Santa Clara, CA (PRWEB) April 16, 2014 -- First Congregational Church of San Jose is hosting an open discussion on global warming in celebration of Earth Day on Sunday, April 27. Sustainable Silicon Valley, California Interfaith Power and Light and other organizations have joined to support this event. Climate change is impacting energy, technology, geopolitics, lifestyles and the environment worldwide. Silicon Valley is at the heart of both this problem and its potential solutions. On one hand, California is suffering from severe drought, dwindling snowpack, rising sea levels as well as stressed and disappearing species. On the other, the state has aggressive regulatory and political responses to the causes and the impacts of global warming. The Bay Area is particularly susceptible to the impacts of climate change and Silicon Valley is at the epicenter of the world’s green technology revolution.
Religious institutions and people of faith can play a key role in dealing with climate change. To explore this role on Sunday, April 27, 2014, the First Congregational Church of San Jose will host its first annual public conversation on a faith-based response to climate change. Entitled “Climate Change: Crisis, Opportunity and a Call to Action,” the event will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the church’s sanctuary located at 1980 Hamilton Avenue in San Jose, diagonally across the street from the e-Bay campus.
Participants will discuss the science of global warming, climate change adaption in the Bay Area, institutional religious and individual spiritual perspectives on and faith-based responses to the problem, environmental justice issues, and the role of Silicon Valley in providing green technology solutions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating environmental sustainability.
This highly interactive event will feature renowned speakers with wide-ranging perspectives. These speakers include: Marianna Grossman, Executive Director, Sustainable Silicon Valley; Mike Mielke, VP for Environment, Silicon Valley Leadership Group, Executive Director, California Climate Breakthrough Initiative; Susan Stephenson, Executive Director, California Interfaith Power and Light; Andreas Karelas, Executive Director, Re-Volv; Will Travis, Environmental Consultant and Former Executive Director, San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission; Miriam Gordon, California Director of Clean Water Action; and Linda Jaramillo, Executive Minister, Justice and Witness Ministries, United Church of Christ. Members of all religious traditions, every political persuasion and any interested media are invited to participate in this conversation.
For more information about Sustainable Silicon Valley or the upcoming event with the First Congregational Church of San Jose, contact Winny Rotsidis at wrotsidis(at)sustainablesv(dot)org. To attend the event, RSVP here.
About Sustainable Silicon Valley
Sustainable Silicon Valley (SSV) is a consortium of companies, governmental entities, academic and research institutions and non-profit organizations that work together to inspire collaboration, accelerate innovation, and encourage economic prosperity for a sustainable future. We connect businesses, innovators and policy makers to drive implementation and growth of the clean, regenerative economy. SSV's 100+ partners are innovators from all sectors who are creating a nationally recognized model for regional collaboration on sustainability and accomplishing breakthrough results for environmental, economic and social resilience. The EcoCloud™ Innovation Platform, created in conjunction with public and private sector partners accelerates implementation of sustainable solutions. SSV is a 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation. For more information, please visit http://www.sustainablesv.org.
For further information:
Winny Rotsidis
Marketing Communications Director
Sustainable Silicon Valley
wrotsidis(at)sustainablesv(dot)org
Leslie Schmidt, Engage, +1 (510) 748-8200 Ext: 216, [email protected]
Share this article