From Pennsylvania Interfaith Power and Light (http://www.paipl.org):
There’s hidden sweetness in the stomach’s emptiness.
We are lutes, no more, no less.
If the soundboxes stuffed full of anything, no music.
If the brain and belly are burning clean with fasting,
every moment a new song comes out of the fire.
—Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks
Ramadan Mubarak to our Muslim friends and members!
With the solstice approaching, we are dedicating this newsletter to heat — we hope you will learn about extreme heat, keep cool (using as little energy as you can), and be part of community heat solutions. Heat can be deadly, and community action really can save lives. We’ve also included some fun DIY challenges—solar ovens and low-cost coolers. Open your calendar to be ready for a few dates and announcements at the end.
Extreme heat may not seem dramatic, but it kills more people per year on average than hurricanes, lightning, tornadoes, earthquakes, and floods combined. People who are young, or elderly, or ill are particularly vulnerable because their bodies are less able to maintain a consistent temperature.
In cities and near industrial sites (including fracking operations) heat exacerbates lung problems by energizing certain types of pollution to form ground level ozone,, which can cause permanent lung damage. Outdoor workers and athletes are particularly vulnerable because they do physical work in full heat, and often in direct sun with little relief. Emergency responders are vulnerable to an uptick in distress calls. Firefighters are exposed to additional heat and must wear full, insulating safety gear.
Urban heat islands, night heat, and humidity (wet bulb temperature) all intensify the health impacts of heat. Heat impacts do not land evenly, and community cooling centers can be as important for reducing summer isolation as they are for cooling off. Human connection, heat plans, and check-in calls save lives.
ACTIONS to take with your faith community or municipality (or both)
Prepare for heat waves by planning local multi-generational cooling centers or cooling parties. Think about how to get the word out, and how to get people there so they’re not isolated.
Create a plan for hot-day check-in calls.
Talk about heat and workers in your local interfaith council.
Alison’s congregation on Long Island bought (and filled) collapsible, re-usable water bottles for day laborers. Is there a place where outdoor workers and people without consistent shelter gather near you? Could your faith community could show up with large cooler/dispensers full of cold water to refill bottles? (bleach wipes keep dispensers clean even when people are doing dirty work)
Could you assemble something like this useful page from the Energy Coordinating Agency in Philadelphia for your neck of Penns Woods?
What could you do to reduce heat islands in your city? Start now for 2019.
Check out the CDC’s guidebook on heat. Pages 16-17 Being Prepared Before the Heat and page 18 Resources for Developing Extreme Heat Programs are terrific resources.
Air conditioners work by pumping heat out of an enclosed space, into the public space and they require a great deal of energy to do so, taxing the electric grid. If the power goes out, everyone suffers. Use air conditioners to stay safe and healthy but use only what you need. Try fans, community cooling (movies, libraries, houses of worship), use your curtains, and change your cooking habits. Teach friends to do the same. Can you share a stay-cool tip a week in your faith community bulletin or newsletter? Try hot-night recipes, ways to get the best air circulation of cool-night air, and maybe some of the DIY below.
Summer DIY
- Cook a meal using the sun. Heaven’s Flame wins the best name award, but this is the most impressive meal I’ve seen from a $5 oven!
- Cool a drink or keep vegetables cool with no electricity with a zeer pot.
- Try one of many evaporative room coolers (some are super-simple).
Dates of note
Tuesday, June 12 —allies including the Pennsylvania Council of Churches are supporting a lobby day at the Capitol in Harrisburg for 100% renewable energy. If you can’t make it to Harrisburg, call your PA Senator and your PA Representative. PA IPL’s one-pager on the policy. The proposal is bipartisan in both PA House and PA Senate. We suggest asking your legislators to find a friend with whom they can work across the aisle and sign on together. (Announced previously on our Policy Update calls, below)
Thursday, June 28 and Thursday, July 26 are 4th Thursdays, and would normally be our Sustained Advocacy Policy Update Calls. We will have emailed summaries only in June and July. Calls resume in August 12:30-1:30. Get on the list to get both summaries and call reminders.
Tuesday, July 10 – we are seeking nominations for our annual visionary award. Nominations are due July 10.
Saturday afternoon, October 27 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Mt. Lebanon (South Hills of Pittsburgh): PA IPL’s 2018 Annual Conference. Mark your calendars now, and watch for more information very soon! PA IPL is committed to multi-faith accessibility. Our most recent big event in Pittsburgh was on a Sunday afternoon. The conference team will identify nearby opportunities for Saturday morning services for potential Jewish attendees, and is committed to holding next year’s conference on a Sunday.
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