Carbon Neutral Announcement

We at Temple Rodef Shalom are now encouraging “carbon-neutral” B’nai Mitzvahs, weddings, and other events. As a community, our Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, weddings, and other celebrations are a cause for joy, and are meant to be shared with family, friends, neighbors, and loved ones.

But our celebrations can also have negative impacts on the environment. In particular, the auto mileage, air travel, hotels, and other activities consume substantial amounts of fossil fuels and emit carbon dioxide into the air.  This carbon dioxide is a “greenhouse gas”, contributing to global warming.

So as we celebrate, we also want to be mindful of our impacts on the environment. The concept of repairing the world through social action is one of the traditional categories of tzedakah. Acts of tikkun olam provide us with channels through which we can apply our Jewish response to contemporary issues.

The Temple’s Green Team has developed a “Carbon Footprint Calculator” for these types of events. It helps you estimate the greenhouse gas emissions stemming from your event’s activities, including the air travel, driving distances, and hotel stays. It then directs you to different organizations that you can help by funding emission reduction projects to offset your emissions, effectively making it “carbon-neutral”.

The Carbon Footprint Calculator is available on the TRS website here. Or, you can contact the TRS Office. These tools help make the “right thing to do” the “easy thing to do” as well. We encourage all the Bar/Bat Mitzvah kids and their parents to consider going carbon neutral. Do it for your Mother (Earth)!