental positions, and called for swift confirmation. These nominees will ensure that justice and equity are front and center and science and expertise prevail in these key roles and agencies in the federal government.

Specifically, our experience with Gina McCarthy, who Biden has tapped to head a new White House Office of Climate Policy, Rep. Deb Haaland of New Mexico for Interior Secretary, Secretary Michael Regan for EPA Administrator, Janet McCabe for Deputy EPA Administrator, and former Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack for Agriculture Secretary give us confidence that they are the right people to advance climate justice in the new administration.

In response, Interfaith Power & Light and Interfaith Power & Light state affiliates have released these statements:

“Gina McCarthy brings a strong track record of advancing climate justice, clean air, and protecting human health as US EPA administrator in the Obama administration. Her experience and expertise, her understanding of the urgency of acting on climate, as well as her strong personal faith, give us confidence that she will be invaluable in developing and implementing the new administration’s climate strategy.” — Rev. Susan Hendershot, President, Interfaith Power & Light

“People of faith in New Mexico are grateful for the nomination of Representative Haaland as Secretary of Interior. She has been working on climate change efforts in New Mexico and will continue to do so as Secretary of Interior. It is so important to have an Indigenous woman to stand for the sacredness of land, water, air and communities. We hope this will lead us as a nation into a more just way into the future.”  — Sister Joan Brown, osf, Executive Director, NM Interfaith Power and Light.

“Michael Regan is a faithful family man deeply committed to science-based environmental stewardship to protect all communities. In his role as NC DEQ Secretary, Michael Regan created the Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Board with a scope to assist the agency in achieving and maintaining the fair and equal treatment and meaningful involvement of North Carolinians regardless of where they live, their race, religion or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Michael Regan’s consistent engagement between communities, industry, and the government will ensure the protection of human health and the environment.”    — Susannah Tuttle,MDiv., Director – NC Interfaith Power & Light, a program of the North Carolina Council of Churches

“Secretary Vilsack has long advocated for justice, science, and smart public policy. He often speaks publicly in words and with values grounded in his own Christian faith. He is politically really well prepared to help rural America lead in implementing the Biden Harris administration’s four priorities: a public health response to COVID-19, the movement for racial justice, rebuilding our economy around economic justice, and taking climate action. USDA leadership and programs and of course rural communities are critical to helping solve all four of these challenges. I’ve known Secretary Vilsack for over 20 years and he is the right leader to unleash the power of rural Americans to be the change our world so desperately needs.”  —Matt Russell, executive director Iowa Interfaith Power & Light and 5th generation Iowa farmer 

“Hoosier Interfaith Power and Light folks couldn’t be more pleased that our own Janet McCabe is going to be back in her old job of Deputy Administrator at the Environmental Protection Agency where she was instrumental in developing the Clean Power Plan. Her deep values of honesty, trustworthiness, social responsibility, and environmental justice are just what we need now.”  —-Ray Wilson, Hoosier Interfaith Power & Light board chair

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Interfaith Power & Light is a national nonprofit organization with 40 state affiliates and 22,000 congregations in all 50 states. IPL  inspires and mobilizes people of faith and conscience to take bold and just action on climate change.

Filed Under: Press Releases

January 8, 2021

Protect our Democracy – Statement from the IPL Board of Directors

The Board of Directors of Interfaith Power & Light joins the civic groundswell calling for the swift removal of Donald J. Trump as President of the United States, by any lawful means.

On Wednesday, we watched with grave concern as white supremacists and other extremists took over the U.S. Capitol, taking illegal and violent action and inappropriately invoking religion as they rampaged through the halls of our democracy.

This grave threat to our democracy was provoked and encouraged by the current president, seeking to overturn the election and remain in office against the will of the people. Though his remaining time in office is short, these actions are a clear threat to national and global security. We join the growing bipartisan chorus insisting that he is unfit for office, and must be removed for the safety of our country and its citizens.

