Responding to Pope Francis’ Call

“We are faced not with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather with one complex crisis which is both social and environmental. Strategies for a solution demand an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature.” Pope Francis, Laudato Si, Chapter 4, paragraph 139

September 24, 2015.  I live in northern Virginia, just outside of Washington, DC, which can sometimes be both a blessing and a curse.  Yesterday, when Pope Francis addressed Congress, it was a huge blessing!  My wife and I joined a number of our friends from Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions, an interfaith group in Fairfax County, VA, and the National Capital Presbytery Earth Care Network, a group of 10 churches in the National Capital Presbytery dedicated to earth care, to hear what the pontiff had to say on the National Mall.  Oh sure, we could have watched it at home on TV, but being there in-person among an incredibly diverse crowd of people who are passionate about the environment was electrifying!  After much speechifying and good music, we got to see and hear His Holiness on a jumbo-tron.  Pope Francis did for Congress and the American people what pastors from before Jesus’ time have always tried to do – discern God’s Word for our time and place.  The crowd on the grass all around us cheered wildly, as if we were in the chamber.  But as my pastor once said to our congregation:  “What are you going to do after the cheering stops?”

That brings me to the second event that I attended that day.  It was an interfaith gathering at the National Cathedral entitled, Coming Together in Faith on Climate.  It included faith leaders from about a dozen different faith traditions from Jewish to Muslim to Episcopalian, Catholic, Evangelical Christian, and AME.   It even included a sitting US Senator, Sheldon Whitehorse of RI.  Imam Ebrahim Rasool summed the prevailing sentiment best telling us that the current ecological/social crisis was so threatening to our world that we needed to put aside our religious differences, as Pope Francis had said earlier in the day, and work together to address the situation.  The imam reminded us that this is a moral issue with deep theological roots in all of the major world religions, be they Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, or Hindu.  These faith leaders then called on all people of faith everywhere to adopt this five-point strategy “to lead by example.”

1.     Engage:  Engage our Congregations and Communities for Climate Solutions.  Beginning today, we’re asking every person of faith to go to their house of worship as soon as possible, and speak from their heart to their clergy or spiritual leaders.  We’re asking the same of clergy and spiritual leaders – to speak personally, from your heart, to your congregation.  Tell them you agree with Pope Francis and a wide array of multi-faith leaders that we have a moral obligation to take action today on climate change and build a sustainable future for our children.  Tell them you will lead by example to build support for climate solutions by engaging and inspiring others and take actions that will help restore a healthy atmosphere, and you hope that will lead by example too.  And make sure to take this personal pledge:  www.blessedtomorrow.org/join

2.     Energize:  Form or Join a Clean Energy Group in our Faith Communities.  Thousands of congregations already have active climate- and environment-oriented groups leading the way in switching to clean, renewable energy.  But we need thousands more.  At the site below, you’ll find links to the amazing organizations that are doing wonderful work helping congregations and individuals energize, so you can (a) maximize energy efficiency; (b) switch to clean, renewable energy for your community of faith, your home, and your neighborhood; and (c) so you can energize your people to push for needed political action.  www.interfaithpowerandlight.org

3.     Divest/Invest: Clean up our Personal and Congregational Investments.  Denominations, universities, and seminaries are divesting from fossil fuels, and investing in clean, renewable energy.  Now, it’s possible for us as individuals to do so as well – transferring our personal savings, IRA’s, and other investments into companies that are part of the solution instead of part of the problem.  Make your personal pledge at www.idivestinvest.org

4.     Vote: Make Climate One of our Top Three Issues When (Not If) We Vote.  We’re asking you to demand needed action from every candidate and elected leader in every election.  We’ll provide you with resources to help you learn which candidates are supporting climate change solutions, and which are ignoring or opposing them.  www.faithinpubliclife.org

5.     Educate:  Stay Informed and Educate Others.  Through your social media and in-person networks, you can become a trusted source of information and inspiration for others.  To stay informed and keep learning, sign up for Common Good News for regular updates: www.convergenceus.org/common-good-news.html

I hope you cheered the Pope’s words, but now that the cheering has died down, what are you going to do about it?

