Over 160 Congregations in the Greater Washington Area Engage in Efforts to Reduce the Dangers of Global Warming
For immediate release - September 26, 2006
Washington, DC...4,000 congregations (including 160 in the Washington area) across the nation will be showing ”An Inconvenient Truth” during the week of October 1-8. Many congregations of a variety of faiths are working to diminish the dangers of global warming.
Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light are offering four opportunities to the media to cover this story.
1. Dean Samuel T. Lloyd III of the Washington National Cathedral will preach on
the biblical charge to care for the earth on Sunday, October 1 at 11 a.m.
2. The media are invited to cover of the 160 showings of “An Inconvenient Truth” and
other films on global warming.
3. Tour the first “green building” on Capitol Hill on Friday, September 29 at 10:30 at the
Friends Committee on National Legislation.
4. Several leaders in this effort are available for interview.
The Interfaith Power and Light network, with 18 state affiliates and Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light, has arranged for 4000 congregations of many faiths in all 50 states to show “An Inconvenient Truth” and other films on global warming as part of its “Spotlight on Global Warming”. This is an unprecedented accomplishment for the religious community as it strives to diminish the dangers of global warming.
Led by Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light, congregations in the Greater Washington area are taking action:
• 160 congregations will show the film “An Inconvenient Truth” between October 1 and October 8. These include Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Sikh, Bahai’i, Hindu and Jain worshipping communities.
• In his sermon during the 11 am service on Sunday, Oct. 1, Dean Samuel T. Lloyd III of the Washington National Cathedral will focus on the biblical charge to care for the earth and will challenge the faith community to do its part to respond to this environmental crisis.
• Fifty-two congregations have become partner congregations of Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light. They have made a declaration to reduce their impact towards global warming and receive support from staff in helping them achieve their goals. As partners, congregations are improving the energy efficiency of their buildings and purchasing clean energy.
Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light is offering the media four opportunities to cover this exciting story:
1. Tour the first “green building” on Capitol Hill.
Friday, September 29 at 10:30 a.m. at the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) at 245 Second Street NE (across from Hart Senate Office Building). All press welcome, SUPERB VISUALS
The Quaker lobby FCNL, a partner of Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light, recently completely rebuilt their historic building to incorporate the best green technologies. The building has a vegetated roof, geothermal heating and cooling, bamboo floors, a light “scoop”, and accommodation for bicycle commuters. For more information call 202-903-2531 or 202-903-2540.
Participants in the event include: Allison Fisher, coordinator of the Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light, Reid Detchon, Chair, Steering Committee Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light; Mike Tidwell, Executive Director, Chesapeake Climate Action Network and Jim Cason of the Friends Committee on National Legislation.
2. 160 congregations in the greater Washington area will show “An Inconvenient Truth” and other films on global warming. We invite the media to attend any of these five showings:
• Saturday, Sept. 30, 1 to 4:30 at the Washington National Cathedral – 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW Washington, DC. They will show The Great Warming and An Inconvenient Truth.
• Sunday, Oct 1, 12:30pm at St. Columba's Episcopal Church, 4201 Albemarle St NW Washington, DC
• Sunday, Oct 1, 6:30, at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax, 2709 Hunter Mill Road Oakton, VA
• Tuesday Oct 3, 7:00pm at American University Hillel, 4400 Mass Ave NW, MGC Wechsler Theater, Washington, DC
• Tuesday Oct 3, 7:00pm at Takoma Park Presbyterian, 310 Tulip Avenue, Takoma Park, MD
• Thursday Oct 5, 7:30pm at Shrine of the Sacred Heart, 712 Butternut NW, Washington DC 20012
3. In his sermon during the 11 am service on Sunday, Oct. 1, Dean Samuel T. Lloyd III will focus on the biblical charge to care for the earth and will challenge the faith community to do its part to respond to this environmental crisis. Media interested in attending either event should contact Elizabeth Mullen in the Cathedral’s Office of Public Affairs, 202-537-6248 or emullen@cathedral.org.
4. Media are invited to interview any of these leaders to learn more about these programs:
• Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb, Temple Adat Shalom in Bethesda - Rabbi Fred is a long time leader in the faith-based effort to end global warming. Temple Adat Shalom is an energy efficient building. He states, "Climate change is a moral and spiritual issue at three levels -- respect for the poorest among us who suffer most, concern for those who come after us into an overheated world, and love of all Creation."
• Reid Detchon, chair of the Steering Committee of GWIPL – Reid is on the vestry of St. Columba’s Episcopal Church that purchases 100% of its energy from land field gas. He states, “As Christians, we are called above all to love God and love our neighbors – but our heedless use of energy and destruction of the environment is harming people throughout the world who farm and fish and otherwise depend on the natural world for survival. Global warming poses a profound moral challenge to which we must respond.”
• Mike Tidwell, executive director of Chesapeake Climate Action Network – Mike is a member of Tacoma Park Presbyterian Church which has improved the energy efficiency of its building. He states, "Global warming is fundamentally a moral issue. It is THE moral issue of our time. It is morally wrong to knowingly plunge the world and future generations into agricultural, social and economic chaos. It is morally right to switch to clean, life-preserving, renewable energy right now. As such, this is not only a faith issue but fundamentally an American values issue."
• Allison Fisher, coordinator of Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light, states “Communities of faith have stood up in the past and changed the world; they are continuing in this tradition today with Global Warming. We urge you to join our efforts, so future generations can enjoy creation.”
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The Friends Committee on National Legislation, the oldest registered religious lobby in Washington, is a non-partisan Quaker lobby in the public interest. FCNL works with a nationwide network of tens of thousands of people from every state in the U.S. to advocate for social and economic justice, peace, and good government. For more information: http://www.fcnl.org
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