On 40th Earth Day, Reform Movement Demands Climate Action for our Future

Saperstein: “The growing threat of climate change looms on the horizon but – unlike on the first Earth Day 40 years ago – clean energy solutions abound.  We look ahead with hope.” Read full post WASHINGTON, DC, Apr. 22, 2010 — In honor of today’s celebration of the 40thannual Earth Day and the pending release of comprehensive climate and energy legislation in the U.S. Senate, Rabbi David Saperstein, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, issued the following statement: As we celebrate the 40th annual Earth Day, we mark a milestone in the fight for a clean, healthy environment for all people. The movement for a secure environmental future has grown by leaps and bounds over the past four decades, and we take pride in the progress we have made and the leading role played by the faith community. However, in the next year and the next 40 years we must redouble efforts to protect our planet, for our own sake and that of our children. Starting today, we must act with increased urgency to guarantee that, 40 years from now, our children do not look back and wonder why we failed to face down our energy and environmental challenges. The environment we take for granted will not be here for our children and theirs if we fail to move swiftly away from fossil fuels that dirty our air and warm our planet. We have the resources and the willpower to move to a clean energy future, and as we celebrate this Earth Day we call on Congress and the President to lead the way. As Jews, we are called to be partners with God in taking care of our earth, and to ensure that no person is denied access to basic resources like clean water and breathable air. We know who will be hurt first and worst by our changing climate: the same poor and vulnerable communities at home and around the world that are most affected by toxic waste, air pollution, and dwindling supplies of fresh water. As people of faith we cannot stand idly by as these and other environmental challenges become even more severe. On this Earth Day, and every day, we must raise our voices in a call to action for the future of humanity. The growing threat of climate change looms on the horizon but – unlike on the first Earth Day 40 years ago – clean energy solutions abound.  We look ahead with hope. The time to act is now, and on this Earth Day, we applaud those who have worked tirelessly toward passage of comprehensive climate legislation. We stand ready to work with our allies in the Senate and the Administration to take steps together to guarantee a safe, clean, healthy energy and environmental future.

Lawn Maintenance the GREEN way

Water Conservation and Your Garden (Environmental Grounds Maintenance)

Well, Spring is here!  Time to get the garden going.  And that means the annual tradition of watering is soon to begin.  Whether you set the sprinkler yourself, or it works automatically, you just might want to make some changes after you read the following from www.youbetyourgarden.org . The Green Team, working on the GreenFaith Certification program, hopes you find this actionable and informative.                                         

If you are inclined to water your lawn, water slow, long and deep.  It takes about 625 gallons of water to apply an inch to 1,000 square feet of lawn area.  (Imagine what you can save if you adjust your automatic system, or change your habit!!)

Use of a good all-natural fertilizer is recommended. Chemical fertilizers draw roots shallower and reduce valuable microbes that your grass needs for survival. This combination greatly increases thatch, an ideal condition for disease. New plantings will require more frequent watering than established plants. The same type of saturating should be exercised, but once a week may be necessary for new plants.

Mulching can help to reduce water loss. The use of mulch on new or established plantings is an excellent method of conserving water. Beds, which are exposed to the sun, and drying winds without cover will dry out rapidly. Trying to keep these areas moist by watering is not adequate, and a great deal of water is wasted. Some of the more common materials used for mulching are peat moss, wood chips, straw, salt march hay, sawdust, pine needles, hay, leaf mold, compost, dried bark, leaves and many others. Much less water will be required to maintain vigorous plants with the use of a 2-inch mulch.

Overall Watering Program for Outdoor Plants.In trying to conserve water and to realize greatest benefit from water used, it is wise to set up a regularly scheduled program.
· Do not try to water all planted areas at each watering.
- Section off your areas, and concentrate on these areas individually for maximum benefit.
· Saturate each area, and then allow to dry out before watering again.
· Plan to use mulch around all planted areas to reduce water loss.
· Do not allow plants to wilt before beginning a watering program.
· Remember—two hoses at low pressure without a nozzle is the best method of watering.
· Over watering can be more harmful to plants than under watering. Roots need air as well as water. Do not keep soil saturated with water continuously

Go to www.youbetyourgarden.org  for more information.

GreenFaith on Snowmageddon

“Snowmageddon” February 6, 2010

Dear Daniel,

It's been quite a winter.

Record blizzards in the United States.  Massive flooding in Pakistan and Australia. Millions of people forced to drink unsafe water.  Hundreds of thousands homeless. 

It seems like severe and dangerous storms are the new normal.  In fact, 90% of all natural disasters last year were directly related to weather.  And a recent study confirmed this pattern isn't part of "natural cycles" --- human activity is partly to blame.

Climate change is too big for any one person --- or one country --- to solve.  Government and business can't, and won't, do it on their own.  The earth needs religious support, because religion is one of the few forces on the planet big enough to tackle such a big problem. 

