Caring for Creation.
It is a phrase that many may have heard, especially those who are religious or spiritual. Its meaning varies, of course, but the foundation is the extension of our deepest religious and moral values to the care and well-being of all of the natural world, created by the hand of the divine. When we care for Creation, we become partners with the generative spirit of the Creator.
Caring for Creation extends to the climate crisis. We are already experiencing extreme weather events and climate disasters. For some Pacific Islanders, climate change and sea level rise will mean dramatic if not complete loss of the islands they call home, illustrating the sad irony that those least responsible for the causes tend to suffer the greatest effects.
The primary causes are greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels for electricity and transportation. Since almost everyone contributes to these causes, we all have a responsibility to reduce them and care for all who suffer the consequences.
Reducing our use of fossil fuels is the obvious response, but this requires a moral and spiritual reorientation of our values, beliefs, decisions and actions. That is why we feel churches, temples, synagogues and other religious communities can and should be at the forefront of the call to respond to this crisis in ways that reflect our deepest values and traditions.
The state of Hawaii has created policies and programs to support these changes.
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Hawaii Energy is a program funded by a surcharge on our electricity bills. It can perform an energy analysis for businesses and nonprofits, suggest changes to reduce electricity demand, and recommend upgrades to increase energy efficiency. It also provides rebates for upgrades, such as lighting, water heating and cooling.
Hawaii also offers the Green Energy Money Saver (GEMS) On-Bill Financing Program. This program helps businesses and nonprofits install PV (photovoltaic or solar panels) for no upfront cost and with payments made as part of their monthly electricity bill, at a lower rate than that charged by the electric utility. PV installation companies can work with churches and other nonprofits to take advantage of the GEMS program. Once an energy analysis is done, the PV system can be sized to the projected reduced energy demand. The savings are immediate and can be reinvested in Creation Care initiatives or to support other missions of the organization.
For those who are renters, live in apartments, or otherwise cannot install PV, there is a program from Hawaiian Electric called “shared” or “community solar.” Through this program, a ratepayer can buy a “subscription” (share) of a solar array located on a roof, parking structure, or piece of land, from a “Subscriber Organization” (a company, church, nonprofit, etc.). This share is credited to their account, helping them pay for the subscription with the energy savings. This democratization of solar allows everyone to take advantage of renewable energy, and it gets our state closer to our goals of 100% renewable energy and self-sufficiency. Churches can use their facilities to host community solar and offer subscriptions to their congregants or to families they already serve through charitable missions.
As people of faith, we imagine a world in which all have what is needed, and where what has been broken is restored. The image of a world in balance brings us hope and motivates us to live with intention and care for all of Creation, an ethic that transcends and connects all belief systems. We call on religious communities to live out this ethic of care, especially in response to the climate crisis.
Travis Idol is president of Hawai‘i Interfaith Power and Light; the Rev. Jenn Latham is assisting priest at Holy Nativity Episcopal Church; John Cheever is senior commercial project developer for RevoluSun.
