It’s been just one month since I began my role as FACS’ Executive Director, .jpg)
and I am truly inspired by the scale and scope of work being done by our congregations and partners, but even more by the passion and commitment I’ve witnessed. It may be vacation season, but there is a lot of exciting work happening! I had the pleasure of meeting a number of you at Chairman Bulova’s Environmental Showcase, which was a great start to the conversation about reducing Fairfax County’s overall carbon footprint and what we hope will lead to further goal-setting and accountability. We are busy planning a tremendous opportunity for the faith community to engage with the gubernatorial candidates (see next). I can’t wait to meet more of you in the upcoming months, and please stay tuned for events this fall!
FACS Presents: A Dialogue on Virginia’s Energy Future with 
Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Ralph Northam
Join FACS and our friends from the interfaith community of Northern Virginia to hear Lt. Governor Ralph Northam’s thoughts on Virginia’s energy future. The event will be moderated by Rev. Dr. Jean Wright, an American Baptist Minister (retired) and former Executive Director of the Massachusetts Baptist Charitable Society.
FACS is a nonpartisan, interfaith nonprofit organization in Northern Virginia that does not endorse candidates for political office. (An invitation has been extended to Virginia Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Ed Gillespie. FACS hopes to have a date soon!)
This will be your opportunity to ask the Democratic candidate questions relating to energy and climate change that affect all Virginians. Mark your calendar for August 14 at 6:30 p.m. Join us! Congregations, please share with your green and environmental teams! Seating is limited so RSVP now here. Questions? Please contact FACS Executive Director Meg Mall at meg@faithforclimate.org.
Want to learn more about Northam’s Environmental Policy? You can read his statement here. In addition, IPL and FACS are co-hosting a webinar on Thursday, August 10 at 12:00 p.m. This is your opportunity to hear from two Virginia pastors whose congregations are in the paths of two pipelines (the Mountain Valley and Atlantic Coast pipelines). With Northam receiving increasing pressure from environmental groups to oppose the pipelines, it is important to raise awareness of the faith perspective. You may register directly for the webinar here.
Happy Hour/Screening of an Inconvenient Truth Sequel: Truth to Power
Davin Hutchins, Greenpeace Global Campaign Strategist, and Climate Reality Leadership Corps Leader is organizing a group of Northern Virginians to see Al Gore’s new documentary – An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth To Power. The screening is scheduled for August 4th at 8:00 p.m. at AMC Tysons Corner 16 with a happy hour prior at Barrel and Bushel starting at 6:30 p.m.
If interested, please RSVP at the Facebook link below.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1805561666422235
Here’s some info about the film: Al Gore’s sequel to the groundbreaking documentary An Inconvenient Truth debuts this July 28. The film promises to pick up where the first film left off but focusing on renewable energy solutions are hitting the mainstream and how resolve and technology gives the world a real shot at a sustainable future to avoid climate disaster.
Save Energy Star: Led by our friends at Interfaith Power & Light
If you’ve shopped for a computer, washing machine, or refrigerator, you’ve seen a little blue label on products that have been certified by ENERGY STAR. The voluntary program – established under President George H. Bush – reviews the energy efficiency of a variety of consumer goods, and labels the best performers ENERGY STAR certified.
President Trump’s budget proposal would eliminate federal energy efficiency programs like ENERGY STAR – which saved U.S. consumers $34 billion off their utility bills in 2015 alone!
We need your help telling Congress that programs like ENERGY STAR benefit all Americans. Email your legislators now.
About 18,000 companies and other organizations are ENERGY STAR partners, voluntarily putting the label on their products that meet efficiency guidelines. That helps consumers identify products that use less energy and cost them less to run. There is also ENERGY STAR for congregations that helps houses of worship become more energy efficient.
Since ENERGY STAR’s founding in 1992, the program has been highly successful. In addition to saving consumers billions off their utility bills in 2015, ENERGY STAR has kept 2.7 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere.
But the Trump Administration has decided to cut one of the most successful and noncontroversial energy-related programs ever. It’s up to Congress to determine funding levels for energy efficiency programs – email your legislators now and tell them you oppose eliminating ENERGY STAR and the cuts to other energy and climate programs.
We must bring pressure to bear on Congress to restore critical climate and energy funding in the budget. This funding is absolutely essential to building the clean energy economy and fighting global warming.
The Trump Administration’s proposed budget makes no sense – it takes the moral low ground by eliminating programs that help poor and vulnerable communities and help us be better stewards of energy. Please speak out to save ENERGY STAR today.
Encouraging news from The Disciples of Christ
The disciples of Christ just passed a resolution pledging to become carbon neutral by 2030. Read the resolution here. The press release can be found here. Congratulations to the Disciples of Christ for this bold action and creating a model for other denominations to follow. Another great example of faith climate leadership!
In peace,
Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions
