New Mexico Represented at National Interfaith Power & Light Gathering

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By Arcelia Isais-Gastelum

(NMEPR-IPL board member)

In mid-May, Sr. Joan Brown and I traveled to Washington DC for the National Interfaith Power and Light Conference. This was the first in-person gathering since before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. We were there representing the New Mexico and El Paso Region chapter of IPL. At the conference, we met with faith leaders from chapters in other states and learned about the great work being done across the country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moving with intention toward equity and inclusion

Sr, Joan was a panelist on board diversity

The gathering centered on equity and inclusion by intentionally bringing in diverse voices and uplifting historically disenfranchised communities. Several panels and discussions dug into what it means to encompass these important spaces. Sr. Joan was a member of a panel that addressed board diversity.  Other panelists were Faith Harris from Virginia IPL and Codi Nored from Georgia IPL The moderator was Rev. Susan Hendershot, president of national IPL.

Approaching community organizing stems from the intention to meet the existing needs. As one faith leader stated, if you serve the people who are hurting, you are addressing the same structures that are polluting and hurting our environment.

We in New Mexico have seen this firsthand from our work in the Permian Basin, where unregulated methane leaks exacerbating the worst impacts of climate change are also directly hurting the adjacent communities in the form of countless health impacts. As people of faith and conscience, we are called to address these same systems that harm our planet and our people.

Spiritual Foundations for Climate Action

One of the most important sessions of the conference was spiritual inquiry: How do we integrate our spiritual lives with our environmental activism? Panelists from Buddhist, Christian and Hindu traditions shared their own stories, challenges and questions yet to be explored as we maneuver into living an integrated life of action and witness rooted in deep spiritual paths.

with Sen. Martin Heinrich

On Capitol Hill

On the final day of the conference, the New Mexico team visited the House and Senate offices to speak with our congressional delegation about Interfaith Power and Light’s legislative priorities, including the budget reconciliation bill, a wildlife funding bill, and climate refuge bill. During these sessions we also delivered a letter signed by nearly 200 faith leaders across the state calling for stronger climate action.

“We need moral and ethical leadership at the civic level. We must move from reactive to proactive actions to shift from fossil fuels, transition into just energy systems, face the threat of an authoritarian world view that is preventing needed climate crisis actions and listen to creative ideas from young as well as old to slow climate pollution and increase adaptation and mitigation,” said the letter.

with Rep. Teresa Leger-Fernandez

 

Oil & Gas Threat Map Shows Tens of Thousands of New Mexicans Vulnerable to Emissions

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A geospatial analysis released by Earthworks in May shows 144,377 New Mexicans including 38,749 children, reside near or attend schools or day cares within a ½ mile threat radius of active oil and gas operations. See Oil & Gas Threat Map  and New Mexico Threat Map fact sheet. Here is a video of the media briefing and official release of the map.

Acequias are Mobilizing to Respond to Wildfires

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The following piece appeared in the May 26 issue of Noticias de las Acequias newsletter, published by the New Mexico Acequia

(Courtesy of Paula Garcia,  executive director)

The watershed that feeds the Canoncito and Encinal acequias in Mora County following the Hermits Peak-Cow Calf Fire. Photo credit: Zach Bumgarner

Across the state, thousands of families have been impacted by devastating wildfires. We are facing immediate concerns over safety, survival and displacement, and also long term worries about our watersheds, forests, fields, and homes.

“We will forever measure our lives as ‘before the fire’ and ‘after the fire,” New Mexico Acequia Association Executive Director Paula Garcia has written about her first-hand experience with the catastrophic wildfires impacting land-based communities in northern New Mexico.  In an article published on May 7 in The New Mexican (Santa Fe), she describes the immeasurable impacts to a beloved landscape and a way of life in the mountain communities of Mora and San Miguel counties.

Acequia leaders in the affected communities are tirelessly working to respond to the impacts of fire on watersheds and the threat of flooding by engaging with the USFS, NRCS, counties, and SWCDs to include acequias in the mapping and planning process to address fire and flood impacts. In the coming weeks and months, NMAA will report regularly on our work to recover and heal our beloved lands and our families from the trauma of wildfire. To get current updates all the various fires in New Mexico, including McBride, Cerro Pelado, Cooks Peak, and Hermits Peak/Cow Calf, please visit Inciweb and click on the fire icons to learn more about the status of each wildfire.

New Mexico Acequia Association and partners will work to support families and communities in post-wildfire recovery. Mindful that recovery and healing from a disaster on a large scale will take years, this project seeks to make long-term commitments to families and communities to rebuild their generational farms and ranches as well as to reimagine their beloved places to be equitable and resilient. Our work will be grounded in the values embodied in querencia, love of place and community, and we will dedicate ourselves to healing and building communities where land-based families can thrive for generations to come.

While the NMAA makes progress on building our vision, programs, and projects for recovery, we are sharing the following information resources that are helpful in addressing wildfire impacts:

After Wildfire New Mexico Guide for Communities

This guide was created to help communities organize and respond to wildfire and subsequent flooding. The guide contains safety information, flood information, state and federal agency resources and contacts for assistance, ways to mobilize your community, and financial and funding tips for communities and families. It is intended to provide useful guidance through a difficult time, and to start you and your community on the road to recovery. If you are reading this before a wildfire occurs, use it to help you plan ahead.

FEMA Assistance

Those affected by the wildfires, either by loss or damage to property or by displacement/evacuation, can apply to FEMA for assistance. To apply for FEMA assistance: call the Helpline 800-621-3362 or visit disasterassistance.gov. The deadline to apply for assistance (property damage, etc.) is July 5, 2022. For miscellaneous expenses up to $500 for evacuees (temporary housing, food, etc.), the deadline has been extended to June 1, 2022.

FEMA Flood Insurance

Those who are potentially impacted by post-fire flooding can apply for flood insurance, which would go into effect after 30 days of purchasing an insurance policy (Governor Lujan Grisham has asked for a waiver of the 30 day period because the federal government is responsible for the start of the wildfire through a prescribed burn). For more information about how to buy insurance, go to the FEMA flood insurance page.

USDA Assistance for Farmers and Ranchers

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) has disaster relief programs that are longer term, which don’t address the immediate emergency but are available to offset costs in restoring agricultural operations. The NMAA will be sharing more details about these programs in the weeks and months to come. In the meantime, interested growers can get familiar with the various programs (click here).

Additional resources are listed on these handouts: