[Dialogue] [Earthrise] Birthday Witness

Thu Nov 30 16:45:03 PST 2023

Yes, Don, Yes, meet in Zimbabwe for the 2025 ICAI Global Conference. I am
bringing my family.
Dick

On Thu, Nov 30, 2023 at 6:39 PM Hinkelman ヒンクルマンDon ダン via Dialogue <
dialogue at lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:

> Happy Birthday, Dick.Thank you for the witness—I needed that. Actually, I
> loved meeting you at the Greenrise Building last summer and enjoying a
> great dinner together. I wish I could have dinner again with you tonight to
> celebrate, but online accolades will have to do. It was precious to me that
> you, Terry and Pamela welcomed me back home at 4750, and that the energy
> there is growing. I didn’t know you invested in the solar panels. What a
> great plan! And the Methodist church is moving in the direction of Net Zero
> for 2050—SDG #7: Clean Energy in action.
> https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/sustainable-development-goals/why-do-sustainable-development-goals-matter/goal-7
>  When I gave a presentation at Greenrise last August, I was surprised some
> folks in USA were not aware of the global vision and consensus for 17
> Sustainable Development Goals. That is driving change in Asia and perhaps
> Europe, Africa and Latin America too. Hope to see you in Africa again. ICA
> Africa is making a great conference there.
>
> Don Hinkelman, 69, doing four ICA intern study tours next year to
> Bangladesh, Kenya, Indonesia and India. Remembering 1970 RS-1 and Summer
> Program.
> This year lost 20 pounds (like you and Terry—who are looking great) by
> cutting sugars and carbs.
>
> On Dec 1, 2023, at 8:45, Terry Bergdall via Dialogue <
> dialogue at lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:
>
> Rob,
>
> I recall your presentation at that event in 2010 as being a powerful
> contextual statement about recovering the legacy of ICA. A decade+ later, I
> remain grateful for the manner in which you set the stage for our work.
> Somewhere, I think there is a YouTube of that presentation. It is in
> multiple sections because back then the longest YouTube upload could not
> exceed 10 minutes. While some things change in 13 years, the* urgency* of
> the "call" you made during that presentation has not.
>
> Terry
>
> On Nov 30, 2023, at 16:52, Robertson Work via Earthrise <
> earthrise at lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:
>
> Happy birthday, Dick! Grateful for all you are and do.
>
> Your witness reminded me that Terry invited me to give a talk in March
> 2010 to open the ICA USA Think Tank on International Initiatives held at
> Kemper. I noticed that people were shocked by what I said about global
> warming and the end of a civilization. I am grateful for all that ICAs have
> done in the past 13 years to help lead the way to a regenerative future and
> beloved community.
>
> Blessings to you, dear friend,
>
> Rob
>
> Robertson Work
> Books and bio <https://www.amazon.com/Robertson-Work/e/B075612GBF>
> Blogsite <https://compassionatecivilization.blogspot.com/>    Substack
> <https://robertsonwork.substack.com/>    Videos and articles
> <https://www.globalcompassioncoalition.org/author/robertson-work/>
> Website <https://www.robertsonwork.com/>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* Dialogue <dialogue-bounces at lists.wedgeblade.net> on behalf of
> Richard Alton via Dialogue <dialogue at lists.wedgeblade.net>
> *Sent:* Thursday, November 30, 2023 4:28 PM
> *To:* earthrise at lists.wedgeblade.net <earthrise at lists.wedgeblade.net>;
> Colleague Dialogue <dialogue at lists.wedgeblade.net>; Order Ecumenical
> Community <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net>
> *Cc:* Richard Alton <richard.alton at gmail.com>
> *Subject:* [Dialogue] Birthday Witness
>
> *Birthday Thoughts: My Solar Hero*
> I was struck by Terry Bergdall’s Thanksgiving report from Litibu about his
> solar cooking for his community dinner. What a great image of our future.
>
>
> Actually, this is the second time Terry has brought solar to the
> community. Not long ago, Terry was the Executive Director of ICA USA and
> started a social investment program to fund Kemper’s (Greenrise) own solar
> system. You invest in the solar system and then from the savings in
> electricity the Institute would pay you back in cash (50%) and the other
> half in tax deductions. Absolutely brilliant (somebody told me the real
