Virginia Interfaith Power & Light Grieves the Passing of Pope Francis
Pope Francis will be dearly missed by people of faith and goodwill from around the world
RICHMOND, Va. – Earlier this week, Pope Francis passed away at his home. His time as the head of the Catholic Church was marked by his leadership on climate. He sparked a new era of people of faith and goodwill caring for people and the planet.
In response to the Pope’s passing, the Virginia Interfaith Power & Light Board of Directors and staff have released the following statement:
“The staff and Board of Virginia Interfaith Power & Light are deeply saddened by Pope Francis’s death. We sincerely offer our condolences to our Catholic neighbors and friends worldwide for his loss. We are grateful for Pope Francis’ thirteen-year pontificate. His death at this time is a substantial loss for the entire world, especially the climate-conscious, refugees, immigrants, and the oppressed. He was a respected leader of our time who spoke the universal language of justice. He exemplified his faith through his unique, humble lifestyle.
We believe Pope Francis to have been the most consequential leader of the Catholic Church since Vatican II. During his years as spiritual leader for over one billion Catholics, he reoriented the Church’s attention to the depth of global human suffering. He reconnected the Church to service and the practice of forgiveness, mercy, and love. He was known for his compassionate attitude towards those imprisoned by his frequent visits to prisons, demonstrating humility and confirming their humanity, most notably by washing their feet each Holy Thursday.
During his first few years as Pope, he emphasized Catholic teaching regarding response to climate change as a moral imperative. Laudato Sí (On Care for Our Common Home) is arguably one of the most significant encyclicals in modern Church history. We cannot overestimate Laudato Sí‘s influence on Catholics, Protestants, other faith traditions, and those religiously unaffiliated. The most well-known theme from Laudato Sí reflects the vision he embodied throughout his tenure: that this Earth is a gift meant to be shared with all other humans, especially the least among us, and with all life teeming in the seas and on land. We take to heart his insistence that humans are responsible for caring for both.
As an interfaith-based organization, we will continue to embrace lessons from his life, work, and ministry. We will grieve his absence from our daily lives and wish him a well-deserved rest in peace.”
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Statement: Supreme Court Rule on the Clean Water Act Puts Our Sacred Waterways at Risk
This decision leaves Virginia waterways at risk of unregulated dumping and pollution.
Richmond, VA – Yesterday, the United States Supreme Court ruled on Sackett v. EPA, a case to determine what qualifies as wetlands and the E.P.A.’s authority to oversee pollution in these waters. Their ruling states that wetlands and waterways not easily seen as connected to a permanent body of water or waterway are no longer subjected to EPA oversight. This risks our sacred waterways for unregulated dumping and pollution, which is linked to severe health risks, and predominately impacts low-income and disadvantaged communities.
In response, Rev. Dr. Faith Harris, Executive Director of Virginia Interfaith Power & Light, released the following statement:
“Virginia is full of small streams, wetlands, creeks, and other separate bodies of water that will now become free zones for polluters. This decision will likely allow developers, investors, and residential owners to undermine the incredible strides made by the EPA in water protection since the 1970s. Further, as flooding and superstorms continue to increase, the runoff from residential and commercial areas into these now unregulated bodies of water may lead to polluting of our wildlife and their habitats. We have been here before! As people of faith, we are morally outraged by their decision and will speak up and act on issues that endanger Virginians’ health and safety and our natural resources.
Across our nation, many seasonal streams and rivers, due to snowmelt and rains, are now at risk and will face similar negative impacts to those mentioned above. The Supreme Court is wading into an area where they do not have the requisite expertise, which is why we have an EPA to help regulate and protect this finite resource.”
Statement: Virginia’s Energy Plan Fails to Prioritize the Climate Crisis.
Virginia has a moral and global responsibility to transition as quickly as possible from burning fossil fuels for our energy production.
Richmond, Virginia – Governor Youngkin released the 2022 Virginia Energy Plan detailing how the Commonwealth will address energy efficiency, production, and affordability.
