Jewish Energy Guide- Fulfilling the Imperative: Getting to a 14% Reduction in Energy Use by 2014

COEJL's Jewish Energy Guide

Fulfilling the Imperative: Getting to a 14-Percent Reduction in Energy Use by 2014
By Dr. Mirele Goldsmith

Summary: Dr. Mirele Goldsmith, a signer of the Jewish Energy Covenant Campaign and director of the Jewish Greening Fellowship, explains the “14 by 14” initiative, and how you can be a part of it with actions to reduce your energy consumption.

Why did the Jewish Energy Covenant Campaign set a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 14 percent by 2014? The year 2014 is the next shmittah, or sabbatical year. And the 14 percent reduction goal was selected because it can be achieved by every Jewish organization. For example, in a single year, Temple Beth Rishon in Wyckoff, N.J., reduced electricity usage by 30 percent and natural gas usage by 16.8 percent without purchasing new equipment. Continue reading…

The Jewish Energy Guide presents a comprehensive Jewish approach to the challenges of energy security and climate change and offers a blueprint for the Jewish community to achieve a 14% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by September of 2014, which is the next Shmittah, or sabbatical, year in the Jewish calendar.

The Jewish Energy Guide is part of COEJL's Jewish Energy Network, a collaborative effort with Jewcology's Year of Action to engage Jews in energy action and advocacy. The Guide was created in partnership with the Green Zionist Alliance.

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