Creation Care Network E-news
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Dear friends,
• Good news: the climate movement is growing in reach and strength.
Sunrise Movement
and
Extinction Rebellion
have begun organizing in Western Massachusetts. If you’d like to get involved, please check them out. Meanwhile, our strong local grassroots group,
Climate Action Now
, continues to meet from 7-9 p.m. on the 4
th
Monday of every month in Amherst or Northampton (next meeting: July 22, Unitarian Society, Amherst). CAN’s newsletter offers local climate movement news, action alerts, events, and updates on regional campaigns (sign up
here
).
• I’m working on a blog post to support
Corporate Accountability
, a nonprofit that is dear to my heart. Corporate Accountability is organizing to kick Big Polluters out of international climate talks. The fossil fuel industry needs to be held accountable for its decades of climate denial and deception and should not be allowed to dictate climate policy.
According to a
new national survey
by Yale University’s Program on Climate Change Communications, a majority of Americans believe that the fossil fuel industry bears primary responsibility for climate change and should pay for the mess it created.
My blog post about Corporate Accountability will be released in July, just in time for a
house party
. You’re invited to visit the Northampton home I share with my husband, Robert Jonas, on July 18
from 5:30-7:00 p
.m. to enjoy light refreshments, learn about Corporate Accountability, and consider making a donation or getting involved through activism. Please RSVP by July 15 (mbj@revivingcreation.org). Space is limited.
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Rev. Fred Small (Minister for Climate Justice, Arlington Street Church [Unitarian Universalist], Boston), Rev. Dr. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, & Rev. Leslie K. Sterling (Rector, St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, Cambridge) prepare to testify at DOER hearing. Photo credit: R
en
é
Th
é
berge.
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I spoke at two public hearings last month. One was a hearing on biomass, sponsored by The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) in Springfield on June 5. In my statement, I said, “I am here to speak against Governor Baker’s proposed new standards that consider biomass a form of renewable energy. I am here to stand with trees. Forests are sacred spaces, not spaces to make a fortune. Trees matter.” (The full statement is posted on my website
here
.)
•
I encourage sermons about the Green New Deal! For seven tips on how to preach about the Green New Deal,
read this essay
by Rev. Brooks Berndt, Minister for Environmental Justice, United Church of Christ. I contributed tip #2.
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I am happy to say that
Sustain Island Home
continues to roll out across the diocese.
On July 14,
I will preach at both services
(8 and 10:00 a.m.) at St. John’s, Williamstown
, and members of our diocesan team will be on hand at the 11:15 a.m. coffee hour to introduce Sustain Island Home. You’re invited to join us for worship and/or coffee hour! To bring Sustain Island Home to your congregation, please speak to your rector and contact our Team Convener, the Rev. Eric Elley (phone: 860/394-8728; email: eelley@live.com).
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Celebrating the launch of Sustain Island Home at Trinity Church, Milford: l. to r., Justin Vartesian (Junior Warden), Lucy Robinson (diocesan team), Katherine Cote, Mary Frances Best, Rev. Mac Murray (Rector), Randy Bloom, Edla Ann Bloom. Photo credit: Edith Allison (diocesan team)
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Rev. Dr. Jim Antal gives a splendid introduction starting at 5:44, and then Katherine Hayhoe speaks in her typically forthright and upbeat way about how to meet the challenges we face.
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Plastic Free July!
As a spiritual discipline, pledge to avoid single-use plastic for a month (or longer) by visiting the website
Plastic Free July
.
You’ll get educational information on the problem of plastic pollution and suggestions for successfully reducing your plastic consumption.
•
Heads up! Our diocese’s fourth annual
Season of Creation
begins on September 1 and lasts through St. Francis Day on October 4. Start thinking about how you’d like your congregation to mark this season with special prayers, education, actions, and advocacy. I’ll be updating the
diocesan Creation Season website
in July.
•
Pledge to Join the Global Climate Strike on Sept 20!
School strikers are calling on everyone—young people, parents, workers, and all concerned citizens—to join massive climate strikes and a week of actions starting on September 20. It's time to step up and tell young people that we'll fight for transformative climate action with everything we've got.
• In August we will take a break from publishing the CCN newsletter. Expect your next issue on September 1, as we launch Season of Creation.
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Blessings,
(The Rev. Dr.) Margaret Bullitt-Jonas
Missioner for Creation Care
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Join in Prayer for Creation Care
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World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation
In the United States, the most basic, powerful, and counter-cultural thing we can do for God's creation is pray. The World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation kicks off the Season of Creation , a...
Read more
www.creationjustice.org
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Opportunities for engagement
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Plastic Free July - Be Part of the Solution
Join our global movement to reduce plastic pollution. Discover solutions and ideas to help you reduce plastic waste in your home and community. Will you be part of Plastic Free July by choosing to refuse single-use plastics?
Read more
www.plasticfreejuly.org
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Think about it. Why would you make something that you’re
going to use for a few minutes
out of a material
that’s basically
going to last forever?
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Climate Action Now Western Massachusetts
Building the local climate protection movement to fight the global crisis. Join us in Amherst and Northampton!
Read more
climateactionnowma.org
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If you've enjoyed this newsletter, please feel free to forward to one or two friends you think may be interested.
Blessings!
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MBJ photo credit: Tipper Gore, 2014
Small, MBJ, & Sterling photo:
R
en
é
Th
é
berge
Trinity Milford photo: Edith Allison
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