Governor Youngkin’s newly released Virginia Energy Plan provides false solutions to Virginia’s energy future and provides a weak answer to the current threat of climate change. One of the most alarming aspects of his public statement was the politicization of Virginia’s energy future by creating a dichotomy between California and Virginia. While these statements may be great for headlines, they only confuse the issues. What is at stake is our moral imperative to protect the planet and its people.
In response, Rev. Dr. Faith Harris, Executive Director of Virginia Interfaith Power & Light, released the following statement:
“Access to affordable and reliable energy for the future needs of Virginia requires practical solutions that take the realities of climate change seriously. This reality is mostly missing from this energy plan. Reducing carbon emissions is critical to preventing future catastrophic changes in our climate. It should be the central focus of any responsible energy plan. Like every other state, Virginia has a moral and global responsibility to transition as quickly as possible from burning fossil fuels for our energy production. Slowing down the retirement of coal and natural gas plants and removing Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is the wrong direction for Virginians who want our state to do its part in combating climate change. While we agree that technology is still developing, we should not use this time to double down on fossil fuels. Instead, we need a forward-looking plan that centralizes renewables, providing incentives for their development.”
Statement: Virginia Interfaith Power & Light: Andrew Wheeler is the Wrong Choice for Virginia
Senate Privileges & Elections Committee Makes the Right Decision for Virginia’s Future
On February 1, 2022, in the General Assembly, the 15-member Senate Privileges & Elections Committee tasked with advancing Governor Youngkin’s nominees declined to submit the nomination of Andrew Wheeler for Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources by a 9 to 6 vote. Wheeler is well-known for significantly rolling back or slowing down environmental protections relating to climate change, water, air, and industrial toxins in his recent time at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Wheeler sought to weaken federal vehicle fuel standards and to undo the Clean Power Plan, which would have limited carbon pollution from our energy generation sector. He also sought to restrict the use of science in the rule-making process and in protecting public health and to hinder the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay by weakening Clean Water Act protections and proposing funding cuts to EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program by 90%.
Declining to nominate Andrew Wheeler was the right and moral decision for Virginia. Over the past few years, Virginia has made progress toward a just climate future by advancing sound energy, flood mitigation, and environmental justice policies that both protect residents and our resources.
Wheeler’s record with the EPA demonstrates that he is the wrong choice to continue that trajectory and the wrong choice to avoid future catastrophe for Virginia’s residents already facing climate impacts. People of faith are depending on legislators to remain steadfast on this decision. Saying no to Wheeler’s nomination if it should come to the floor means protecting Virginia’s historic and natural resources, our coasts, our wildlife, the Chesapeake Bay, and our neighbors.
Statement: VAIPL on Hurricane Ida and a Future of Extreme Weather
Virginia Interfaith Power & Light joins with the nation in observing with sorrow the effects of Hurricane Ida in Louisiana and other parts of the country. Like Hurricane Katrina 16 years before, Ida hit the coast of Louisiana on Sunday, with howling 150 mph winds causing devastating destruction, and leaving over a million households without power and access to clean water and basic services, all amid a stifling summer heat that could reach close to 90 degrees Fahrenheit in the region for the next few days. Even here in Virginia, a state of emergency was declared as a result of Ida’s remnants. As is always the case, the population most likely to suffer are the poor and disenfranchised.
A future of rising temperatures and extreme weather — stronger and more frequent storms and heatwaves, combined with intense drought and the resulting wildfires — is unavoidable in the coming decades, according to an August 9 report by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an international panel of scientists. But the direst outlooks can still be averted, the experts said, if the world’s countries stop burning fossil fuels and take other immediate steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. No region of the Earth has escaped the effects of climate change, and even if emissions were immediately reduced to no more than the amount that the Earth’s soil, plants, and oceans could absorb naturally, some of the impacts already set in motion would be irreversible within centuries or millennia, the report says.
Statement: VAIPL Black Environments Matter Statement Earth Day 2021.
“As we celebrate Earth Day 2021, we do so remembering George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN. Breonna Taylor in Louisville, KY., Ahmaud Arbery in Glynn County, GA., Marcus-David Peters in Richmond, VA, and countless other victims of police violence who sparked last summer’s protests. Recently, a police officer right here in Virginia has been fired after pointing a gun at, and pepper spraying, a black US Army lieutenant during a traffic stop. In Mi… We do so saying emphatically that Black Lives Matter! We do so asserting that because Black lives matter, Black environments matter as well. We need to address the ways systematic racism determines the air we breathe, the water we drink, the communities in which we live, and the toxins which surround us, and the burdens we suffer from climate change.
In 1982 African American civil rights leader Benjamin Chavis spoke of “environmental racism.” He described it as “racial discrimination in environmental policy-making, the enforcement of regulations and laws, the deliberate targeting of communities of color for toxic waste facilities, the official sanctioning of the life-threatening presence of poisons and pollutants in our communities, and the history of excluding people of color from leadership of the ecology movements.”
End of Year Wrap-Up 2020 Newsletter
“We thought it would be a fitting way to end the 2020 year by providing visuals and a narrative report of a few of our accomplishments during 2020. Accomplishments we were able to achieve because of your generous support, trust, and faith in our Virginia Interfaith Power & Light staff, Steering Committee, our mission, and our good results. Thank you. We look forward to another exciting year and the continued opportunity to do good work in Virginia. Please enjoy this end of the year newsletter.
We have had an amazing year serving our neighbors here in Virginia supporting work to mitigate the impact of climate change, to advocate for a just transition to a renewable energy economy, and to protect frontline urban and rural communities unjustly targeted to carry the burden of polluting industries.””
Statement: Virginia Makes Legislative Commitments to Environmental Justice
“This is a historic moment for environmental justice in the Commonwealth. Finally, in response to generations of oppression and heavy environmental burden placed on the backs of low-income families and communities of color, Virginia has decided to make a commitment to the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of every person, regardless of race, color, national origin, income, faith, or disability. By no means is the struggle towards environmental justice over, but now a foundation has been laid with the support of Governor Northam.
We raise up the success of the Virginia Environmental Justice Collaborative, of which Virginia Interfaith Power & Light is a member, along with the efforts of environmental justice champions, Sen. Hashmi, Sen. Locke, Del. Herring, and Del. Keam. Moving forward we must not forget that caring for the sacred gift of Creation also means caring for our neighbors.”
(March 3, 2020)
Statement: Interfaith Organization Celebrates Union Hill Win While Pushing for Environmental Justice throughout Virginia
“Virginia Interfaith Power & Light celebrates this important acknowledgement of the community’s identity and the direct citation of environmental justice concerns by the Fourth Circuit.”
(January 7, 2020)
Statement: Virginia Clean Economy Act
“Setting standards for clean energy and energy efficiency while addressing the weight of energy burden on low-income families lays a powerful foundation for moving toward climate justice.”
(December 19, 2019)
Release: Climate in the Pulpits, on the Bimah & in the Minbar
“Over 70 Virginia congregations across the state preached about climate justice this past weekend or will soon do so this fall, reaching over 4,000 people in their houses of worship through the Climate in the Pulpits program.
(November 18, 2019)
Release: VAIPL’s Response to Governor Northam’s Executive Order 43
“Governor Northam’s leadership through Executive Order 43 to reduce carbon pollution is a vital step forward to achieving 100% clean energy in Virginia. His efforts to cut dangerous carbon pollution will decrease suffering and save lives.
(September 17, 2019)
Release: Governor Northam Receives Report on Revitalizing Environmental Protection
“If ‘the environment belongs to all of us,’ we all must work together to be good stewards. This means holding each other accountable, ensuring that funds are appropriated to these initiatives and concrete milestones are laid out to achieve them.
(Aug 20, 2019)
Release: Faith Leaders & Organizers Take Bus Tour to Explore Environmental Racism in Hampton Roads
“On a bus tour Wednesday afternoon, clergy and faith leaders took to the streets to learn about the connections between environmental justice and theology. The tour served to educate and empower people of faith with knowledge about the impact of pollution on their communities.”
