What a summer it has been at Faith in Place!
Since May our team has hosted or participated in over 138 events with over 2,000 attendees. In June, Pope Francis released his encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si', calling on people of all faiths to care for our common home on Earth.
Thanks to you, over 1,000 petitions in support of clean energy have been signed, and dozens of phone calls have been made to educate Illinois’ policy makers on the need for climate justice. We’ve held multiple press conferences on our moral obligation to act on climate change. And we are only just getting started!
In August, the U.S. EPA released the finalized Clean Power Plan. This plan requires all states to reduce carbon pollution from power plants. In Illinois, Faith in Place is organizing around the Illinois Clean Jobs Bill as the best way for our state to comply with this federal plan.
This ground-breaking legislation, if passed, would meet the Clean Power Plan's goals for clean air and healthy communities. Proposed by a diverse coalition of environmental, business, labor, and faith organizations, this legislation advances Illinois as a leader in renewable energy while slashing pollution from power plants.
The Illinois Clean Jobs Bill would increase renewable energy to 35% by 2030 and increase energy efficiency standards for 20% reductions in energy use by 2025.
The Illinois Clean Jobs Bill is the only bill that will put tens of thousands of people to work across Illinois. When it ramps up in 2021, the Illinois Clean Jobs Bill will put to work more than 32,000 additional workers than there are today and sustain that level for the next decade.
Through Faith in Place's advocacy efforts, we as a faith community have ensured that provisions for economically-challenged communities are prioritized in this legislation.
But we can't continue to build momentum on this initiative without your help.
Together, we can continue to build the movement to transform our communities for justice. Please join us by taking a moment to fill out this petition, showing your support for this historic initiative in Illinois.
