Business Forum: Religion and green energy connect

If you are driving east on Summit Avenue and the sun's angle is just right, you might glimpse solar panels on the roof of St. Paul United Church of Christ. If you're Up North, you may encounter Crosslake Presbyterian Church, one of just 20 churches nationwide to win a Gold Certified Cool Congregations award for building practices that achieve significant carbon reductions. These are two among the hundreds of Minnesota faith communities doing their part to reduce carbon pollution.

Earth's climate is changing. From the dramatic storms and floods wreaking havoc on homes and communities, to the late spring frosts that devastate apple crops and send farmers into debt, to the recent report predicting a future Minnesota without loons, most Minnesotans know about climate change and they understand it's connected to carbon pollution.

So what does the religious community offer at this critical moment in human history? What does faith have to do with it? I've been asking these questions in Minnesota fellowship halls for nearly two years. The answers are clear.

People of faith feel angry, frustrated, powerless … and motivated.

Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman of Temple Israel in Minneapolis has said: "We are clearly not owning the land. We are stewards of the land. This is in Genesis and in every book of the Torah."

One participant at a "climate conversation" at Common Ground Meditation Center in Minneapolis said that "Buddhism gives us the tools to connect deeply with all creatures. It reminds us to slow down and learn from all parts of the web of life. It helps us understand that there are times of deep sadness."

In another such conversation, a 14-year-old held up his WWJD bracelet: "What would Jesus do?" He answered his question: "Jesus would speak the truth. He would turn over the money tables in the temple. He'd tell the people to stand up and take action."

In June, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency spelled out the relationship between fossil-fuel emissions and climate disruption, and proposed regulations to reduce carbon pollution from the nation's power plants.

It is the first coordinated national attempt to regulate carbon emissions. Using the authority of the federal Clean Air Act, the EPA would empower each state to present a plan to get it done. The goal is a 30 percent decline in national carbon emissions from existing power plants by 2030 relative to 2005 levels.

When the draft Clean Power Plan was released, the Rev. Susan Mullin of Faith United Methodist Church in St. Anthony weighed in: "As a religious leader, I believe we have a moral imperative to act on behalf of those who are most vulnerable to global warming; the very young, the old, those who are poor, and future generations … Not acting to reduce our carbon emissions? That would be sinful." She went on to lead the United Methodist Church in a resolution that encourages all United Methodist churches in Minnesota to reduce their carbon emissions 10 percent by 2016.

In a letter to President Obama, 110 Minnesota clergy and religious leaders thanked him for taking action. In September, more than 50 Minnesotans represented faith communities at the People's Climate March in New York City, traveling for nearly 50 hours by bus to join 400,000 people to send a message to global leaders.

Faith communities aren't just changing light bulbs. They advocate such deep practical changes as becoming carbon neutral by 2030 or investing in soon-to-be-available community solar gardens. They are identifying with a larger climate movement by bringing their message into the public arena, including joining the People's Climate March. They are engaged in spiritual deepening, discerning their moral and communal voice through scriptural study groups, potlucks, and community gatherings. The work is happening all around us, across many religious traditions.

People of faith are working hard in their communities to shrink their carbon footprint, but their work alone is not enough. Society must demand a legal framework to reach climate goals. Minnesota also needs a law to increase the share of electricity from renewable sources to 40 percent by 2030. The policy possibilities are exciting, and truly possible, and the Clean Power Plan is a vital step that can help turn possibilities into realities.