| Local climate solutions powered by faith communities. |
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| Success Story: Harmony Place Mobile Home Park Installs 16 AC Units During Extreme Heatwave and Drought Last month, FACS received a pressing request from Fairfax County OEEC - Resilient Fairfax about households with no or inadequate air conditioning in Harmony Place Mobile Home Park on the Route 1 Corridor. While the county administers federally-funded cooling programs, many residents in need do not qualify. Examples included a family of refugees with a 3-year-old, whose trailer was over 100 degrees on a hot day, and a pregnant mother with two kids without AC for over a year, unable to qualify for existing cooling programs because the children were over the age of 5. FACS sent out an Action Alert asking FACS Supporters in Fairfax County and the City of Alexandria to consider purchasing 16 AC units for homes identified as critical need. Within 48 hours, all of the needs initially identified were met by our amazing supporters. Rebuilding Together, in coordination with county staff, began the process of installing units as soon as they were delivered. |
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| Save the Date: Climate Crisis Forum Mark your calendars for our annual Climate Crisis Forum on October 7th, 7-9 PM. With the theme Green Schools for Sustainable Communities, the forum will discuss how our public schools are addressing the climate crisis through sustainable building management and construction practices while educating and engaging K-12 students. Location and registration details are coming soon! |
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| Faith in Action – Making Personal & Systemic Change The planet is one year into the 1.5°C threshold where global heating is catastrophic. Systemic change is essential. We need to grow sturdy enough—spiritually, emotionally, and collectively—to turn the heat down. |
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| Nature Corner – My Congregation, Creation Care, and Me There are many ways our congregations can start treading more lightly on God’s green Earth. See a list of possible activities you can take to inspire action. |
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| Upcoming Events & Opportunities |
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| Build a Green Team at Your Congregation with IPC’s Faithful Green Leaders Training Program! FACS is thrilled to partner with Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake (IPC) to empower Virginia faith congregations through their Faithful Green Leaders Training Program this upcoming October. Join our info session on Thursday, August 15, 3 PM to discover how this free, 3-part workshop can equip your congregation with the knowledge, tools, and support needed to build a Green Team, develop an action plan, and lead the community to take climate action. |
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| Get Your House of Worship a Bird Sanctuary with a Free Site Visit! The first 20 Fairfax faith communities that request a FREE site visit will receive a mini bird sanctuary. Dedicated volunteers from Plant NoVA Natives and Audubon at Home will help you evaluate your current practices, preserve trees and habitat, eliminate invasive plants, and reduce unnecessary lawn. |
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| Must Watch: Our Two Major Campaigns' July Webinars |
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| Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Buildings UP award, this informative session will connect houses of worship with the tools and support needed to cut wasted energy and conserve resources for their missions. |
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| David Kepley from Providence Presbyterian Church, an Earth Care congregation, shares how they organized a Green Team to implement sustainable practices in the church, their current sustainability programs, and their upcoming initiatives. |
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Fairfax County Board of Supervisors canceled a public hearing and their vote on a contentious zoning ordinance proposal for data centers after learning they simply didn’t advertise the first public hearing long enough. -
Virginia has 35% of the world’s data centers, but very few are outside Northern Virginia. With a data center planned for Pittsylvania County, residents are asking 5 common questions about data center development. -
Thanks to dedicated years of FACS advocacy, the Fairfax County School Board approved 250-kW solar panels for 9 elementary schools, advancing FCPS’ efforts to become carbon neutral by 2040. -
Fairfax County received $50.6M from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law federal funds for new, low-emission electric buses. |
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| | City of Alexandria Hub Updates The Hub encouraged members to attend FACS’ Sustainability Champions Awards. They bid a heartfelt farewell to founding coordinator Bill Pugh as he and his family head to Spain for a year. The Hub is working on an informational survey for Alexandria School Board candidates running in November, aiming to assess their perspectives on climate policy and practices in the school system. Important Notice: The next Hub meeting is on Wednesday, August 7th, at 7 PM. |
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| Arlington County Hub Updates In place of their regular monthly meeting, Arlington Hub advocates participated in FACS’ Power of Faith info session to learn about a massive opportunity to enhance the energy performance of their houses of worship. Important Notice: The Arlington Hub will reconvene on August 7th to update on recent advocacy activities, celebrate wins, and discuss energy efficiency opportunities with a local expert. |
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| Fairfax County Hub Updates The FACS-FCPS team wrapped up its second year of bi-monthly meetings with district Superintendent Michelle Reid, who has accepted to participate in FACS' upcoming Climate Crisis Forum. FCPS’ Get2Green program created a zero waste toolkit for use by participating schools this fall. On July 16th, FACS Vice Chair Josefina Doumbia testified at a Board of Supervisors meeting, requesting updates to the County’s data centers land use policy. FACS is developing a set of principles that will be released later this year. Important Notice: After a summer hiatus, Fairfax Hub meetings will resume in September. |
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| Loudoun Hub Updates Data centers in Northern Virginia, especially in Loudoun County, are rapidly becoming a major concern due to their greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, and land use demands. FACS' Hub Leaders met with 6th District VA Delegate Rip Sullivan to discuss data center legislation, along with Senator Tim Kaine and other candidates running for office. They encourage everyone to take the time to meet with your candidates, evaluate their climate platform, and vote for climate and environmental values. |
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| | Join a Local Advocacy Hub! Stay connected with local news, meeting reminders, advocacy opportunities and action alerts, community wins, and more! |
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| FACS' Monthly Sustainability Tip With the D.C. region currently under a drought watch, local officials advise limiting your water usage, such as taking shorter showers, turning the faucet off when brushing your teeth, and waiting to wash dishes and laundry until you have full loads. |
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| Inspired to give beyond time and talent? |
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| | | Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions PO Box 2012 | Reston, Virginia 20195 703-239-3748 | info@faithforclimate.org |
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