Search Results

On May 1, 2023, the New York Times reported ‘The Godfather of A.I.’ Leaves Google and Warns of Danger Ahead. "Dr. Geoffrey Hinton said he has quit his job at Google, where he has worked for more than a decade and became one of the most respected voices in the field, so he can freely speak out about the risks of A.I. A part of him, he said, now regrets his life’s work." "“It is hard to see how you can prevent the bad actors from using it for bad things,... the race between Google and Microsoft and others will escalate into a global race that will not stop without some sort of global regulation.” Dr. Geoffrey Hinton In the March 23, 2023 YouTube video above, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt is interviewed by Walter Isaacson about A.I.’s impact on life, politics, and warfare, as well as what can be done to keep it under control. Schmidt thinks "We are on the cusp of a new revolution that is going to change our world in a really profound way - much more so than people think," and "at a pace faster than we have ever seen." Schmidt, together with Henry Kissinger and Daniel Huttenlocher wrote the 2021 book The Age of AI and Our Human Future. We now have OpenAI with ChatGPT-4; Google with Bard and its new Magi Project; Microsoft's new AI-powered Bing search engine chat mode for Edge browser; and Elon Musk is ramping up his efforts to compete with OpenAI, the ChatGPT developer he helped found, even as he calls out the potential harms of A.I. In a 2023 TED Talk, computer scientist Yejin Choi "demystifies the current state of massive artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT, highlighting three key problems with cutting-edge large language models: Extreme-scale - "AI models are so expensive to train, and only a few tech companies can afford to do so. So we already see the concentration of power." Safety. - "We are now at the mercy of those few tech companies because researchers in the larger community do not have the means to truly inspect and dissect these models." Their massive carbon footprint and environmental impact. "We need to make AI smaller, to democratize it. And we need to make AI safer by teaching human norms and values." ~ Yejin Choi "AI is trained on: raw web data, crafted examples custom developed for AI training, and then human judgments." It is the human feedback on AI performance that is essential to input. Government regulation to control AI is the appropriate, immediate, actionable, coordinated, global response, but where to get the political will to do so? And what are the human norms and values that need to be taught to AI? How can we encourage a long, "deep time" view of human's role in evolution, and accelerate a unified global worldview and the noosphere? How do we quickly mobilize an evolutionary hope for the future? The challenge appears to be even more immediate than the global climate crisis. Maybe the superior "intelligence" of generative AI can be harnessed to save humanity from extinction if the international community can add guardrails to prevent bad actors from exploiting the new technology. As Dr. Goeffrey Hinton said on PBS Newshour May 5, 2023 "We should realize that we are probably going to get things more intelligent than us very soon and they will be wonderful. They will be able to do all sorts of things that we find difficult, so there is huge positive potential in these things, but of course, there are also huge negative possibilities and I think we should put more or less equal resources into developing AI to make into making it more powerful and into keeping it under control to minimize bad side effects."

“We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history there is such a thing as being too late... Over the bleached bones and jumbled residue of numerous civilizations are written the pathetic words: ‘too late.’ . . . Now let us begin. Now let us rededicate ourselves to the long and bitter—but beautiful—struggle for a new world.”~ Martin Luther King Jr.

Cherice Bock of Oregon Interfaith Power & Light (OIPL) Advocacy is inviting people in Representative Pam Marsh's district to a virtual meeting with her scheduled for Friday, April 21, 2023 at 11:00 a.m, PDT with a prep meeting right beforehand at 10:45 a.m. Here is the meeting link for both meetings. Please let Cherice know if you're available and plan to attend cbock@emoregon.org or 503.314.7908. You can also invite others you know in her district to attend. This is only a 15-minute meeting, so EMO will mainly emphasize that we want her to focus on pending climate and environmental justice legislation. Depending on where certain bills are at this point, OIPL advocacy may emphasize one or another of their priority bills more strongly. Richenda Fairhurst says: "Sometimes I think I get happy and comfortable resting in the good fortune I feel to have Rep. Marsh as our representative when it comes to issues like climate justice. Yet, at the same time, I think it helps to have opportunities to share our thanks (if we are thankful) our support (if we are supportive) our concerns (whatever we feel is important to share) and any questions we have as constituents in constituent meetings. This Friday is an opportunity for such a meeting: 10:45 prep and 11:00am meeting." Wednesday, May 10, 2023 - Oregon Interfaith Advocacy Day will be in Salem, OR. "There is power in knowledge and strength in numbers. Attend issue briefs and workshops on advocating for compassionate legislation followed by meetings with state legislators. Talking points and legislative appointments will be provided. ISSUES Climate & Environment, Criminal Justice Reform & Gun Violence Prevention, Healthcare, Housing & Homelessness, Hunger, Immigration & Refugees SCHEDULE Morning Session: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Afternoon meetings with State Legislators: Times will vary. LOCATION St. Mark Lutheran Church, 790 Marion St. NE, Salem, and the Oregon Capitol Building. QUESTIONS Learn more at emoregon.org/events or contact EMO at emo@emoregon.org, (503) 221-1054. LEARN MORE & REGISTER Please register by April 28th. Use EMO's secure registration form. General registration is $20, students $10 (to cover the cost for lunch); scholarships are available.

