Dear Friends,
I came across a wonderful phrase from Patti Digh recently: "The shortest distance between two people is a story."
Much of present-day climate communication comes in one of two modes: red alert or spreadsheet. Both have their time and place. But more and more, we're finding that to close the gap between people—whether between two people of different faith traditions, or between those deep in the struggle and those who are concerned about climate but not yet taking action—there's nothing quite so good as a story.
That's why, this Season of Creation, we've been publishing "Sustainable Faith," a series in which we asked religious and ethical leaders from across Massachusetts to share, personally and honestly, how their faith or spirituality sustains their work on climate. I hope you've found it as deep and moving as I have. There are still two more reflections to come—including Dharma teacher John Bell, coming this Sunday.
We've started sharing these monthly recap emails to connect your story with ours and with others. You'll find resources you may have missed (including a webinar recording on how to claim the last of the federal tax credits for solar), get a window into our work—we've lost staff, added staff, planted trees, postponed tree planting due to the nor'easter—and more.
Stay in the struggle for sustainable faith and a livable future. Here's what we were up to in September.
With hope and resolve,
Michael
Rev. Michael Reed
Executive Director
Massachusetts Interfaith Power & Light
This fall we launched Sustainable Faith, a weekly series of essays from voices across Massachusetts' religious and ethical traditions on climate, justice, and faith. The response has been tremendous. We've heard from folks who are sharing the essays with their congregations and green teams, and from partner organizations who are reposting them. New installments arrive each Sunday through October 11. Catch up on past reflections on our website.
On September 12, more than 50 people gathered at Campagnone Common in Lawrence for a ceremonial tree planting, among them 17 members of the clergy and our partners at the Merrimack Valley Interfaith Team. It was the first of two large gatherings we are hosting this fall as part of Trees of Life, our citywide initiative in Lawrence led by MassIPL, which has brought environmental education to more than 500 people this year.
In mid-September, our Communications and Outreach Coordinator, Joy Yamagiwa, moved on to a new full-time opportunity. We're grateful for the creativity she brought to her work at MassIPL and wish her well in her next chapter.
We're also delighted to welcome Dana Fugate as our new Communications and Outreach Director, who started with us this week. After more than fifteen years in corporate communications and marketing, Dana made a deliberate decision to devote her next chapter to climate work. She is a Terra.do Climate Fellow, and she has lent her communications skills to climate and conservation groups including ReWorld and Mothers Out Front. Dana lives in Boston with her family and a posse of pets. When she isn't working, she can be found browsing independent bookstores, hiking with her dog, Bechet, and playing bass "loudly and poorly." If you see her name in your inbox, please say hello!
Some climate stories begin with a thunderous mountaintop epiphany. Bill Clary's began with a homework assignment. As a college student, he read President Carter's energy report for a class, and he has spent the decades since working in clean energy. Today he is a mechanical engineer and entrepreneur whose company, Pacific AgriTec, grows algae that feed on industrial carbon emissions. We are delighted to welcome him to our Executive Committee as Board Treasurer, and grateful to have his steady hand guiding our finances. Get to know Bill in this recent interview from MassIPL.
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On September 22, MassIPL President Jim Nail and Executive Committee member Alan Sherman, joined by our partners at New England Clean Energy and local congregational leaders, walked congregations through the federal "direct pay" incentive. It can cover up to 40% of a solar project for houses of worship, but the window is closing. Projects must be up and running by December 31, 2027 to qualify, and (no surprises here) solar projects take time; even a smooth one can take from February to October.
If you'd like your house of worship to join the more than 70 congregations we've helped go solar, the time to start is now. Reach out to us at solar@massipl.org, or watch the recording on our YouTube channel if you missed it.
Earlier this week, our Executive Director, Rev. Michael Reed, joined the Worcester Interfaith Clergy Caucus at Congregation Beth Israel, where the group met in the congregation's sukkah for Sukkot. Rabbi Aviva Fellman explained the significance of the festival, and Michael shared a bit about MassIPL's work helping congregations decarbonize. Because we're an all-virtual office, we love the chance to meet in person and build real relationships.
If your area has an interfaith clergy group, we'd love to come to one of your meetings. Simply contact us or reply to this email.
TOMORROW: Saturday, October 3, 10:00 a.m. | Costello Park, Lawrence
We rescheduled around last weekend's storm. If you're in the Merrimack Valley, come and join MassIPL, Community Christian Fellowship Lawrence, and Groundwork Lawrence for a joyful, family-friendly event. Help us plant trees, harvest the last of the season's vegetables, and care for creation in a hands-on way. Register online here.
Thursday, November 5, 11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m. | Wolbach Farm, 18 Wolbach Road, Sudbury
Join us as we decompress after the midterm elections and reconnect spiritually in a beautiful setting. Rabbi Katy Allen will lead a slow, interfaith meditative walk along the new, accessible All Persons' Trail, with stops for poetry and reflection. No screens or news alerts allowed. Afterward, if you'd like to bring a lunch, we'll share a meal at the nearby picnic tables. The walk is co-sponsored by Sudbury Valley Trustees and JCAN-MA. Save the date; registration details coming soon!
Tuesday, November 17, 7:00 p.m. | Online
One billion people around the world still live without reliable electricity, and many light their homes with kerosene. Join MassIPL, JCAN-MA, and SolarBuddy to learn how your congregation can build and send small solar lights to families who need them. It's a hands-on project that works for all ages inside your own building. Perhaps you're already thinking ahead to Earth Month or ready to start for the season of light this winter. You'll leave with everything you need to organize a build of your own. Save the date; registration details coming soon!
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For Khan Shairani, the freedom to choose comes bound to obligation. A reflection on non-violence toward the world we share.
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Lenny Somervell and Rabbi Laura Bellows draw on Jewish mourning practice and the wisdom of the High Holidays to explore how grief, when we let ourselves feel it, can become the ground for collective action.
