Opinion Piece: Methane rule to help fight crises

/in /by

Here is an excerpt of an opinion piece that James Jimenez, executive director of New Mexico Voices for Children, wrote in the editorial pages of The Albuquerque Journal on Friday, March 27.

As the world energy markets have shown in the past few weeks, New Mexico’s over-reliance on oil and gas revenue leaves our state vulnerable – not just to the economic effects of oil price fluctuations, but also to short-sighted demands from the industry that are detrimental for our children and the health of our communities.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has been on the right path in working to boost education spending, diversify the state’s economy, and aggressively fight climate-wrecking methane pollution. But any day now, I am sure the oil and gas industry lobbyists will come to her seeking relief from new methane rules, hoping to use the recent drop in oil prices as an excuse to avoid oversight.

However, now is exactly the right time for New Mexico to enact nationally leading regulations to reduce methane waste and pollution. The downturn means New Mexico’s school funding and other key budget priorities are vulnerable, and without nationally leading regulations, methane waste is costing the state tens of millions of dollars every year in valuable tax and royalty revenue.

Read Full Article

 

 

 

Pope Francis’ Prayer for Our Earth

/in /by

Embodied Prayer in Nature for Old and Young

/in /by
Blessings this day!
Our embodied collective/prayer meditation this week is an invitation to walking meditation.  Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist monk has explained this very well in his book, Peace Is Every Step.
 
Once he spoke of this practice when he was so upset with a world situation that he spent the entire night in walking meditation.
Explanation and Suggestions:
*Walk out doors on your patio, balcony, yard, or area in your neighborhood.
*To involve younger children invite them to pick up stones before the walk and place one stone on the earth as a prayer with each SLOW step.
*Children might create a path that they can come back to and walk SLOWLY each day
*Walking meditation is slower than normal walking, take each step with a breath.
*Be aware of foot contact to earth and make each step.
*Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your foot. We have damaged Sister Mother Earth and one another and now is the time to take care of all.
*From time to time stop to see a beautiful tree, or ant or bee.
*Begin with a 5 or 10 minute walk and increase as you can.
*Pope Francis has invited everyone to prayer on Wednesday, March 25 at noon. If you can do walking meditation at noon in solidarity with our world, or choose a time that works for you and your household.
Let us walk in sacred solidarity as a collective meditation/prayer for all workers serving us, for all refugees and those suffering economically, and the sick and emotionally fragile and all the most vulnerable as we care for all within Our Common Home.