April 26, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. PDT - Pachamama Alliance will present a webinar Resilience and Possibility in These Times: Solving the Climate Crisis with Per Espen Stoknes. Per Espen Stoknes is an internationally recognized climate psychologist, author, and economist, he has devoted his career to exploring how humanity can build a better future for the planet and its people. His work has been featured in Pachamama Alliance programs and in the recent book, Earth for All: A Survival Guide for Humanity, Per embodies grounded optimism which is a commitment to actually ending the climate crisis. Pers will "discuss the psychology of climate action; his vision for a regenerative economy; and the way out of the climate crisis that reboots our global economic system so it works for all life. Click here to register to:JOIN THE CALL

Cosmologist, Dr. Brian Swimme's 2022 book Cosmogenesis: An Unveiling of the Expanding Universe is the story of an unfolding universe, one that inspires awe, wonder, and mystery. From the publisher's book description: "From the host and cocreator of PBS’s Journey of the Universe, [the book is] a fresh look at how the rich collision between science and spirituality has influenced contemporary consciousness." "The understanding that the universe has been expanding since it's fiery beginning 14 billion years ago and has developed into stars, galaxies, life, and human consciousness is one of the most significant in human history. It is taught throughout the world and has become our common creation story for nearly every culture. In terms of the universe’s development, we humans are not only economic, religious, or political beings. At the most fundamental level, we are cosmological beings." "Cosmogenesis is one of the greatest discoveries in human history, and it continues to have a profound impact on humanity. And yet most science books do not explore the effects it has had on our individual minds. In Cosmogenesis, Brian Thomas Swimme narrates the same cosmological events that we agree are fact but offers a feature, unlike all other writings on this topic. He tells the story of the universe while simultaneously telling the story of the storyteller. Swimme describes how the impact of this new story deconstructed his mind and then reassembled it, offering us a glimpse into how cosmogenesis has transformed our understanding of both the universe and the evolution of human consciousness itself". Listen to Ilia Delio and Gabi Sloan's February 23, 2023 podcast interview of Brian Swimme on Cosmology and Evolution. They discuss the potential of matter in relationships, Teilhard de Chardin’s vision of the noosphere, technology’s role in human evolution, the development of consciousness, and planetary life. Listen to the Reimagining Podcast with Dr. Brian Swimme, a pioneering cosmologist and mathematician. Dr. Swimme converses with Dr. Theodore Richards, the Co-Director of Wisdom Projects. Dr. Brian Thomas Swimme is the Director of the Center for the Story of the Universe and a professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. He received his Ph.D. from the Department of Mathematics at the University of Oregon in 1978 for work in gravitational dynamics. He brings the context of story to our understanding of the 13.7 billion-year trajectory of the universe. Such a story, he feels, will assist in the emergence of a flourishing Earth community." Swimme was also host and cocreator of PBS’s Journey of the Universe, a fresh look at how the rich collision between science and spirituality has influenced contemporary consciousness Swimme is the author of several other books in addition to Cosmogenesis, His other published works include The Universe Is a Green Dragon (1984); The Universe Story (1992, written with Thomas Berry); The Hidden Heart of the Cosmos (2019); and.Journey of the Universe (2011, with Mary Evelyn Tucker). “We belong to a dynamic unfolding universe that inspires wonder, awe, and creativity.” ~ Brian Swimme

Deeptime Network will be offering a 4-week Zoom course on Creating Ecozoic Practices, on Tuesdays, April 4 - May 2, 2023, from 4-6 p.m. PDT. Participants in this course, led by Margie Abbott RSM, "will experience that sense of communion with the larger creative field and develop practices that are needed for our time." Margie is the author of four Earth ritual books all of which show how her understanding of science, theology, and cosmology have evolved over the years between 1996 and 2022. Her 2020 book is Cosmic Sparks: Igniting A Re-Enchantment with the Sacred. "This course will bring to life Goal Six of the Laudato Si’ Seven Year Platform: ECOLOGICAL SPIRITUALITY." The Power of Practices that foster Cosmogenesis in Our Lives The Components of Practices How to Reframe Traditional Forms How to Create Unique Practices Practices for Eco-activism Practices to Evolve Consciousness "Thomas Berry created the term "Ecozoic" to describe an era following the current Cenozoic Era, one in which humans have a mutually enhancing relationship with Earth. How do we tap into the deepest part of ourselves to create personal and communal practices that will help birth an Ecozoic Era? Registration fee (without PD Hours) is $195 with Early Bird pricing of $145 until March 28th Click here for info and to register

Unitarian Universalist Ministry For Earth (UUMFE) will have its Monthly Spiritual Gathering on Zoom on March 7, 2023, at 4 p.m. PST. Register here. "This is a time for us all "to ground, recenter, and imagine what is possible in a world in need of repair." This year to draw us more closely into alignment with Earth-based philosophies, UUMFE will follow the Lunar Calendar. Disaster Response: Community Care and Climate Adaptation "How have congregations in California, New York and Louisiana responded to the reality of extreme weather and climate disruption over the last ten years? How can the UUA assist during a disaster crisis? Click the YouTube video below to learn more! “We need to put greater emphasis on what it means to be bound to one another in an interdependent web.” ~ Widening the Circle of Concern's Report of the UUA Commission on Institutional Change

United Church of Christ's monthly Creation Justice webinar on Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at 10 a.m. PST will be: Leaky Stoves and Deadly Gases. Register here. "After the health and climate effects of gas stoves received scrutiny and discussion in recent months, a "culture war" erupted. In the media and social media, gas stoves became a "hot topic." In this webinar, we will seek to put this "heated debate" within its proper ethical context in terms of environmental justice, public health, and concerns about methane pollution." Annie Carforo from WE ACT for Environmental Justice and Michael Johnson from Berkeley Air will talk about what was learned from a pilot program that documented what happened when public housing apartments in the Bronx had their gas stoves replaced with electric induction stoves. Anne Mellinger-Birdsong from Mothers and Others for Clean Air will talk about the threats posed by methane pollution and what must be done to regulate emissions. Ultimately, this webinar will prepare faith communities for informed action in caring for our neighbors and our planet. Even if you cannot make the webinar at its scheduled time, sign up, and UCC Environmental Ministries will send you a link to a recording. This monthly installment of Creation Justice Webinars is co-hosted by the Rev. Dr. Brooks Berndt who serves as the Minister of Environmental Justice for the United Church of Christ and the Rev. Michael Malcom who serves as the Executive Director for Alabama Interfaith Power & Light and the People's Justice Council.

In 1967, when I was just entering graduate school at UCLA, history professor Lynn White Jr. had his article The Historic Roots of our Ecological Crisis published in the magazine Science. White claimed that the source of the environmental problems is religious in nature: “Since the roots of our trouble are largely religious the remedy must also be essentially religious. We must rethink and re-feel our nature and our destiny." Ilia Delio says in her 2019 website post: Warming, Warming, Gone! Who Will Survive Climate Change? "The problem lies as much within us as outside us. Indeed, the problem in the public forum begins in the personal arena. If it is a problem of politics and public policies, it is also fundamentally a problem of religion." "We need structural and pastoral changes in religious practices and worship, essentially a renewal of religion for a planet in crisis and in evolution. Basically, we need a 'new religion of the earth', one that celebrates interdependency, divine immanence, mutuality, and shared future (among other values.)" ~ Ilia Delio Although Delio has hope for the future she is not optimistic about the likelihood of religion transforming humankind with sufficient rapidity to address our current climate crisis. "The internal theological divides (translate=internal wars) of both Catholic and Protestant churches preempt a renewed religious sensibility which leads me to suggest that the future looks grim for the western world which is fundamentally built on Christian principles" "I do not think the first world will survive the dire consequences of global warming; however, I do think the third world will survive and rebuild." ~ Ilia Delio Our Western way of life is not sustainable, but perhaps countries in the southern hemisphere may lead the way to sustainability while they will also have to adapt to the reality of an increasing ecological imbalance they did not create. So what is the basis of this "new religion of the earth?" Explore Ilia Delio's Center for Christogenesis - an "online educational resource and a spiritual organization that serves an axial role in our time, bridging faith, science, culture, and community... The Center builds on the ideas of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and seeks to actualize his vision of emerging wholeness for a new vitality of the spirit. Ilia Delio, OSF is a Franciscan Sister of Washington, DC, and American theologian specializing in the area of science and religion, with interests in evolution, physics, and neuroscience and the import of these for theology. Click here for an interesting story on her personal evolution. Delio is the author of over twenty-three books including The Unbearable Wholeness of Being: God, Evolution (2013), Making All Things New: Making All Things New: Catholicity, Cosmology, Consciousness (2015), Re-Enchanting the Earth: Why AI Needs Religion. (2020), and The Hours of the Universe: Reflections on God, Science, and the Human Journey (2021). Delio's 2014 book, From Teilhard to Omega: Co-creating an Unfinished Universe, is "an edited volume of essays by 13 of the finest scholars on science and religion. She challenged each writer to apply Teilhard's insights to the needs of the current age." The Teilhardian concept of “Omega”—upon which our Center’s vision and work is based—is understood not as destination, but as deepening toward a more unified future. Omega is the revelation of God as the fullness of love, the dynamic center at the heart of all Creation." ~ Ilia Delio New Creation is "the Center for Christogenesis online magazine dedicated to deepening our awareness of God, Cosmos, and Humanity in a scientific age." “What is God Today?” is "an Omega Center video series featuring interviews with Ilia Delio on the meaning of the divine in the 21st century and what God is doing in our midst. Ilia explores major themes of her work and shares a vision of God, cosmos, and humanity that can help heal our troubled world and reveal religion as the most exciting energy of our time." Hunger for Wholeness is a podcast with Ilia Delio and Gabi Sloan. "Together we can change the direction of this world by revitalizing our essential religious roots and orienting human evolution toward the fullness of love and justice, toward Omega." ~ Ilia Delio January 23, 2023

