environment

During this Earth Day week we offer the following contribution to creating a culture of appreciation and commitment to an alternative future; one that respects life and community in important and universal ways. We invite you to begin each day as an individual or family in repeating together this pledge. It was written by two individuals in Champaign/Urbana Illinois and is to be shared freely and widely as you will.

Tomorrow, Iranians and Americans will come together on Capitol Hill to plant a tree to represent their common commitment to peace and care for the earth. Casey Trees of Washington, DC, in support of the visit of Iranian bicyclists Nasim Yousefi and Jafar Edrisi, has donated a tree for this special purpose.

If you are interested in attending this special event, contact Shelagh Bocoum at 202-494-6229 or shelaghbocoum@yahoo.com.

From Rabbi Arthur Waskow come these suggestions for eight days of environmental action to commemorate Hanukkah:

Day 1: Personal/Household: Call your electric-power utility to switch to wind-powered electricity. (For each home, 100% wind-power reduces CO2 emissions the same as not driving 20,000 miles in one year.)

At the same time as the Fellowship of Reconciliation is preparing for tomorrow's departure of our 5th peace delegation to Iran, we are involved with hosting Iranian peacemakers here in the United States. I just received a phone call from an Iranian woman named Nasim. She and her partner Jafar are bicycling around the world, focused on spreading a message of care for the earth and for one another.

After bicycling through Europe over several weeks this summer and early fall, Nasim and Jafar arrived in Canada at the end of September. They spent several weeks biking through that country and speaking to groups about their concern for environmental conservation.

Over 2500 of us representing more than 500 Non-Governmental Organizations from more than 80 countries are meeting in New York at the 60th Annual UN Department of Public Information Conference for NGOs this week. The conference theme, a magnet for this huge crowd which fills the General Assembly for welcome speeches and plenary sessions, is Climate Change.