When my husband, Luke, and I decided to stay in rural Iowa and put down roots, we did so with the knowledge that we would often be in situations where we were the only family who looked like ours. We also know how important it will be for our future children to be able to grow up in an Iowa that is as bountiful, safe, and vibrant as the state we inherited. In our faith tradition, that means taking care to protect God’s creation as we understand it to be, and preserving it for future generations.
As a board member of Iowa’s leading faith-based climate organization, I’m proud to report that we are doing just that: bringing neighbors together of different faiths, families of all types, and organizations large and small to engage members of our community to think about the way we approach the changing climate. Where we come from, it takes more than repeating slogans and talking points; building coalitions to support creation care requires us to sometimes listen more than we speak. This is a good thing, and it’s why the mission of Iowa Interfaith Power & Light is so important to me.
Whether it’s our upcoming Called To Climate Action event, our participation in the Clean Up MidAm campaign, or countless other projects across the state, each of us at Iowa IPL are committed to climate action. Whether you’ve been fighting at the forefront of climate smart policy for years, or you’re just tuning into our movement, I hope you’ll join us and support this work for the generations to come.
Wishing you a blessed holiday season,
C.J. Petersen, Iowa IPL