Environmentalism may not even be on the radar screen for many conservative Christian voters, who often feel they have their hands and heads full of other, more pressing issues going into the voting booth next month.

But there is evidence that "creation care" is percolating quietly off center stage.

This week, members of the Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable — a group of local religious leaders that advocates for community dialogue — heard from Ruah Swennerfelt with Quaker Earthcare Witness during their monthly meeting. Advocating a spiritual approach to environmentalism through "simple living," she told the group about the "Interfaith Power and Light" movement that began recently in California with an interfaith group determined to mobilize a religious response to global warming.

Pushed by a group called the Regeneration Project, www.theregenerationproject.org, the grass-roots campaign is looking to establish itself in every state with small groups of people working within their congregations to:

• Buy energy-efficient lights, appliances and vehicles.

• Drive less.

• Support programs like Rocky Mountain Power's Blue Sky wind energy program.

They're talking about why people of faith should get involved, often using the biblical mandate in Genesis that God gave Adam to take care of the Earth. Swennerfelt has watched several congregations adopt such education programs and seen their members further the approach at home by growing their own food, turning down the heat or air conditioning and recycling more.

Swennerfelt and Louis Cox travel frequently to educate congregations and interfaith groups about their spiritual approach to living, which also includes participation in an "eat local"

program.

"It's not about eliminating everything from afar, but about creating relationships" with local producers. She cited a study that shows for every $10 spent at a supermarket, $14 flows back to the community, versus $20 flowing back to the community for every $10 spent at a local farmers market.

The growing groundswell of Evangelical environmentalism was explored this week by Bill Moyers in his new documentary, "Is God Green?" Moyers examined an Earth-friendly focus at Vineyard Boise Church in Idaho, whose pastor Tri Robinson is among a new generation of conservative but "green" religious leaders.