Congregation M’kor Shalom

THE GREEN COVENANT: A JEWISH PLEDGE TOWARD CARBON NEUTRALITYRESOLUTION OF CONGREGATION M’KOR SHALOM“Take care, therefore, that you do not corrupt or destroy my world, for if you do corrupt it, there will be nobody to repair it after you. (Kohelet Rabbah 7:13)Whereas the Union for Reform Judaism and the Central Conference of American Rabbis have articulated our Jewish responsibility to address global warming and work toward an environmentally responsible energy policy on a personal, communal, and national level (Climate Change 2005, 1998, Energy Policy 2000), andWhereas this call to action has as its central emphasis the reduction of carbon emissions and the lowering of our carbon footprint, andWhereas the urgency of such action has been dramatically substantiated during this past year by the international scientific community (U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2007), We resolve to adopt the following policy and provisions: I. We pledge to calculate our synagogue’s carbon footprint, and devise a plan of energy conservation and the use of renewable energy and/or carbon offsets, with a goal of attempting to achieve a 50% reduction in carbon emissions within a five-year period.II. We pledge to educate and advocate for carbon neutrality in our synagogue, and to encourage and help facilitate carbon reduction strategies in our homes as well. III. We pledge to consider support of legislative efforts at the local, state, national and international levels that promote the shift from high-carbon to low-carbon energy production, and public policy that promotes the use of renewable resources.IV. We pledge to undertake a special campaign to encourage every family in our Congregation to plant trees here and in Israel, and support habitat preservation and reforestation efforts worldwide.V. We pledge to examine our current investment policies with the aim of enhancing our socially responsible portfolio to support businesses and communities that share our environmental goals.

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