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The Interfaith Green Building and Grounds Network is comprised of faith-based organizations and mission-oriented non-profits who are working together in response to the climate crisis.
This diverse group of organizations shares something in common that can be described as “creation care.” They are equally concerned about the existential harm to all that has been created here on earth. They join together in their concern about our sustainable stewardship of life on Earth.
Each denomination of this Interfaith alliance has its own unique expression of “creation care” but all can agree on certain frightening observations that are linked to anthropocentric behavior. 7.5 billion souls are currently engaged in burning hydrocarbons as a source of energy, creating combustion waste (in the form of CO2 and other greenhouse gases), that is trapping heat and increasing the temperature of the atmosphere. Some are contribution harm more than others. Three political entities are responsible for 50% of today’s GHG emissions. 10 entities are the source of 80% of the root cause of the climate crisis.
A warmer atmosphere, in turn, is warming the surface of the Earth – both land and ocean. We now understand this ecocidal behavior and if it is not eliminated quickly will result in a collapse of the interdependent web of life on planet Earth.
This simple alteration of the Earth’s thermal blanket has far-reaching ramifications including warming oceans cause water to expand and sea level to rise, warmer ocean surface temperatures create larger and more powerful typhoons and hurricanes. A warmer atmosphere alters global air circulation patterns and is observed as extreme weather events (e.g. new record temperatures, pressures, wind, rain, lack of rain). A warmer atmosphere is causing irreparable glacial and polar ice melt contributing to sea level rise. A warming atmosphere is causing a migration of terrestrial biomes to higher latitudes that is faster than species can adapt – the result is species extinctions.
The solution is simple. Anthropocentric greenhouse gas emission must be reduced to zero as quickly as possible – no less than 50% by 2030 and 100% by 2040.
There are viable sustainable alternative sources of energy that do not add CO2 and other GHG to our common atmosphere. The transition from burning ancient hydrocarbons to harvesting renewable energy is not only feasible but it is less expensive and certainly less harmful to all of creation.
Some faith-based organizations have already initiated this transition to sustainable energy for operating their gathering and worship facilities – their buildings. Some have even extended this emerging consciousness of sustainable stewardship to their whole property (i.e. their grounds.)
There are a number of unique technical and financial issues encountered by faith-based organizations that can be resolved by collaborating and sharing experiences – both success and failures. For example, there are financial incentives for homeowners and businesses to transition to renewable energy. These tax-based these incentives are not directly available to non-profit organizations. Another example is the energy usage profile for a faith-based organization often shows a large demand one day a week with extremes on certain holidays – utility rates are currently based on peak demand during a billing period, not average demands.
The IGBG network/coalition/alliance is intended to be a resource for a faith-based organization starting on the path to zero GHG emissions.