Especially disturbing was the double standard on display by law enforcement, with a violent white mob receiving lenient treatment, in contrast to recent experiences of people of color in peaceful protest being met with intimidation and violence.  As an organization committed to racial justice, we must raise our voices at this latest display of racism’s continuing legacy. As people of faith, we are called to advance both racial and climate justice, and we commit ourselves to work to heal the divisions in our nation.

 

Filed Under: Bottom Feature, Press Releases, What's New

November 9, 2020

Interfaith Power & Light Statement on Rejoining Paris Climate Accord

NEWS RELEASE: November 9, 2020

CONTACT: Jonathan Lacock-Nisly

Interfaith Power & Light Statement on Rejoining Paris Climate Accord

In 2015, people of faith and conscience from around this country urged the U.S. to sign on to the Paris Climate Accord as an act of moral courage, committing to limiting greenhouse gas emissions to ensure a habitable planet for current and future generations.

On November 4th, the Trump administration completed the U.S.’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord, the only nation in the world to have done so.

Now, with an Electoral College victory declared, Interfaith Power & Light calls on President-elect Biden to fulfill the promise that he made to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord on Day One of his presidency.

“The Paris Climate Agreement is a commitment by the nations of the world to act on the immediate existential threat caused by climate change,” said Rev. Susan Hendershot, president of Interfaith Power & Light. “The Biden administration must act with courage and boldness in order to protect the futures of our children and grandchildren, and do so in a way that centers justice and equity in the solutions. Rejoining the Paris Accord is the first step.”

People of faith and conscience view the climate crisis as one of the defining moral issues of our time. A recent poll commissioned by Interfaith Power & Light found that almost three-quarters (73%) of voters say they are worried about climate change, including 87% of Black Protestants, 82% of nonwhite Catholics, 77% of white Catholics, 76% of Jews, and 57% of white evangelical Protestants.

More than 8 in 10 of these faith voters see their responsibility to care for God’s creation as a reason to act on the climate crisis. We urge the President-elect to listen to people of faith and conscience and follow through with his promise to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord on his first day in office.

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For more information or to schedule an interview with Rev. Susan Hendershot, contact Jonathan Lacock-Nisly, IPL Federal Policy Associate,  [email protected]

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Filed Under: In the News, Press Releases

October 22, 2020

POLL: Voters of Faith Support Fighting Climate Change

For Immediate Release: October 22nd, 2020

CONTACT: Tiffany Hartung

POLL: Voters of Faith Support Fighting Climate Change

A new poll commissioned by IPL to be released today finds American voters of faith, including evangelical and mainline Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and religiously unaffiliated voters, overwhelmingly believe climate change is happening and are worried about it. The poll from Climate Nexus, Yale University Program on Climate Change Communication, and George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication also finds more than seven in 10 (72%) voters support increasing federal funding to protect vulnerable communities from the impacts of extreme weather as part of the COVID-19 recovery.

Almost three-quarters (73%) of voters say they are worried about climate change, including 87% of Black Protestants, 82% of nonwhite Catholics, 77% of white Catholics, 76% of Jews, and 57% of white evangelical Protestants. More than six in 10 (61%) voters, including majorities of Black Protestants (70%), nonwhite Catholics (68%), white Catholics (65%), and Jews (67%) and nearly half (47%) of white evangelical Protestants, also believe climate change is having an effect on extreme weather in their state.

Voters are generally supportive of policies and candidates that address climate change. A majority of voters across faith groups say a comprehensive bill addressing climate change is an important priority for Congress and the president in 2021. Almost two-thirds (64%) of voters want a multi-trillion-dollar federal economic stimulus to invest in clean energy infrastructure as part of COVID-19 recovery, including 72% of Black Protestants and 54% of white evangelical Protestants, and 63% of voters say they’d be more likely to vote for a candidate who supports an economic stimulus with investments in clean energy infrastructure.