“Resilience Hubs are community-based locations that nourish existing relationships and trust in the community to help prepare for the impacts of climate change and other disruptions.” For those who attended EMO's Oregon Interfaith Earth Summit 2023, you might remember a brief discussion of Resilient Communities Cohort for Congregations. Links were listed at the bottom of my Recap, but you may have missed it or are still not sure what it's all about. Cohort teams from across the state will be meeting via Zoom on the third Tuesday of each month from 6:30–8:30 p.m. from February through June 2023. The first Zoom gathering is coming up on Tuesday, February, 21, 2023, so please let Cherice Bock know if you are interested in participating in a local group of 3-7 people. Click here to send her an email. The following is information from Cherice: Why? Our wisdom traditions affirm the sacredness of the Earth. Yet today, our hearts ache alongside the Earth and our neighbors, as communities across the Pacific Northwest face ever more frequent and severe disasters: wildfires, floods, extreme drought, 100-year storms, and heat waves. To what new forms of grieving, living, and being does this destabilizing reality of climate breakdown call us as people of faith and fierce love? How might we prepare, protect, and regenerate our communities in the face of such threats? How can our faith communities, congregations, and faith-based organizations participate in hubs and networks for resilience in our communities? Join us as teams across our region come together to explore these questions and begin the work of building resilience alongside our broader communities. What is the Cohort? What will we do together? We will listen to the stories of ourselves, our ancestors, our communities, and the land. What do these stories unveil about how we got to where we are today? Why do others amongst us find themselves in such different circumstances? What might these stories reveal about how we can move, together, toward greater resilience in the face of climate breakdown and disasters? We will learn practices and postures that nurture collective resilience. The health and well-being of ourselves, our congregations, our neighbors (human and other species), our shared watersheds and waterways, and our common home, Earth, are inextricably intertwined. We will name and work to unlearn ways of working, worshiping, and consuming that makes us all more vulnerable to disasters — and especially those ways of acting and relating to one another and the earth that result in disproportionate burdens and impacts most often to poor and working-class people, Indigenous people, racialized communities, and immigrants and refugees. We will discern and traverse pathways to greater resilience — identifying, advocating for, and beginning to implement concrete changes to the physical-material, spiritual, and relational infrastructure of our communities in support of equitable mitigation and adaptation. Along the way, each team will develop and start to implement a context-specific plan of action for how your particular community can become a stronger node of resilience within a growing network of resilience hubs across the region. What is the commitment? Come as a team. Register at least 3 (and up to 7) members of your congregation or community to participate together as a team. Two gatherings a month. Cohort teams from across the state will meet via Zoom on the third Tuesday of each month from 6:30–8:30 pm from February through June 2023 (2/21, 3/21, 4/18, 5/16, 6/20). One gathering a month in-person or online with just your team. Contribute to sustainability. A suggested contribution of $100 per person. Funds will be used to pay for honorariums for our guest speakers and to reimburse various facilitation costs. Our Cohort Design Team will provide: Community, Connection, & Content. The first hour of each gathering will focus on stories, as we learn about resilience and the impact of climate change from members of immigrant and Black, Brown, Asian, and Indigenous communities in our region. During the second hour, we’ll share practices we can use to build more positive resilience in our own communities. Accompaniment. Each Cohort Team will be matched with a Companion who will meet with and walk alongside your team as you translate and practice what you are learning through the Cohort into your own local context. Opportunities for Ongoing Support. Teams that complete the Cohort will have the opportunity to access a mini-grant to support a Resilience project in their own community. Next Steps: Register: Fill out this form. Along with simple information questions, there are four questions that require a short response (you might plan 15-20 minutes to fill this out). We know many of you are still in the process of building your team. As you confirm participants, please forward this link and have each person fill out the registration form. This will help us streamline communications and plans. Form Your Team: As you pull together your team to engage in this work (at least three people from each community) consider who could serve as host or co-host. This point person (or people) will take responsibility for convening your team as needed, coordinating with your Companion, and communicating with the Cohort Design Team. Questions? Please don’t hesitate to reach out to SarahL@OregonSynod.org or cbock@emoregon.org

" According to Brad Reed, Campaign Director for Building Resilience, "Our buildings and homes account for more than one-third of the state’s greenhouse gas pollution. And they aren’t just toxic for our air. Too many buildings leave us vulnerable to the very climate-fueled weather that they contribute to — exposing Oregonians, particularly frontline and lower-income communities, to choking wildfire smoke and extreme heat and cold." The Building Resilience Campaign Kick-Off to help move Oregon away from dirty fossil fuels by building healthier, more affordable, and resilient communities will be on Zoom Wednesday, February 15, 2023, from 6-7 p.m. PST. Learn more about our bills in the 2023 legislative session from policy experts, hear from special guest speakers, and find out ways you can get involved! RSVP to get the Zoom link If you have any questions please contact the event planning team: Britney VanCitters (britney@olcv.org) at Oregon League of Conservation Voters, Ana Molina (ana@ojta.org) at Oregon Just Transition Alliance; and Becca Phelps (becca@uniteoregon.org) at Unite Oregon. "No matter who we are or where we live, Oregonians deserve homes and buildings that are healthy, affordable, and safe against the effects of extreme weather. But right now, too many of our homes and workplaces don't protect us enough from climate change harms, like the extreme heat and wildfire smoke. The way we heat and cook with fossil fuels is making things worse and more expensive, especially for lower-income and frontline communities." Unite Oregon is "advocating for statewide action so new construction is built smart from the start to be healthy and resilient while cutting energy waste and lowering bills. We're also working to make it easier and more affordable to update current homes and buildings to protect us from climate harm and transition to clean, efficient electricity. "Oregon's legislature must take action in 2023 to give more Oregonians access to more resilient and safer homes and buildings." *Note: BuildingResilence.org is password protected, but their email shows a physical address of 1390 SE 122nd Ave, Portland, OR. 97233, which is for Unite Oregon. Building Resilience campaign email links include Renew Oregon, @BuildResilient_, and buildingresilience_ Oregon Environmental Council is located at 537 SE Ash Street Suites 205 and 206, Portland, OR 97214

