Excerpted from Keep Awake, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 71: 1-17 Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to […]
The following remarks were delivered by Eco-Justice Connection Director, Susannah Tuttle, during a gun violence prevention press conference on October 14, 2022, in response to the recent Raleigh mass shooting. […]
Today Interfaith Power & Light (IPL) released a faithful voter reflection guide in advance of the upcoming election season. The guide discusses many of the defining moral issues that are […]
As I look out my window, I see azaleas in full bloom and the glorious bright green leaves of the trees have leafed out all across North Carolina. I am […]
John 1:(1-9), 10-18 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, […]
We are thrilled to introduce 3 Eco-Justice Connection Fellows that will be joining our NC Council of Churches Eco-Justice Connection team! We are excited about the developments these 3 fellows […]
Via our NC Interfaith Power & Light campaign, the NC Council of Churches is a part of the US Climate Action Network, a vital network of nearly 200 climate organizations […]
Excerpted from Enough for All, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Exodus 20:1-17 Then God spoke all these words: I am the Lord your […]
Excerpted from The Heart of the Work, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14 Endow the king with your justice, O […]
The work of faith-based climate action is important to us because we know that we cannot Iove our neighbors without addressing climate change and environmental injustice. The same can be […]
Excerpted from Power Made Perfect in Weakness, a Lenten Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 121 I lift up my eyes to the hills— […]
Excerpted from Cultivating Care for Creation, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the North Carolina Council of Churches. Psalm 148 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him […]
Excerpted from the Council’s 2019 Lenten Reflection Guide for Lectionary Year C. After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I […]
Hurricane Florence is proving to be the most devastating extreme weather event in the history of North Carolina. Simultaneously, our state has been widely viewed as an outpost of climate […]
Last week North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality introduced members of the Secretary’s Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Board during a ceremony in the agency’s Green Square Lobby. The scope […]
Duke University officials have announced the indefinite delay of plans to build a freestanding Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant and will instead focus its attention on expanding opportunities to […]
In response to President Donald Trump and Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke’s proposal to auction off nearly every piece of America’s coastline to private oil companies, 34 religious leaders in […]
Excerpted from the NC Council of Churches Lenten Guide, “Journey to Justice” You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, […]
After failing to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act, the Trump administration now has its sights set on our Clean Power Plan. For this one, they won’t have to […]
It has been three years since 400,000+ people came together in the streets of New York City for the first Peoples Climate March in 2014, and we’ve achieved a lot. […]
The Atlantic Coast Pipeline met more opposition last week. This time in the form of a prayer gathering by faith leaders outside the Department of Environmental Quality office. DEQ and […]
Over the past week we have experienced a thousand-year flood in Houston and the most powerful storm ever to form in the Atlantic. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt says now is […]
Governor Roy Cooper has announced his strong opposition to offshore drilling and seismic blasting along North Carolina’s coast. “Our coast is part of our identity,” he said, speaking to the […]
It is becoming a national trend for politicians to “divide and conquer” by attacking the wind industry while supporting other forms of clean energy. This is fracturing the renewable energy community as folks […]
“Biomass” may sound like a clean idea, but it actually means cutting down and turning trees into fuel pellets to be burned for energy — creating more carbon pollution than […]
We were already living in a time of profound consequence. President Trump’s decision to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement means that while the needs of our endangered climate are increasing, […]
Multi-faith pilgrims on a moral high road unified to honor God’s creation at the Peoples Climate March last month on the National Mall. The event, which came as a crescendo […]
Crowds are gathered on this Earth Day in Washington, D.C. and in cities across the country to march for science and protect the deeply held value of truth and facts. […]
NC Interfaith Power and Light’s lay and faith leader network is at the General Assembly on April 6 until 4 p.m. for their Advocating with Compassion Day. Even if you cannot […]
This week, Donald Trump issued an executive order to turn back the clock on the climate progress we have made over the past decade. In addition to directing the EPA to […]
For this year’s Lenten Guide, each member of the Council staff chose a verse from a favorite hymn to write about. We will post their reflections throughout Lent, for Ash […]
Many people want to take meaningful action on climate change but don’t know where to start. Taking a big step, like switching to solar, doesn’t have to be hard. Any […]
Last week President Trump signed executive actions to advance the construction of the Keystone, Dakota Access, and Atlantic Coast Pipelines. In the face of clear scientific consensus that our dependence […]
Excerpted from How Will We Welcome the Prince of Peace? An Advent Guide for Lectionary Year A from the NC Council of Churches. Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, […]
Now, more than ever, we need you to put your faith into action. On April 29, under the banner of the People’s Climate Movement, people of faith will join partners […]
Many of us have been following with great interest the resistance of Native Americans in North Dakota to the Dakota Access Pipeline. For the crime of defending their lands and […]
Join North Carolina Interfaith Power and Light and the NC Council of Churches for a first in North Carolina screening of “Before the Flood,” a film by Academy-Award winners Leonardo […]
As the North Carolina Court of Appeals considers a Greensboro church’s use of a popular solar financing method, faith groups from across the state continue to support the call for […]
October is National Energy Awareness Month and the NC Council of Churches wants to empower congregations to do all they can to reduce their carbon footprint and move to clean […]
Two weeks ago I was selected as the keynote speaker at the Environmental Defense Fund NC’s Advisory Board dinner to present the collaborative activities and accomplishments of our growing partnership. […]
The impacts of climate variability and change affect everyone, but they disproportionately affect vulnerable populations with the least resources to prepare and recover from the damage. Understanding where these concerns […]
On September 1 people around the world are coming together to pray for God’s creation, and to observe the Season of Creation between that day and October 4 – the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. NC Interfaith […]
We are thrilled to share that Penny J. Hopper has been awarded “Woman of the Year” by the League of Women Voters of Carteret County, NC. Penny joined NC Interfaith […]
Extreme rainfall events like this week’s storms in Louisiana are expected to grow increasingly common in the coming years. Louisiana is always at risk of floods, naturally, but climate change […]
Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is hosting a public hearing in Chicago to gather feedback on EPA’s proposed details for the Clean Energy Incentive Program (CEIP). Part of the Clean […]
Energy usage is soaring in NC as we all try to stay cool during the long days of heat and humidity this summer. It’s a great time to highlight an opportunity […]
By Ryan J. Smith, Blessed Tomorrow The African Methodist Episcopal Church, the oldest independent Protestant denomination founded by Black people in the world and Blessed Tomorrow’s partner organization, has passed […]
Like most days, I start the day by scanning email on my phone before I even get out of bed. Today, I was delighted to find that my friend, Hope Horton had shared […]
On May 11, NCIPL hosted the Second Annual Faith Voices for Clean Energy Advocacy Day. Members of faith communities from across the state met with representatives of the NC General […]
On this Earth Day 2016, let us celebrate that the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has left out the mid-Atlantic region from its final draft proposal for new […]
This week, NC Interfaith Power & Light joined 120 religious traditions and organizations across the nation representing tens of millions of Americans – including the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Jewish […]
NCIPL is hosting Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, world-renowned climate scientist and educator with a deep faith in God, the first week of April 2016. Go here for a complete list of the wonderful events planned with […]
No drilling off North Carolina’s coast… It’s time to celebrate! NCIPL recently presented a statement opposing offshore oil drilling unanimously approved by the NC Council of Churches Governing Board. As a […]
Excerpted from the NC Council of Churches Lenten Guide, “Love One Another: Reflections on Race, Power, and Privilege” Fifth Sunday in Lent —John 12:1-8 Six days before the Passover Jesus […]
Infographic by Tracy Loeffelholz Dunn / The Nation. Shutterstock images from Lorelyn Medina, Agusto Cabral The Clean Power Plan, and transitioning to a clean energy economy more broadly, are creating […]
The following was adopted by the Governing Board of the North Carolina Council of Churches at their meeting on March 1. Go here to download the text. As people of […]
Were you watching? This week President Obama gave his final State of the Union speech. He touted the success of the Paris conference in bringing 195 countries together to agree […]
