The Mission of ICAN
The mission of the Interfaith Climate Action Network of Contra Costa County is to inform and educate faith and non-faith communities and interested individuals about how to mitigate climate change, and represent and advocate on their behalf by contacting elected representatives, government agencies, industries and other organizations that need to hear our collective voices.
ICAN values
- Faith and non-faith communities share common beliefs about our responsibility to protect our planet from harm and preserve it for future generations.
- It is our elected representatives, government agencies and big businesses who have the power to make decisions which can have positive or negative effects on the Earth.
- We are committed to working with sister organizations who share the common goal of environmental justice to advocate to reduce the causes of climate change.
- We look where race, ethnicity, and social class intersect with environmental health, realizing that historically oppressed peoples often pay the highest price in their health and wellness due to their proximity to polluting industries and their lack of power to effect change. We are committed to ensuring the voices of the African American, Hispanic and First Peoples and other oppressed groups are heard in our work on environmental justice.
The vision for the future
We aim to educate and inform faith and non-faith communities and interested individuals, in Contra Costa County, through
We aim to represent and advocate on behalf of the faith and non-faith communities and individuals in Contra Costa County, by contacting elected representatives, government agencies, industries and other organizations that need to hear our collective voices, by
- workshops on how to advocate for environmental justice
- presentations with notable key speakers on environmental justice, health impacts, and the science behind climate change
- environmental justice film series - 'Before the Flood', 'An Inconvenient Truth', 'An Inconvenient Truth, Sequel', and more
- How Green is your Organization, a green audit
- calculating your carbon footprint
We aim to represent and advocate on behalf of the faith and non-faith communities and individuals in Contra Costa County, by contacting elected representatives, government agencies, industries and other organizations that need to hear our collective voices, by
- meeting face to face
- through email
- through post card mailings
- peacefully marching and rallying
History
ICAN was formed in September 2014. Our first event was an Earth Day celebration in 2015.
After a few years of sharing programs for congregations and individuals:
- how to become a green congregation,
- becoming involved in water stewardship,
- make greater use of solar power,
among other topics, we saw a need to focus our energies on issues related to climate and their effect on people living in Contra Costa County.
After a few years of sharing programs for congregations and individuals:
- how to become a green congregation,
- becoming involved in water stewardship,
- make greater use of solar power,
among other topics, we saw a need to focus our energies on issues related to climate and their effect on people living in Contra Costa County.