I founded Green Prophet because I truly believe that the people of the prophets – the monotheistic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam can see eye to eye in the Middle East when we talk about shared environmental problems and solutions.
We report on news, and on the ground organizations like the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, based in Jerusalem, physically unites people of faith to spark change in local communities.
Now the group is widening its circles to scientific leaders of renown: The United Planet Faith and Science Initiative (UPFSI) was launched today to bridge the gap between science and faith. The project aims to unite religious and science leaders to speak out on ecological sustainability.
Among the twelve founding faith and science leaders are Nobel Peace Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Rajendra Pachauri, Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
UPFSI is a joint project of The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development and the Interfaith Declaration on Climate Change.
This Initiative brings together prominent faith and science leaders to participate in web-based, minimal-carbon-footprint meetings focused on addressing imminent environmental challenges.
Footage of these meetings will be disseminated through social media and news outlets to promote public awareness, political will, and action. The Initiative will also host live public events for these leaders to present to the general public.
Leaders in faith and science, working together, are able to appeal to vast numbers of people to foster awareness and action. The launch coincides with an Indiegogo crowd-funding campaign to draw in further support for the Initiative.
Here are the leaders:
Religious Figures: Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate; Swami Chidananda Saraswati, President and Spiritual Head of the Parmarth Niketan Ashram (one of India’s largest spiritual institutions); Rabbi David Rosen CBE, International Director of Interreligious Affairs of AJC; Rev. Canon Sally G. Bingham, President, The Regeneration Project and Interfaith Power and Light; Haj Fazlun Khalid (United Kingdom), Founder and Director of the Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Science; Baron Dr. Rowan Williams (United Kingdom), former Archbishop of Canterbury.
Scientists: Dr. James Hansen (United States), Former Head of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (1981-2013); Dr. Rajendra Pachauri (India, United States), Chair of Nobel Peace Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); Dr. Michael Oppenheimer(United States), Professor of Geosciences and International Affairs in the Woodrow Wilson School and the Department of Geosciences at Princeton University; Dr. Katherine Hayhoe (United States), Atmospheric Scientist and expert reviewer for the IPCC; Dr. Michael Mann (United States), Director of the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University.
Here’s the video for the faith and science funding appeal:
Their goal is to raise $18,000 between now and the end of December, and the campaign offers ‘perks’ at different levels of giving and shows how funds will be spent.
With 25 days at at $10,000 towards their $18,000 goal, the group is off to a great start. Check it out on Indiegogo and mark your support with a small donation.
A growing economy on a polluted planet has no future, unless everyone safely recycles all their waste materials, all their garbage, trash, junk, smoke and fumes, and peacefully reduces the human population with family planning programs. Then the Earth would be returned to its natural order and humanity would learn to live in peace and balance. If not, then ecocide and extinction will be our fate.