wfn.org | 2 p.m. April 24 - Indianapolis, Keynote on Religion, Environment

["Nat'l Council of Churches" <nccc_usa@ncccusa.org>]

Nation Council of Churches
Media Advisory: 2-6 p.m. Thursday, April 24, Indianapolis, Ind.

National Council of Churches General Secretary to Keynote Religion and the
Environment Interfaith Panel at National Religion Communicators Council
Convention

Who/What:	Religion and the environment. The two subjects are often not
associated with
one another. Yet there is an interfaith movement that is adding a strong
religious voice to environmental issues-and it is a voice that cannot be
ignored.

So much so that this years Religion Communicators Council Convention will
open at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 24, with Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar, General
Secretary of the National Council of Churches discussing how interfaith
groups can work collaboratively to protect the environment.

Immediately following his speech, a distinguished interfaith panel of
experts* will discuss environment and religion.

Then later in the afternoon at 4:15 p.m. a workshop on religion and the
environment will be led by Doug Grace, the director of the Interfaith
Climate and Energy Campaign and an expert on global warming.

When: Thursday, April 24, 2003
 Keynote and Panel 2 p.m.
 Workshop 4:15 p.m.

Where: Embassy Suites Hotel
	 110 West Washington Street
 Indianapolis, Indiana

* The 2 p.m. panel of experts will include:

Larry Stammer, a religion reporter for the Los Angeles Times who is writing
a book on religion and the environment for Island Press. Stammer has covered
religion for the Times since 1992 and prior to that reported on
environmental issues including the Exxon Valdez spill.

Ariana Silverman, the Conservation Organizer for the Sierra Clubs Global
Warming and Energy Program who will begin Rabbinical School at Hebrew Union
College-Jewish Institute of Religion this summer. Silverman was also a
Legislative Assistant for the Coalition on Environment and Jewish Life
(COEJL), an organization that is part of the National Religious Partnership
on the Environment (NRPE).

Rev. Dr. Jim Ball, an ordained Baptist minister, who is Executive Director
of the Evangelical Environmental Network (EEN), Publisher of Creation Care
magazine, and originator of EENs What Would Jesus Drive? (WWJDrive?)
educational campaign.

Dan Misleh, the director of outreach for the Department of Social
Development and World Peace (SDWP) at the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops, which is a part of NRPE.  Misleh was also a policy advisor for SDWP
and had oversight for criminal justice including agriculture and
environmental issues.

Why: Recently there has been renewed interest in the role of
faith in environmental issues. The National Religious Partnership for the
Environment (NRPE)-an interfaith organization of Christian and Jewish
groups, including the National Council of Churches and the Evangelical
Environmental Network (EEN)-sponsored an enormously successful campaign to
push U.S. automobile makers to make more fuel-efficient vehicles. The
overall success of the campaign was due in part to the EENs simultaneous
What Would Jesus Drive? Campaign, and has drawn attention to the role of the
religious community in supporting policies and practices that promote good
stewardship of the Earth.

Media Contacts for Information/to Schedule Interviews:

In New York:  Carol Fouke, 212-870-2252; news@ncccusa.org
On site in Indianapolis: Leslie Tune, cell phone 240-426-0533; Pat Pattillo,
917-690-6075

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