Image from the film's FB page: https://www.facebook.com/youthvgovfilm On Thursday, February 23, 2023 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. PST Rogue Climate Cinema Project is offering a Celebrate Youth Leadership event, which includes a free, in-person film screening of Youth v. GOV. After the film there will be a panel discussion about local youth climate justice organizing efforts. The screening and discussion are at Southern Oregon University Stevenson Union (Room 323), 1250 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 RSVP at this link to attend the free event Youth v. GOV is the story of the Juliana v. The United States of America constitutional lawsuit and the 21 youths, ages 14 to 25, who are taking on the United States government. Since 2015, the legal non-profit Our Children’s Trust has been representing these youth in their landmark case against the U.S. government for violating their constitutional rights to life, liberty, personal safety, and property through their willful actions in creating the climate crisis that the youth will inherit. Also check out the SOU Climate Justice Conference on February 24-25, 2023

From: Cherice Bock, EMO/OLIS Re: Oregon HB 2601 (The Treasury Investment & Climate Protection Act) There is a hearing coming up this Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023 at 1 p.m. PST in the House Committee On Emergency Management General Government, and Veterans (a sub-committee of the Ways & Means Joint Committee) regarding HB 2601. If you are not able to appear in person to give testimony here's a one-click email you can send your legislators, and/or copy and modify.. Background talking points, sample testimony, and submission details can be found in this testimony toolkit. Key Talking Points Provisions of HB 2601 compared to the Treasurer’s plan announced in Nov 2022 Here is the OLIS page for HB2601. Divest Oregon coalition’s three key demands to the Oregon State Treasury are reflected in HB 2601. Here is what Divest Oregon has written: "The Oregon Treasury has a fiduciary responsibility to protect all of Oregon's investments for the long term, including those in public employee retirement funds such as PERS. The current Treasury investment strategy leaves investments critically vulnerable to fossil fuel-related climate risk. The Oregon Treasury invests $137 billion in the people of Oregon, and at least $5.3 billion is in fossil fuels. The time to act is now. Shifting Oregon Treasury holdings from risky fossil fuels to climate-safe investments protect PERS recipients, Oregon's valuable natural resources, and our collective future. HB 2601, the Treasury Investment and Climate Protection Act, instructs the Treasury to quickly move to climate-safe investments, using an environmental justice framework: Immediately: End all NEW investments in fossil fuels since they pose a financial, health, and climate risk to Oregonians. Over two years: Clean up all the public investments. Exit from the worst public carbon-intensive holdings within six months, and all the largest fossil-fuel producers within 2 years. By 2035: Phase out ALL remaining fossil fuel investments, including private ones. Immediately: Require transparency. Since it invests our money, the Treasury must provide detailed quarterly reports to the public and the legislature. We deserve to know that the Treasury’s investments protect our pensions and our future. Why a bill to tell the Treasury to exit from fossil fuel investments? The funds of PERS and the Oregon Treasury are at risk. Those funds should be put into climate-safe investments that increase our resiliency as a people and as a state. The Treasurer’s plan to exit from fossil fuels by 2050 is too weak and too slow. It has been clear for years that institutions need to protect the returns of their pensions by divesting from fossil fuels. The data just keep accumulating, and even the Treasury’s climate risk assessments show that PERS retirement funds’ returns are at risk because of these investments. Meanwhile, fossil fuels are a dying industry and investments in that sector will be ever more difficult to sell. The urgency of the climate crisis demands that we act now. Only rapid and drastic reductions in greenhouse gases can prevent widespread devastation and extreme weather, and time is running out. A report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) issued a rock-solid conclusion: There can be no new fossil fuels in a net-zero by 2050 pathway. Simply stated, our financial institutions must immediately halt all financing of fossil fuel expansion and phase out all fossil fuel holdings."

