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In 2001-2002, WICEC held
one statewide conference and six regional conferences on global
warming and the myriad related environmental problems touching
Wisconsin including air and water pollution, respiratory and other
illnesses, the visual impact of industrial facilities, quality
of life, and urban sprawl. The campaign's conferences have received
ample media attention and attendance far surpassed expectations.
Even in rural locations like Wausau and Stevens Point, regional
conferences were attended by an average of 70 people. Cosponsors
of these conferences have included the Wisconsin Electric Power
Company, Madison Gas and Electric, Dairyland Power Cooperative,
Marquette University's Department of Theology, Edgewood College,
and the interfaith climate campaigns of Iowa and Minnesota. Speakers
have included religious and spiritual leaders, members of Congress,
leading climate scientists, and a former secretary of Wisconsin's
Department of Natural Resources.
In February 2002, WICEC drafted
a letter to President Bush that was signed by 48 religious leaders
throughout Wisconsin including such major faith groups as the United
Methodist Church, the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, the
Episcopal Church, the Orthodox Church in America, the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America, and the Milwaukee Zen Buddhists. This
effort was part of the national campaign that succeeded in gathering
more than 1,000 signatures from religious leaders demanding a reduction
in US consumption of fossil fuels.
WICEC is
well known and respected by environmental organizations in Madison
and beyond. Understanding the critical role we play, environmental
groups seek us out to join coalitions, participate in press conferences,
reach out to our constituency, and voice our support for various
causes. As a result, we have worked with the Wisconsin Public Interest
Research Group (WISPIRG), Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS),
Sierra Club, River Alliance of Wisconsin, RENEW Wisconsin, Clean
Water Action Council, Wisconsin's Environmental Decade, Midwest
Environmental Advocates, Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin,
and others.
In 2003, WICEC, Wisconsin
Green Building Allaince, Informing
Ecological Design, Wisconsin
Focus on Energy, and Rapid
Improvement Associates joined together to produce the Wisconsin
Energy Stewardship Pilot Collaborative, an educational project
to give congregations practical tools to dramatically reduce
energy consumption thereby lessening their utility costs. This
demand-side reduction program is critical for eventually changing
the supply/demand paradigm currently followed, thus reducing
Wisconsin's overall contribution to green house gases and other
emissions. WICEC is currently planning
another Wisconsin Energy Stewardship program. If your faith community
is interested in getting REAL, practical tools for reducing energy,
including access to SenseDAT technology, Wisconsin Focus on Energy,
and consultation with Wisconsin's cutting edge green architects,
please contact info@wicec.org or
contact Rev. Dave Steffenson, Education Coordinator, at dsteffe70@gmail.com or
phone him at 920-623-4360.
To see the results of the pilot project [In PDF-312kb]
In March 2003, WICEC was awarded Madison's
mayoral Climate Protection Award in the area of Overall Program Strength.
In 2004 WICEC received a Certificate
of Recognition from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for
outstanding leadership in the national Clean School Bus USA program.
The certificate was awarded on the basis of our involvement in the
School Bus Retrofit Project.
In November 23, 2004, WICEC recieved
a Certificate for Environmental Leadership To confirm the purchase
of an equivalent of 204 tons of carbon dioxide in verified emission
reductions from Aliguda Village, Adilabad District, Andhra Pradesh,
India by Substituting Petroleum Diesel Fuel with Natural Pongamia
Oil for Local Uses. View it here.
In 2005, WICEC received the Wisconsin
Partners for Clean Air Recognition Award for organizing workshops
and using other outreach tactics to
inform congregations and the public of ways to reduce energy and
fuel consumption, supporting a program in India that produces fuel
from tree oil to run equipment in local villages, and supporting
the diesel school bus retrofit program. See http://www.wicec.org/awards.htm
In 2007, WICEC in partnership with the Islamic Environmental Group
of Wisconsin had a successful campaign meeting our goal of obtaining
100 household pledges and helped to empower a saving of 84,600
kWh of energy, $7,868, and prevented 122,700 pounds of greenhouse
gas
emissions! We received the “2007 ENERGY
STAR Change a Light Pledge Leader” recognition from the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.
In 2008, WICEC in partnership with the Islamic Environmental Group
of Wisconsin received the ENERGY STAR Change
the World Pledge Leader for helping to empower an estimated saving of 286,040 kilowatt hours
of energy, $41,400, and preventing 539,170 pounds of greenhouse gas
emissions!
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