Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

of the Religious Society of Friends

Eco-Justice Collaborative

Friends Call for Weather Related Disaster Resilience

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The Eco-Justice Collaborative, a regional Quaker initiative, is concluding a series of disaster preparedness programs on October 13th, the International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDD). Inaugurated in 1989 to promote a global culture of risk-awareness and disaster reduction, the IDDD celebrates the efforts made by communities to raise awareness about the importance of reining in risks, reducing fatalities and limiting economic losses. The 2019 Theme focuses on reducing disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services.

“Many of the disasters we are seeing locally happen suddenly – severe storms, flooding, loss of electricity, high winds and tornadoes,” observed Janet Zeis, of the Chester County Department of Emergency Services, one of the speakers on the program. “Houses of worship are where many turn for help. They have the buildings, the people and an orientation toward service to help people cope with the practical and emotional side of a disaster.”

Globally, sudden extreme weather disasters exacerbated by climate change displace millions of people every year and create high economic costs. A report by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre suggests that seven million people were displaced by extreme weather disasters in the first half of 2019 alone. There has been a dramatic rise of 151% in direct economic losses from climate-related disasters, according to the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. In the period 1998-2017, disaster-hit countries reported direct economic losses of US$2,908 billion of which climate-related disasters accounted for US$2,245 billion or 77% of the total. In terms of occurrences, climate-related disasters also dominate the picture, accounting for 91% of all 7,255 major recorded events between 1998 and 2017. Floods, 43.4%, and storms, 28.2%, are the two most frequently occurring disasters. The greatest economic losses have been experienced in the United States US$ 944.8 billion and in China, US$492.2 billion.

The Eco-Justice Collaborative educational series “Local Solutions to Mitigate Extreme Weather” included programs on understanding what is already in place to help in a local disaster, how to create a congregational or school preparedness plan, spiritual and emotional care, and how to plan ahead to make recovery and resilience more efficient. The series was held in West Chester and Philadelphia and attended by members of a variety of Friends Meetings, other congregations, Friends schools, and local residents.

“We want to draw attention to the theme of critical infrastructure since we all rely on it daily, and even more so in cases of disaster. We are asking our county and state leaders to aggressively look at the best way to mitigate the vulnerabilities of our local electrical supply, the benefits and implementation of alternatives such as solar based micro grids, renewable back-up systems and how to ensure transportation systems remain operational during extreme events to allow emergency response, move people to safety, and transport essential goods. That may mean electric vehicles,” observed Pat Finley of the Eco-Justice Collaborative.

The increased frequency of extreme events associated with climate change means that communities are experiencing increased interruption in the systems supporting their lighting, heating, cooling, and transportation needs, as seen most recently in Texas and the Bahamas.

The program focuses on local risks and presented the results of the PENNDOT Extreme Weather Vulnerability Study. The report states that extreme weather events pose significant and growing risks to the safety, reliability, effectiveness, and sustainability of transportation infrastructure. Pennsylvania, according to the study, has “experienced severe precipitation events that have recently damaged roads, bridges, and rail systems. Since 2006, over 140 million dollars of emergency funds have been obligated on the federal aid system in Pennsylvania. In recent years, tropical storms and hurricanes including Irene, Lee, and Sandy have resulted in flooding that has washed out roadways, damaged bridge abutments, and caused significant traffic and safety impacts.” Heavy rains and flooding affect regional railways and SEPTA. In October 2016 over seven inches of rainfall in northern Pennsylvania damaged several bridges and roadways.

While PENNDOT conducts studies to analyze and develop future bridge and culvert design to be able to manage 100 and 500 year storm events to keep everyone safe, local houses of worship or looking at their own buildings to be sure they will be in a position to help the community.

Strengthening infrastructure to withstand extreme weather events isn’t the only way of addressing disasters, according to the program organizers.
Central Baptist Church in Wayne, which is a kick off site for the Chester County Clean Energy Tour on October 19th is a case in point is what can be done. According to Central Baptist member Chuck Marshall, the church set and achieved the goal of reducing church related emissions to zero. It took them 7 years in two phases. “First we analyzed emissions related to our own infrastructure,” observes Marshall. “By combining the replacement of inefficient lighting and an old heating system with the installation of 48 solar panels, we were very close to meeting our goal.” The purchase of offsets (in the form of wind renewable energy credits) gets them to zero emissions. But, the church didn’t stop there. Home energy audit “parties” were held at attendee’s homes after worship to show how each household could improve their own energy efficiency. And they looked at emissions related to getting to and from church. “By setting annual goals, we were able to reduce emissions over time in a painless way. We continue this program and we share our story with other congregations. It can be done,” affirmed Chuck Marshall.

Participants also heard from Valley Friends Meeting in Dayton, VA. Their clean energy ministry began in 2014, when a they wrote a minute on climate change (which is available on their website (https://valleyfriends.org/testimonies/minute-on-climate-change/). It reads in part:

“Moreover, because climate change disproportionately affects the world’s most impoverished peoples and has contributed to international conflicts and genocide, our commitments to peace and justice, as well as our commitment to care for the Earth, compel us to restorative action.” They started with their old oil furnace, which they replaced with a new and a more efficient heat pump. They funded this project through contributions from the community. Next they committed to transition to powering the heat pump with solar energy. They now have a Power Purchase Agreement and solar panels on their roof.

