Anchorage Daily News

WASILLA -- At 27 years old, the Rev. Paul Klitzke is the youngest Episcopal priest in Alaska. He's leveraging his youth and enthusiasm to lead Alaska's faith communities where some have never gone before: into the environmental revolution.

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Klitzke

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Klitzke lives with his wife, Sarah, and their two children, Noah and Emma, in Wasilla. He leads services at St. David's Episcopal Church at Mile 2.2 Wasilla Fishhook Road north of Wasilla.

Leading the church is a part-time job. In his free time, he works in youth ministry and leads Alaska Interfaith Power and Light, the church-driven environmental campaign born in the national Episcopal Church.

We talked with Klitzke in his church office last week about that group and its goals.

Q: What is the Interfaith Power and Light movement about?

A: Each Interfaith Power and Light sets its own priorities, to some extent. I think there are 25 now (in the U.S.). Alaska was the 20th. The overall mission is deepening the connection between the environment and faith, with a focus on global warming and climate change. Almost every Interfaith Power and Light (looks) for faith leaders and a faith community.

Q: What do you do?

A: Every congregation's approach is a little different. The congregation in Wrangell sold cloth grocery bags ... they've got to be known at Saint Philip's (Episcopal Church) as "the green church" and people have started to seek out those grocery bags.

Saint Mary's (Episcopal Church) in Anchorage has taken a different approach. They decided they were going to have each committee -- churches tend to have a lot of committees -- they have each committee address the issue.

We had (a speaker) from Alaska Conservation Solutions come and give us a presentation on Earth Day. We're using cloth napkins and ceramic mugs rather than Styrofoam cups ... the building committee, we've put in motion-sensors in the bathroom -- there's always a problem with lights being left on in the bathroom. Here, it was great -- different parishioners have taken on different things. One parishioner ... I don't think he rested until he had replaced each and every light bulb. Then he went through and figured out how much it was going to save us. So not only did (he) cover the cost of the light bulbs, we're going to probably save $200 or more (on the electrical bill).

And we locked our thermostats ... so it would be a reasonable temperature 24 hours a day. The lower temperature ... is going to save us substantial expense and substantial carbon output.

Q: It sounds like many of these issues are happening inside the church rather than an outward movement to push environmental issues. Is that how IPL works?

A: That's pretty much what we're seeing around the nation -- look inwardly and be an example. It filters down to people's homes and into their workplace.

It's also important to tie in the carbon footprint piece, the benefit for Earth and for creation. Some groups tie that in more than others to their liturgy as well.

People say, "What's the difference between you and other groups?" Here, it's an established community. There are faith-based communities everywhere.

With the faith-based community, we have the opportunity to reach people who may be on the cusp, or uncertain (about environmental issues) in a place where they're comfortable. It also forces believers in climate change to address others about the issue and to engage in the discussion, which I think is incredibly advantageous in driving it home.

Q: What's the biblical tie-in?

A: That we have a creator God and an oath behind that to care for creation. That's the theology behind Alaska Interfaith Power and Light, and that gives us the moral duty here.

Q: Churches haven't always promoted environmental issues. The issue has been debated in different denominations, over whether getting involved in environmental issues is right or if it detracts from other church priorities. What do you see?

A: I think we're seeing a shift, not just in a religious voice, but secularly as well. The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) reports show ... that it is man-caused. We did it. And if we don't do something about it, we're going to be in trouble.

Q: Did you experience resistance in your church about the campaign?

A: I think there is some resistance. I think that has changed in the last two years, certainly in the last five to 10 years. I think even people who are doubtful are a little more receptive to at least hearing about it.

We've seen some resistance, some discussions like how much does driving a hybrid really help? But the biggest issue here is not cars; the biggest emitter is power producers. But you don't get to that informative place until people get comfortable with these ideas. And it takes not only one educational conversation, but an ongoing conversation to keep this in the forefront of their minds.

We have an ongoing conversation with people on that level. I think it's an extremely powerful model because of that.

Find Rindi White online at adn.com/contact/rwhite or call 352-6709.

MORE POWER: Learn more about the Alaska Interfaith Power and Light campaign online at

akilp.org

Learn about the national Regeneration Project, the umbrella organization under which Alaska Interfaith Power and Light operates, at

theregenerationproject.org