Yesterday, as reported by AL.com in Church group wants Alabama to end 'solar tax’, Alabama Interfaith Power & Light conveyed the wishes and prayers of 31,928 concerned citizens, including representatives of diverse houses of faith and other institutions, to you.

 

I am attaching a copy of our report (PDF) and a CSV file containing signers' names, email addresses, and (if representing more than an individual) institutional name and member count. Organizations who authorized signers on behalf of their members include the Southeast Conference of the United Church of Christ (8,057 members), Hometown Action (8,000 members), and Black Warrior Riverkeeper (5,000 members). Indeed; although not reflected in the attached spreadsheet, the entire United Church of Christ has approved this statement--that's 4,882 churches and 824,866 members.

 

Signers also include Creation Justice Ministries, Task Force for Stewardship of Creation - Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, and my own United Methodist Church congregation of Saint Junia (David Barnhart, pastor). We are continuing to collect signatures and expect to add Seventh-day Adventist and African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church officials soon. Our statement also has attracted the support of neighboring Georgia (Georgia Interfaith Power & Light) and even Utah Moms for Clean Air.

 

We prayerfully ask you to consider the clean energy and energy equity implications of your decisions from a people and planet perspective first, and a profit perspective second. We also urge you to improve transparency and open public input into energy planning and decision-making.

 

The words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. apply to energy injustice, too: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." ("Letter from Birmingham Jail," April 16, 1963).

 

Kyle G. Crider, MPA, LEED AP ND

Program Coordinator, Alabama Interfaith Power & Light