Protect Our Forests: Oppose Repeal of Roadless Rule
The Bush Administration earlier this month replaced a landmark measure to protect nearly 60 million acres of National Forests - the Roadless Area Conservation Rule of 2001 - with a flawed state petition process which may lead to the loss of some of our greatest natural treasures.

The Scriptures make clear that protecting God's forests - and the many aspects of creation they encompass - is both sound policy and a holy obligation. We are taught that the Earth does not belong to us, but to God, and that we are the tenants charged with its care. God instructed the Israelites, "The land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants" (Leviticus 25:23), and the psalmist declares, "The Earth is the Lord's and all that is in it" (Psalm 24:1-2).

Please take action now by contacting the governor of your state and urge him/her to protect your state's forests from logging and mining.

Omer for the Earth
What, exactly, is the Omer? The Omer is an agricultural measure that refers to the prescribed amount of grain to be brought as an offering to the Temple on the second day of Passover. The bringing of the Omer was an important event, for only after this offering was made, could people enjoy the fruits of the new grain harvest. Over time, the Omer came to signify the entire period of the harvest. The harvesting of the spring grains would continue until Shavuot and culminate with the offering of two special loaves of bread.

Visit the Noah Project's Omer for the Earth activities and an environmentalist's guide to counting the Omer in COEJL's Program Bank. Or click here to read about the "Ecology of Our Harvest."

COEJL's Rabbinic Fellow Travels to Tehran
Rabbi Lawrence Troster, Rabbinic Fellow for COEJL, attended an international conference on "Environment, Peace and the Dialogue among Civilizations and Cultures" in Tehran, Iran, May 9-10. The conference was sponsored by the Iranian government and the United Nations Environment Programme. The event brought together 70 high-level government representatives from developed and developing countries, international experts, academics, and environmental professionals with experience in interfaith exchanges.

Click here to read a Jewish Telegraphic Agency article about Rabbi Troster's journey and visit the International Institute for Sustainable Development to learn more about the conference. To read a condensed version of Rabbi Troster's speech at the Tehran conference, click here.

Sustainable Spring
The rabbis regarded the human body as a sanctuary (Ta'anit 11a-b). Since maintaining a healthy and sound body is among the ways of God - for one cannot understand or have any knowledge of the Creator if one is ill - therefore one must avoid that which harms the body and accustom oneself to that which is helpful and helps the body become stronger.
- Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Deot

When spring arrives and the days become balmy and beautiful, it's a perfect time to get out of the car and onto a bike, into some skates, or on your own two feet. Sustainable transportation options are especially viable in good weather, so take advantage of mass transit instead of driving. You will help improve the health of the planet by reducing CO₂ emissions and smog, and improve your own health by getting your body in shape too. You will live as shomrei adamah -- and shomrei adam!

U.S. Department of Energy Smart Communities Network project has information on creating energy-smart communities including key principles, tools, educational materials, and success stories.
The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association section on sustainable transportation has information and resources including links, green vehicle info, bibliography, and workshops.
And for our Canadian friends, The Centre for Sustainable Transportation.

New Partner in Israel Project
As a co-founder of the Jewish Global Environmental Network (JGEN), COEJL is now partnering with the Israel Union for Environmental Defense. The work focuses on two new projects to protect Israel's fragile land and its citizens: a collaboration between Israeli experts and their North American Jewish colleagues to advance legal protection for the environment; and a campaign to pass an Israeli Clean Air Act.

Click here to learn about these projects. For more information, please email Danielle Luttenberg, COEJL's JGEN coordinator or visit www.jgenisrael.org

Interfaith Environmental Convocation Held in Washington
COEJL was a leading participant at an interfaith convocation on the environment held in Washington, DC, May 2-3. The event, which was sponsored by the National Religious Partnership for the Environment, brought together senior leaders from Jewish, Protestant, Catholic, and Evangelical Christian faiths. Participants celebrated the achievements of the Partnership during the past 13 years and affirmed their commitment to address the very serious environmental challenges that we face ahead. The 20-member Jewish delegation included senior rabbis and other community leaders from Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, Reconstructionist, and Renewal denominations. For more information on the religious partnership, see www.nrpe.org.