GreenFaith is the leader in rallying religious support for the environment.  We unite people from diverse traditions, and get them working together, to protect the earth. 

You can be a part of this great work.

We're reaching more people that ever.  We're organizing churches from Washington State to Texas to Maine, and synagogues from Florida to California.  We're working with Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist leaders. 

Your support will enable us to reach more congregations, to educate more leaders, to mobilize more action --- to help heal the planet. 

Won't you join us today?

In faith,



Rev. Fletcher Harper
Executive Director

Take a Bite Out of Global Warming

Take a Bite Out of Global Warming-Prepare for Spring with These Tips from The Center on Food Safety

Via Cool Foods Campaign

As spring and warmer weather approaches, it’s the perfect time of year to think about starting your own garden. The coolest foods are those you grow organically yourself, and fortunately you don’t have to be a rural homesteader to enjoy the benefits of home-grown produce. This spring, Cool Foods has compiled a resource guide for everyone who wants to commit to taking a bite out of global warming and grow some of their own food. Home grown foods cut down on “foodmiles”, processing, packaging, fertilizers and just about every other source of greenhouse gas emission in our food system. With minimal costs, even small gardens can significantly cut your produce costs. In our tough economic times, renewing America’s gardening tradition will offset our greenhouse gas emissions and your grocery bill - putting more money back in your wallet.

Whether you plant a few herbs or cultivate an entire garden, our guide will lend know-how to both city and country dwellers. There are many ways both urban and rural homes can be adapted to growing fresh, delicious, and healthy food with a miniscule carbon “foodprint”. The first step is committing to giving gardening a try! Once you’ve decided that this is the year to make a change, you will need to determine how much time and space you are willing to devote to your garden. Follow our guide to help you understand your options, decide what to plant, and track down your seeds. Let’s dig in!

Step 1: Deciding on your Garden Type

Step 2: Designing your Garden

Step 3: Deciding what to plant

Step 4: Preparing the Soil

Step 5: Planting & Harvesting

Step 6: Additional Resources for Locally Grown Produce

Step 7: Preserving your Produce

Step 8: Preparing for Next Year

The Green Supports the DRESS FOR SUCCESS event on February 27, 2011

In addition to the obvious benefits to the recipients of the clothiing, this is an important event for the Green Team, According to the non-profit Institute for Local Self-Reliance, textiles make up about four percent of the weight and eight percent of the volume of all municipal solid waste in the U.S. The commercial recycling company U’SAgain finds that some 85 percent of the 70 pounds of textiles the average American purchases each year ends up landfilled. That means the typical U.S. city with 50,000 residents has to pay (with local tax dollars) for the handling and disposal of some 3,000 tons of textiles every year. The shame of such waste is that textiles are so easy to recycle or otherwise find new uses for.

And if you just threw these clothes out, they would end up in the incinerator in Newark, thereby becoming part of the air we breathe.  The benefits of this opportunity are too good to pass up in so  many ways

Calculate Your Carbon Footprint!

TSTI Part of the Greening Reform Judaism Pilot Program

The TSTI Green team has been hard at work and they have an exciting announcement:

TSTI has been selected to participate in the Greening Reform Judaism Pilot Program!

The URJ has partnered with GreenFaith, a leading national interfaith environmental coalition, to provide a limited number of qualified New Jersey congregations the opportunity to enroll at no cost in the GreenFaith Certification Program and support strong environmental leadership within our Movement. TSTI is among the first Reform congregations in North America to become a GreenFaith Sanctuary, serving as an example to our community, our state, and the Movement.

Thanks to special funding from the National Religious Partnership on the Environment, the URJ will be able to completely underwrite the costs to enroll in the Certification Program. This represents a savings of approximately $1,500 for TSTI.

Our congregation, led by the Green Team and with the full support of leadership, clergy and staff, will make a two-year commitment this pilot program. Over the two-year period, our congregation will engage in a range of environmental activities, including:

• Environmental education programs for children, teens and adults;

• Environmentally-oriented worship services;

• Green building and facility management activities;

• Environmental justice education and advocacy;

• Interfaith environmental efforts with houses of worship of diverse denominations.

TSTI has been and continues to be very committed to the environment. Our Green Team has been active for a few years and has been successful in helping the Temple achieve savings and more environmentally conscious consumption. The team continues to create awareness for the Temple Community. We are excited about the opportunity to become part of the Greenfaith program because there is still work to be done in our congregation and this program will provide us with more resources, structure and direction than we currently have on our own. TSTI also welcomes the challenge to reach further on environmental issues and the opportunity to be a role model for other congregations.

Upon completion of the pilot program, our congregation will be considered a leader in the Greening Reform Judaism initiative. Members of our Green team will serve as advisors to other Reform congregations and participate in select URJ programs and events such as the URJ Biennial and the Religious Action Center’s Consultation on Conscience.