SFIC Online Briefing for Faith Leaders 
to Address  COVID-19's Impact on the Environment, 
Policies and Programs  and How Communities of Faith 
Can Stay Engaged D uring the Pandemic
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Thursday, April 30, 2020
8:30 am - 9:30 am

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Call-in number: 1-669-900-6833
Conference ID: 93801472941#
Password: 075026#

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With everyday life coming to an abrupt halt, our planet has been given a chance to breathe. In an effort to contain the spread of the pandemic, many factories have been shuttered. Planes sit idly on runways as travelers cancel flights and airlines slash service. More and more of us are working from home, cutting traffic to a bare minimum. The global shutdown caused by the virus has inadvertently become the biggest experiment ever in the reduction of greenhouse gases. Many environmentalists see this as an opportunity to make significant strides in preventing serious outcomes from climate change. People have taken drastic measures in recent weeks given the situation at hand. While these changes have been extreme, they show that the world has the ability to make adjustments - adjustments that can help to limit negative effects on our climate. It also shows that, perhaps, humans are capable of understanding the threat of something that cannot be seen. 

But not everyone seems bent on using this crisis to better the environment. Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced significantly relaxed pollution regulations, citing Coronavirus hardships. In short, facilities such as plants and factories can now indefinitely determine their own ability to meet legal requirements on reporting air and water contaminants. 

On the last day of "Earth Month," Thursday's online briefing for faith leaders, hosted by the San Francisco Interfaith Council, in collaboration with the Department of Emergency Management's Community Branch, will address COVID-19's (Coronavirus) impact on the environment, environmental policies and programs and how communities of faith can stay engaged as activists during and after the pandemic.

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS BY ONLINE BRIEFING MODERATOR

Michael G. Pappas, M.Div., Executive Director

WELCOME & READING OF SFIC STATEMENT

Kaushik Roy, Chair

MEDITATION

Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern
Senior Minister

(Introduction of Guest Presenter and Presentation by
SFIC Executive Director Michael Pappas)

Debbie Raphael, Director

Debbie Raphael is the Director of the San Francisco Department of the Environment where she leads and implements the City's bold climate action initiatives. A scientist by training, Debbie has spent most of her career as a public servant working to ensure a safe, healthy, and livable environment for all. As Director, Debbie led the most significant update to the City's recycling and composting program in over 15 years, the launch of an industry funded safe disposal program for unused medicines, and pioneered policies for increased renewable energy, electric vehicle charging capacity, and carbon sequestration through the City's urban green spaces. In partnership with the San Francisco Mayor, Board of Supervisors, and fellow City leadership on the environment, Debbie bolstered San Francisco's global leadership on the environment by reducing the City's overall greenhouse gas emissions and set a new, audacious goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Named one the of the world's 100 most influential leaders in climate policy, Debbie is a sought-after spokeswoman on local and national environmental issues. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in biology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master's Degree in Physiological Plant Ecology from the University of California, Los Angeles.

PANEL QUESTIONS TO GUEST PRESENTER

Panelists

The Rt. Rev. Marc Handley Andrus, Bishop

Kyle Lemle
Bay Area Organizer

Susan Stephenson 
Executive Director

CLOSING REMARKS/NEXT STEPS

SFIC Executive Director Michael Pappas


The  San Francisco Interfaith Council is a Cooperation Circle