Illinois Interfaith Power & Light (Climate & Energy)
“I can hear from the whisper of the winds the sound of Thy glorification and praise and can recognize in the murmur of the waters the voice that proclaimeth Thy virtues and Thine attributes, and can apprehend from the rustling of the leaves the mysteries that have been irrevocably ordained by Thee in Thy realm. ” ~The Baha'u'llah (the Glory of God) sacred scriptures of the Baha'i
Faith in Place is the proud Illinois affiliate of Interfaith Power & Light, a religious response to global warming active in 28 states. Being part of this great affiliation helps us to make more of our own resources, and to influence federal climate and energy policy.
While many religions teach that suffering is part of life, none of them permit us to inflict suffering on others without consequence. Our unbridled appetite for fossil fuels causes great harm. We cannot claim to love our brothers and sisters around the world if we are destroying their countries through melting ice and rising oceans. Or if we put particulates into the air that force children to emergency rooms with asthma attacks. If we love others we will do everything in our power to substitute clean and renewable power sources for the ones we use now. If we are good stewards of God’s Creation we will act in a way that preserves it for generations to come.
The good news is that a shift to a green energy economy will not only prevent the kinds of harm that fossil fuels cause, it will create a whole new economic sector, providing good living wage jobs to communities where they are most needed.
Through our Illinois Interfaith Power & Light campaign, Faith in Place helps congregations conserve energy, replace fossil fuels with clean energy like solar and wind, and advocate for sound energy policy. It is also through this program that we advocate for and educate congregations about green job training and placement opportunities.
Get Educated
Learn about our religious responsibility to use energy better and use better energy. We are glad to preach or teach workshops at your congregation.
Reduce Energy Use
We’ve helped dozens of faith communities conserve resources by replacing lighting, auditing their sanctuaries, weatherizing their sanctuaries, upgrading refrigerators and appliances, conserving water, and more. Download 12 Steps to Reduce Energy at Your House of Worship, buy energy efficient lighting and appliances at shopIPL.org (get a 10% discount simply by entering the code “shopIPL”), or call us to discuss your specific needs.
Reduce Carbon Emissions
Through our Cool Congregations program we help faith communities reduce their carbon at their house of worship and their members’ homes. Start by measuring your carbon footprint -- the total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by your faith community –- and identifying carbon-saving actions at CoolCongregations.com. Then help members of your faith community reduce global warming contributions at home. This fun multi-year program uses existing groups in your faith community to spread activity.
Switch To Clean Energy
Once a congregation has reduced its energy use to the lowest amount possible, the next step is to look at clean energy options like solar hot water and geothermal. We helped Resurrection Lutheran Church become the first solar church in Chicago and the Mosque Foundation become the first solar mosque in the nation! We’re also helping Unity Temple pilot a geothermal heat system in their Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building. We can help assess what technologies make sense in your location, direct you to contractors we’ve vetted, and help you raise money to cover a portion of the project.
Build Green
We can connect you to green architects who make sure that your building project is as green as it can possibly be from the beginning. We can also help to connect you to ordained leaders in other congregations who have done green building programs.
Advocate For Sound Energy Policy
Call us to learn about our campaigns to promote cleaner cars, carbon caps, renewable energy and energy conservation in Illinois and at the federal level.
Related Links
Interfaith Power & Light - national headquarters of the Interfaith Power & Light campaign in 30 states.