(June 26, 2019)
Statement: Governor Northam Rejects Proposal to Limit Pollution
“Today, Governor Northam failed to veto budget language preventing Virginia from moving forward to limit carbon pollution from power plants. The budget signed today will prevent Virginia from linking with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). RGGI is a cap and trade program for carbon dioxide emissions from the energy sector currently with nine participating states.”
(May 2, 2019)
Statement: Governor Northam Rejects Proposal to Limit Pollution
“Today, Governor Northam failed to veto budget language preventing Virginia from moving forward to limit carbon pollution from power plants. The budget signed today will prevent Virginia from linking with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). RGGI is a cap and trade program for carbon dioxide emissions from the energy sector currently with nine participating states.”
(May 2, 2019)
Statement: Good News: Air Board Caps Carbon Pollution
“Today, Virginia became a climate leader in the south by finalizing a long-awaited standard to protect Virginia families and communities from carbon pollution.
A vote by the Air Pollution Control Board approved Executive Directive 11, which caps greenhouse gas emissions by allowing Virginia power plants to trade allowances for carbon pollution with the nine states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).”
(April 19, 2019)
Statement: Governor Northam Vetoes Bill Limiting VA’s Ability to Reduce Power Plant Pollution
“People of faith and conscience from across Virginia have spoken up on the importance of addressing climate change because of its far-reaching moral implications. Vetoing a bill that would have undercut Virginia’s efforts to clean up pollution and safeguard its citizens is a good decision.
As young people and students around the world and right here in Richmond are gearing up to bring attention to the climate crisis tomorrow for the Youth Climate Strike, it reminds us of the urgency of moving forward to cut carbon pollution and to adapt to the consequences of climate disruption.”
(March 14, 2019)
Statement on Governor Northam’s Yearbook Photo
“We have concerns about how well the governor understands how deeply racism is embedded and institutionalized in Richmond and throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.
The environmental justice community, especially residents of Union Hill in Buckingham County, have been trying to educate him on environmental racism for years now particularly as relates to the Atlantic Coast Pipeline proposed compressor station.
We are waiting to see if and how Northam will prioritize racial healing. We continue to monitor the unfolding situation.”
(February 11, 2019)
Statement: Governor Northam Announces Environmental Justice Council
“In order for the health of all families and communities to be protected no matter where they live, work, play, and pray, we must make sure the Virginia Council on Environmental Justice is fully funded, codified, and has the authority to ensure the incorporation of environmental justice throughout our policies.
Re-establishing the Council is one step towards making the Commonwealth a more environmentally just place. The recent treatment of environmental justice communities has made it clear that we have a long way to go. Environmental justice has been ignored in Virginia for too long, and the leadership of many elected officials on this issue has been woefully inadequate.
I have faith that this moment will inspire an even greater movement towards justice.”
(January 22, 2019)
Statement: Air Pollution Control Board Approves Air Permit for the Buckingham Compressor Station
“People of faith across the commonwealth have consistently called out the injustice of this compressor station, and we will continue to answer the higher, moral call to love and care for our neighbors.
The choice of the Air Pollution Control Board and the Department of Environmental Quality to permit the sacrifice of our neighbors’ health and safety for a private company to profit is disheartening.
The approval of this permit and the interference of Governor Northam in the permitting process makes it clear that we need comprehensive policy on environmental justice and to codify the Governor’s Advisory Council on Environmental Justice.”
(January 8, 2019)
Statement: Air Pollution Control Board Defers Air Permit Vote on the Buckingham Compressor Station
“Virginians of faith have taken action out of a moral responsibility to protect the most vulnerable from the negative impacts of fossil fuel infrastructure. Today, over 40 people of faith, who are also Dominion Energy customers, have turned off their lights as part of a 24-hour Power-Fast and an act of solidarity with Union Hill.
We are thankful that the Air Pollution Control Board has decided to take additional time to consider environmental injustice, site suitability, and cumulative impacts of the entire pipeline by deferring their vote on the air permit.
