On World Environment Day, Join Us in Studying ‘Choosing Earth’

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The United Nations is commemorating World Environment Day, on Sunday, June 5, with the theme #OnlyOneEarth. The campaign calls for collective, transformative action on a global scale to celebrate, protect and restore our planet.  Here is a short video with more information on World Environment Day.

Our Local Campaign

At New Mexico El Paso Region Interfaith Power & Light,  we are observing World Environment Day by encouraging the study of Choosing Earth. by Duane Elgin. The book examines the challenges facing humanity—from increasingly severe climate change and resource exhaustion to escalating social injustices and the rising threat of authoritarianism—and calls for a radical transformation in how we live on the planet.

Inviting us into a “wide, deep, and long” view of our present moment and what lies ahead, Elgin urges the human community to open to the transformative work of facing grief and loss, and to work for reconciliation and healing of injustices.

Here is a PDF version  of the book.

Companion Documentary

Watch a 70-minute film. entitled “Facing Adversity: Choosing Earth, Choosing Life . 

Rule Would Require that Investors to Know About Climate Risks

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The Securities and Exchange Commission is proposing a rule to require public companies to disclose to investors and the federal government how their operations affect the climate, and how they are addressing climate risks. This is excellent news and will be a big step forward in helping us all hold companies accountable for their climate impacts and risks.

But large corporations and their congressional allies are gearing up to fight it. Please send a public comment urging the SEC to adopt this rule.

Climate change poses enormous financial and economic risks, and publicly traded companies have a major role in our economy. Are they preparing for climate change? Are they reducing their own emissions? We don’t have a good way of knowing that right now.

If passed, this rule will require companies to report climate data annually in their shareholder reports and in stock registration information.

Across society, individuals, small businesses, local governments, and faith communities are trying to be good stewards, reducing our carbon footprints, using renewable energy where we can, and helping to prepare our communities to be more climate resilient.

But we need large publicly traded companies to be responsible as well, and this rule will give us the transparency to know what they are doing and push them to do better. Furthermore, investors will be able to make better choices, investing in companies that are taking action to reduce emissions and protect us all from climate disasters.

Please urge the SEC to adopt this rule.

(Please Note: The Deadline is May 20!)

There are only a few more days to comment, and large businesses are fighting it, threatening lawsuits, and claiming the SEC doesn’t have the right to require this important information. That’s why we need to have thousands of comments of support submitted by people of faith and conscience.

Investors and other market participants, including you and me, deserve to have all the information they need to make sure our investments are aligned with our values.

Tell the SEC that we deserve to know how climate change affects our investments in public companies.

Valentine weekend advocacy updates

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Blessings this Valentine weekend. A gift we can give to those we love and to our Mother Earth could be an advocacy action below. Updates are as of Saturday, February 12, 2022. You are always welcome to contact committee members and your own legislators. Let us know if you have questions. Information at nmlegis.gov.

Federal Action from National IPL—Deadline, Feb 22.

In coordination with the Climate Action Campaign (CAC), IPL and some of our faith-based partners, are circulating this people of faith petition to Biden calling on him to keep his promise to take meaningful action on climate justice and do everything he can to get BBBA through the Senate.
CAC will deliver it, along with the rest of their signatures, via a Hill press event on 2/25. IPL will also get it to the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The signer deadline is 2/22. We will send them a spreadsheet (they won’t add our names to any lists).

New Mexico Action

HB6 Clean Futures (Climate Change Bill) Fact sheet attached: House Government heard public comment but did not have time to finish discussion or take a vote before they went to the floor. They are scheduled to meet Saturday to continue discussion and vote.
NM Oil and Gas Association is running a $250K cable ad buy in opposition of HB 6. Conservation Voters just launched a Clean Future Act (HB 6) ad. Share if you choose.
HJR2 Environmental Rights or Green Amendment:  Green Amendment was tabled in House Judiiary by 9-3. Maya with Green Amendment encourages everyone to not to get disheartened, after a rest organizing for next legislative session will continue for the Common Good of communities and caring for Our Common Home.
HB37 CEED Low-Income Energy Efficiency Block Grant has made it through the House and is waiting to be heard in Senate Finance.
HB 127 Storage of Certain Radioactive Waste (Banning of Permitting for a High Level Waste Site) passed committees and is awaiting a House Vote.
HB 164 Uranium Mine Cleanup bill passed House committees.
SB 8 Voting Rights Provision passed Senate Committees and is ready to be heard on Senate Floor. –Please email your members
HB 228 Hydrogen Hub passed its committee. This bill has many environmental, climate and financially responsble stewardship and justice concerns. The new bill was brought forth after 3 previous hydrogen hub bills of various sorts did not pass through committees where many members of the public expressed concerns. This bill goes to the House floor for a vote, contact your legislator with your views, watch details at nmlegis.gov. The bill would:
— trigger the $125 million of taxpayer funds in the HB2 budget, giving that money to the New Mexico Finance Authority for grants to hydrogen projects. That’s about 7.5 times the budget of the entire Environment Department that would have to police this industry. While the tax credits and deductions are gone from previous iterations, HB228 still sets up public-private partnerships and provides access to multiple state economic-development incentive programs
–includes hydrogen (now 1.5kg CO2 equivalent per kg hydrogen produced) as “renewable energy” in the Renewable Energy Act, making the same changes to the Rural Coop Electric Act.
— rely upon third-party verification for its definitions of ‘clean’ hydrogen, hydrogen-produced electricity, responsibly sourced gas (now with 99% capture, but who is measure, and where?), carbon capture and sequestration. It says even less about any oversight of making all those effective.