Demand for ivory in Asia for religious purposes threatens elephants in Africa

Elephant poaching and ivory smuggling in Africa are at their highest levels in more than a decade, according to a 2012 report from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The illegal trade in ivory, fueled in part by demand in Asia for ivory-made religious products, threatens the survival of elephant populations across the African continent.

Solar panels at 1st Congregational United Church of Christ, Asheville.

"The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden to till it and keep it."
Genesis 2:15

Stewardship of the Earth – or creation care – is at the heart of the Bible’s Creation Story.

Allison Reeves Jolley is Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator at North Carolina Interfaith Power and Light (NCIPL), an organization that brings believers of all faiths and denominations together to address the causes and consequences of global climate change. She argues that the prominent placement of environmental concepts at the beginning of the Bible is indicative of their importance to the Christian faith:

Georgia Interfaith Power & Light is proud to partner with the ANBC Group, which works to secure lower natural gas rates for faith-based organizations and commercial clients.

For the past 9 years, GIPL has helped you cut your energy bills by finding ways for you to use less energy in your congregation and in your homes. But there are two ways to cut your energy bills, use less and pay less. Our new partnership with the ANBC Group is going to help your faith community pay less for natural gas. To read GIPL's position on Natural Gas click here.

The weather is our nation’s favorite topic for small talk, and there’s been plenty to discuss in this year of record-setting temperatures, wildfires, drought and storms.

Yet when it comes to talking about the larger, long-term implications of the weather – that is, climate change – our leaders shy away from the issue. The economy is the top issue on many Americans’ minds this fall, and rightly so. But we understand that when a majority of the nation’s counties are declared disaster areas and farmers lose crops due to widespread drought, there’s a direct tie between disruptive weather, jobs and even our food supply.

In an effort to reach out to the Capitol Gateway community Global Peace Festival Foundation has asked to partner with Retrofit A Million to have a Community Retrofit Day Action bringing energy efficient, money saving light bulbs to the Capitol Gateway Community.

The Global Peace Festival Foundation has a history as a participant and creator of service, development, and environmental initiatives worldwide as they work to facilitate intercultural and inter-religious cooperation, strengthen families and communities, and foster a culture of service and peace.

Through Retrofit A Million’s partnership with the Global Peace Festival Foundation we aim to save money for the Capitol Gateway residents through reducing their energy bills and improving Atlanta’s air quality by offsetting the local pollution from nearby coal-fired power plants with the reduction of the communities' energy consumption.