The world has witnessed a breakthrough with the release of the proposed final text of the Paris Agreement at COP 21. All participating countries have acknowledged that climate change is […]
On November 6, the latest photovoltaic array on a North Carolina house of worship went online. The 84.76 kW, 326-panel system will generate 60% of the annual electricity needs at United […]
Excerpted from In Those Days and In These, an Advent Devotional Guide from the NC Council of Churches Jesus said, “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and […]
For faith-based environmental activists, Pope Francis’s visit to the United States had a major effect even before he set foot on American soil. Now they hope his trip’s influence on […]
NC Interfaith Power & Light Director Susannah Tuttle delivered this statement at a press conference held at United Church of Chapel Hill on August 25. Every faith tradition mandates care […]
“I wish to inform you that I have decided to institute in the Catholic Church the ‘World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation’ which, beginning this year, is […]
New federal safeguards to reduce carbon emissions from existing power plants are necessary not just because they help the environment, but because they are the right and moral thing to […]
Summertime has always been considered the best season for reading and this year we are blessed with what arguably could be considered some of the best reading material ever written! […]
The excitement is building: for the first time in history, the Pope is issuing an encyclical on the environment… but wait, why is this important? First, the Pope presides over […]
This may be the biggest Preach-In yet, and you don’t want to miss it! More than 3,000 faith communities all over the US may preach or hold educational events on Valentine’s […]
Many of us kick off the new year committed to healthier eating. In his words below, NCIPL Steering Committee Chair Carl Sigel suggests ways we can be better not just to ourselves […]
More than 97 percent of the world’s climate scientists believe we humans are changing our climate for the worse. (That scientific consensus is as strong as the one that finds […]
This week, representatives from 17 religious organizations met with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy to deliver more than 10,000 public comments and highlight the support of the faith community on rules […]
This week, President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping – leaders of the world’s two biggest polluters – announced a “historic agreement.” Each country committed to reducing its nation’s carbon […]
More than 40% of carbon pollution comes from power plants. Yet incredibly, there are currently no limits on greenhouse gas emissions from these plants. But now, the EPA has proposed first-ever standards for […]
Many Interfaith Power & Light folks, from NC and all over the country, took to the streets of New York City this past weekend for the People’s Climate March. It […]
The People’s Climate March is bringing together people with the urgency and power needed to address the climate crisis. Read more here. It is happening in New York and simultaneously in […]
People of faith are coming together in more and more impactful ways to help create the future that we want with clean air, clean water, clean energy, and with greater […]
We wanted to share Rev. Richard Eden’s words of welcome from the hearing hosted by United Church of Chapel Hill: “First, welcome to United Church of Chapel Hill and the […]
The Lake Chatuge GreenFaith Team, a group of environmentally concerned churches from Northern Georgia and Western North Carolina will be publishing environmental tips in local papers and radio outlets as […]
On June 21, the longest day of the year, Interfaith Power & Light is joining a coalition of groups to come together for a National Day of Action to show support for switching […]
On June 2, the EPA acted on our moral obligation to address unlimited carbon pollution coming from the nation’s power plants, the single largest source of global warming pollution in the country. The […]
On Saturday, May 17, at noon, about 30 people gathered at the Atlantic Beach/Fort Macon Swimming Beach for the nation-wide “Hands Across the Sand Demonstration” to promote clean energy and […]
Last week Rev. Sally Bingham, founder of Interfaith Power & Light, simply asked: “Do you remember what it was like to be a child and play in the great outdoors?” […]
In recognition of our faithful call and of this time in history, the Council’s annual Lenten guide focuses on poverty and the ways we can respond to our sisters and […]
Joe Wainio begins his wonderful article on TruthOut, Climate change activists should look to North Carolina for lessons on how to build a broad and diverse movement powerful enough to […]
By Susannah Tuttle, North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light, Raleigh
As Director of NC Interfaith Power & Light, it is both my personal and professional responsibility to draw connections between the spirituality of stewardship and the procedures of policy making. I often lead my presentations with the point that caring for the environment is not just political, it is spiritual doctrine shared by all faith traditions. When the seventh Moral Monday focus was designated as environment, justice, and health, I was absolutely elated.
