Jewish Activism in Cheyenne, Wyoming

On May 3, Joe and I got up at 5 am, and drove from Loveland, Co to Cheyenne, WY.  

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From Jeremy Nichols Flicker site:

Protestors today called on the Obama Administration to protect our climate and keep our oil and gas in the ground.  The U.S. Bureau of Land Management today moved to auction off more than 100,000 acres of public lands in Wyoming for fracking. Outside the sale, a coalition of citizens called on the agency to abandon its plans. In spite of pleas otherwise, the agency went through with its auction.

Inside at the auction, the Bureau of Land Management kept protestors behind the bidders. We witnessed the auction unfold as thousands of acres were bid on for as low as $2.00 per acre.
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Photo of me below with tallit (prayer shawl) shows me chanting...

Sha a a lom, Sha a a lom
Peace to the coastal inhabitants
Peace to the parched land inhabitants
Peace to those battling hurricanes
Peace to those battling forest fires
......
At this point in my chanting, I was stopped by a policeman, and the auction lease sales of our public lands began, with the bidders you see behind me.  Fellow protesters, maybe 10 to 12, including Joe, were with me in the back of the auditorium. Rev. Jackie Zeigler of the Unitarian Universalist Church was on my left.  We were all officially signed in as protesters. 

Not chanted was this...
Peace to the elderly dying in heat waves
Peace to the homeless dying in the streets
Peace to the children inheriting a broken climate
Peace to the grandchildren

(Thanks to Peter Molof for Tallit photo of me, and to Jeremy Nichols for the others.)

Interfaith Environmental Symposium, St Mark's Cathedral

National Day of Climate Action, 4/14/2007

"LET YOUR VOICE

  RESOUND LIKE A SHOFAR"

ON APRIL 14

A Call for Jewish Involvement and a Personal Reflection  

This April 14th will be a National Day of Climate Action.  Tens of thousands of Americans, including many faith community groups, will gather all across the country at meaningful, iconic places to call for action on climate change.  Currently  1096 events in 50 states are being organized!  With only two weeks to go, Pesach in the middle, and taxes due two days later, it will be challenging to organize something big.  However, as one Social Action Chair told me:  "I can see encouraging our membership to join something that is ongoing."  How to do this is described in the bullits below.   Will Jews make their voices heard? 

Paris, the day before Tu B'Shevat.  The New York Times reported:  "In a bleak and powerful assessment of the future of the planet, the leading international network of climate change scientists has concluded for the first time that global warming is "unequivocal" and that human activity is the main driver. They said the world is already committed to centuries of warming, shifting weather patterns and rising seas. But the warming can be substantially blunted by prompt action…"    

United Nations, February 28.  The Los Angeles Times reported on a United Nations Foundation study that warned "there may be as many as 50 million environmental refugees by 2010."  

I am sitting on our little bench overlooking the magnificent canyon of the North Fork of the Skykomish River in Washington State.  This is a place of towering Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar, thousands of creeklets and waterfalls and moss and salmon and Bald Eagles.    

But the North Fork was a scary beast last November - a consequence of a "Tropical Punch", a very warm wet storm that melted much of our snow pack.  The Governor declared an emergency in 18 counties.  Loud crashing sounds frightened our dog as boulders and huge logs came barreling down our river.  A neighbor's home was washed into the river.  More of these storms are predicted with climate disruption. The gravest danger in the Pacific Northwest and much of the world is a disrupted water cycle.    

I like to walk along the river in the early morning light, when the river shimmers gold. I dip my hands into the living waters and recite the blessing of N'tilat Yadaim.  There is a legend of a sacred prayer that fell from the Heavens as beaten gold into the hands of the great rabbis of the Sanhedrin.  "Blessed is the One who spoke the word and the whole world came to be.  Blessed is the One who has compassion for the creation, for the earth, for the creatures…"  

I envision our river carrying these blessings out to the world and opening the hearts of women and men.  Those who receive such blessings will review every aspect of their daily lives.  They will see with painful realization the many ways that they have been wasteful and the enormous suffering this will cause.  They will assess their "carbon footprint" and make adjustments in their ways of living.  And they will feel joy, for our Talmud teaches us there is simcha b'mitzvah.  

But many others will also feel pain of another sort.  For what value is their voice?  What value is their freedom, if they do not speak truth to power?  "God says, 'Cry out with a full throat, do not hold back, let your voice resound like a shofar!'"  (Isaiah 58:1)  

It is in this sense that our river is a river of Heaven as well as a river of earth.  Genesis 1:7 speaks of these heavenly waters and earthly waters.  I have a t-shirt with a beautiful image of a river flowing down from high mountains, a river that is upon closer inspection - a tallit - bringing blessings to the earth.  

Let us resolve, as Jews, to stand up and be counted among the people of the world - for justice, for choosing life.  The National Day of Climate Action is April 14.  

· See:  http://www.stepitup2007.org  for overview and regional events.  Just click on "Join an Action" in top menu, enter zip code, and plug into an existing action.

· Ask your fellow congregants to bring their tallit to the rally, and form a river of tallitot - a river of blessings.  A flyer and more resources for Jewish involvement will be available atwww.stewardcreation.org/stepitup.htm by Monday April 2.

·  Talk to colleagues. 

·  Consider other educational events

Rabbi Abraham Heschel said: "To be is to stand for, and what human beings stand for is the great mystery of being God's partner.  God is in need of human beings."  May HaShem bless you in your holy work of partnering on behalf of creation, on behalf of our future Barak Gale

B&B proprietor on North Fork Skykomish. Part time optometrist. COEJL Speaker. 

Email contact.       

Bishops Decry Environmental Policies

Susan Bower, my dear friend from Heyfork, Ca, and passionate environmentalist grounded in her Christian faith, was my partner in this letter.  The letter was an outgrowth of the Declaration of Interdependence Project, and was signed by 19 bishops.  The letter was sponsored and publicized by the Florida Council of Churches.

Wild Sky Wilderness, Clergy Letter

I was attending library meetings with Wild Sky activists, and seeing the letters from various constituent groups - business leaders, political leaders, hikers, equestrians, etc, when the idea of a clergy letter came to me.  We were living on a property looking out towards the proposed Wilderness, a constant reminder of what was at stake.  Many emails and phone calls led to 105 clergy signing on from every corner of the state, and to the sponsorship  by the Washington Association of Churches.

Declaration of Interdependence

STOP WAR ON CREATION: A RELIGIOUS DECLARATION
This project was birthed at a luncheon at our home, with Rabbi Arthur Waskow and a number of leaders from Congregation Eitz Or, Seattle.  Early on it received the enthusiastic support of leaders in Earth Ministry and the Washington Association of Churches.  It was signed by over 600 clergy and lay faith leaders.  Below is a partial list of the signatories.  An outreach letter precedes the Declaration.  The Declaration of Interdependence is modeled after our Declaration of Independence.


Dear Reverend,  

In prayer and humble service, we invite you to join a growing list of interfaith clergy and lay in signing a strong public Declaration that bears witness to the devastating assault on the life support systems of the planet by our public leaders. The Declaration calls upon them to be good stewards of God's creation. The list of signatories includes 324 faith leaders from 32 states (see below). The urgency for such a declaration is evidenced in a stement of the 2003 State of the World report by the Washington-based Worldwatch Institute: "The human race has only one or perhaps two generations to rescue itself."

WE WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD SIGN THE DECLARATION (SEE BELOW) BY EMAIL TO interdeclaration@aol.com - WITH NAME, TITLE, CONGREGATION (OR OTHER AFFILIATION), AND ADDRESS. AFFILIATION WILL BE NOTED FOR IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES ONLY.


 This is a grass roots project that originated in Seattle among leaders from the Washington Association of Churches, Interfaith Ministry, and the Partnership for Religion and the Environment. Please consider forwarding this message and Declaration to colleagues. Together we can make a difference. God bless you.

Dr. Barak Gale, optometrist in Seattle Coordinator, Declaration of Interdependence Project http://www.interdependence.us/ Social Action Chair, Congregation Eitz Or, Seattle, WA Member, Partnership for Religion and the Environment

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Declaration of Interdependence By American Citizens of Faith Calling for Responsible Stewardship of God's Creation

 "I call as witness against you today the heavens and the earth; life and death I place before you, blessing and curse. Now choose life, in order that you may stay alive, you and your seed." Deuteronomy 30:18-20

Today the choice between blessing and curse has unprecedented meaning. We are told by such preeminent bodies as the Union of Con
rned Scientists that every life system on the planet is in decline, and the very ability of God's creation to sustain life is being undermined. America's heritage is one of choosing blessings - as bastion of liberty, land of opportunity, compassionate friend to nations afflicted with disaster. However, in reckless disregard for such values, many of our public leaders are systematically dismantling thirty years of environmental safeguards that protect our citizens, and have abandoned promises to mitigate the scourge of global warming. Our leaders are choosing the curse over the blessing.

WE IMPLORE OUR LEADERS TO CHOOSE LIFE! 

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that Life, Liberty and Happiness are inalienable rights, and these rights depend on a life sustaining, healthy world.

But what life awaits millions of people endangered by global warming - by rising sea level and increasing incidence and severity of hurricanes, floods, droughts, and disease? The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns of these severe impacts on humanity. A recent example is the spread of West Nile Virus that has afflicted thousands of people nationwide, and is particularly lethal to the elderly.

What liberty exists for our increasing number of mothers and sisters with breast cancer? The Environmental Research Foundation points out that seven of eleven published studies show elevated levels of organochlorines in tissues of women with breast cancer.

What happiness is there in the knowledge that we are engaging in a mass extinction of God's species? The World Conservation Union warns that by the end of the coming century, we may be driving to extinction one half the species of the planet, by routinely destroying forests and other wild As people of faith, we are called upon to love our neighbors as ourselves. We can not stand idly by the suffering of our neighbors.

The history of the current Administration and the 107th Congress of the United States of America is a history of repeated assaults on creation, and the planet's ability to sustain life. To prove this, these facts are submitted for the public to witness.

