Located in Erie, Pennsylvania, Temple Anshe Hesed is a reform Jewish congregation led by Rabbi John Bush. As is true for most houses of worship, Temple Anshe Hesed's greatest negative impact is their carbon footprint. Temple Anshe Hesed has focused on taking small steps to improve energy efficiency and reduce their congregational impact on global climate change, such as installing CFLs and retrofitting portions of their energy system.

Temple Anshe Hesed has an extensive arm of tikkun olam, pursuing both environmental and Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking initiatives. They have for several years held close ties to the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies (AIES), an interdisciplinary program of study for Israeli, Jordanian, Palestinian and foreign students emphasizing the development of cooperative environmental solutions and leadership, located on Kibbutz Ketura in Israels' southern Arava Desert.

Tara Marie Fortier. Kibbutz Ketura. February 2007.
Students of the Arava Institute getting their first look at the Southern Arava Valley where they will spend the next four months living and learning together.

While visiting the Institute in the summer of 2007, Rabbi Bush learned of a new initiative of the Arava Institute, the Center for Renewable Energy, a research arm of a solar energy station soon to be created in the Southern Arava, a prime spot due to the extravagantly high levels of solar radiation which offer a lucrative opportuity to harvest solar energy. It will be a groundbreaking joint project between Israel and Jordan.

The Arava Institute is using the momentum generated by this project to switch its primary source of energy for campus functions from the national grid to solar panels. Eager to pledge the support of his congregation, the idea for a carbon offset program between Temple Anshe Hesed and the Arava Institute was born.

What is a carbon offset program? How does it work?

In a carbon offset program, an organization which has decided it wants to decrease its carbon footprint and has already made efforts to do so through home-based methods of conserving energy, pays for technology which allows the energy needs of another organization to be met without resulting in carbon emissions. In this instance, Temple Anshe Hesed is paying for the use of solar panels at the Arava Institute. While Temple Anshe Hesed is still emitting carbon through its energy consumption, the monetary support it is providing is decreasing the amount of carbon emitted at the Institute, resulting in a net deduction of carbon emissions which would not have been possible for each of them to achieve on their own.

What are the steps involved in developing a carbon offset program?

First, the carbon footprint of Temple Anshe Hesed was calculated.

Then, the cost of offsets was determined and a series of recommendations for the Temple announced.

Lastly, a Tu B'Shvat solar energy focusing event was held to raise interest in participation.

Where can I find information on global climate change?

Environmental Protection Agency: Offers basic information on science, policy, human health effects, climate economics and action suggestions for homes, businesses, schools, etc.

United Nations Environment Programme: Includes overview of basic science and policy as well as governmental, outreach and education programming.

Pennsylvania Environmental Council's Climate Change Roadmap: Report on a series of policy and action item recommendations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Pennsylvania.

Focus the Nation: Project focusing on education and awareness, organized national teach-in on January 31 2008 and in process of organizing another for 2009. Good source of media and forums.

Grist.org: Great source for environmental news and humor on a variety of topics.