Are we talking about environmental justice, with the implication of distressed socio-economic areas? Or simply environmental awareness?

Pro Bono design and construction is very very very rare in the current economy.
LEED is a nightmare – and pretty much nonsense, at that! (LEED gets good press, but many locales have MANDATED energy efficiency anyway, so why pay for a trade-marked bit of publicity? even the Dept of Defense no longer seeks LEED-certification for projects, I believe) A LEED design adds substantial costs – not only the charges of the LEED-certified designer but also materials and methods. Sadly, “green” is hip, so naturally almost every corner of commerce is making hay – construction is a capitalist segment of a capitalist society and has been feeling the pinch; environmental design considerations offer one of the few profit opportunities available.

“Justice” implies an understanding of intersecting interests – Murphy, above, seems to get that. When a religious group meets in a storefront, LEED is not an issue. Ms. Carmichael, I submit we would be better served with information – in several languages! directed to religious organizations and their congregants, which environmental coalitions could make available to houses of worship.

Most religions I have studied agree with the path that the EPA is trying to follow in general.

In the USA, many people are Christians and the words of Jesus give some food for thought. “Beware the Fiery Furnaces” is a ripe subject for thought as it referred to the burning dump at Ghenna and was a warning about air pollution as well as a warning about burning off sins or karma perhaps. It is explained by some that many of his best sermons had many levels of understanding. He also advised people to seek the natural goodness of fresh air in the forests and fields in the country and away from the cities where wood was the primary source of energy. This too has a practical lesson for us even today as wood smoke is one of the largest cases of poor health and global warming.

He also advised people to seek out clean water and food and sunlight and to keep our thoughts clean as well. It is fascinating that most religoius prophets, saints, Masters, Buddhas and Gurus all say basically the same thing on the basics and the environment. If only our politicians could do the same. Given their 50-50 split, it would be wise to follow the advice of these revered leaders and abandon greed, self interest, and work for the common good or God of all.

FIRST: Use terms like “religious organization” or “community of faith,” instead of the term “church” when talking (and thinking) about religious involvement with the environment. Our nation has Sikhs, Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Native American traditionalists, and milions of others, who are involved in organized religion but who don’t participate in “church activities.” Sunday is not the sabbath day for all “people of faith.” (It’s not even the sabbath day for all Christians.) “Creation spirituality” is important for some religious groups but not for others. For government officials, understanding and respecting religious pluralism is epecially important. Don’t pick favorites among the religions.

I was in North Carolina after Hurricane Floyd. FEMA officials wanted to meet with “the churches” and a community meeting was scheduled. There was some surprise when local Muslim and Buddhist leaders arrived with the Unitarian Universalist minister, but, yes, they represented congregations that were active in Greenville and they wanted to be included in the government discussion.

SECOND: Environmental justice and organized religion? Even in most of the “green congregations” that I’ve known, the environmental justice discussion is still very new. In part, because “environmental work” – in most congregations – still reflects the concerns and values and interests of the big conservation organizations. Conservationists have a lot to say about polar bears but seldom, very seldom, do they talk about racism and poverty in American cities.

Here’s an example: The summer of 2012 is incredibly difficult. Heat waves, droughts, power failures, and extreme weather events have hit low-income families and other vulnerable groups very hard…. The poor need fuel assistance, to keep refrigerators and fans working, but conservation groups seldom support fuel assistance programs…. The rich and the poor experience hot weather in different ways. If you’re wealthy, you may work and live in air conditioned spaces and, maybe, you’ll have a nice vacation in a cool area… If you’re poor, you may be working in construction or in a farmer’s field. So you worry about heat exhaustion and dehydration…. For many folks, climate change is “here and now.”

Suggestion? Although there’s a lot to learn from the big conservation groups, I encourage religious groups to do some new thinking about social justice and the environment…. The energy conversation, especially, needs to be approached in new ways… I don’t know what role, if any, government agencies want to play in theological discussions. Proceed with caution.

With best wishes,

Robert Murphy
Falmouth, Massachusetts

Maria