We believe that decisions about energy production are moral issues at their core, and that sacrificing our neighbors’ health and safety for a private company to profit is wrong.”
(November 9, 2018)
Statement: Interfaith Organization Encourages Governor Northam to Reaffirm Commitment to Environmental Justice
“In the past, Governor Ralph Northam and Secretary of Natural Resources Matt Strickler have both spoken on their commitment to environmental justice. We urge Governor Northam to reflect on the importance of justice enabling all Virginians to live in a clean, safe environment.
We encourage him to issue an executive order re-affirming his commitment to environmental justice that firmly places the Advisory Council on Environmental Justice on solid legal ground. In these turbulent times, our society must not forget our higher call to love and care for our neighbors.”
(October 25, 2018)
Press Release – Faith Delegation Recommends Urgent Action on Pipelines
VAIPL report details moral implications of Atlantic Coast Pipeline Buckingham compressor station
“In light of recent setbacks for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, Virginia Interfaith Power & Light released a report today entitled Our Air, Our Lives: Religious Fact-Finding Delegation to Buckingham County. The report recommends urgent action, such as participating in the Atlantic Coast Pipeline Buckingham compressor station air permit public comment period open through September 11 and interfaith prayer and meditation for the strength and renewal of the residents of Buckingham and those across Virginia being impacted by the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley Pipelines. …“
(August 16, 2018)
VAIPL Steering Committee Statement in response to the current Administration’s zero-tolerance immigration policy for people seeking asylum at our southern border
“… Some may be wondering why and how this might relate to the mission of Virginia Interfaith Power & Light. Our mission is to work with people of all faiths to ensure healthy communities and climate justice through education and advocacy. This work and mission is increasingly related to immigration as we see the consequences and impacts of the climate crisis grow around the globe. In our hemisphere, more peoples will be driven from their homelands due to drought, wildfires, floods, severe storms, insect infestations, and extreme heat waves. A global community that strives for human rights will be called upon to respond with support and welcome to the many who will be displaced. The negative trend in this nation, coming from the leadership in government and supported by some citizens, to respond with negative immigration and hard hearted zero tolerance policies exacerbates the suffering of those seeking refuge and may lead to even more diabolical remedies. …”
(July 3, 2018)
Press Release – Faith Leaders Deliver Letter to Northam Calling for Environmental Justice in Memory of MLK
Praying for Communities in Destructive Path of Pipelines
“On the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., faith leaders gathered on the Virginia Capitol Grounds for a vigil and to deliver a sign-on letter (pasted below) to Governor Ralph Northam from 70 lay leaders and clergy raising urgent environmental justice concerns felt by communities along the proposed routes of the Mountain Valley and Atlantic Coast Pipelines. The letter calls for Northam to reject the pipelines.
“’Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said ‘Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness’ and in my view, those who choose and side with pipelines, compressor stations, who deny the devastating effects that man has and inflicts upon nature have chosen the latter,’ said Rev. Paul Wilson, Senior Pastor of Union Hill/Grove Baptist Church. …”
(April 4, 2018)
VAIPL Board of Director’s Statement in response to the Virginia State Water Control Board’s decisions to approve the Mountain Valley and Atlantic Coast pipelines
“On Thursday, December 7, the State Water Control Board voted 5-2 to approve the permit for the fracked gas Mountain Valley Pipeline. On Tuesday, December 12, the board voted 4-3 to approve the Atlantic Coast Pipeline pending approval of a series of plans and mitigation measures. Both decisions were made after extensive testimony from landowners and experts on the property rights violations and threats to public health that the pipelines pose. Testimony included hundreds of face-to-face personal statements and thousands of publicly submitted comments.
