For Immediate Release
Contact: Diane Waddell
June 17, 2014
816-262-4770
PRESBYTERIANS FOR EARTH CARE HONORS FOSSIL FREE ADVOCATES
DETROIT, MI – Divestment from fossil fuels is a major issue at the 2014 General Assembly and the
group who started it all is being recognized for their work. Presbyterians for Earth Care will honor
the Cool Planet Working Group of First Presbyterian Church, Palo Alto, CA for writing and moving a
fossil fuel divestment overture to the 221st General Assembly. PEC will also honor Lynn Cameron,
former pastoral leader of the Earth Care House Church in the Shenandoah Presbytery, Virginia, for
her early work to reduce the use of fossil fuels.
Presbyterians for Earth Care (PEC) will present the PEC Restoring Creation Award to the Cool Planet
Working Group and the PEC William Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award to Lynn Cameron at its
Luncheon on June 17 at Fort Street Presbyterian Church. The Lifetime Achievement Award is named
for Bill Gibson who shaped the Restoring Creation for Ecology and Justice policy that was adopted
by the Presbyterian denomination in 1990.
Cool Planet was formed at First Presbyterian Church in Palo Alto, California in response to the
growing threat of global climate change. The group has focused on divestment from fossil fuels for
the past year and a half and drafted the Fossil Fuel Overture that received concurrence from twelve
Presbyteries, and will be presented to the Environment and Immigration Committee. Susan
Chamberlain, one of the leaders of Cool Planet and a leader in Fossil Free PC(USA) said, “The energy
and hope of the working group has been an inspiration to the rest of the congregation and the
Presbytery.”
Lynn Cameron has worked tirelessly since the late 1990’s to advance environmental concerns at the
local, state and national levels. In 2002, she presented an overture adopted by the General
Assembly that called for retirement of all outdated coal-fired power plants in the U.S. She has also
advocated for local and statewide issues for cleaner air and water and land protection in the
Shenandoah Valley that involve hydro-fracking and other industrial development. At her church,
Trinity Presbyterian in Harrisonburg, Virginia, she led efforts to make energy saving upgrades to the
facilities that included involving the youth in weather sealing. Lynn serves as an inspiration to all at
Trinity Presbyterian and those who know her elsewhere.
Since 1997, Presbyterians for Earth Care (PEC) has presented awards annually to recognize
individuals and organizations for their forward thinking and leadership in caring for God's
creation. Individuals receive the William Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award and congregations,
governing bodies, ecumenical agencies, and Presbyterian-related entities receive Restoring Creation
Awards for environmental work that is particularly praise-worthy and innovative.
Presbyterians for Earth Care (formerly Presbyterians for Restoring Creation) was founded in 1995 as
a national, grassroots organization to support people of faith working towards “environmental
wholeness with social justice." PEC helps the church to fulfill its current environmental policies, to
create new policies and practices, and to energize and educate church members about eco-justice the well-being of all humankind on a thriving earth.
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