Fighting Goliath Film Available for Showing
NM IPL has copies of Fighting Goliath that contains a special segment on Faith Communities addressing coal fired power plants in Texas. In New Mexico, 54% of carbon dioxide emissions come from the power sector, 25% from transportation, and the rest from industrial, residential and commercial operations. The highest emissions come from burning coal, which accounts for 30.1 million tons of CO2 annually, or 50% of fossil fuel emissions. The vast majority of those coal emissions were from the Four Corners and San Juan coal plants in Northwest New Mexico.
Let us know if we can assist you in organizing a showing and follow-up actions for New Mexico.

Fighting Goliath

HR 2454 the American Clean Energy Act of 2009 needs your support. Please call your representative. Although this bill is not perfect, or strong enough, it is vital that we pass something to move onto the Senate and take a stance to the international meeting in Copenhagen in December. For details click here.

Climate Legislation Needs Your Call

350.org Faith Community Call to Raise an Alarming and Joyful Noise
On October 24 at noon, your faith community is invited to ring your church bells 350 times, have your bell choir ring out, make 350 gongs on prayer bell, sound the chafer or invite your choir to stand on the corner and sing 350 notes of a song. NMIPL is raising awareness about climate change and the realization of 350 ppm (parts per million) of CO2 emissions and the upcoming international climate change meeting in Copenhagen. Contact Joan at joankansas@swcp.com if your community wants to participate.

350.org Faith Community Call

Let us know what your faith community is doing to care for creation.
Have you done an energy audit? Need help? Want to share what you have done?
Contact NM IPL at info@nm-ipl.org

Talk to us!

Albuquerque Reforestation Meeting
Albuquerque is losing its tree canopy at an alarming rate. As vegetation disappears, our community is at risk to become hotter and drier. You can be part of a solution and help mitigate climate change. Saturday, August 15, 12-10 am at Albuquerque Mennonite Church, 1300 Girard NE, Albuquerque. A forester and arborist from the city will address this concern with solutions. No cost. Part of the event will be strategizing as communities and faith and organizations. E--mail your response/questions to Donna ddetw_55@yahoo.com or phone- 249-1713.

World Environment Prayer and call to plant one billion trees
Commission for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation, USG/UISG
JPIC Commission invites you to consider reading and reflecting on an ecological resource, developed by a working group of the JPIC Commission, entitled Earth Community: In Christ through the Integrity of Creation towards Justice and Peace for All (Accessible at: http://jpicformation.wikispaces.com/EN_creation)

The JPIC also encourages participation in the UN Environment Program's Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign where individuals, families, communities, organizations, business and industry, civil society and governments, and churches are asked to plant trees and enter their tree planting pledges on the web site: http://www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign/

Plant one billion
Trees

You Can Make a Difference
NMIPL received a matching grant of $10,000 for 2009 from the Tides Foundation. We have raised $4,000 toward matching the grant. We are still seeking donations, gifts or those who would like to have fun, raise awareness and money in your faith community by sponsoring a “Low Carbon Dinner.” One recent dinner raised nearly $300 and everyone had a great time.

Tides Foundation
Matching Grant

If you know of persons or faith communities interested in becoming part of the work of NM IPL invite them and let us know. Together we make a difference and put faith to action.

New Mexico leads the way in Greenhouse gases per person
A recent Greenpeace study comparing states in the US with nations worldwide on greenhouse emissions from 1960-2005 shows New Mexico emitted more global warming pollution from fossil fuel consumption than 137 of 187 countries. For people of faith this is a justice issue when we take seriously that we are brothers and sisters with those in other parts of the world.

• New Mexico’s emissions were greater than those of Switzerland and Israel and the more populous nations of Colombia and Philippines.
• New Mexico’s cumulative emissions were larger than that of the 67 least polluting countries combined.
• New Mexico’s cumulative per capita carbon dioxide emissions from 1960-2005 were the second highest in the world, after only Luxembourg.
• The U.S. far exceeds all other nations in cumulative emissions since 1960, accounting for nearly 26 percent of all the global warming pollution emitted in that period.
• The U.S. emitted more carbon dioxide than 171 of 184 countries combined.
• The top state in cumulative emissions (1960-2005) was Texas. If Texas were its own country, it would have ranked 6th out of 184 countries in total emissions, trailing only China, Russia, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom, and exceeding the emissions of current major emitters like Canada, India, South Korea, and Iran.
  See the report

New Mexico leads the way in Greenhouse gases per person

Catholic Networks Support Adaptation to Climate Change