Have you seen those great new TV ads-where politicians from different ends of the political spectrum sit on the same couch and agree on the need for environmental action? They are very clever. I've seen two. The first got Al Sharpton and Pat Robertson in the same room. In the second, Nancy Pelosi and Newt Gingrich jointly called on America to come up with clean energy solutions. I understand that Al Gore was the force behind these ads. You can see them for yourself at www.wecansolveit.org.

It's about time, you may rightly say to yourself. With global warming and major environment threats looming, isn't it about time that our leaders stopped squabbling over relatively minor issues and addressed problems that are rapidly becoming life and death matters for humankind? Environmentalism-which used to be the preserve of tree-huggers and left-over '60s radicals driving electric cars with "Save the Whales" bumper stickers-has now become politically correct for all Americans, no matter what your political persuasion.

It's the same with Christian denominations. Even very conservative or fundamentalist denominations are in the process of becoming "green."

The Episcopal Church was slightly ahead of the curve. I am glad to say that our General Convention has been addressing the issue for at least 20 years, long before it became fashionable. Much of this is due to the good work of our Nature and Spirituality Program Group. All Saints' Church in Phoenix is also to be commended for their Green Festival two weeks ago which I understand was a huge hit (more about it All Saints' goes green).

It is refreshing to see the Church involved. A survey recently completed by the Nature and Spirituality Group indicated that more than half of our parishes here in Arizona have identifiable programs in place to inform their congregations about environmental issues. Many have "Green Teams" that help the church with recycling and energy saving efforts. It was great to see the Episcopal Church commended in the press instead of being criticized!

Becoming a "Green Diocese" is not only the right thing for us to do as stewards of God's creation; our concern for the environment is also attractive for younger potential members, who are generally more personally committed to sustainable lifestyles than those of us who are middle-aged or older.

And isn't it great to see so many Christians and Americans agreeing on something? "How good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters dwell together in unity." (Psalm 133.1)

+Kirk

I was very proud to see the good press that our own Diocese got on March 22 in the Arizona Republic:

Churches preaching green.

+Kirk