Green Menorah Covenant Coalition: Personal, Congregational, & Public-Policy Changes to Avert Global Scorching

To save our planet, crops, water supply, & coastlines from the ravages of climate crisis & global scorching, The Shalom Center urges these seven directions of PERSONAL & POLICY change at all governmental levels, corporate and labor-union decisions, and household / congregational action. To work for these policy changes, write GreenMenorah@shalomctr.org or Shalom Center, 6711 Lincoln Drive, Philadelphia PA 19119.

1. Making carbon pay the real costs of its effect on climate:

Personal change: households set 5% of our annual coal, oil, & gasoline costs as tzedakah ("charitable" contributions) to support sustainable-energy activism.
Public policy: requiring energy producers to pay for the carbon emissions their products will cause, through a carbon tax, carbon caps, or a combination.

2. Paying for low-carbon energy sources:

For households, buying energy-conserving appliances, joining wind-energy plans, etc.
Public policy: ending subsidies to such carbon-producing sources of energy as coal, oil, and corn-based ethanol; constantly increasing subsidies for such non-carbon-emitting sources of energy as wind, solar, switch-grass.

3. Buildings:

Greening our own new homes and congregations, and retrogreening our present buildings.

Public policy: enacting strong building-code regulations for new buildings and for retrogreening old ones.

4. Transportation:

As households and congregations, car-pooling, walking, or biking to congregations, jobs, etc.

Public policy: ending subsidies to conventional autos, highways, and airplanes; strictly limiting emissions from autos and airplanes; raising subsidies to bikes, rail, walking, and to holding long-distance meetings by teleconference.

5. Land use:

Personal choices of urban-style high-density living (whether in actual cities or in suburbs)
Policy: subsidize and invest in urban recreation, workplaces, etc. vs. sprawl and low-density housing.

6. Wisdom-creation:

In Jewish life, infusing festivals, life-cycle markers (especially intergenerational markers like bar/bat mitzvah & confirmation), prayer, and Torah-study with concern for the earth and climate.
In public policy, subsidizing scientific climate-crisis analysis; climate-centered educational projects throughout school years from pre-K through grad school; support for art, literature, music, dance, film, games, etc. that address climate crisis.

7. Shabbat and restful time:

In our individual and congregational practice, strongly encouraging -- even more than before -- setting aside restful time and making minimal use of carbon-emitting energy for the time of Shabbat itself, as a wise and sacred Jewish practice.
In public policy, requiring paid leave and holiday time for parental care and neighborhood-centered celebration.