Earth cookies baked by Linda Hammer-Brown, served at the Earth Summit. On February 5, 2023, from 1:30-5 p.m., PST Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO) and Oregon Interfaith Power & Light hosted their 10th annual Oregon Interfaith Earth Summit 2023. The theme was: "Care for Our Common Home: Building Neighborhoods for Climate Resilience." The zoom Plenary portion was coordinated by Cherice Bock, Creation Justice Advocate with EMO. Twenty-seven of us gathered from the Rogue Valley in southern Oregon at First Presbyterian Church of Medford. More than ecumenical or Interfaith, this was an "Inter-spiritual" event - local networking among members of several faith communities, those "spiritual, but not religious." and concerned climate activists professing no specific faith tradition. We gathered in recognition that "individual action is not going to solve the climate crisis - It's about communities working together." We have been talking about this for decades, but we still don’t seem to get it right." "Change has to come from the heart, not just the head - everything is interrelated.” We were welcomed by Rev. Murray Richmond, Pastor at First Presbyterian Church, and Bob Morse of the Ashlands Friends Community in Ashland, who served as MC. Caren Caldwell read an indigenous prayer. A fun afternoon highlight was Rabbi Ruhi Sophia Motzkin Rubenstein from Temple Beth Israel in Eugene who led us in a kinetic, Tu BiShvat, body prayer: Let’s learn from the trees today. Together New Orleans - Abel Thompson and Asia Ognibenepresented how Community Lighthouses are creating climate resilience communities in Louisiana. Together New Orleans' vision is "to build the nation's largest network of solar + storage resilience hubs at churches and community centers across south Louisiana." They are a broad-based organization of organizations, breaking barriers that ordinarily divide us. Started 4 years ago, Together New Orleans officially launched as a non-profit in 2021 with $120,000 in pledges and 54 members. Then hurricane Ida hit the coast in August 2021 causing $75 billion in damage and 107 deaths, most of which occurred because of power outages, heat-related emergencies such as cardiac arrest, or CO2 poisoning, Together New Orleans set out to build the infrastructure, and train teams so they know their equipment and neighborhoods. To date, they have raised $9 million for Phase 1 for 16 locations, with plans to grow ultimately to 86 locations throughout the state of Louisiana. They are connecting with people in their neighborhoods and not just within congregations Warm Springs Community Action Group - Chris Watson Executive Director of this group described the Commissary Project on the Confederated Tribes of Warms Springs reservation in Oregon. Oregon Interfaith Power & Light Advocacy Team - Sign up to receive action alerts, opportunities for training, and invitations to participate in lobbying and advocacy efforts around climate and environmental justice during Oregon Legislative Sessions. Resilient Communities Cohort for Congregations - they will start meeting each month from Feb-June 2023 on the third Tuesday, learning practical actions. State Legislation - Oregon State Representative Khanh Pham discussed various proposed bills related to climate change and resilience: How we properly utilize our forests is probably the most important issue for Oregon. Many Oregon forests are privately owned by Wall Street firms. The Senate version of the proposed legislation will offer carrots (financial benefits to owners.); the House version will have more sticks. Transportation is about access to opportunity. Transportation emissions are the number one source of climate pollution in Oregon. Traffic fatalities are also up. The gas tax is declining as people are moving to electric vehicles. Divest Oregon Coalition's efforts to have pension funds divest from fossil fuel stocks will face obstacles. The Oregon Treasurer is against it. The Senate has no appetite for this although legislation will probably pass in the House. OR HB 2990 Community Resilient Hub bill directs Oregon Health Authority to develop and implement grant programs to support resilience hubs and networks in Oregon. The bill. being presented jointly by Rep. Pam Marsh and Rep. Pham, will have both hubs and districts (which have not been divided up yet) administered by OHA with solar resources in the hubs. This is supported by Unite Oregon. Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon's new president Frank So was introduced. Rev. Richenda Fairhurst, chairperson of the Creation Justice Committee at EMO/OIPL closed the online portion of the gathering. Richenda encouraged those who can donate generously to EMO. Richenda hosts Climate Cafe Multifaith on Tuesdays twice a month, with extras on occasion. They share topics, inspiration, and friendship at the intersection of faith and climate change. Find more about the Climate Cafe Multifaith at faiths4future.org/climate-cafe. The online Zoom Plenary is covered in the YouTube video above. A description of the in-person presentations and discussion is summarized below. Rogue Climate - Alessandra de la Torre and Maeve Hogan from Rogue Climate spoke about Community Resilience Hubs. In a survey of 160 participants (101 from Jackson County), most felt safest in their homes, schools, churches, and medical centers. When emergency services falters is when the power goes out. Wildfires, smoke, and earthquakes are top concerns. Food, refrigeration, mental health services, and child care are concerns. It is important for people to be temporarily housed where they have trusted relationships. Rogue Climate prepared a Community Resilience Guidebookfor people and organizations who are passionate about environmental justice, care about emergency preparedness and resilience, and want to see a more just future for ourselves and our neighbors. Rogue Climate is advocating to Stop GTN XPress. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) largely ignored more than one thousand public comments by concerned community members who oppose TC Energy’s GTN XPress project. Rogue Action Center - Nicole Greider said Rogue Action Center focuses on justice issues related to climate - the people who are most impacted are underserved. She has been part of the disaster relief team for 2 years. They are doing a mapping project. Rogue Food Unites has storage for water and a truck. Ashland Climate Collaborative - Lorrie Kaplan told us ACC focuses on home electrification; water conservation; transportation; and food waste/composting. They are trying to change the social norms. ACC was set up in Ashland because of the city's Community Action Plan of 2016. Neighbors are less likely to talk about climate change so it will be easier to bring it up as they organize Neighborhood Group in 2023. Zero Food Waste Act and the Cultivating Organic Matter through the Promotion Of Sustainable Techniques (COMPOST) Act - Flavia Franco spoke about two bills sponsored by U.S. Senator Cory Booker and others “to reduce the amount of food wasted in the U.S. and to redirect food waste to composting projects.” National Food Waste Prevention Week - April 10-16, 2023 - A Florida collaborative “to educate and inspire real cultural change around food waste in order to help families save money, reduce the negative impact of food waste on the environment, and address hunger in our communities.” Rogue Food Unites - community values; shopping local; and working with local restaurants MRE (meals ready to eat). Oregon Climate Action Hub - Their goal is to “build individual and community capacity for action, and encourage each of us to live in ways that create a vibrant future for all.” Find an organization; collaborate; look for work; take action; change policy; meet up. Find them on Facebook; and Instagram. Emergency Preparedness - Jackson County Emergency Management has links to emergency preparedness Resources. Rick Bonetti mentioned that Rogue Valley Manor has been organizing cottage neighborhoods for emergency preparedness and there is a Resident Preparedness Group Manual with links to some useful general information. Rogue Valley 2020 Fire Resources - A local Realtor compiled a list of resources available to victims of the Almeda fire. Oregon Climate Equity Network - coalition members about some of the key climate policy bills—and why it's so important for families to raise their voices for climate justice! PCUN - Their mission is to “empower farmworkers and working for Latinx families in Oregon by building community, increasing Latinx representation in elections, and policy advocacy on both the national and state levels.” Oregon Environmental Council - OEC “brings Oregonians together to protect our water, air, and land with healthy solutions that work for today and for future generations. Founded in 1968 by concerned Oregonians across the state, they are a membership-based, nonpartisan nonprofit.” Just Crossing Alliance - “The Interstate Bridge Replacement is our region’s largest transportation investment in half a century. It should be centered on social justice, environmental justice, climate justice, and fiscal responsibility. The Just Crossing Alliance is a partnership of environmental, environmental justice, and sustainable transportation organizations who have endorsed a statement of values for the project.” Neighbors for Clean Air - “Neighbors for Clean Air envisions an Oregon where every community has clean and healthy air to breathe.” Divest Oregon - “The PERS pension is funding climate change by investing in fossil fuels. It’s a financially bad investment for your retirement savings and the planet. You can do something about it!” Building Resilience - “Improving Oregon’s Homes and Buildings for our Climate and Communities.” Climate Bills at the 2023 Oregon Legislature (on YouTube) The young people from Rogue Climate left at 5 p.m. to attend a Zumba class at their Phoenix location, reminding us that we need to have fun and find joy to be truly resilient. What's next? There was a lot of information presented so a process of discernment is necessary to determine how to collaborate and work together. If you are interested in participating in the 2023 Resilient Communities Cohort but want more information click here. If you are ready to join fill out this form. If you are interested in a monthly Climate Cafe meet-up in Ashland, let me know. Thank you to all who contributed to making this event a success!