> thinker was the late Board member and financier Bob Rafos) but Terry put it
> into action which was the huge task. Bless him.  Solar now covers 25% of
> our energy use in the Greenrise building.
>
>
> I have become fascinate with solar; after Sally and I invested in the ICA
> solar project, we did a solar system on our church, which helped reduce our
> energy cost dramatically. We not only did solar on the roof but also
> community solar where you buy solar panels in a solar field, which puts
> solar energy in the system to match your energy used. You could argue you
> were Net Zero. All our energy was renewable energy.
>
>
> Bless the Methodist Church: they just committed to be Net Zero by 2050.
> Our Methodist Conference’s Bishop came out with a Net Zero Task Force that
> is making solar a huge focus. Reminds me of H. Richard paper on the Church
> as Social Pioneer. The church is being the church when it is the first to
> repent for the sins of a society, turns its back on it and leads society in
> the social act of repentance.
>
>
> And then there is the ICA USA Africa Fund which has found an amazing
> amount of interest in village solar. Zimbabwe has combined solar with their
> Self Help Groups saving to rotate getting a home solar system. Women groups
> in Zambia are using solar to keep their chicks warm at night. Ghana has
> used solar to bring lights to the community. Kenya has just started Self
> Help Groups to save for family solar kits. Uganda has over 2,000 families
> in Self Help Groups saving for solar.
>
>
> As Richard Kirya reported on Uganda solar work:
> “More than 90% of the 230,000 people living in Budaka District of Uganda
> live without reliable access to electricity. There are reports where young
> school going children ten to fifteen-year-old have been badly burned in
> kerosene accidents in the countryside and urban slum communities. The
> families and children rely on kerosene lamps for lighting their homes;
> these are very smoky and blacken their home and clothes with soot. The
> school going children rely on kerosene to study, which is dangerous and
> produces poor-quality lighting. They cannot study longer, and efficiently.
> Some homes have experienced total burn of their entire homes causing loss
> of life long achieved properties.”
>
>
> The world is in a precipitance state. As global leaders gathered in Dubai
> for the United Nations climate talks known as COP28 this month, we must
> acknowledge that the fossil fuel age is out of gas- that its end is
> inevitable, we must ramp up renewables and phase out fossil fuels. Our
> future is helping communities become Climate Change Ready. Not only with
> solar energy but, most importantly, coming together to build communities
> moving together… recognizing we do not stand a chance alone. My survival
> depends on you. Niebuhr saw this tragedy of ‘individual overemphasis’ and
> not recognizing how ‘self and society are bound together’.
>
>
> Dick Alton, Greenrise Community member, entering 82 and working to be the
> church. Became religious and a theologian in 1968.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Richard H. T. Alton
> ICA Global Fund
> The Last Chapter
> Methodist Net Zero
> T: 773.344.7172
> richard.alton at gmail.com
> Make Plain the Vision, Habakkuh 2:2
> Won't you be my neighbor?
> ++++++++++++++++++++++
> The name of the group, "earthrise," refers to the photo taken on December
> 24, 1968, showing the Earth rising over the horizon of the moon. The image
> has become a powerful symbol of mystery, awe, and responsibility. For more
> information about the grop, contact earthrise.community at gmail.com.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Dialogue mailing list
> Dialogue at lists.wedgeblade.net
> http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/dialogue-wedgeblade.net
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Dialogue mailing list
> Dialogue at lists.wedgeblade.net
> http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/dialogue-wedgeblade.net
>

-- 
Richard H. T. Alton
ICA Global Fund
The Last Chapter
Methodist Net Zero
T: 773.344.7172
richard.alton at gmail.com
Make Plain the Vision, Habakkuh 2:2
Won't you be my neighbor?
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.wedgeblade.net/pipermail/dialogue-wedgeblade.net/attachments/20231130/61ed6a90/attachment.htm>