Acting for The Shalom Center, I have been named to the steering committee of Interfaith Moral Action on Climate (IMAC ).
IMAC has a major project under way that may be especially interesting to environmentally committed members of the Jewish community.
IMAC is planning a prayerful gathering the afternoon of January 15 at the White House to call on the President to take five steps on the climate crisis:
1. Permanently refuse permits for the XL Tar Sands pipeline, because tar-oil is among the most dangerous of the planet-heating forms of carbon.
2. Speak in a major national address on climate change as a crucial issue facing the US, the human race, and our planet.
3. Call a National Summit Conference on the Climate Crisis that includes leaders of business, labor, academia, religious communities, governmental officialdom, science, and other relevant bodies.
4. Present Congress with a legislative program addressing the crisis, beginning with ending subsidies to Big Carbon and creating fuller subsidies for research, development, and use of renewable/ sustainable energy sources.
5. Press Congress to set a fee on carbon, with proceeds to be shared to make sure that working families and the poor are not damaged by higher carbon prices.
January 15 is the actual birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the action will be carried out in the spirit of his work. It is also just 2 weeks after the 40th yohrzeit of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, Dr. King's close co-worker, . and we will be honoring him as well. Some who gather at the White House will risk arrest by taking on a prayerful posture rooted in their own traditions (e.g. kneeling for some, an Amidah posture for others, etc.) that violates the conventional regulations covering the White House fence area. Others will provide a prayerful support presence.
We are open to input on the five points above and to participation in the process of organizing this event so that it is as large and effective as possible.
If you are interested in further information on this action, or in taking part, please write me at Awaskow@theshalomcenter.org
Shalom, Rabbi Arthur Waskow, director, The Shalom Center; member of the Stewardship Committee of the Green Hevra.
Got something to say?
You must be logged in to post a comment.
