FACS October 2023 Newsletter

Local climate solutions powered by faith communities.

Congratulations new Board Chair Scott Peterson!

Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions is pleased to announce that Scott Peterson has been elected Chair of the Board of Directors effective September 19, 2023. Scott succeeds Founder and long-time Chair Eric Goplerud, who led the organization for more than a decade. Read more about our new Chair here. Additionally, Josefina (Jo) Doumbia has been elected Vice Chair. Rick Galliher will continue as Treasurer, and Jack Bowles will remain as Secretary.

Clean Energy Roadmap: Energy Audit, Solar, Incentives

Join us on October 11 at noon to hear from Fairfax County experts on the importance of doing an energy audit. We'll be announcing new financial incentives to help your faith community jump into action! Our partners from Fairfax County will demonstrate the use of EPA's ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool, using a place of worship as an example for energy use and will go over funding opportunities for conducting energy audits and installing solar arrays. The focus is Fairfax, but all are welcome!

Bolstering Effective Conservation Advocacy

Join The Audubon Society of Northern Virginia, FACS, and Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy Saturday, October 21 from 1:00-4:30 p.m. in Reston for a forum on effective advocacy. The keynote speaker is the Honorable Ken Plum, Virginia House of Delegates, 36th District. Other speakers include Mary Rafferty, Virginia Conservation Network; Michael Myers, Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy; Chris Miller, Piedmont Environmental Council.

Calling all Fairfax County Tree Advocates!

Train to be a Fairfax County tree policy advocate with Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions and Nature Forward! Constituent voices are a powerful tool in our advocacy toolbox and this set of four interactive, online trainings (from October 2022 - January 2024) will help you gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to advocate for creating a healthy environment for people and nature in the face of the current climate crisis. Learn more and register for free.

Hear from Fairfax Candidates!

We are cosponsoring LWV-Fairfax 2023 Candidate Forums:

Live on Fairfax Public Access, channel 10, or streaming on YouTube: Monday, October 2, 8 p.m. Chairman-Board of Supervisors and Monday, October 16, 8 p.m.: Clerk of the Court & Sheriff

On Zoom - register here to watch: Thursday, October 5, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Member School Board At Large and Wednesday, 11 October, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Northern Virginia District Soil and Water Conservation Director.

Tree of Life Community

A group of us are meeting to learn, discuss, and exchange information and ideas about preserving, restoring, and expanding natural systems on the grounds of faith communities. We'll focus on planting native trees and plants, establishing community gardens, removing invasive species to save native trees, composting, and implementing sustainable landscaping and lawn care techniques. Our next meeting is Thursday, October 19 from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. EST via Zoom.

Join FACS for an evening with Katharine Hayhoe

Be sure to attend this event featuring renowned climate scientist and faith leader Katharine Hayhoe on October 4 at George Mason University. Her new book, Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World, presents an inspiring call to action based on interdisciplinary research and personal stories. Last year FACS was honored to have our voices featured in this WNYC piece with Dr. Hayhoe. Come hear her in person!

Nature Corner

You may have heard that this past August was a year since the enactment of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the most significant climate legislation ever to become law. In addition to benefiting people, it also protects nature. Read here to learn more about the variety of positive impacts from the IRA.

Be sure to visit our online calendar to see when Hub monthly meetings happen, what FACS events are on the horizon, and what community events are being planned by other groups.

City of Alexandria Hub Updates

The FACS Alexandria hub will meet Wednesday, October 18, 7p.m. Learn about our fall and winter opportunities for action, including getting congregations connected with the City's Office of Climate Action programs, supporting expanded housing options, and getting Alexandria City Public Schools engaged in the community's climate strategy.

Sign up for Alexandria updates if you are not already on our list. If you have any questions, please email info@faithforclimate.org.

Arlington County Hub Updates

We met in person to determine how we can be most effective in supporting climate action in our community. The Hub has, to date, been a good place for information sharing and discussion and now we want to focus on pursuing community action. To orient our planning, we reviewed what it means to be a FACS Hub, what draws each of us to the FACS Arlington Hub, what makes our Hub unique in Arlington and the FACS Hub's added value to environmental discussions in Arlington. We agreed that, given our faith-based affiliation, our priorities are pursuing climate justice and supporting congregational climate action. We've got several steps outlined to support these goals which we'll dig into deeper in our October meeting. Our next meeting will be October 4 at 7:00 p.m., via Zoom. Sign up for Arlington updates if you are not already on our list. If you have any questions, please email info@faithforclimate.org.

Fairfax County Hub Updates

John Morrill, Fairfax County Office of Energy and Environment, spoke to us about Operational Energy Strategy Projects, energy efficiency retrofits, & solar installations. Did you know the county has 19 solar projects underway? The new Woodlawn Fire Station is the first LEED plant? All new county buildings will be net-zero, powered by solar with EV charging? Next month, Rachel Domer, Technology & Engineering Education, will give an update on FCPS workforce development plans for solar installation and EV mechanics career paths and job training. Read here how this hub is putting Faith Into Action. If you are not already on our list, sign up for Fairfax updates here. If you have any questions, please email kristin.rosenthal@gmail.com.

Loudoun Hub Updates

We sponsored a program on EV Cars: Myths and Facts, followed by a show-and-tell of EV cars and bicycles; over 90 people attended. We wrote the Loudoun Board of Supervisors about Dominion's transmision plan along Rt 7. We met with county staff about 2024 plans for the Environmental and Energy Work Plan. We voiced concerns to the Environmental Commission about data centers, sharing Fairfax County’s recommendations as an example of addressing concerns. We collaborated with Citizens Climate Lobby on a speaker at Ashby Ponds to address climate and the military. The Social Justice Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Sterling, VA voted to become part of the FACS network of congregations. We welcome them! If other faith communities wish to follow suit please be in touch.

Central Valley Hub Updates

We've been busy developing climate and environmental resources for local faith communities, posted on our website. We're reaching out to congregations to create a network of activities and learning from each other, such as creating a congregational political action event, facilitating solar on faith buildings, planting trees and community gardens, and considering the option of green burial. We planned and raised funds to support eight people from our area to travel to New York City for the March to End Fossil Fuels on September 17. One of our steering committee members donated $2,500 as a seed fund toward reaching out to and empowering young climate activists.

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FACS' Monthly Sustainability Tip

As we welcome the change in seasons and the leaves falling, consider letting your leaves remain in your yard. Instead of raking or throwing them in the trash, potentially let them remain on the lawn. Dead leaves are part of the natural lifecycle and will help to make soil healthier and promote strong plant growth.