Abridged List of Assaults on Creation in 2002

8/31/02 New York Times. Power Plant Scheme finally Introduced, repealing community protections of Clean Air Act.
8/21/02 NYT. EPA weakens Clean Water Act, allowing increased discharges from factories and sewage plants.
7/1/02 NYT. President expects citizens to pay for toxic cleanups, refusing to reauthorize tax on polluting industries.
6/14/02 NYT. Administration proposes weakening Clean Air Act, allowing older factories to forgo modern pollution controls.
5/30/02 NYT. Administration weakens air conditioner efficiency standards, which will increase global warming pollution.
5/18/02 NYT. Administration to leave Tongass Rainforest, last largely intact temperate rainforest in world, open to clearcutting,
5/4/02 NYT.EPA allows mine waste to be dumped in rivers, which could have far-reaching impacts, especially in Appalachia.
3/14/02 NYT. Senate deletes higher mileage standard on energy bill, allowing largest emissions of green house gases to go unabated.
3/1/02 Washington Post. Eric Schaeffer, head of EPA enforcement, resigned, expressing frustration with Administration's cozy relationship with the very industries the agency is charged with regulating, and the Administration's unwillingness to pursue legal action against polluters.
2/16/02 NYT. President backs Yucca Mountain for nuclear waste dump, while Nevada officials and experts formerly with the Department of Energy and General Accounting Office believe facility will not protect public from radioactive contamination.
2/15/02 NYT. Administration rolls back Power Plant Pollution Rules, delaying up to 10 years life-saving reductions in pollution that are now required under the Clean Air Act. Plan allows three times more toxic mercury, and 50 percent more sulfur emissions which cause acid rain and premature death from respiratory disease. "Blessing and curse" are placed before us.

These abuses of power are a curse, not a blessing, to the American people and to all humanity. It does not have to be this way. · We look toward an America that leads the effort to end the reign of fossil fuels, knowing this will yield tremendous material, political, and spiritual benefits, as did our journey to the moon. · We look toward an America whose leaders uphold and strengthen visionary laws such as the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and Wilderness Act - laws that served as models for other nations. · We look toward an America whose leaders restore toxic Superfund sites and other environmental insults, allowing people of color and the poor to live without fear of toxic exposure and debilitating illness. · We look toward an America that regards its natural wonders with reverence, protecting such treasures as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from drilling, and our National Forests from commercial logging. We, American citizens of faith, pledge to continue bearing witness to the actions of our government, and to hold our leaders accountable, until they implement policies that honor God's creation and protect the precious gift of life.

 May the One who blessed our founding fathers with the profound insights of our Declaration of Independence, bless all of us with moral courage and spiritual audacity. May nothing that we do mar the holiness of life by causing any other human being or creature to lose the joy of living. We yearn for a world permeated with God's eternal and abounding love.

To sign the Declaration and for more information see: http://www.interdependence.us/ (or sign on directly by email to interdeclaration@aol.com )

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Organizational Sign On, 1-26-04 Christians Caring for Creation, Connie Hanson, Director, Amy Chambers Co-Director, South Pasadena, CA Presbyterians for Restoring Creation (PRC), Nancy Corson Carter, Moderator, St. Petersburg, FL Social Witness & Action Committee of Susquehanna Valley Presbytery (PCUSA), Rev. Dr. Janet Adair Hansen, Moderator, Cortland, NY