Quaker social worker, Nora Wright addressed the spiritual and emotional impacts of disasters on individuals and communities. She highlighted the critical importance of having a spiritual care plan and not just an infrastructure plan.

“The involvement of local and faith-based organizations is increasingly important because state and federal assistance will be harder to get as the number of natural disasters rises in the coming years. If a faith community or a house of worship wants to be involved in any phase of a disaster, they will want to get training to be truly prepared. For those interested in learning how to get involved in disaster prevention and preparedness in your community, contact the Southeastern Pennsylvania Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (SEPA VOAD), the Red Cross or your local Emergency Manager,” urged Janet Zeis.

References:
http://s3.amazonaws.com/tmp-map/climate/doc/StudyReport-PaVulnerabilityStudy-ver040317.pdf
http://files.dep.state.pa.us/Energy/Office%20of%20Energy%20and%20Technology/OETDPortalFiles/Climate%20Change%20Advisory%20Committee/2019/4-23-19/PennDOT%20Resiliency%20Efforts.pdf
Displacement: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/extreme-weather-hurricane-florence-refugees-dorian-world-a9103216.html
International Disaster Day: https://www.un.org/en/events/disasterreductionday/index.shtml

Climate Strike on Friday September 20, 2019

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On Friday September 20, 2019 some Friends Schools, Quaker meetings, and Quaker Colleges will release students to participate in climate strikes from 11 am to 2 pm. across the region.

The Climate Strike coincides with the US visit of an unusual 16 year old, Greta Thunberg, from Sweden. Named ‘a most influential teen’ by TIME magazine, Greta has been meeting with congress and other leaders in the USA to forward her belief that the US needs to do more to combat climate change.

Greta first shared her thoughts on climate change via a ten-minute TED talk.  Watch the TED talk

Find more news about the climate strike through:

For Friends who want to get involved, or find out about work being done on Climate change issues:

To educate yourself:

To learn more about the Climate Strike at City Hall in Philadelphia or other nearby places  go to 350philadelphia.org/get-involved/.

Other Climate-related events:

October 3, 2019, Dr. Sandra Steingraber will speak at Swarthmore College.  Biologist, cancer survivor and activist, Dr. Steingraber will talk about ecology, pollution and activism.

  • Swarthmore College (1:00, Intercultural Center Dome Room, Sproul 201). Please read this “homework assignment” at https://orionmagazine.org/article/coffee-in-jail/
  • Dr. Steingraber  will also give a lecture/discussion at 4:30 pm ( currently scheduled for the same location).
  • On Friday, October 4th Dr. Steingraber  will convene a discussion at the Conlon Room at Brinton House at Pendle Hill, 338 Plush Mill Road, Wallingford, PA.

Oct 3-6 Quaker Earthcare Witness Fall Meeting at Pendle Hill.  The fall Steering Committee Meeting of QEW will be held at Pendle Hill this year.  More information is found at www.quakerearthcare.org/upcoming.

 

Public Banking, Divine Vocations, and Fertile Ground

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The Eco-Justice Collaborative (EJC) of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting has endorsed an effort in Philadelphia to create a public bank. Similar to credit unions for individuals, a public bank would hold public funds in the city to be directed toward local needs, rather than paying for big banks to manage those funds and invest them wherever the profits are highest. Rita Varley and I, both members of EJC and Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, have had a couple of very rich experiences this spring sharing the message of public banking.

At the Philadelphia Urban Coalition, a group of mostly Black church leaders convened by former mayor Wilson Goode, we offered an explicitly religious frame on the issue. According to theologian Walter Wink, the Spirit is at the core of every institution (or Power), but their spirituality can become diseased. The task of the church, he says, is to identify these Powers, discern whether they are still aligned with serving the common good, and if not, redeem them by calling them back to their original “divine vocation”. Urban Coalition members resonated strongly with the message that it is not rightly ordered for big banks to use our public money to maximize their profits, when great needs in the city are unmet for lack of financial resources. They were ready and eager to use their networks and organizing capacity to gather support for a public banking alternative.

Rita and I were also part of a lobby day effort with City Council, where one Councilperson has taken the lead—finding money for a study on how a public bank might be created and operated, and working with the Commerce Department to identify a group to do such a study. After a morning briefing, our group of forty or so fanned out through City Hall to meet with each Councilperson or a member of their staff. I was particularly touched by one staffer’s response. He had never heard of this concept, and it was a case of love at first sight. “This would be really good for the little people.” “We could save a lot of money.” (Philadelphia paid $170 million in debt service last year.) “I think my Councilwoman is really going to like this.”