Climate Change Is Real… In Many Ways… In Different Places… At The Same Time… As We All Exist. Today I picked these peppers due to early freezing temperatures in North […]
The 2013 legislative session exhibited an anti-regulatory agenda, endangering North Carolina’s natural beauty and our quality of life, including our health. Numerous bills were introduced that weakened pollution control, sought to […]
United Church of Christ of Chapel Hill (UCC-CH) is my home church. My parents are committed members and, as a returning college grad, I feel excited about being part of […]
I travelled to the River Bend Coal Power Plant just outside of Charlotte to attend a press conference for the release of “Closing the Floodgates: How the Coal Industry is […]
Most North Carolinians oppose fracking, favor clean energy and think current regulations are sufficient or should be stronger. Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) released the North Carolina poll results on July 15, 2013. “From the mountains to the beaches, it’s clear that North Carolinians take special pride in their state, and see state environmental safeguards as protecting our heritage and ensuring that our children can enjoy this place we know and love,” said NRDC senior attorney Luis Martinez, who is based in Asheville. Among the poll’s key findings: 61% say state environmental standards and regulatory standards do more good than [...]
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Most North Carolinians oppose fracking, favor clean energy and think current regulations are sufficient or should be stronger. Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) released the North Carolina poll results on July 15, 2013. “From the mountains to the beaches, it’s clear that North Carolinians take special pride in their state, and see state environmental safeguards as protecting our heritage and ensuring that our children can enjoy this place we know and love,” said NRDC senior attorney Luis Martinez, who is based in Asheville. Among the poll’s key findings: 61% say state environmental standards and regulatory standards do more good than […]
The post Recent Poll Shows North Carolinians Want More Clean Energy appeared first on North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light.
Across the street, a small, unassuming, idyllic Catholic church faces the Duke Power Riverbend Coal Plant at the center of litigation and outrage in response to consistent pollution and lack of effective coal ash pond treatment. For a new intern at NCIPL, the physicalized contrast contained powerful irony that drove home the nature of our relationship as faithful North Carolinians with utility companies; we will always be living side by side. While utilities provide us the basic comforts of modern life, we see the destructive nature of their work and feel called to act and react against it. Such was [...]
The post In the Shadows of Riverbend appeared first on North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light.
Across the street, a small, unassuming, idyllic Catholic church faces the Duke Power Riverbend Coal Plant at the center of litigation and outrage in response to consistent pollution and lack of effective coal ash pond treatment. For a new intern at NCIPL, the physicalized contrast contained powerful irony that drove home the nature of our relationship as faithful North Carolinians with utility companies; we will always be living side by side. While utilities provide us the basic comforts of modern life, we see the destructive nature of their work and feel called to act and react against it. Such was […]
The post In the Shadows of Riverbend appeared first on North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light.
The following letter was sent to NC House members’ Legislative Directors and Energy and Environmental Legislative Assistants: I wanted to be sure that you saw this letter, published as a […]
If you haven’t seen it yet, check out NCIPL’s success story map. The stories you read are diverse in faith, demographics, geography, themes, and approaches. Each congregation responds to climate […]
Volunteer Ed Ablard and I discussed the work and mission of NCIPL, as well as the wonderful evening Ed organized at his church, St. Paul’s Episcopal. Thank you so much to Ed for arranging this interview; it was a pleasure to be with you and all of our coastal allies this week!
The North Carolina Utilities Commission issued an order on Friday challenging Duke Energy to back up its Integrated Resource Plan – its long-term business plan – with more facts. The […]
From Chapter 2 of Preparing the Way: A Social Justice Study for Lent. We’re offering this free resource to you and your congregation as we walk through the season of Lent […]
Susannah Tuttle and I had the privilege of representing NCIPL at the annual meeting of Interfaith Power & Light last week in Washington, DC. We spent two days immersed in […]
Spring is a favorite time for all of us who love to be in the garden. I cherish this season and plan my weeks so that I can begin and […]
On January 21, during the 196th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, the delegation resolved to receive with thanks the “Teaching of the House of Bishops on Environment” […]
