Quaker Links & Resources

Quaker Organizations with National & International concerns

Quaker Facts, Jobs, Volunteer Opportunities… etc.

Philadelphia Area Quaker Organizations

Friends Education – elementary and secondary

Climate Change Resource List

U.S. Energy Information Administration — the EIA collects, analyzes, and disseminates independent and impartial energy information to promote sound policymaking, efficient markets, and public understanding of energy and its interaction with the economy and the environment.

Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission has the task of projecting an environmental, land use, transportation, and economic development plan for the Greater Philadelphia of 30 years from now.

Earth temperature timeline

Year of Living Sustainably

Quaker Resources

The Eco Justice Collaborative of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM) supports Friends in their quest for a nation and economy that serves justice and the commonwealth of life. EJC sends out a monthly email letter with environmental justice updates, opportunities and resources.

The Earth Quaker Action Team is a grass roots, nonviolent action group including Quakers and people of diverse beliefs, who join with millions of people around the world fighting for a just and sustainable economy. Visit their website to get information about current campaigns, get involved, donate.

Climate Change Witness Walking Group—This project has scheduled four outdoor walks in the coming year that focus on the Delaware Watershed. Walks will include a site of importance in Quaker history and will be followed by discussion. Contact:  mterrycooke@gmail.com

Quaker Earthcare Witness is a network of Friends in North America and other like-minded people who are taking spirit-led action to address the ecological and social crises of the world from a spiritual perspective. Visit their website to subscribe to their bi-monthly newsletter, BeFriending Creation, order the earthcare toolkit for Meetings, join the conversation and let Friends around the world know what you are doing as an individual or Meeting.   See the Shared Quaker Statement on Facing the Challenge of Climate Change.

Friends Committee on National Legislation lobbies Congress and the administration to advance peace, justice, opportunity, and environmental stewardship. See “Energy & Environment.”

Quaker United Nations Office works with multi-lateral agencies, national governments and grassroots activists to promote strong international standards and practice. See “Human Impacts of Climate Change” and “Food and Sustainability.”

See the February 20, 2016, Minute “Living Sustainably and Sustaining Life on Earth.”

www.Friendsfiduciary.org   See recent letter from 120 Investors to the G-20 recommending actions as follow-up to the Paris Accords, and other actions promoting sustainability.

www.FriendsJournal.org   January 2015. The focus of this issue is climate change, and there are articles by Friends who have used a variety of strategies to address climate change.

The Quaker Institute for the Future’s goal is to advance a global future of inclusion, social and economic justice, and ecological well-being through participatory research and discernment.

Renewable: One Woman’s Search for Simplicity, Faithfulness and Hope, by Eileen Flanagan. In working to change the world, the author finds the courage to change her life.

A Sustainable Life: Quaker Faith and Practice in the Renewal of Creation by Douglas Gwyn (FGC Quaker Press, Philadelphia, 2014)

Rising to the Challenge: The Transition Movement and People of Faith by Ruah Swennerfelt (Quaker Institute for the Future, Focus Book 10, 2016)

Toward a Right Relationship with Finance: Interest, Debt, Growth and Security by Pamela Haines, Ed Dreby, David Kane and Charles Blanchard (QIF Focus Book 9, 2016) This book is a publication of the Friends Economic Integrity Project.

Climate, Food and Violence: Understanding the Connections, Exploring Responses by Judy Lumb, Phil Emmi, Mary Gilbert, Leonard Joy, Laura Holliday, Shelley Tannembaum (QIF Focus Book 8). This publication takes up the double challenge of feeding a growing human population in the face of climate change.

See also: American Friends Service Committee, Friends’ Institute for the Future, the Quaker Council for European Affairs, and other Friends’ organizations.

Other Faith-Based Resources

GreenFaith was started in New Jersey in 1992 to inspire, educate and mobilize people of diverse religious backgrounds for environmental leadership. Their work is based on the belief shared by many of the world’s religions that environmental stewardship is a moral responsibility.

Interfaith Power and Light is a religious response to global warming. There is a Pennsylvania affiliate but not one in New Jersey (because GreenFaith was here first).

The Center for Environmental Transformation is dedicated to environmental transformation in the neighborhoods of Camden with projects including community gardens and food education programs for children, and inspiring speakers.

Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home, Pope Francis’ 2015 Encyclical Letter. This encyclical states the moral imperative to protect the planet, and especially the most vulnerable among us, from the destructive forces of climate change.

The Impact of Climate Change in New Jersey

New Jersey Adaptation Alliance   See reports on the impact of rising ocean waters on New Jersey’s coastline along with implications for our water supply and possible management scenarios. http://njadapt.rutgers.edu/  

Resiliency Planning; how to assess, plan and implement policies to address rising coastal waters in New Jersey See map showing how locations will be impacted by rising waters. http://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/sce/new-jersey-chapter/Documents/Lathrop_PPT_WebGIS_Resiliency_Planning.pdf

Climate Change in New Jersey: Temperature, Precipitation, Extreme Events and Sea Level  A 2007 report projected impacts of climate change on the Northeast, including potential ecological, economic and public health impacts that could be devastating. Precipitation and runoff will likely increase in winter and spring and longer, drier growing seasons. http://www.nj.gov/dep/dsr/trends/pdfs/climate-change.pdf

The New Jersey State Climatologist   Various reports and updates http://climate.rutgers.edu/stateclim/

The New Jersey Climate and Weather Group provides current reporting on climate change occurring in New Jersey. http://www.njweather.org/

Change in hardiness zones for trees and plants   New Jersey has seen a ten degree increase in the last 25 years, affecting trees and plants.   See animation of the gradual changes.   www.arborday.org/media/mapchanges.cfm

Rutgers Climate Institute Reports, upcoming events and seminars, and more.  http://climatechange.rutgers.edu/

A Geological Perspective on the Rise in Sea Level   Kenneth G. Miller et al. “In New Jersey… sea-level rise in the twentieth century was faster than during any other century in the last 4.3 thousand years.“ http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2013EF000135/full

Sierra Club/New Jersey (http://www.sierraclub.org/new-jersey/coastal-resiliency-and-sea-level-rise) Keep up with issues in New Jersey; see map of the pipelines proposed to cut through protected Pinelands and a presentation on NJ responses to the impact of a rising ocean.

Next Steps: Thinking About Climate Change and Taking Action

Ask your meeting and other Friends’ groups to sign “A Shared Quaker Statement on Facing the Challenge of Climate Change.”

www.sierraclub.org/ready-for-100 Moving Beyond Fossil Fuels. Leaders are asked to commit to 100% renewable energy for their communities. See how your city ranks in moving to 100% clean energy, and email your mayor to take action.

At the website of New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program, you can click on Clean Power Choice to find suppliers of renewable energy that are licensed to provide NJ power customers with renewable energy certificates (RECs). Also find information about up to $4000 in incentives for energy-efficient home improvements.

The Solutions Project engages citizens to accelerate the transition to clean, renewable energy. Click on the map of New Jersey to find their plan to move New Jersey to 100% renewable energy by 2050, including costs and benefits.

Fill out a short questionnaire to talk to an energy consultant about going solar.

www.carbonfund.org/reduce/ Reduce what you can, and offset what you cannot. Change how you live to move part way toward carbon neutrality. Reduce your carbon footprint even more by buying carbon offsets.

http://nj.gov/njpowerswitch/ Switch to a third party supplier for 100% renewable energy, delivered through your current public utility. Click on “Licensed Third Party Suppliers.”

https://www.expertise.com/green This website has energy efficiency guides for appliances, lighting, windows, and heating and cooling as well as guides to water conversation and home solar panels (pros and cons).

https://350.org/guide-personal-divestment/ This report from 350.org, Green Century Funds and Trillium Asset Management will help you with “Extracting Fossil Fuels from Your Portfolio: A Guide to Personal Divestment and Reinvestment.’’ The 350.org website has many additional ways to take action as an individual or group.

https://fossilfreefunds.org Search for mutual funds in your portfolio to see if there are fossil fuels hidden within.

www.asyousow.org Use their tool to see if your 401(k) is destroying the rainforest. Download the report “Carbon Clean 200: Investing in a Clean Energy Future.”

https://www.terrapass.com In 2004 Dr. Karl Ulrich at the University of Pennsylvania launched TerraPass with his students to help everyday people reduce the climate impact of their daily activities, including driving, flying and consuming energy. Use their carbon calculator; purchase carbon offsets.

