Jerry Freewalt is Director of the Office for Social Concerns of the Catholic Diocese of Columbus, Ohio. In this capacity, he serves as an educator and advocate to further the understanding of the Church’s social justice teachings. Jerry joined the office in 1995 as the respect life coordinator. Jerry also administers the respect life program, parish social ministry, rural life, jail and prison ministry, advocacy for persons with disabilities, and other education and advocacy efforts.
The Milarepa Center, a Tibetan Buddhist retreat located in Vermont, is entering the clean energy scene through their partnership with a local solar panel company. The proposed initiative is to host approximately 500-kilowatts of solar panels on the retreat's property, an endeavour that will provide clean energy to 135 homes in the neighboring area. The retreat center is a force for sustainability in the region, not only with this initiative, which passed unanimously by its board members, but in its commitment to the Buddhist tradition of bodhicitta, which is to bring peace and good will to all. It is important to note; however, that the Buddhist community, while being present within the environmental movement, does self-proclaim their need to improve, such as in attending protests or furthering initiatives like these solar panels on a greater scale.
"The Rev. Dr. Jessica Moerman is a climate and environmental scientist, pastor, educator, and advocate. She serves as the President and CEO of the Evangelical Environmental Network and is a Board Member of the National Association of Evangelicals. Jessica received her Ph.D. in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences from the Georgia Institute of Technology and has held research positions at John Hopkins University, University of Michigan, and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, where she researched how climate has changed throughout Earth’s history. Prior to joining EEN, Jessica was a AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the U.S. Department of Energy."