David Kepley

Ruling Elder and Deacon

Providence Presbyterian Church

Fairfax, VA

Kepley.david@gmail.com

Biblical Authority and the Care of Creation

As a sinner and lover of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, guided by prayer, Scripture and the Holy Spirit I have come to the belief and assurance of the Christian moral responsibility to be lovers, advocates and stewards of God’s good Creation the earth. As a member of the United Methodist Church I am influenced by the Wesleyan Quadrilateral to guide my core beliefs and these are the authority of Scripture (the earth is the Lord’s), church tradition of the love of creation,  the application of reason and lastly the experience of believers of God’s grace working in and through all of creation. I’d like to share some thoughts on the authority of Scripture in coming to my understanding of what it means to be an advocate for all of creation.

Biblical authority is not a tool to justify the status quo and benefit the powerful but according to Walter Brueggermann the “Bible is inherently the live word of God that addresses us concerning the character and will of the gospel-giving God, empowering us to an alternative life in the world.” (Brueggermann, 2000)  In the book of Colossians Verses 1:15-20 St. Paul provides a vison of this “alternative life” in which all things are reconciled to God “[Christ] himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together … and through him God was pleased to reconcile to [God-self] all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.” When I read this scripture I am compelled by God to ask myself  “is the way I am living, are the choices that I am making and the actions that I’m taking that which does no harm and in-fact does good for all of God’s people and the creation?” Are we doing that which builds an alternative world which seeks to reconcile all things by seeking the well-being of humankind on a thriving earth? Scriptural authority of God’s reconciling love for all provides a strong foundation for the care of creation, even when it is inconvenient for my life. For God’s grace is calling forth each person to seek justice and love mercy as we grow in relationship with God, each other and all of creation.

Brueggemann, Walter. "Biblical Authority: A Personal Reflection." Covenant Network. 3 Nov. 2000. http://covnetpres.org/2000/11/biblical-authority-a-personal-reflection/. 1 Aug. 2015. 

What Gets Measured Gets Improved

If you want to lose weight, you need to know how much you weigh. If you want to run a race, you need to know how far to go. In order to measure anything, you start with a number.

It’s no different with reducing energy use in our county buildings. 

Energy efficiency is an immediate way we can address climate change and save taxpayers money. An energy dashboard can motivate behavioral changes to reduce carbon pollution that is trapping heat like a blanket around the earth and endangering our future. We believe there is a moral and spiritual responsibility to act now.

But when Fairfax County staff told the Supervisors it would cost a whopping $14.8 million to set up an energy dashboard to display the cost of utilities in 205 County-owned buildings, and over $3.5 million in annual maintenance, I was shocked.

It’s clear that county staff has not been in contact with other cities or counties or states or colleges that use money-saving energy dashboards and energy-saving programs. If they had, they would have learned that one of the most popular ways of measuring energy use is by getting the data directly from the utility.

Here’s how three nearby leaders do it:  

Build Smart DC – “The goal of Build Smart DC is clear: Create a transformational environment that drives unprecedented energy savings.” 

Arlington County -- “Buildings contribute a large part of the County’s overall energy use, but offer substantial opportunities for reductions, and therefore emissions reductions, without compromising essential services.” 

George Mason University – 40 energy improvement measures saved $2.5 million. Those savings were used to take additional steps that saved another $2.5 million. GMU has also cut carbon pollution by 20,505 metric tons.

So How Much Does an Energy Dashboard Really Cost? 

A fraction of the estimates that County provided. Here are the range of projections given to FACS by by three different vendors: 

• 60,100 - $120,000 for one-time installation
• 30,000 - $55,000 for annual maintenance.

