Sister Joan Brown: We Must Work for Stronger Methane Rules

“People of faith see climate change as the greatest ethical and moral concern of our time. Not only do frontline communities, communities of color, the young and old suffer the most from climate change, they are affected most from methane pollution which is linked to our warming climate. We must work for strong methane rules. We must act now for life.”  Sister Joan Brown

 Here is the press release that carried Sister Joan Brown’s comments

EPA New Methane Safeguards Protect Our Common Home

(Oakland, CA – Nov. 2, 2021) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today proposed the first national limits on methane emissions from existing oil and gas operations. At the same time President Biden announced a global pledge to slash the climate-warming methane.

Methane pollution is a profound threat to our health and our climate. The oil and gas industry is the largest source of methane pollution in the United States. Addressing this pollution, in the form of leaks from new and existing operations, is the low hanging fruit of climate solutions. 

Sister Joan Brown, osf, Executive Director, New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light, said: “People of faith see climate change as the greatest ethical and moral concern of our time. Not only do frontline communities, communities of color, the young and old suffer the most from climate change, they are affected most from methane pollution which is linked to our warming climate. We must work for strong methane rules. We must act now for life.” 

Bill Bradlee, National Organizing Director of Interfaith Power & Light said, “People of faith and conscience, with a shared commitment for stewardship of our common home, support strong and effective methane pollution safeguards. Using currently available technology, the U.S. can do its part to meet a global imperative, achieving a 65% reduction of methane from oil and gas by 2025 and more by the end of the decade.  As the largest historic emitter of climate warming pollution, the U.S. must do its fair share and dramatically reduce its methane pollution.”

Interfaith Power & Light urges the EPA to finalize these strong methane safeguards without delay. IPL supports some additional improvements; for example, it must address methane emissions reductions in smaller wells and issues of routine flaring. These must be included before the proposal is finalized to ensure EPA is fully protecting our health and addressing the climate crisis.

COP 26: The Earth is the Lord’s

 Rev. Vy Nguyen,  Executive Director for Week of Compassion (the relief, development, and refugee ministry for the Christian Church, Disciples of Christ) offers today’s reflection from the COP-26 summit in Scotland.  He is a member of IPL Board of Directors.

Here is an excerpt

The mission of Week of Compassion is to alleviate suffering, and it is becoming more and more apparent that a growing climate crisis causes significant suffering for God’s children around the world. That is why, along with our ecumenical and interfaith partners around the world, we are committed to supporting climate resilience programs. Where some of the world’s most vulnerable communities already struggle to survive under the burdens of a shifting environment, our combined efforts help provide hope and stability.

“The earth is the Lord’s, and all that is in it,” the Psalmist proclaims. As global leaders and voices of faith continue to remind us, that is good news. In this moment, it is also a call to prayer, to care, and to action. We hold in prayer all those world leaders gathered in Glasgow for this timely and critical conversation on climate action, and we pray for all people of faith, around the world, who will work together in the season ahead to ensure the continued thriving of the earth.

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COP 26: A Path Forward in the Global Climate Crisis

Interfaith Power & Light is showing up in a big way at the Glasgow Climate Talks! The organization has  faith leaders “on the ground” and working remotely. IPL executive director, Rev. Susan Susan Hendershot, will be writing regular blog posts from the COP 26 gathering. Here is an excerpt of her initial post.

“As I reflect on the idea of hope, I think about the very clear way that I felt it earlier today. I attended an Interfaith Prayer Vigil with IPL Board member Vy Nguyen and United Methodist representative John Hill in Glasgow’s George Square, where speakers from multiple spiritual traditions, including Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist, Hindu, Pagan, and many others, led us in prayer and reflection from their tradition on care for Earth, our common home. Our traditions are different, and some would use this as a way to divide us. But it is in our solidarity, our common humanity, that we can make a path forward in this crisis. That is cause for hope.”

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