List of Signatories, 1-26-04. Affiliation noted for identification only. Reverend Grant H. Abbott Rector, St. Matthew's Episcopal Church St. Paul MN Reverend William H. Acosta The Virginia Conference of The United Methodist Church Alexandria VA Rabbi Sara O'Donnell Adler MetroWest Jewish Health and Healing Center West Orange NJ Rabbi Daniel Alexander Congregation Beth Israel Charlottesville VA Reverend David T. Alger Executive Director, Associated Ministries of Pierce County, WA Tacoma WA Reverend Kenneth D. Amstutz retired United Methodist Minister, from the Virginia Conference Roanoke VA Reverend Dr. Richard B. Anderson Parish Associate, First Presbyterian Church Fort Lauderdale FL Reverend Susan Davison Archer Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church Bethesda MD Rabbi Melanie Arons Shir Hadash Los Gatos CA Paz Artaza-Regan Kensington MD Reverend Dr. Andrea Ayvazian Dean of Religious Life, Eliot House, Mount Holyoke College South Hadley MA Rabbi Shelley Kovar Becker Congregation Agudas Achim Livingston Manor NY Rabbi Martin Beifield Congregation Beth Ahabah Richmond VA Rabbi Moshe ben Asher Gather the People Baltimore MD Hadahra Ben-Israel Board member, Congregation Or Hatzafon Fairbanks AK Rabbi Allen B. Bennett Temple Israel Alameda CA Rabbi Jim Bennett Temple Beth El Charlotte NC Reverend Paul B. Benz Director, Lutheran Public Policy, Office of Washington Seattle WA Brian Besser Spritual Leader, Jewish Community of Greater Stowe Stowe VT Reverend David M. Biondi Pastor of Chesapeake United Methodist Church of Chesapeake Chesapeake WV Reverend Jerry Lee Bishop Minister of First United Methodist Church of Ketchikan Ketchikan AK Dr. Ellen Blau Service leader, Congregation Eitz Or Seattle WA Reverend John Boonstra Executive Minister, Washington Association of Churches Seattle WA Susan Hope Bower Christian educator Hayfork CA Rabbi Dan Bridge Executive Director of Hillel, University of Washington Seattle WA Reverend Richard C. Britton Associate Priest for Community Ministries, St. Luke's Episcopal Church Atlanta GA Rabbi Deborah R. Bronstein Congregation Har HaShem Boulder CO Very Reverend Donald G. Brown Dean, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral Sacramento CA Sister Joan Brown osf Ecology Minister Office of Social Justice of the Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe Santa Fe NM Reverend Robert Brown St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church Portland OR Reverend Thomas J. Brown Rector, St. Michael's Episcopal Church Rector Brattleboro VT Rabbi David Brusin Congregation Shir Hadash Milwaukee WI Reverend Margaret Bullitt-Jonas Priest Associate, All Saints Episcopal Church Brookline MA Reverend Michael Burke Anchorage AK Reverend Paul Burks Retired Minister, United Methodist Church Santa Rosa CA Reverend Charles Busch Congregational Church, UCC Lincoln City OR Valorie Caffee NJ Work Environment Council Ewing NJ Deborah Caine Lay leader, Society Hill Synagogue Philadelphia PA Rabbi Ivan Caine Rabbi Emeritus, Society Hill Synagogue Philadelphia PA Reverend Barbara Carlson Minister Unitarian Universalist Church Bloomington IN Reverend Christopher C. Carlson Senior Pastor Faith Presbyterian Church Minnetonka MN Reverend Thomas Carr Pastor, First Baptist Church West Hartford CT Rabbi Jonathan Case Temple Beth El Poughkeepsie NY Reverend Elizabeth Caudill Pastor, New Hope United Methodist Church Saluda VA Rt. Reverend Bud Cederholm Bishop Suffragan Boston MA Reverend Barbara T. Cheney The Episcopal Church of St. Paul and St. James New Haven CT Reverend W.E. Clayton Pastor, United Methodist Rapidan Charge Madison VA Rabbi Paul F. Cohen Temple Jeremiah Northfield IL Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Kiener Hartford CT Reverend Susan Cole Pastor Arch Street United Methodist Church Philadelphia PA Reverend Bernice Coleman Chaplain Bishop Hucles Episcopal Nursing Home Brooklyn NY Reverend James L. Collier Pastor, First Presbyterian Church Wooster OH Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels Beth Shir Sholom Santa Monica CA Rabbi MIke Comins TorahTrek Jackson WY Reverend Gary R. Conover Director, Templed Hills Retreat Center, Rocky Mountain Conference, United Methodist Church Denver CO Rabbi Sigma Faye Coran Williams College Williamstown MA Reverend Monica K. Corsaro Chaplain to Planned Parenthood Affiliates of Washington State Seattle WA Reverend Steven G. Stultz Costello York United Methodist Church Medina OH Sara Crayne Lay Eucharistic Minister Saint Barnabas Episcopal Church Mount Shasta CA Larry Daloz Associate Director, The Whidbey Institute, Whidbey Island Friends Worship Group Clinton WA Rabbi Julie Hilton Danan Congregation Beth Am (Jewish Reconstructionist Federation) San Antonio TX Rabbi Yair Davis Midrashat Ohr Mateh Boulder CO Paula Kathleen Dawson President of First Christian Church Seattle WA Reverend Frances Dearman Minister to the Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Anchorage AK