Oregon Interfaith Power and Light (OIPL) is making plans for next year's Earth Day April 22, 2023 and Faith Climate Action Week April 14 - 23, 2023. "Faith Climate Action Week is IPL’s annual program of climate-themed worship services and sermons that spans ten days of activities in celebration of Earth Month. This is IPL’s premier event to create a mass movement of people of faith and conscience preaching, teaching, and acting to heal the climate." "The theme of 2023’s Faith Climate Action Week is Living the Golden Rule: Just Transition to a Clean Energy Economy.” They will examine our responsibility to transition to energy sources that safeguard our common home, and how our faiths call us to respond with just solutions for all." "Sign up to be notified when the pre-printed Organizer’s Kit becomes available. The kit will include an Action Guide with information on the faithful call to care for our neighbors by ensuring a just transition to a clean energy economy where the well-being of workers and frontline community members are prioritized." "In the kit, there are suggested short films, an updated climate change fact sheet, faith-based discussion materials including a special multi-faith Golden Rule poster, and suggestions and resources for how to engage in supporting local action. Faith Climate Action Week 2023 online offerings include resources for sermons, talks, worship services, a film screening kit for the 2023 featured film, and more." Reserve your pre-printed Faith Climate Action Week Organizer’s Kit here. "As people of faith and conscience, we are called to ensure a just transition and create a life-giving economy and society where the interconnected community of all life can thrive in a safe climate." ~ Interfaith Power & Light OIPL is an EMO project that "engages the faith community to strive for accountability in our individual and collective energy decisions in an interdependent world."

February 4, 2023, from 9 a.m. to Noon the Rogue Basin Water Action Community will have its 2023 Kick-off Event at the Medford Library Large Meeting Room, 205 S. Central Ave. The event is free and open to everyone. Click here for more information. February 5, 2023, at 1:30–5:15 p.m. PST- The tenth annual Oregon Interfaith Earth Summit will take place in faith communities all over Oregon on Sunday afternoon February 5th. The theme for this state-wide event, organized by Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, is "Care for Our Common Home: Building Neighborhoods for Climate Resilience." In Rogue Valley, our Rogue Valley Interfaith Action Group will be hosting a local gathering at First Presbyterian Church, 85 S.Holly Street, Medford, OR 97501 at 1:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome. Registration is $25; Students are $10; scholarships are also available. Register here. February 7, 2023, at 11 a.m. PST - Climate Cafe Multifaith meets on Tuesdays twice a month, with extras on occasion. We share topics, inspiration, and friendship at the intersection of faith and climate change. On Feb. 7th we dive into a conversation about oceans with Byron Walker. We will explore ocean science, a little ecology, some theology, and maybe even a little ‘end times.’ Find more about the Climate Cafe Multifaith at faiths4future.org/climate-cafe. February 7, 2023, from 6:30 -8:00 p.m. PST - Rogue Reimagined will have Community Listening Sessions at the Talent Community Center, Dinner will be provided. February 8, 2023, at 10 a.m. PST - the monthly installment of UCC's Creation Justice Webinars will address the Land Back Movement, which has been succinctly described as the generations-long struggle to put “Indigenous lands back into Indigenous hands.” Register here. February 15, 2023, at 10 a.m. PST- the next Movement Cafe centers on the United Methodist Earthkeepers. The Movement Cafe is part of a grassroots movement within the United Methodist Church and will run on 3rd Wednesdays. Learn more about the Movement Cafe and register. February 20, 2023 - Urgent Optimists starts a fictional future simulation known as Welcome Party,” where ten years from now. in 2033. nations are welcoming immigrants relocating from places in the world made "unlivable" by a worsening global climate emergency. Join this simulation to spend 10 days in the future of climate migration. Play begins 2/20/2023 after the 10-day simulation of journal writing. February 21, 2023, at 11 a.m. PST - Climate Cafe Multifaith meets on Tuesdays twice a month, with extras on occasion. We share topics, inspiration, and friendship at the intersection of faith and climate change. Find more about the Climate Cafe Multifaith at faiths4future.org/climate-cafe. February 23, 2023, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. PST - Rogue Climate Cinema Project is offering a Celebrate Youth Leadership event, which includes a free, in-person film screening of Youth v. GOV. and a panel discussion about local youth climate justice organizing efforts. February 24-25, 2023 Southern Oregon University is having Climate Justice Conference 2023 "to discuss, learn, and take action toward centering racial equity and social justice in the climate change resistance and resilience movements. The goal of the conference is to accelerate the pace with which a racial equity lens is integrated into regional climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resilience efforts."

