IEIA members have been involved in and have supported the following initiatives. We collaborate with other groups and organizations in supporting their people, projects and educational environmental events.

April 2007 – The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth

Weekend luncheon, dinner and conference sponsored by Vulcan Materials Center for Environmental Stewardship and Education http://ncseonline.org/aleec/Theme: The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth. The weekend featured Dr. E. O. Wilson, the Rev. Sally Bingham and Craig Branch. Luncheon and dinner participants included invited faith leaders, scientists, science educators, environmental leaders, and business and community leaders.

October 2007 – Watersheds & Warming

A Workshop, Retreat and Six-Week Adult Education Curriculum Guide (www.stewardsforcreation.org) were funded with a grant from World Wildlife Fund. The Workshop drew from the list of participants from the E. O. Wilson weekend and included invited faith leaders, scientists, science educators, environmental leaders, and business and community leaders.

Several faith-science collaborative initiatives have developed out of these Watersheds & Warming events. Examples include:

Episcopal Diocese of Alabama 2008 Convention: “Tending the Garden, Our Stewardship of Creation”– Episcopal Bishop Henry Parsley of the Diocese of Alabama chose this 2008 convention theme based on the ministry of the Diocesan Task Force for The Stewardship of Creation, and inspired by Dr. E. O. Wilson’s book, The Creation. “Alabama native E. O. Wilson . . . calls the Church to act in solidarity with the sciences in recovering our vocation of stewardship . . . . Here is a place where we need to come together . . . to offer a courageous moral vision of environmental stewardship and conservation for the health of creation.” www.dioala.org/convention/bishops__addresses.html

Saving Our Water Symposium – March 25, 2008, sponsored by IEIA network member The Green Resource Center for Alabama. IEIA encouraged our broad spectrum of IEIA participants to attend and to invite their constituents. This involvement brought additional members of the business community into our “Faith and Science in Care of Creation” conversation. Follow up has continued with a presentation at Southern Environmental Center, Birmingham-Southern College by Jenny Hoffner – Director, Water Efficiency Initiatives, American Rivers and author, Hidden Reservoir: Why Water Efficiency is the Best Solution for the Southeast.

Care of Creation: Faith Based Watershed Training – May 31, 2008 funded by a grant from the Sierra Club Faith and the Environment Partnerships Program (www.sierraclub.org/partnerships/faith/). The focus of “Faith and Science in Care of Creation” included a broad spectrum of participants.  (IMAGE: “Care of Creation Flyer.jpg” )

Alabama Interfaith Power & Light. The Rev. Sally Bingham, President of the national group IPL (www.theregenerationproject.org/), was at a luncheon and conference speaker at the April 2007 weekend, The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth. Alabama is an affiliate of IPL.

The Episcopal Diocese of Alabama Task Force for The Stewardship of Creation was awarded a subsequent World Wildlife Fund grant for Watersheds & Warming Curriculum Guide training programs.

Cahaba River Society faith-based initiatives – This faith-based initiative has been expanded through CRS involvement in the Interfaith Environmental Initiative of Alabama. (visit www.cahabariversociety.org and click on Programs and Faith Collaborations).

April 2008 – Lessons from Environmental Collapses of Past Societies

Larry Davenport, Ph.D., Jim McClintock, Ph.D., Mike Tidwell, Author, Jared Diamond, Ph.D, Howard Frumkin, M.D., Dr.P.H., Ginny Brown, M.S.E.M.

Weekend luncheon, dinner and conference sponsored by Vulcan Materials Center for Environmental Stewardship and Education. Theme: Lessons from Environmental Collapses of Past Societies. Luncheon and dinner participants included invited faith leaders, scientists, science educators, environmental leaders, and business and community leaders.

• http://www.samford.edu/groups/vmc/Diamond_flyer.pdf
• http://www.samford.edu/groups/vmc/ALEEC_agenda.html

The pre-conference luncheon featured Rev. Richard  Cizik, then Vice President for Governmental Affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals. The pre-conference dinner included Dr. Jared Diamond, Dr. Jim McClintock and Mike Tidwell. Featured dinner speaker was U. S. Representative Artur Davis. In addition to Drs. Diamond and McClintock, and Mr. Tidwell, Dr. Howard Frumkin also spoke at the conference.

Collaboration

Interfaith Environmental Initiative of Alabama collaborated with the Alabama Faith Council to develop a Statement on Environmental Stewardship. (http://www.alfaithcouncil.org / http://alfaithcouncil.org/AFCStatements/AFCStatementEnvironmentalStewardship.pdf .) This statement is scientifically based and calls for recognition that our faith traditions call us to spiritual and moral responsibility for Care of Creation.

A subsequent Alabama Faith Council 2009 Forum was held February 16, 2009. Keynote speaker Sr. Maureen Fiedler focused on “Climate Change: A Call to Community.” Dr. Fiedler sees climate change as “an unprecedented opportunity for interfaith community-building around a common purpose. All major faith traditions in the world preach and teach respect for God’s creation … this presents an opening for cooperation that is unique and compelling.” IEIA members presented a breakout session on “Earth Care: Tending God’s Garden,” with William G. Deutsch, Ph.D., Director, Alabama Water Watch Program. (LINK TO: AFC PublicForum2009Brochure copy.pdf )

The Alabama Environmental Council(AEC) (Executive Director Michael Churchman), together with Alabama Rivers Alliance (Executive Director Cindy Lowry), was awarded a World Wildlife Fund grant for a new Conservation and Efficiency Initiative producing an Alabama-specific “Saving Energy by Saving Water” presentation.

Episcopal Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast Commission on Environment and the Integrity of Creation – IEIA member Michelle Bende’s leadership, inspired by her affiliation with IEIA, expands environmental ministry in the Central Gulf Coast Diocese.

February 27, 2009, IEIA meeting, Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. Cumberland School of Law, invited the Vulcan Center and IEIA to attend the Biotech Energy Conference. Dr. David Smolin and the Cumberland School of Law and the Center for Biotechnology are now supportive of IEIA initiatives.

October 13-14, 2009 Energy Forum 2009: Challenges and Possibilities for Alabama. The all-day workshop had over 90 participants, including those pictured here: Tom Evans, Executive Presbyter for Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley and President, Alabama Faith Council; Beth Maynor Young, Beth Maynor Young Conservation Photography; Marshall Anderson, Design Initiative and Green Building Focus, the Birmingham Charter; Judy Takats, Program Director, World Wildlife Fund; Michael Churchman, Executive Director, Alabama Environmental Council and Episcopal Diocese of Alabama Task Force for The Stewardship of Creation; Danny Smith, Director of Environmental Services, Alabama Gas Corporation.

Click on Events / Energy Forum 2009, at the top of this page for a schedule and presentations.