EcoTalk

Tikkun's Rabbi Michael Lerner

Tikkun founder Rabbi Michael Lerner has long advocated for reasserting the spiritual dimension inherent in the progressive values of charity, peace, and stewardship of the earth. Here he tells Betsy about the link between his concept of ethical consumption with kosher habits, the skepticism which accompanied the 20th century's greatest social movements, how we should all come out of the closet as spiritual beings, the Marshall Plan as a blueprint for tackling climate change, and welcoming the religious right into the climate cavalry. Whew! It's another jam-packed interview.
PART ONE (12 min) PART TWO (8 min)  and his blog

Suzzi Paynter & Texas Baptists vs. TXU & Coal-fired Power Plants

Director of the 2.3 million-strong Texas Baptist Christian Life Commision, Suzzi Paynter tells Betsy how, more than anything recent like An Inconvenient Truth, her denomination's efforts to protect Texas from TXU's 18 planned coal-fired power plants is the natural articulation of a faith that requires its faithful to act as stewards of all creation. LISTEN (11 min)

Richard Cizik: Evangelicals and Scientists

The coalition of 28 Evangelicals and Scientists that the National Association of Evangelicals Richard Cizik and Dr. Eric Chivian of Harvard University assembled do not agree about everything in the world (or in the heavens, presumably), but they do agree that climate change is a problem requiring urgent action on everyone's part. Here Richard tells Betsy about his initial skepticism, his climate change revelation, and the common ground that will keep all of us on firm ecological footing. LISTEN (11 min)

Global warming is a biblical issue

Jim Wallis, Editor in Chief of Sojourners Magazine and author of God's Politics talks about the Evangelical Climate Change Initiative and how Evangelical leaders are calling for action in defiance of the Bush administration policies.
LISTEN  Part 1 (11 min)  Part 2  (7 min)

Religion and the environment, part 2

My guests today are Paul Gorman, the Reverend Fletcher Harper and Rabbi Stephen Pearce.
Paul Gorman is executive Director of the National Religious Partnership for the Environment.
Fletcher Harper is Executive Director of Green Faith, the New Jersey's Interfaith Environmental coalition.
Stephen Pearce is Senior Rabbi with the Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco.
Listen

Religion and the environment, Part 1

This week-end we'll see what religion has to do with environmental steward with guests Reverend Sally Bingham and Adam Stern.
Sally Bingham is the founder of the Regeneration Project: she talks about her work bringing renewable energy to the Episcopalian community.
Adam Stern is Executive Director of the Coalition on Jewish Life and the Environment: he shares what Jewish leaders are doing to foester deeper connections between Judaism and ecology.   Listen

Less is more: Betsy Taylor

After wrapping up our 3 part-series on Climate Change we'll lighten the mood and turn to the holydays.
How to simplify and green your holydays is the topic. My guest is Betsy Taylor, Executive Director of the Center for a New American Dream. We talk about how to make Hanukah/Christmas more meaningful and less materialistic, adding up to a more satisfying and sustainable holyday season.  Listen