Cherice Bock, Creation Justice Advocate for Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO) has invited our Rogue Valley Interfaith Climate Action Group and Rev. Richenda Fairhurst (EMO's Creation Justice Committee Chair who lives in Ashland) to participate in an Oregon Interfaith Earth Summit 2023. The theme will be Building Neighborhoods of Climate Resilience. The Summit is scheduled for February 5, 2023 from 1:30-5 p.m. PST with the local gathering at First Presbyterian Church of Ashland, located at the southeastern corner of Walker and Siskiyou Blvd. Save the date! EMO's last annual Earth Summit was held in Portland in 2017 and was subsequently restricted by Covid 19, but in 2023 it will be a hybrid event with both Zoom and regional, in-person gatherings held around the state. The initial plenary Zoom session will be arranged by EMO with speakers addressing how faith communities can help neighborhoods during climate-related emergency events. This will be followed by time for local participants to get to know one another and discuss how faith communities can plan local actions for organizing neighborhoods. The Summit will end with a public witness such as a silent vigil and candle lighting. Statewide climate resilience legislation in Oregon is currently being proposed by Representative Khanh Pham in the northern part of the State and Representative Pam Marsh. working with Rogue Climate. Unite Oregon leads a fight for social justice in Oregon "by empowering communities ignored by the powerful." They focus on six interrelated issues: Climate Justice; Housing Justice; Community Safety; Education Equity; Economic Justice; and Health Equity. Oregon Just Transition Alliance (OJTA) "is a movement of communities facing environmental racism, climate change, and economic exploitation – the frontlines of injustice and the frontlines of change." Cherice expects to email more organizational details in early December 2022. For more information about the Summit contactor Cherice at cbock@emoregon.org or 503-314-7908 or Richenda at richenda@circlefaithfuture.org and follow this Rogue Valley Voice blog for updated information.

From Maig Tinnin at Rogue Climate: "Federal regulators did not hold a public hearing on TC Energy’s GTN XPress fracked gas pipeline expansion–so communities are holding one instead." On Monday, February 13 at 5:00 p.m. PST, join community members, elected officials, physicians, and climate justice advocates in a People’s Hearing hosted by the coalition to Stop GTN XPress.This will be a hybrid virtual and in-person hearing. Attend in person at the Rogue Climate Office, 205 N. Phoenix Rd., Phoenix, OR 97353 RSVP or attend on Zoom RSVP The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) largely ignored more than one thousand public comments by concerned community members who oppose TC Energy’s GTN XPress project. Attend the hearing to give your testimony, which will be shared directly with FERC to send the strong message that people in the Northwest oppose new fossil fuel infrastructure. Hear from community leaders and advocates from across the Northwest (including US Senator Jeff Merkley) about why they are coming together in the fight to #StopGTNXPress. Want to learn more about GTN XPress and the gas industry’s latest strategy to use pipeline expansion projects to quickly push new fossil fuels through communities across the Northwest–and the country? Watch this video, and RSVP for the People’s Hearing today to stop this dangerous proposal."

Interfaith Power & Light and its partners are hosting a Zoom webinar: Planning the Energy Future of your Congregation on February 21, 2023, at 10 a.m. PST. "The webinar will address the importance of benchmarking or creating a snapshot of your facilities’ energy use to shape your congregation’s plan to cut energy costs and care for our Sacred Earth. This is the first step to making a plan to take advantage of federal funding for energy and resiliency improvements from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that will be available later this year. Click here to register. "Jerry Lawson, the National Manager of EPA’s Energy Star for Small Businesses and Congregations, will explain the EPA’s free energy tracking tool, Portfolio Manager, which is the gold standard in the field of energy tracking. The Islamic Center of Evansville in Indiana successfully utilized EPA's Portfolio Manager receiving the Energy STAR certification in 2021." "For smaller congregations who prefer a simpler tool, Sarah Paulos, IPL’s Program Director, will explain IPL’s Cool Congregation carbon footprint calculator. Tom Hackley, from People’s Church of Kalamazoo, Michigan, will share the congregation’s well-conceived plan for reaching zero carbon emissions by 2030, as an example of a congregation that has already made a plan. People’s Church is a Certified Cool Congregation that has already achieved a 20% reduction towards their 100% goal." Find the recording of the December 2022 webinar, Federal Funding Resources for Nonprofits and Houses of Worship: An Overview, and other resources on IPL’s Resource page.