Reverend Sharon Delgado Earth Justice Ministries Scotts Valley CA Reverend John Dennis Senior Pastor First Presbyterian Church Past President Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon Corvalis OR Rabbi Shoshanah Devorah Chaplain, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Seattle WA Rabbi Fred Dobb Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation Washington DC Reverend David C. Dornack Senior Pastor Rose City Park Presbyterian Portland OR Reverend Graig Dr. Flach Lake Grove Presbyterian Church Lake Oswego OR Reverend Bradley S. Dulaney Associate Pastor Great Bridge United Methodist Church Chesapeake VA Reverend Dr. James M. Dunn Professor of Christianity and Public Policy, Wake Forest University Divinity School, Baptist Winston-Salem NC Reverend Robert Eckard Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church Orlando FL Reverend Robert M. Eddy Minister, Unitarian Universalist Church of Pensacola Pensacola FL Reverend Mary Giles Edes Minister Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Eastern Slopes Chocorua NH Reverend Kathleen Eickwort, FOCD, PhD Episcopal priest of the Diocese of Western Michigan, retired, and a member of the Franciscan Order of Celi De Ocala FL Cantor Robert Esformes Temple Har Zion (Conservative/Renewal) Mount Holly NJ Rabbi Rachel Esserman Endwell NY Rabbi Ted Falcon Bet Alef Meditative Synagogue Seattle WA Robert F. Farr Administrative Assistant to Rabbi Deborah R. Bronstein Boulder CO Rabbi Fern Feldman Kadima Seattle WA Rabbi Michael Feshbach Temple Shalom Chevy Chase MD Rabbi David Fine NW Regional Director, Union of American Hebrew Congregations Seattle WA Rabbi Dan Fink Ahavath Beth Israel Boise ID Reverend Omar R. Fink, Jr. (United Methodist Church) Durham NC Reverend Jeanne T. Finley Co-Director Collegial Communications, Inc. and clergy member of the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church Blacksburg VA Rabbi Tirzah Firestone Yesod Foundation Boulder CO Reverend Graig Flach Lake Grove Presbyterian Church Lake Oswego OR Reverend Stephanie Flanders Ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Spiritual Director of the Omega Institute Rhinebeck NY Reverend Dr. Michael Flitter SFO (Franciscan priest) West Bend WI Kevin L. Thew Forrester Ministry Development Coordinator Diocese of Northern Michigan (Episcopal) MI Rabbi Allen I. Freehling Executive Director, Human Relations Commission, City of Los Angeles Los Angeles CA Rabbi Gordon Freeman Congregation B'nai Shalom Walnut Creek CA Rabbi Michael Friedland Sinai Synagogue (Conservative) South Bend IN Lynn Fulkerson Episcopal Diocese of CT Litchfield CT Vicar Bill Fulton St. Andrew's Episcopal Church Florence OR Reverend Emily L. Gage Universalist Unitarian Church Joliet IL Dr. Barak Gale Social Action Chair, Congregation Eitz Or Seattle WA Reverend Douglas Ward Gallager Birmingham Unitarian Church Bloomfield Hills MI Reverend Steve Garnass-Holmes Bow Mills United Methodist Church Bow NH Rabbi Dov Gartenberg Congregation Beth Shalom Seattle WA Reverend Doug Geeting St. Mark's United Methodist Church Hampton VA Reverend John G. Gibbs Retired in PC(USA)---Presbyterian Church in the USA Park Rapids MN Dr. Richard S. Gilbert Interim Minister Jefferson Unitarian Church Golden CO Reverend Forrest Gilmore Associate Minister of Religious Programming Unitarian Universalist Church of the Monterey Peninsula Carmel CA Terry Gips President, Center for Judaism and Sustainability of the Alliance for Sustainability Minneapolis MN Reverend Katherine Merrell Glenn Rector St. Andrew's Episcopal Church Tacoma WA Rabbi Bob Gluck University at Albany Albany NY Rabbi Shefa Gold Director of C-DEEP, Center for Devotional Energy and Ecstatic Practice, a project of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal Jemez Springs NM Rabbi Dan Goldblatt Beth Chaim Danville CA Reverend Canon Jeff Golliher, Ph.D. Canon for Environmental Justice and Community Development, The Cathedral of St. John the Divine New York NY Reverend Dr. Colin Goode Grave Episcopal Church Lopez Island WA Professor Rebecca Gould Middlebury College North Ferrisburgh VT Reverend Larry C. Graham-Johnson Interim Co-Associate Pastor First Presbyterian Church (PC USA) Pompano Beach FL Reverend Georganne Greene Unitarian Universalist Society of Springfied Springfield MA Catherine Greener Board Member, Coalition on the Environment & Jewish Life Basalt CO Pastor E. Russell Gresham IV Epworth United Methodist Church Selma VA Rabbi Nadya Gross Jewish Renewal Community of Boulder Boulder CO Rabbi Victor Gross Jewish Renewal Community of Boulder Boulder CO Reverend Gretchen Gunderson St. John's Episcopal Church South Bend WA Reverend Frank A. Hall Senior Minister Unitarian Church in Westport CT Reverend Linda Hall Licensed minister in the Church of Scotland Satellite Beach FL Reverend Dr. Michal H. Hall Eastminster Presbyterian Church Indialantic FL Minister Awaiting Ordination John Hamilton United Church of Christ Walpole