And - get this! - these numbers include not only the 205 County buildings in theCounty's estimate but also Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPA) buildings. That's 450 buildings in all!

Two vendors, Wegowise and Energy Cap, project costs at under 1% of Fairfax County's numbers. The most expensive of the projects FACS obtained is $175,000. Energy Cap, already a Fairfax County vendor, could potentially be the least expensive at around $33,100 for both installation AND annual maintenance.

While these numbers are projections, the difference between them and Fairfax County estimates must be addressed. 

How Much Can Taxpayers Save? 

Budget savings that result from energy dashboards and a solid efficiency program can, in a few short years, add up to a 20% savings. Fairfax County’s FY2016 utilities cost estimate is $13.5 million. That could be a cool $2.7 million of taxpayer money saved.

I’ve asked the three vendors to submit proposals to the county. In a recent meeting with one Supervisor, we were told the county is required by law to evaluate unsolicited proposals.

Fairfax County government has the potential to become a leader in energy efficiency. But it takes vision and commitment.

It’s time to step up.

Eric Goplerud

Executive Director, Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions

My Mother's Advice

When I was a boy, my mother told me not to speak when I was angry. That advice stuck with me. That's why it's taken me a while to write about what happened in early February at the meeting of the Fairfax County Environmental Committee.

A work commitment prevented me from attending that day. But several FACS members who did attend told me what happened.

The conference room at the County Government Center was filled to capacity as Jose Comayagua Jr. of the facilities management department led Chairman Sharon Bulova and the other Supervisors through a PowerPoint presentation.

The conclusion: an energy dashboard – which Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions has been promoting for months with Supervisors and staff as tool to increase energy efficiency and save taxpayer money – would cost an astonishing $14.8 million to set up and $3.5 million annually to operate.

“It’s really not that useful,” declared County Executive Ed Long, who was sitting nearby.

Every expert I have talked to since then has shaken their head and chuckled at the County’s cost estimate.

Energy Efficiency Isn’t Sexy

It’s not like building Tysons Corner or extending the Silver Line. It’s not like maintaining the quality of our schools or building more affordable housing. Energy efficiency is asking that we do more with less. Increasing energy efficiency is recognized as the most effective way to quickly reduce the CO2 emissions that are causing the heat trapping blanket around the earth that is disrupting our climate and endangering our grandchildren.

Did you know Virginia is ranked 35^th of all states in energy efficiency? Despite what Fairfax County say, the County is far behind behind Arlington County, the District of Columbia, and Montgomery County, Maryland in commitment and measurable progress.

Accountability

County officials say they are already doing so much. But do you know what they are doing to address climate disruption? We’ve been studying it for months, and we don’t either.

That’s what an energy dashboard is all about. It’s a baseline of measurement; a means to determine what buildings are efficient and which ones are not. It’s a window into County operations that will provide accountability. But it appears Fairfax County is not interested in accountability to voters.

When Supervisor Linda Q.Smyth of Providence District asked if, rather than adding the cost to the County’s tight budget, alternate means of financing have been examined, Mr. Comayagua replied, “We’ll look into it.”After the meeting, FACS member Scott Peterson asked Mr. Long why alternate financing had not been examined, when FACS had provided three alternative financing mechanisms? Long said we should send another memo.

It’s About Commitment

Instead, I contacted two energy management software companies that have successfully mounted publicly-facing energy consumption websites for Washington DC, Los Angeles, Boston,and New Orleans, as well Fortune 500 companies. Within a few short years, investments in a dashboard was paid off and significant savings piled up.

How Much for Fairfax County?

For all 450 County and Fairfax county public school buildings, the higher of the two cost estimates was $125,000 plus $55,000 annually for maintenance.

You read that correctly. In my next post, I’ll provide more details.

My mother was right. It’s a bad idea to speak when you are angry. But my mother was also a very determined woman who seldom took no for an answer. That’s something I learned from her, too.

Eric Goplerud

Executive Director, Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions

http://www.faithforclimate.org/