What Can We Do About Global Warming?
The environment committee of Berkeley Friends Meeting is sponsoring a series of talks by Karen Street on climate change and what we can do about it. The series will run on 1st Sundays of the month at 2151 Vine St beginning March 4 after meeting for worship, starting at 1 p.m. The series ends June 17.
Session I: Climate Change and Friends March 4th
This session will begin with an updated version of Karen’s PowerPoint presentation, first delivered at the 2006 Gathering of Friends General Conference. It will cover the science, with actual and likely impacts of global warming, and will tie those impacts to Friends testimonies, taking an initial look at what we can do to make a difference.
The Environment committee will distribute a questionnaire to help us calculate our greenhouse gas emissions and oil consumption. In Session III, each person will get an individualized handout showing how he or she compares to a typical person in Berkeley Meeting, California, and the United States.
Session II: How We Make Choices April 1st
Karen will lead an exercise on looking at the advantages and disadvantages of our current choices, and how we go about making changes in our lives. This will be followed by a worshipful consideration: in what spirit do we take on the task of addressing climate change, from negative or positive emotions? What kinds of support might we give each other, or do we want for ourselves?
Session III: Our Own Carbon Emissions May 6th
Karen will explain the results of the questionnaires distributed in Session I and help us to understand the private and individualized handout each of us will receive, based on the information we submitted. This important exercise will teach us about the behaviors that policies must address, and provide us with the baseline requested at our January monthly meeting in response to the Committee’s proposed minute on our possible response to global warming.
Session IV: Technology and Policy June 3rd
What are the policy solutions that will make a difference? What do we look for in legislation? A look at Socolow wedges, cap and trade, and other policy issues. We will also examine the potential for technology, including efficiency, cellulosic biofuels, solar, wind, geothermal, and nuclear power.
Session V: Nuclear Power in Today’s World June 17th
Does nuclear power make sense in a carbon-constrained world? A discussion on the issues for and against nuclear power.
This series is for everyone, including teens and young adults. The committee will provide childcare.
Sponsored by Berkeley Friends Meeting Environment Committee
Dear Ms. Street,
I’m a Middlebury College Student doing a study on Quaker environmentalism and I’d love to talk with you over the phone or by email. The study is focusing on the resources of Quaker history and theology for environmental activism, and looks at how green issues can be a bridge nd/or a wedge between different groups of Quakers (programmed, unprogrammed, evangelical, etc.) I’ve had an excellent talk with the heads of Quaker Earthcare Witness in Vermont, and would like to get some thoughts from other “eco-Quakers.” What you’re doing looks really exciting. Please let me know by email if you’re willing to do an interview. I can send you questions or I can call you and do a phone chat.
This should be an interesting project–I hope it will serve as a venue for Quakers’ ideas on how to braoden the movement, and I’d love your help on it.
Thanks!
Sincerely,
Robbie McKay