NOVEMBER 2009 E-NOTES
info@nm-ipl.org | www.nm-ipl.org | Joan Brown, osf, 505-266-6966

If you prefer to read the November E-Notes online please click here.
To read the Harvest 2009 NMIPL newsletter please click here.

National Climate Bill Passes Environment and Public Works Committee
The Environment and Public Works Committee of the Senate approved climate change bill Thursday, November 5  that would require industry to cut emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases 20 percent by 2020 from 2005 levels. It is unlikely legislation that would be voted on by the full Senate until next year at the earliest, which places more challenges on the upcoming December Climate Change meeting in Copenhagen.

People of faith are encouraged to contact Senate leaders to call for provisions in the bill that would ensure the economically poor in the United States would not suffer from the legislation while strong measures are taken to curb emissions. In addition funding for international adaptation is vital in the bill. For more details on the IPL priorities of the bill go to our website at nm-ipl.org. Let us know if you would like to be on our advocacy action network for updates and requests.

Climate Bill update

Click to read the IPL priorities on the Senate bill and an overview from IPL.

Hold the Date!!!
NMIPL will host an interfaith prayer service the evening of December 2 to invite people of faith to prayer and fasting for progress on a domestic climate change and energy bill and for the International Climate Change meeting in Copenhagen from December 7-18. In addition, those attending will bless Joan Brown,osf who will be participating as a delegate with Franciscans International at the UN conference. Watch for details.

Santa Fe houses of worship and individuals offer a wonderful program funded by the city of Santa Fe offers free energy efficiency audits through Santa Fe Youth Works. Contact them at www.santafeyouthworks.org and let us know if you had an assessment and how you are saving energy to care for creation.

Free Energy Audits

Houses of worship in PNM electric utility areas NMIPL wants you! We will work with you to offer free energy efficiency CFL light bulbs, 4 per family along with educational materials. If you have not taken part in this program and would like to, contact us at info@nm-ipl.org

Free CFL's

Faith Leader: if you have been feeling guilty about not doing more to care for creation, your signature to our faith leader letter addressing strong climate change policy could assist your conscience. Please sign this letter that will go to our Senators in mid-November. Be part of the faith leaders, pastors, rabbis, etc. who are offering a prophetic voice for creation care. Contact Joan Brown,osf at joankansas@swcp.com to receive an e-mail copy of the letter that you can sign onto. It takes 2 minutes and can help immensely.

Sign to support climate change policy

Are you a hands on volunteer who wants to help the earth? NMIPL is seeking volunteers who would receive a short training in doing energy assessments in houses of worship and homes in order to offer these assessments and make basic recommendations for efficiency measures. Our faith volunteer engineer, Jim Palmer will offer the short trainings. Contact us if you want to give a hand.

visit www.nm-ipl.org

GOOGLE EARTH: Simulating Climate Change Impacts around the World
Google is using its Google Earth mapping tool to simulate on a 3-D map of the world expected temperature and precipitation changes under different global emissions scenarios through the end of the century. Using data provided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, users can view the effects of climate change on countries around the world.

Click here for more about the Google initiative and view a video tour introducing the new Google web-tool.

Earth Ministry is offering two free religious study guides and a DVD of clips to accompany Ken Burns' recent documentary, "The National Parks: America's Best Idea.” Earth Ministry is an outreach partner of this PBS broadcast. Their religious study guides complement the documentary: a four-session Christian education course (And God Saw That It Was Good), and a one-session interfaith course (Awakening the Spirit). A DVD that includes beautiful clips from the film is available to accompany both of the adult education guides. The first 500 to sign up are guaranteed to receive a copy of the DVD.

*Looking for an educational program? Contact NMIPL, we DVD’s, Power Point, resource materials, volunteer presenters and other information to assist you. Faith leaders, we also have care of creation homily help DVD’s that can be yours free, if you promise to preach for the planet.

Many Heavens, One Earth: Faith Commitments for a Living Planet
Windsor, November 3, 2009: United Nations Secretary-General His Excellency Mr Ban Ki-moon called on political leaders to join the world's faiths and the United Nations in taking bold steps to address dangerous climate change.
Some 200 faith and community leaders, including Sally Bingam and Susan Stephenson of the National Interfaith Power and Light, attended the meetings and the Celebration of Faiths and the Environment, organised by the Alliance of Religions and Conservation and the United Nations Development Programme. Mr Ban Ki-moon said religions had a vital role to play in inspiring world leaders to "act more courageously" at next month's critical Copenhagen climate summit.
http://www.windsor2009.org/

By Harriet Blake, Green Right Now
It’s not just environmental lobbyists who are gearing their words toward strong action at the upcoming Copenhagen climate change negotiations.
At a recent appearance in New Orleans, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, dubbed the “Green Patriarch” by Al Gore, minced no words about the urgency of addressing climate change:
Complete article: http://tinyurl.com/greenpatriarch