The Pinelands Preservation Alliance is a strong advocate for protecting the NJ Pinelands. The website has a page on “Climate Change in New Jersey” with numerous reports available and links to State, federal and international agencies. Check out “individual Actions,” and find information about protecting the NJ Pinelands from gas pipelines.

The Waterkeeper Alliance is the largest nonprofit focused solely on clean water. Their Clean and Safe Energy Campaign seeks to move from dirty fossil fuels toward more environmentally sustainable energy sources. Campaigns include Extreme Oil, Fracked Gas and LNG, Keep It in the Ground and Toxic Coal.

The mission of Food and Water Watch is to protect our food and water and advocate for a healthy democracy that empowers people and protects the environment. In New Jersey, they are addressing, among other things, the impact of fracking in neighboring states on the environment of our state. The South Jersey Regional Organizer for F&WW is Lena Smith (732-839-0878; mrsmith@fwwatch.org)

www.peopleoverpipelines.org Stop the unnecessary and dangerous dirty gas infrastructure invading New Jersey.

“The Wisdom to Survive” This 56 min. film features thought leaders and activists in the realms of science, economics and spirituality discussing how we can evolve and take action in the face of climate disruption. Interviewed: Bill McKibben, Joanna Macy, Roger Payne, Herschelle Milford, Quincy Saul, and more. The Eco-Justice Collaborative has a copy licensed for unlimited showings as long as it doesn’t charge admission. See Ruth Darlington rdarlington@ctsnj.org

Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet by Bill McKibben (Henry Holt and Company) Alan Weisman, author of The World Without Us, says Eaarth “may restore your faith in the future, with us in it”!

Reinventing Fire: Bold Energy Solutions for the New Energy Era, by Amory Lovins (Rocky Mountain Institute, 2011) The book offers a vision to “revitalize business models and win the clean energy race, led by business for profit.” Sections on Transportation, Electricity, Buildings and Industry.

Active Hope by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone (NewWorld Library, 2012) This book addresses how we change ourselves to be strong, as well as find and play our role in the collective transition, or Great Turning, to a life-sustaining society.

Coming Back to Life: The Updated Guide to Work that Reconnects   by Joanna Macy (New Society Publishers, 2014) How do we transform denial, despair and grief into meaningful action?

The King of Little Things by Bil Lepp (Peachtree Publishers, 2013) A Lorax-type story for children and their parents.

Street Farm: Growing Food, Jobs and Hope on the Urban Frontier by Michael Ableman (Chelsea Green Publishers)

“A World at War” by Bill McKibben in New Republic Magazine, August 15, 2016. Using World War II as an example, McKibben argues that we will defeat global warming only with a massive retooling of industry. This time the weapons will be solar panels and wind turbines.

“How Factory Farming Contributes to Global Warming” by Ronnie Cummins in Climate, Jan. 21, 2013 (www.ecowatch.com) “Today nearly 65 billion animals worldwide, including cows, chickens, and pigs, are crammed into CAFOs [confined animal feeding operations].” These operations contribute to massive emissions of methane.

“Germany’s Revolution in Small Batch, Artisanal Energy” by Paul Hockenos in Foreign Policy magazine, October 31, 2014. How has Germany moved to a power supply largely based on intermittent sources (sun and wind) without a master plan and without significant storage capacity? “Germany has one of the lowest rates of blackouts in the world, a figure that has improved as more renewables have been added to the mix.”

“The New Economy, a Living Earth System Model” by David Korten – A new essay that looks at what a sustainable future might be. (livingeconomiesforum.org)

Other Resources: Background Information and News on Climate Change

www.awakenigthedreamer.org Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream symposium.

http://dahrjamail.net/  Jamail covers topics such as “Record Heating of Earth’s Oceans is Driving Uptick in Hurricanes” and desertification of a quarter of India’s land.

http://www.ecowatch.com/ 50 media partners and hundreds of environmental and science organizations report on developments around the world with a goal of promoting change.

www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-wacky-jet-stream-is-making-our-weather-severe/ Extreme summers and winters of the past four years could become the norm.

www.storyofstuff.org Visit the website for “The Story of Solutions” and “The Story of Change.”

www.wind-works.org Paul Gipe covers US, global energy policies and developments in wind, solar, and geothermal technologies.   Author, Wind Energy For the Rest of Us.

YES! Magazine outlines a path forward with analysis, tools for citizen engagement, and stories about real people working for a better world.