MA Rt. Reverend Sanford Z. K. Hampton Assistant Bishop of The Diocese of Olympia (The Episcopal Church in Western Washington) Anacortes WA Reverend Dr. Janet Adair Hansen Christ Presbyterian Church Cortland NY Reverend Fletcher Harper President Partners for Environmental Quality Reverend Thomas D. Harries St. Nicholas Episcopal Church Richfield MN Rt. Reverend Gayle Elizabeth Harris Bishop Suffragan The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts Boston MA Reverend Stephen Hassmer Pastor Calvary United Methodist Church Arlington VA Reverend Marion Haynes-Weller Pastor, Kreutz Creek Presbyterian Church Hellam PA Reverend Jim Heer Presbyterian Bellevue WA Reverend Canon George Hemingway Diocese of Oregon OR Rabbi Johanna Hershenson Congregation Beth Sholom Anchorage AK Rabbi Garson Herzfeld Beth El Congregation Winchester VA Reverend Ann A. Hicks All Saints' Episcopal Church Vancouver WA Reverend Dr. Divina Himaya Convenor, North American Christian Peace Conference Claremont CA Reverend Anne Felton Hines Minister Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church Canoga Park CA Rabbi Aryeh Hirschfield P'nai Or Portland OR Reverend James A. Hobart Adjunct Faculty Member Meadville/Lombard Theological School Chicago IL Reverend Judith M. Hoffhine Broad Street Presbyterian Church Columbus OH Anthony E. Hoke Director of Music 2nd Presbyterian Church Carlisle PA Reverend David A. Holbert Pastor, Main Street UMC, Virginia Conference of United Methodist Church United Methodist Church Emporia VA Marcia Holroyd Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut, Committee on the Environment Watertown CT Reverend M. Jan Holton United Methodist Church Nashville TN Reverend J. Denise Honeycutt Director of Mission; Conference Secretary of Global Ministries Staff for Commission on the Status and Role of Women, Virginia Conference United Methodist Church Glen Allen VA Dr. Rodney Hunter Candler School of Theology, United Methodist Church, Emory University Atlanta GA Rabbi Yitzchak Husbands-Hankin Temple Beth Israel Eugene OR Venerable Nancy W. Huston Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska Omaha NE Rabbi Shaya Isenberg Pnai Or Jewish Congregation of Gainesville FL Reverend David C. James Rector St. John's Episcopal Church Olympia WA Reverend David A. Johnson Minister First Parish in Brookline (MA) Brookline MA Reverend Dr. Ellen Johnson-Fay Senior Minister All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church Colorado Springs CO Robert A. Jonas, Ed.D. Director, The Empty Bell Watertown MA Reverend Patricia A. Jones clergy member of VA Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church Alexandria VA Reverend Alex Joyner director of the Wesley Foundation at the University of Virginia Charlottesville VA Batya Kagan Director, Santa Cruz COEJL Santa Cruz CA Cantor Richard Kaplan ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal Oakland CA Rabbi Harley Karz-Wagman Temple Beth Or Everett WA Reverend Dr. David A. Killian Rector, All Saints Episcopal Parish Brookline MA Larry Killien Vestry member and concerned american, St. James Episcopal Hibbing MN Joe King President, Congregation Eitz Or Seattle WA Reverend Mike Kinman Chaplain, University in St. Louis Chaplain St. Louis MS Saran Kirschbaum COEJL/SC - Southern California CA Rabbi Charna S. Klein Seattle WA Reverend Diane Knauf Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church Orlando FL Rabbi Douglas Kohn Congregation Emanu El San Bernardino CA Fred Krueger Director, Religious Campaign for Forest Conservation Santa Rosa CA Reverend Everett C. Kuder Co-pastor St. Matthews United Methodist Church SAndown NH Rabbi Susan Laemmle Dean of Religious Life, University of Southern California Los Angeles CA Reverend Darcey Laine Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto Palo Alto CA Reverend John P. Lambert Rector, St James Episcopal Church Episcopal Diocese of Olympia Kent WA Reverend D. Glen Langston Otterbein United Methodist Church Harrisonburg VA Rabbi Michael Latz Temple B’nai Torah Bellevue WA Rabbi Michael Latz Temple B'nai Torah Bellevue WA Rabbi Anson Laytner WA Reverend William F. Lee Retired Presbyterian Pastor Tallahassee FL Reverend Mary H. Lee-Clark Pastor, Second Congregational Church, United Church of Christ Bennington VT Bishop Charles Leigh Bishop for Florida, Apostolic Catholic Church FL Reverend Dr. David E. Leininger Minister 1st Presbyterian Church Warren PA Barbara Lerman-Golomb Member, Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism NJ Reverend Robert D. Lewis Duke Divinity School Durham NC Rabbi Jane Litman Beth El Berkeley CA Rabbi Garry Loeb Temple Beth-El Monroe NY Rabbi Gary Loeb Temple Beth-El Monroe NY Reverend Christie Larson Logan St. Hugh Episcopal Chruch Allyn WA Dr. James C. Logan Wesley Theological Seminary Washington, D.C. Rt. Reverend Mark MacDonald Bishop of Alaska (Episcopal) Fairbanks AK Reverend Thomas F. Mainor Presbyterian Health Network Williamsburg