As people driven by faith to uphold a vision of the intrinsic worth of Creation, shared abundance, neighborly love, and the sanctity of life, we at Virginia Interfaith Power and Light condemn the Water Control Board’s decision as absolutely counter to these values. …“
(December 20, 2017)
Press Release – Interfaith Leaders Confront Environmental Racism in Virginia
“On the heels of the efforts to begin repealing the Clean Power Plan last week, interfaith leaders, academics and community members came together to discuss solutions to environmental racism at Coburn Hall on the Virginia Union University campus on Saturday, October 21. The event was moderated by Dr. Corey Walker, Dean of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology of Virginia Union University and featured speakers from the medical community and Christian, Muslim, Baha’i and Hindu backgrounds. …“
(October 21, 2017)
Press Release – Virginia Interfaith Power & Light: Clean Power Plan repeal unacceptable
“The Trump administration’s proposal to repeal the Clean Power Plan abdicates our country’s moral responsibility to act to protect the most vulnerable among us. This action will cause additional needless suffering not only for those living in the United States, but across the globe as extreme weather grows increasingly deadly. …”
(October 10, 2017)
VAIPL Board of Directors’ Statement: “In the wake of Hurricane Harvey…”
“Less than two weeks ago, we witnessed a horrible tragedy unfold in Texas and on the Gulf Coast. Now thousands are beginning to make their way back to their homes. This past Sunday, on the National Day of Prayer for Harvey victims, folks of all faiths across the nation prayed for healing and peace after the storm that took the lives of at least 60 people. VAIPL’s Board and staff work everyday to increase the capacity for Virginians to live sustainable lives. Our commitment to Virginia does not preclude keeping faith with other communities around the country and world who need our help. …”
(September 8, 2017)
VAIPL Board of Directors’ Statement on the Events in Charlottesville
“… We work every day to advocate for justice focusing specifically on environmental policies and laws that will protect clean air and water for Virginians. We also work to protect the wonderful gift of the creation and we do so as an act of worship and gratefulness. These efforts are tightly linked to intersecting justice issues, which impact all of our lives. …”
Read the full statement, and our Open Letter to Charlottesville that our IPL affiliates, congregations, clergy, and individuals signed onto.
(August 16, 2017 & September 15, 2017)
In Response to Executive Directive 11, Virginia Interfaith Power & Light co-chair Rev. Dr. Faith Harris Released the Following Statement:
Our Virginia faith communities applaud Gov. McAuliffe for speaking out for climate action and for taking a step – through Executive Directive 11 — to limit carbon pollution throughout the state. Our nation’s current climate progress rests with state governors and legislators, and we’re particularly grateful that Gov. McAuliffe understands the need to act now.
That said, it is critical that we recognize the effects of carbon pollution, especially on Virginia’s most vulnerable populations, and take strong action to address these negative impacts. Therefore, as people of faith who are called to stand with “the least of these,” we commend to your attention the recommendations of the Virginia Environmental Justice Collaborative, prepared for the EO 57 Working Group in February 2017 — specifically, creating an Environmental Justice Advisory Council and convening a Coastal Community Resiliency Task Force.
It is our moral obligation to speak out for climate justice, and we implore Gov. McAuliffe to consider further possible action.
(May 31, 2017)
Letter of Support of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s Opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline
As the leaders of Virginia Interfaith Power and Light (VAIPL), we stand with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and their allies who are using their bodies as shields against the destructive potential of a pipeline which will transport somewhere between 470,000 and 570,000 barrels of crude oil per day across four states. The leaders of VA IPL agree that transporting oil through pipelines threatens the environment, as well as Indigenous burial and prayer sites. And expanding fossil fuel infrastructure perpetuates our use of dirty energy that damages our life-giving climate, when we should all be working instead to expand clean energy “from heaven,” powered by the wind and sun.
The sacred land is entrusted to all of our care and the water protectors, who are facing arrest and excessive force, are reminding us that it is all of our responsibility to be keepers of Creation. Please encourage your faith community to pray for our brothers and sisters fighting to protect the water and land. Take further action by calling Defense Secretary Mattis (703-571-3343 Ext. #5) or calling the White House (1-888-201-9377) to demand that a full Environment Impact Statement be completed before further action is taken. Learn more at http://standwithstandingrock.net/. #WaterIsLife
(February 9, 2017)