It was also a pleasure to lead a team of Philadelphians who were new to the issue but ready to make a move. (The interfaith organizing group, POWER, had just endorsed the idea of a public bank, and several folks came on the strength of that connection.) We talked in advance about what each person in our group could say about an aspect of public banking that spoke strongly to them. I learned later that two of them had not intended to stay for the Council visits because they felt that they didn’t know enough, but with my reassurance that I would answer the “expert” questions they were ready to do their best, and together we made a great team.

It was helpful to be able to refer to the Bank of North Dakota, a public bank that has operated successfully for 100 years, kept state infrastructure project costs low, returned interest to the Treasury, supported community banks, and helped the state sail through the recession of 2008, since none of their money was in Wall Street.

In a recent Freedom Seder in Philadelphia, Reverend William Barber of the Poor People’s Campaign invoked Jeremiah, who called on God’s messengers to go to the seat of power and challenge the abuse of that power. When we went to City Hall, it was clear that this abuse of financial power was not happening there. As Philadelphia citizens and public officials together work toward a public bank in Philadelphia, we will be challenging the abuse of power of the big banks. We will be calling our financial institutions back to their divine vocation of serving the community by holding, dispersing and investing our money for the common good.

Councilman Derek Green (right), a public banking advocate, addresses local lobbyists at Philadelphia City Hall on Lobby Day (Rita in blue and Pamela in teal) Photo by Stanley Shapiro

Resource Friends at Annual Sessions!

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At the 2018 Annual Sessions this year, there will be a booth during free time and dinner time on Thursday and Friday where Resource Friends will be available to talk with you about their work and what they might be able to support for you and your meeting. They will also be offering workshops on Friday and Saturday. Resource Friends help our community thrive by providing support in specific areas of concern in our monthly and quarterly meetings. They offer a diversity of gifts and an extensive “how-to” knowledge-base. [Read more…] about Resource Friends at Annual Sessions!

Planet Philadelphia Environmental Radio Show

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Kay Wood and Linda Rosenwine, members at Chestnut Hill Monthly Meeting, produced a podcast discussing issues of environmental justice in Pennsylvania and in Philadelphia. Learn more below and check out the episode for yourself!

Did you know that PA emits 1% worldwide greenhouse gas?

  • Listen to this Planet Philadelphia podcast to hear about how gas money corrupts PA politics and harms citizens from Greg Vitali, Pennsylvania State Representative for the 166th district.
  • Christine Knapp, Director Philadelphia’s Office of Sustainability, will discuss the draft of Powering Our Future, and how Philly is fighting back by going green.
  • Also, check out Weaver’s Way Environment Committee member Marsha Low’s debut on Planet Philadelphia on this show.

 

“Don’t get scared – get prepared.” A Call to Meetings around Climate Change Prevention

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“Don’t get scared – get prepared.”  A Call to Meetings around Climate Change Prevention from the Eco-Justice Collaborative

The recent floods, hurricanes, and wildfires across the country have awoken many of us to the need for preparation, adaptation and mitigation to extreme weather. We’ve gotten messages and guidance on how to help Friends Meetings in Texas and Florida and many have been generous.

While standard disaster preparedness is in place in most of our counties, extreme weather can dump several months’ worth of rain in a few hours, leave whole communities without electricity and make access to essential services difficult. As we have painfully witnessed this fall, these events can swamp our standard disaster relief and recovery resources.

We recently saw this: “Don’t get scared – get prepared.” It spoke to us in the Eco-Justice Collaborative. What would it mean for us to be prepared? We began conversations with New Jersey Friends and others involved in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. We asked what they had learned. What they wish they had done before the storm.  We then brought the question to Concord, Haverford, and Western Quarters and we heard that there was concern and interest.

Our Meetings, like other houses of worship can prepare before a disaster and we want to know how to show up for our members and our community during and after a disaster. Outside help will come and go, but the Meeting will always be here.

Consider:

  • Does your Meeting have a plan in the case of an extreme weather event? Southeastern PA is especially prone to flooding, for example.
  • Is your Meeting already a member of the state or local VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster)?
  • Do you provide regular services to elderly or disabled members? Would you be able to continue in a disaster?
  • Do you have a phone tree in place?
  • Have you done an assessment of your Meeting House?
  • Is it an appropriate location as a shelter or a cooling station for extreme heat days?
  • What can we do now as individual Friends and as Meetings to minimize the impact of extreme weather?
  • Do our Pastoral Care committees have training in spiritual support for those suffering from the trauma of a disaster?

The Eco-Justice Collaborative invites Friends to reflect on these questions. We can be the best and most enduring supports for one another in a time of crisis.

To share what we learned from Hurricane Sandy and more recent extreme weather events, the Eco-Justice Collaborative, in collaboration with three Quarters, is piloting an opportunity for Friends and others to learn more about what our Meetings and members can do to build resilience. We are holding an event called Faith in Times of Disaster: Local Solutions to Mitigate Extreme Weather Events on December 9th (See PYM calendar for more information.)

Let’s be ready to care for each other and our neighbors. Let’s learn from the lessons of Hurricane Sandy and more recent experiences that have tested the faith community this fall. Join us in this conversation. We are eager to hear what you have already done and what you can share with others.