Environmental Justice

He aliʻi ka ʻāina, he kauwā ke kanaka. #531
The land is a chief, man is her servant.

ʻAʻohe hana nui ke alu ʻia. #142
No task is too big when done together by all.
*Source: Pukui, M. K. (1983). ‘Ōlelo No‘eau Hawaiian Proverbs & Poetical Sayings. Honolulu, Hawaii: Bishop Museum Press. ʻŌlelo Noeau compiled by Johanna Kapōmaikaʻi Stone and Danielle Espiritu

Welcome to the Diocese's Environmental Justice and Creation Care Ministry webpage. We are currently working on getting this fully populated. In the meantime, you can get more information from The Episcopal Church's Creation Care webpage HERE. Mahalo for visiting!

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE & CREATION CARE

In Jesus, God so loved the whole world. We follow Jesus, so we love the world God loves. Concerned for the global climate emergency, drawing on diverse approaches for our diverse contexts, we commit to form and restore loving, liberating, life-giving relationships with all of Creation. The Episcopal Church’s Covenant for the Care of Creation is a commitment to practice loving formation, liberating advocacy and life-giving conservation as individuals, congregations, ministries and dioceses. Explore the Covenant HERE and sign up for the newsletter and opportunities to formally adopt the Covenant in your community HERE.

Here in the Diocese of Hawai'i, the Environmental Justice and Creation Care Task Force was formed June 2021 from a larger appeal by The Episcopal Church to address our world's environmental crisis. The task force is led by the Revs. Jenn Latham and Brianna Lloyd, along with other volunteers from around the Diocese. Together, they raise awareness and take action in our communities. If you would like to learn more or take part in this important ministry, send an email through this link HERE.

Click on the buttons below to learn more about what our task force is involved with:

Upcoming Events in the Diocese:

Hawaiʻi Food Systems Summit, December 14-15, 2023

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Transforming Hawaiʻi's Food System Together, a state-wide initiative to examine and strengthen Hawaiʻi's food system is hosting its second annual Food Summit. The summit will be held December 14-15, from 9am-4pm, at the University of Hawaiʻi--West Oʻahu. A number of pre-event activities are already happening. For more information about how to register for the Food Summit and any pre-events, visit:
https://transforminghawaiifoodsystem.org/food-summit/december-2023/

Action

SHUT DOWN RED HILL ACTION:
Please join us in our letter writing campaign to Shut Down Red Hill. We are asking all people of faith to help keep the pressure on the Navy to safely remove all the fuel and other chemicals from the Red Hill Bulk Storage Facility, remediate, and permanently close the facility to protect the aquifer that supplies water to hundreds of thousands of people on the island of O`ahu. Find out more about the Red Hill Crisis at Oahu Water Protectors.

NEW!!! Carbon Reduction Assistance Program
The Diocese announces the Carbon Reduction Assistance Program, which are funds to help with your Carbon Reduction projects. The Creation Care Task Force hopes the funds can help offset the cost for churches who need it to reduce their energy use. Projects that are likely to be approved are ones that do the following: alternative energy source projects (solar, carbon offsets), energy audits, energy efficient appliances and light bulb retrofits, safe building tear down and removal. The Task Force would also entertain other ideas that would result in carbon reduction or energy efficiency.

The following is the structure and criteria for the program:

A. Congregation submits request to the CC&EJ with the following information
   1. Budget for project
   2. Narrative about how project will reduce energy use/reduce carbon
   3. Timeline for project

B. Review by CC&EJ Task Force
   1. Congregation is in good standing with diocese and has a Green Team or has named an
        Environmental Coordinator as contact person
   2. Proposal has clear funding request and demonstrates how the funds will be used to reduce carbon/energy
        use
   3. Timeline is reasonable so that funds will be used in 2023 budget year.

All project proposals should be sent to Jenn Latham and Bree Lloyd: revjenn.hnc@gmail.com and brianna.l.lloyd@gmail.com.

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Advocacy

Check out the Hawai`i Episcopal Schools who are doing good sustainability work driven by students:

‘Iolani Community Engagement Project: Creation Care Infographics for Church Bulletins, Newsletters, Etc.
Sharing their gifts and learning with our Task Force, four 'Iolani students have created a set of 25 infographics on the theme of creation care. These infographics can be used by any diocesan church or school that may want to publish in their weekly church bulletin or newsletter or, for example, to help educate around a Lenten environmental theme. The infographics include individual action items and environmental facts and tips. The team also created a website with information on meat consumption, solar power, and individual actions.

Youth Citizens Climate Lobby Club at `Iolani
`Iolani students are leading the way in the democratic process, using their voices to express their concerns for the environment and lobbying their legislators for policies and laws that will help protect their island home.

Seabury Hall Students Take Action on Maui for Better Care for Creation
The Seabury Environmental Alliance is a student club that advocates for sustainable practices and organizes actions to bring love to our "other than human" neighbors. Read this for an update of the great work of SEA together with the Seabury Community Service Leadership program!

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Education

Carbon Reduction for your Church
If you want to have an assessment done to help you save energy and reduce costs, contact Hawai`i Energy. This organization has a variety of programs to help households and organizations who are Hawaiian Electric customers on all the islands reduce their energy use. These are your dollars at work since Hawai`i Energy is funded by a fee you pay on your monthly electric bill.

Hawai`i Interfaith Power and Light
This interfaith organization engages faith communities to raise awareness of global warming and create inspirational solutions.

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