Nearly three-quarters (74%) of voters support increasing government funding for renewable energy, including Jewish (66%), white mainline Protestant (55%), and white Catholic (54%) voters, and 55% of voters say domestic production of renewable energy is more likely to produce a greater number of jobs. Only 27% of voters think domestic production of fossil fuels will do the same.

Voters are also motivated to address climate change, with 81% saying fulfilling their responsibility to protect God’s creation is an important reason to address climate change, including strong majorities of Jews (75%), Black Protestants (94%) and white evangelical Protestants (90%).

“All religions have a calling to care for Creation. We have a sacred duty to be stewards of the Earth which supports all life, for all God’s creatures and for future generations,” said Rev. Susan Hendershot, president of Interfaith Power & Light. “This poll clearly demonstrates that there is wide support by people of faith for the president and Congress in 2021 to take bold action on the climate crisis.”

“We are called to be stewards of God’s creation and we look to our leaders to safeguard our communities,” said Dr. Ambrose Carroll, founder of Green the Church. “This poll underscores that now is the time to take bold aggressive action to address the climate crisis, our lives are depending on it! We need leaders to care for creation, who are committed to ending systems of oppression, environmental injustices, and tackling climate change.” 

“Climate action is a concrete response to Jesus’ call to love God and to love our neighbors,” said Rev. Kyle Meyaard-Schaap, National Organizer for Young Evangelicals for Climate Action. “This poll shows that Christians are hungry for leaders who will do just that.”

“Along with people of many faiths, American Jews support bold action on climate change,” said Rabbi Jennie Rosenn, Dayenu Founder and CEO. “Our Jewish values call us to build a just and sustainable world for all people for generations to come, and this election is essential to making that possible.” 

“As Catholics we say we have a covenant with God to protect creation,” said Dan Misleh, Founding Executive Director of Catholic Climate Covenant. “For decades now, the Catholic Church, including St. John Paul II, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, and especially Pope Francis have added urgency to the call for Catholics to address climate change and to truly listen to the cry of the poor, who are the people most affected by a warming climate. People are dying today from the impact of our neglect of God’s creation. The results of this poll confirm what we know from our Catholic member organizations, parishes, families, schools, and other communities – that Catholics care deeply about climate change.” 

For more details on the poll results, please see the poll toplines. 

Climate Nexus, in partnership with the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication, conducted a representative survey October 13, 2020 of 1,884 registered voters in the United States, on behalf of Interfaith Power & Light. The margin of error for this survey is +/- 2.4% at the 95% confidence level.

 

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Filed Under: Press Releases

September 1, 2020

Faith Leaders Call on All Automakers to Support Clean Car Standards

NEWS RELEASE                                                    Contact:

Sept. 1, 2020                                                        Susan Stephenson (510) 484-7198

Email: [email protected]

Faith Leaders Call on All Automakers to Support Clean Car Standards

(Oakland, CA) –  Today, a coalition of faith, consumer, climate, science, and family groups delivered petitions with 260,000+ signatures to Toyota, GM and Fiat-Chrysler executives calling on them to support strong national and state clean car standards, which save families money, protect lung health and cut climate pollution. The full petition can be found here: https://www.interfaithpowerandlight.org/clergy-clean-car-letter/

Interfaith Power & Light collected signatures from thousands of people of faith and over 400 clergy and released the following statement in response to these automakers supporting a roll back of the nation’s clean car standards:

“Toyota, GM Fiat-Chrysler and several other automakers have decided to side with the oil industry and the Trump administration to put profits over people, and that’s why thousands of faith leaders from all across the country have signed a petition urging the automakers to stand for the values of protecting our air and climate”, said Rev. Susan Hendershot, president of Interfaith Power & Light. “Acting on our core values, it is clear to us that doing away with these safeguards is a grave injustice to communities that are suffering the burden of pollution, and to the most vulnerable who are already feeling the impacts of climate change.”