VA Professor William Mallard Professor of Theology Emeritus Candler School of Theology Atlanta GA Jeremy Manela Director, Wisconsin Environmental Jewish Initiative (WEJI). Madison WI Rabbi Natan Margalit Hudson NY Reverend Gayle M. Marsh St. Christopher's Episcopal Roseville MN Nathan Martin Reconstructionist Rabbinical College Wyncote PA Reverend Frederick J. Masterman Associate Priest, St. Gregory's Episcopal Church Boca Raton FL Reverend Charles W. Mays Pastor Holy Trinity Lutheran Church Port Angeles WA Reverend Bob McAden United Methodist Pastor Virginia Annual Conference Roanoke VA Mark McDuff Temple Beth Or, member Everett WA Robert McFee Executive Director, Peaceable Inc, Thinking Like A Mountain Institute Hackett AR Reverend Dorian McGlannan The Church of the Good Shepherd Federal Way WA Reverend Thomas D. McKnight Moreland Presbyterian Chruch Portland OR Reverend Kathleen McTigue Senior Minister Unitarian Society of New Haven CT Shelley Means Director, Environmental Justice, Washington Association of Churches Seattle WA Rabbi Avis D. Miller Adas Israel Congregation Washington, D.C. Reverend Maurice A Miller United Methodist Church West Virginia Conference WV Rabbi James Mirel Temple B'nai Torah Seattle WA Reverend Barry R. Moll Pastor, Morris Memorial United Methodist Church Charleston WV Reverend Peter Moore-Kochlas Pastor, Chapel of the Valley, United Methodist Church El Cajon CA Rabbi Linda Motzkin Temple Sinai Saratoga Springs NY Reverend Jim Mulligan Executive Director, Earth Ministry Seattle` WA Reverend Monica S. Myers Northwest Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Seattle WA Reverend Byron Nelson Associate for Mission, Presbyteries of Nevada, Sacramento and Stockton Sacramento CA Reverend Wesley J. Nelson pastor of St. James UMC, Ferrum, VA and New Hope UMC, Rocky Mount, VA VA Reverend Samuel E. NeSmith United Methodist Minister Richmond VA Michelle Newman Aleph Cantorial Student and Lay Leader of Chadeish Yameinu Santa Cruz CA Reverend Jane Ellen Nickell First United Methodist Church Huntington WV Reverend Thomas C. Nolen Associate Pastor First Presbyterian church Portland OR Reverend David Robert Ord Minister North Shore Unitarian Universalists Lacombe (New Orleans) LA Reverend David E. Orendorff Anacortes United Methodist Church Anacortes WA Rabbi Shaul Osadchey Congregation Or Ami Houston TX Reverend Owen Owens Co-Chair, Religious Campaign for Forest Conservation Philadelphia PA Reverend James A. Papile Rector St. Anne's Episcopal Church Reston VA Reverend Nick Parker St. Mary's Episcopal Church Eugene OR Reverend G. Wayne Parsley Grace United Methodist Church Parksley VA Reverend Christine Payden-Travers Lynchburg VA Rabbi Stephen S. Pearce Temple Emanu-El San Francisco CA Bishop Joe E. Pennel, Jr. Virginia Conference United Methodist Church Glen Allen VA Reverend Peg Pfab Southminster Presbyterian Church Beaverton OR Reverend Penny Pfab St. Luke's Episcopal Church Minneapolis MN Reverend Lois Phemister Pastor of Hopewell United Methodist Church /Richardsville United Methodist Church Lignum VA Reverend Kenneth W. Phifer Senior Minister First Unitarian Universalist Church of Ann Arbor Ann Arbor MI Reverend Kathryn Pigg United Methodist Pastor Virginia Annual Conference VA Agnes Baker Pilgrim Spiritual Elder of Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians Grants Pass OR Hugh A. Poston Christ Presbyterian Church, Presbytery Social Witness and Action Committee Cortland NY Reverend Dr. Laurie E. Proctor Minister Unitarian Universalist Congregation Fort Wayne IN Reverend Jeffrey C. Pugh >Professor of Religious Studies Elon University Chapel Hill NC David Radcliff Director, Brethren Witness, Church of the Brethren General Board Elgin IL Reverend Dr. Ephraim Radner Episcopal Diocese of Colorado Pueblo CO Dr. Eleanor Rae Founder/President-the Center for Women, the Earth, the Divine Founder/co-chair-the Earth Values Caucus at the UN Bronx NY Reverend Dr. David W. Randle President & CEO WHALE Center UT Reverend Ramona Soto Rank Augustana Lutheran Church Portland OR Rabbi Rayzel Raphael Philadelphia PA Reverend Rayford Ray Ministry Developer The Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan MI Reverend Kenneth Read-Brown First Parish in Hingham (Old Ship Church) Unitarian Universalist Hingham MA Reverend Ann Holmes Redding, Ph. D. Director of Faith Formation and Renewal St. Mark's Cathedral Seattle WA Reverend Mark A. Reuter United Methodist Church, Virginia Conference VA Reverend David T. Reynolds Elkton United Methodist Church Elkton VA Rabbi Laurie Rice Congregation Kol Ami Woodinville WA Rabbi Philip Rice Temple De Hirsch Sinai Seattle WA Reverend Henry E. Riley, Jr. Pastor Centenary United Methodist Church Chesterfield VA Reverend Doctor Raymond R. Roberts Grace Presbyterian Church Jenkintown PA Reverend Anne Robertson St. John's United Methodist Church Dover NH Reverend Patricia Rome Robertson Rector St. Stephen Episcopal Church Seattle