California Interfaith Power & Light

09/01/2026

A tree is more than a tree.

It can mean shade on a hot day. Cleaner air for a family. Fruit growing in a neighborhood. A cooler sidewalk. A place for birds, pollinators, children, and neighbors to gather.

Through Our Sacred Canopy, California faith communities are helping bring trees to neighborhoods that have historically had less access to green space and shade.

🌳 Trees are climate action.

Our Sacred Canopy Across spiritual traditions, trees are revered as symbols of life, wisdom, and interconnectedness. From the Tree of Life in the Bible to the Bodhi Tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment, trees remind us of the sacredness of our Sacred Earth and our responsibility to car...

08/31/2026

Our pulpits, prayers, and public witness matter. During this Week of Proclamation and Action, clergy across traditions are lifting a moral vision rooted in what our faiths proclaim. Stand with us as we speak courage, dignity, and justice into the public square.

08/31/2026

A pagan prayer:

May the spirits of the land keep you safe,
may the waters sustain you,
may the forests shelter you,
and may the fire within you never go dark.

May the ancestors walk beside you,
the earth hold you firmly,
and the turning seasons remind you
that you are never separate from the living world.

May you go in peace,
with courage in your heart
and the blessings of Earth beneath your feet.

08/30/2026

Here's a great short film to watch and discuss in community.

"In Transition 2.0 is an inspirational immersion in the Transition movement, gathering stories from around the world of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. You'll hear about communities printing their own money, growing food, localising their economies and setting up community power stations. It's an idea that has gone viral, a social experiment that is about responding to uncertain times with solutions and optimism. In a world of increasing uncertainty, here is a story of hope, ingenuity and the power of growing vegetables in unexpected places"

You can now order the DVD of this film, in a deluxe or a budget ver...

08/30/2026

'Individual action can only amount to a drop in the bucket – only systemic changes will be sufficient,' said Prof David Wrathall, at Oregon State University in the US. But Prof Hiroyuki Enomoto, at Japan’s National Institute of Polar Research, said that while individual actions have a small impact, they are important in increasing collective awareness of the problem.”

https://apple.news/AzaDXtSpURP6x_tBjPvE_nw
This material may be protected by copyright.

Voting tops the list for the world’s leading climate scientists in a year when billions of voters go to the polls

08/29/2026

It’s off to the Governors desk! Give his office a ring for some extra support.

California just took a major step toward expanding access to clean, affordable energy.

Lawmakers passed legislation this week to legalize plug-in (balcony) solar, making it possible for renters and homeowners to plug certified solar panels directly into a standard outlet to help offset their electricity use.

As electricity costs continue to rise, plug-in solar offers a simple, affordable option for renters and other households that have traditionally been left out of the rooftop solar market.

Learn more: https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/balcony-solar/california-lawmakers-pass-bill-oking-balcony-solar

08/29/2026

"One of the most influential articulations of ecological civilization is that of Pope Francis in Laudato Si. He speaks of it as an 'integral ecology' that includes (1) human-to-human ecologies of love and kindness and (2) human-to-nature ecologies that include harmony with the more than human world: the hills and rivers, the trees and stars. This twofold ecology forms the bedrock of a civilization in which people life with respect and care for the community of life, people and other animals, and with special care for the vulnerable: the very old, the very young, and people who are otherwise marginalized. " - ​Jay McDaniel

08/28/2026

CIPL organizes congregations through regional Interfaith Climate Action Networks (ICANs.) These networks help fulfill the aims of increased local renewable energy, pollution reduction, clean job creation, and healthier communities by advocating on a state, county and municipal level.

CIPL organizes congregations through regional Interfaith Climate Action Networks (ICANs.) These networks help fulfill the aims of increased local renewable energy, pollution reduction, clean job creation, and healthier communities by advocating on a state, county and municipal level. CIPL is current...

08/28/2026

Perhaps there is just one or two of you who are enthusiastically committed to your congregation’s carbon-reduction efforts, or perhaps you already have a team with clergy backing. As this process can take you down many paths, it’s desirable to have individuals with varied interests, skills, and perspectives. One or two motivated individuals can jumpstart the process, but we advise recruiting a team to avoid burnout and to increase consensus and ownership.

08/28/2026

"Religion is world loyalty." - Alfred North Whitehead, philosopher and mathematician, in Religion in the Making