 Dear Kim - Only 5 days left to apply for the Cool Congregations Challenge! If your congregation has taken action to cut carbon emissions in buildings or grounds, or worked in the community to cut emissions – apply for a chance to win $1000 in IPL’s annual Cool Congregations Challenge. The deadline for applications is midnight, December 15. Consider applying for the Cool Planner category if your congregation has made plans that you had hoped to complete this year but were not able to because of COVID. AND for those of you who completed your projects previously… Due to COVID disruptions in your plans, IPL is expanding the window of eligibility to include projects completed in 2018, 2019, and 2020. If you applied before and have not won the Challenge previously, you are eligible to apply again for your projects completed in those three years. Click here to enter the Challenge or to download the entry guide today, for a chance to win $1,000 in each of the five entry categories.
There are five entry categories and judges will choose the top submission of each: - Energy Saver: Installing more efficient lighting, insulation, windows and doors, and/or heating and cooling systems
- Renewable Role Model: Generating clean energy with solar, wind, geothermal installations or solar water heating
- Sacred Grounds: Using water conservation landscaping, native plants, organic gardening, providing wildlife habitats, and composting
- Community Inspiration: Inspiring congregants to reduce their carbon footprints at home, or organizing your community to reduce emissions or be more climate resilient
- Cool Planner: Conducting energy audits, or completing planning or fundraising for a new project
Now is the time to prepare your entry for our annual Cool Congregations Challenge for a chance to win prize money and to inspire other faith communities to action. The entry deadline is midnight, December 15.
Projects can take place inside the worship space or other buildings, on the grounds, in congregants’ homes, or in the community.
So don’t wait – the deadline is midnight December 15 - click here to enter the Challenge or download your entry guide today. It includes all of the details, as well as a flyer to get your green team excited about entering, inspirational stories of past winners, and links to the entry form. Use IPL's congregational calculator to measure your congregation's carbon footprint for the purposes of the Challenge application. Today marks the beginning of Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights. The story of Hanukkah describes the scarcity and conservation of oil - a biblical and modern-day energy source - and this lesson is still relevant today. Environmental activist and Rabbi Arthur Waskow beautifully describes Hanukkah as “a reminder that if we have the courage to change our lifestyles to conserve energy, the miracle of our own creativity will sustain us.” Thank you for leading the way to a more just and sustainable world for everyone! |