Consumer Reports research finds that the Trump Administration rollback of national clean car standards will cost consumers $300 billion. Recent polls from the Union of Concerned Scientists confirm that GM and Toyota owners want the automakers to support clean car standards. And, major investors with almost two trillion dollars in managed assets see the rollback as bad for business. The automotive industry is split, with Ford, Honda, Volkswagen, BMW and Volvo choosing to support stronger state clean car standards.

Faith leaders from around the country call on the the leadership at Toyota, GM, and Fiat-Chyrsler to act with sound moral judgment and with justice, putting human health at the forefront of their decision-making processes and abandoning this effort to roll back these life-saving standards.

 

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NEWS RELEASE: June 30, 2020

MEDIA CONTACT 

Michelle Nealy, [email protected], (202) 735-7123
Austin Schuler, [email protected], (540) 280-3393
Susan Stephenson, [email protected]org, (510) 484-7198

National Faith Leaders Release Voter Reflection Guide to Educate Faithful Voters in the 2020 Election

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Tuesday, June 30, Faith in Public Life and Interfaith Power & Light released a voter reflection guide endorsed by prominent national faith groups and religious leaders. The guide, Democracy, Values & the 2020 Election, addresses urgent issues in the election, including voting rights, climate change, systemic racism in the criminal justice system, healthcare and immigration. The guide, which will be distributed across the country for discussion in diverse faith communities, includes topics for reflection and sample questions to ask candidates.

Faith leaders briefed reporters on the guide and on 2020 mobilization efforts during an online press conference. The guide has been endorsed by leaders at the National Council of Churches, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, Vote Common Good and other organizations at the national and state level.

To download a copy of the guide, click here

Rev. Jennifer Butler, CEO, Faith in Public Life:
“The 2020 election season is not just a call to the polls. This is a call to collective consciousness. As faith leaders, it’s our duty, and our long history, to engage hard and historic times. But we must do more than urge people to vote. A resource like our new, free, in-depth 2020 Voter’s Reflection Guide will help educate faith communities to do as the great poet and womanist Octavia Butler advised: “Choose your leaders with wisdom and forethought.’’

Rev. Susan Hendershot, President, Interfaith Power & Light:
“The historic moment that we are in demonstrates the intersection between climate justice, global health, and systemic racism. People of faith and conscience are called to live out their core values of courage and justice, centered in love for the sacred, for one another, and for the earth. This resource will encourage faith communities to have conversations about how to participate thoughtfully in our democracy, while holding those values.”

Sr. Simone Campbell SSS, Executive Director, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice:
“The 2020 election is a test for our democracy. The urgency of a pandemic, police violence, racism of our leaders and our systems all threaten our nation. Pope Francis mandates that ‘a good Catholic meddles in politics’ to promote an inclusive society. We are doing just that to transform all policies and systems that deny the sacred truth that Black Lives Matter. We work to ensure that everyone in our nation has access to quality health care. We work to guarantee that all can live in dignity with a roof over their heads and enough food on their plates. We work to end the economic inequality promoted by our tax laws. We work to ensure that our immigrant siblings are welcomed and honored for their inherent dignity. Our basic human rights and dignity are at risk. We join today to promote our values in a vote for the common good.”

Rev. Dr. Ambrose Carroll, Co-founder, Green the Church and Senior Pastor, Church by the Side of the Road in Berkeley, Calif:
“This is a moment for fundamental change. We are in the midst of a great paradigm shift, and we can help make change by electing leaders who will work to dismantle systemic racism and work for climate action for the good of all.”

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Faith in Public Life is a national movement of clergy and faith leaders united in the prophetic pursuit of justice, equality and the common good. Together, we are leading the fight to advance just policies at the state and federal level. Our network of 50,000 leaders engage in bold moral action that affirms our values and the human dignity of all.

Interfaith Power & Light inspires and mobilizes people of faith and conscience to take bold and just action on climate change. With a network of more than 22,000 congregations and 40 state affiliates across the country, IPL regularly reaches six million people of all religious and spiritual traditions.

Filed Under: In the News, Press Releases

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