WA Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation Mercer Island WA David Rosenstein Director, COEJLSC - Southern California CA Rt. Reverend Catherine S. Roskam Bishop Suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of New York NY Rabbi Jonathan Rubenstein Temple Sinai Saratoga Springs NY Ramona Rubins Eco Kosher Network Santa Cruz CA Reverend Ron Sala Minister Unitarian Universalist Society in Stamford Stamford CT Deacon Katherine Salinaro Holy Trinity Episcopal Church Richmond CA Reverend Sue Ann Salmon White Stone UMC White Stone VA Nigel Savage Founder, Hazon New York NY Reverend Peter Sawtell Executive Director, Eco-Justice Ministries Denver CO Professor Emeritus Richard Schwartz College of Staten Island Staten Island NY Reverend John T. Schwiebert Metanoia Peace Community United Methodist Church Portland OR Rabbi Jonathan Seidel Temple Beth Israel Eugene OR Rabbi David Seidenberg Maon Circle Berkeley CA Cantor David Serkin-Poole Temple B'nai Torah Bellevue WA Rabbi Gerald Serotta Temple Shalom Chevy Chase MD Rena Shachar Director, Bay Area Coalition on Environment and Jewish Life Oakland CA Christine Shahin Anhochian orthodox Utica NY Reverend Patricia L. Shipley Pastor Lebanon United Methodist Church Hanover VA Reverend Canon David I. Shoulders Christ Church Cathedral (Episcopal) Indianapolis IN Rabbi Daniel Siegel ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal Philadelphia PA Derek Silbermann Buddhist Hayfork CA Nili Simhai Director, Teva Learning Center New York NY Rabbi Beth Singer Temple Beth Am Seattle WA Rabbi Jonathan Singer Temple Beth Am Seattle WA Rabbi Marc Sirinsky Temple Emek Shalom Ashland OR Reverend Fred Small Co-chair, Religious Witness for the Earth Littleton MA Reverend Wendy M. Smith St. Thomas Episcopal Church Sunnyvale CA Reverend Cynthia A. Snavely Minister, Bowie Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Bowie MD Rabbi Ted Stainman Congregation Bet Chaverim Del Moines WA Reverend Gary Steele (Episcopal) Anchorage AK Dave Steffenson, Ph.D. Wisconsin Interfaith Climate & Energy Campaign Columbus WI Rabbi David Steinberg Temple Beth Israel Plattsburgh NY Rabbi Warren Stone Chair, Environmental Committee of Central Conference of American Rabbis MD Reverend Dr. Craig S. Strobel Joseph United Methodist Church Director ConSpiritu: A Center for Cultural Creativity OR Rabbi Leah Sudran Congregation B'nai Israel Petaluma CA Reverend Chris Suerdieck Pastor, Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church Falls Church VA Reverend Russell Sullivan Pastor Neshaminy-Warwick Presbyterian Church Hartsville PA Reverend Tom Tate's Rose City Park United Methodist Church Portland OR Rabbi Carla Theodore Executive Director, Witnesses for a Sustainable Economy Sperryville VA Bonnie Thomas Mt. Shasta H.O.P.E. Weed CA Reverend M. Lucie Thomas Associate, St. Paul's Episcopal Church Duluth MN Reverend Bart R. Thompson Bethesda United Methodist Church Ona WV Jan Thurston interfaith director of Still Water retreat center AK Reverend Maureen Tighe Good Samaritan Hospital Portland OR Father Stephen J. Toth St. Paul the Apostle NJ Connie Tyler MA/MDiv Pacific School of Religion Berkeley CA Reverend Howard E. Ullery, Jr. Lacey Community Church Olympia WA Reverend Joan Van Becelaere First Unitarian Society of Denver & Iliff School of Theology Denver CO Reverend James VanderWeele Community Church Unitarian Universalist New Orleans LA Sherri Vishner Mid-Atlantic Fieldworker, KOACH - Conservative Judaism's College Outreach Program Washington, D.C. Carolyn R. Vodela CNNJ & St. Valentines' Bloomfield NJ Reverend Kris Voss-Rothmeier Associate Pastor, Milwaukie Presbyterian Church Chair, Peacemaking Committee (Cascades Presbytery) Milwaukie OR Lee Wallach Chair - Los Angeles Interfaith Environmental Council Los Angeles CA Reverend Lisa Ward Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Harford County Churchville MD Brother Keith Warner Franciscan Friar San Juan Bautista CA Rt. Reverend Vincent W. Warner Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia WA Rabbi Arthur Waskow Director, Shalom Center Philadelphia PA Rabbi Mira Wasserman Congregation Beth Shalom Bloomington IN Reverend James P Watkins (United Methodist Church) Richmond VA Rabbi Zari Weiss Mishkan Seattle WA Professor Peter Weiss-Penzias University of Washington Seattle WA Rabbi Shifra Weiss-Penzias Temple De Hirsch Sinai Seattle WA Reverend Jonathan Weldon Episcopal Church of the Resurrection Eugene OR Reverend Dr. John Westerhoff theologian-in-residence, St. Luke's Episcopal Church Atlanta GA Rabbi Shohama Wiener Temple Beth-El of City Island City Island NY Reverend Milton O. Winkler Convenor, North American Christian Peace Conference Claremont CA Reverend Jeff Winter Blackwater United Methodist Church Davis WV Rabbi Joseph Wolf Havurah Shalom Portland OR Reverend Theresa Wood-Burgess Bellbrook Presbyterian Church Bellbrook OH Reverend John V. Zamboni Rector Grace-St. Paul's Episcopal Church Hamilton NJ