Mark Your Calendars: Green Amendment Day on July 13

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Green Amendments For The Generations is launching National Green Amendment Day, featuring special actions that folks can take to spread the word as well as a virtual panel discussion with environmental justice leaders from across the nation at 5:00pm MT. Register here

 

Panelists and Speakers include two prominent New Mexicans, State Sen. Antoinette Sedillo and Terry Sloan.
  • Kim Gaddy, Founder and Director of the South Ward Environmental Alliance
  • Kerri Evelyn Harris, Community Organizer and Advocate
  • Senator Antoinette Sedillo Lopez, serving New Mexico’s 16th District and lead sponsor of the NM Green Amendment
  • Maya van Rossum, Founder, Green Amendments For The Generations and the Delaware Riverkeeper
  • Terry Sloan, Director, Southwest Native Cultures, Member of NM-IPL board of directors
  • Dr. Sacoby Wilson, Associate Professor, Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health
The Panel will be moderated by Maria Payan, Senior Regional Representative at Socially Responsible Agriculture Project (SRAP) and Sussex Health & Environmental Network (SHEN).
Read Full bios
Help bring new voices to the table! Please extend the panel invitation to other civil rights, environmental, environmental justice and Indigenous leaders and community members that may be interested in learning more about the power of Bill of Rights protection for strengthening environmental justice.

NM Faith Leaders Add Their Voices to Letter Urging Congress to Pass Sustainable Infrastructure Bill

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More than 40 New Mexicans  were among the hundreds of faith leaders nationwide who signed a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer urging Congress to pass a bold economic recovery and infrastructure package that creates family and community sustaining jobs while caring for our climate and our neighbors.

We urge you to support historic levels of investment that will safeguard Creation, address the impacts of climate change and pollution from fossil fuel extraction and related industries, and fulfill our moral obligation to leave a habitable world for future generations. Black, Indigenous, and people of color(BIPOC) and low-income communities have been hit the hardest by the triple health, economic,and environmental crises we face. The needs of these communities must be at the center of any infrastructure package. 

Read full letter

Read quotes from four national faith leaders

In New Mexico, faith leaders from Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, Taos, Carlsbad, Raton, Chapparral,  Jemez Springs, Gallup signed the letter. A separate version of the letter will go directly to our congressional delegation.

Rev. Talitha Arnold, United Church of Santa Fe

Tanya Barlow, United Methodist Women Conference Vice President, New Mexico Conference

Rev. Dr. Holly Beaumont, InterfaithWorker Justice – New Mexico

Carolyn Begay, United Methodist Women Conference Spiritual Growth Coordinator, New Mexico Conference

Reverend Judy Bierbaum,

Rev Ronald Brooker, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Joan Brown, Executive Director Sr.,Order Of St. Francis, New Mexico Interfaith Power & Light

Rose Marie Cecchini, Mm, Sr.,Maryknoll Sisters

Alfred Chavez, St. Joseph on the Rio Grande Parish

Dr. Gene Chorostecki

Rev. Edward Church, Church of the Good Shepherd, Albuquerque,

Catherine Clemons, Sister, Catholic Church in Mobile, Alabama

Rev. Dr. Kenneth Cuthbertson, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) – retired

Rev. Jean Darling, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Santa Fe

Rev. Dr. Gregory Gaertner, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Andrew Gold, Maggid, Kol Ha Lev’

Dr. Michael Gregory

Dr. D. Hart

Caroline Mb Hess, Bahá’ís of the East Mountain

Rev Sue Joiner, First Congregational United Church of Christ

Rev. B. Gail Joralemon, First Congregational United Church of Christ, Albuquerque

Nicholas King, Pastor, Carlsbad Mennonite Church

Rev. George Kunkle, St. Bede’s Episcopal Church

The Rev. Benjamin Larzelere, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America(Evangelical Lutheran Church inAmerica) Retired

Rev. Erica Lea-Simka, Albuquerque Mennonite Church

Dr. Reeve Love

Dr. Alston Lundgren, Retired

Rev James Marshall

Patricia Masterman, Deacon, Holy Family Episcopal Church

Anne Morawski, Pastor, Holy Cross Lutheran Church Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Dr. Nathan Nielsen

Dr. A. Obermeier

Rev. George Packard, Wisconsin Conference United Methodist Church

Nancy Poe, Raton United Methodist Church

Rev. Dr. Dusty Pruitt, United Church of  Christ

Rabbi Harry Rosenfeld, Congregation Albert

Dr. Emily Rothman,

Anne Salaun, Sr., Assumption Sisters Chaparral NM

Laura Sandison, Albuquerque, NM

Rev. Pamela Shepherd, Taos United Community Church

Charlotte Smith, Baha’i

Sue Stefford-Grey, President of the Board, First Christian Church in Las Cruces, New Mexico

Dr. Shari Tarbet

Rev. Glen Thamert, Jemez Peacemakers

The Rev. Daniel J. Webster, Episcopal Church

Faith Leaders Needed to Sign Letter Calling on Congress to Support Climate and Clean Energy Infrastructure

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Interfaith Power & Light (at the national level) is asking faith leaders around the country (including New Mexico) to add their name to this sign on letter to Congress calling for critical investments in climate and clean energy as we rebuild our economy.

Click Here to Add Your Name

The deadline is June 9th.

Here is the text of the letter

Dear Members of Congress,

As leaders from many diverse faith traditions, we are united in our call for a bold economic recovery and infrastructure package that creates family and community sustaining jobs while caring for our climate and our neighbors. It is the moral responsibility of our nation, and our sacred task as people of faith, to protect our ecosystems, work for environmental justice and public health, and address the climate crisis. 

We urge you to support historic levels of investment that will safeguard Creation, address the impacts of climate change and pollution from fossil fuel extraction and related industries, and fulfill our moral obligation to leave a habitable world for future generations. Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) and low-income communities have been hit the hardest by the triple health, economic, and environmental crises we face. The needs of these communities must be at the center of any infrastructure package.

As we move from COVID relief to economic recovery, this moment offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in the clean energy future while addressing the injustices of the past. We can achieve that by:

  • Expanding clean, renewable energy and modernizing our electric grid

We can accelerate the transition to clean energy by passing a national Clean Energy Standard that achieves 100% renewable, pollution free electricity by 2035, while also expanding investments in wind and solar power. 

  • Electrify transportation and expand public transit

Now is the time to invest in American-made electric vehicles, build charging stations across the country, and make sure they are affordable to all. We can also connect our communities and reduce pollution by electrifying and expanding public transit. 

  • Clean water infrastructure for all communities

Too many communities, especially in low-income urban neighborhoods and in Indigenous communities, don’t have access to clean water. We must invest in lead pipe remediation, as well as programs that provide clean water to rural communities.

  • Invest with justice

BIPOC and low-income communities have been harmed the most by both this pandemic and our centuries of investment in fossil fuel infrastructure. Our understanding of justice demands that these communities must be at the center of our investments going forward. Specifically, we call for these communities, forced to bear an unequal burden of pollution and pandemic, to receive at least 40% of the investments. Additionally, to ensure a just transition, we must support dislocated workers and investment in communities historically dependent on fossil fuels.

Sincerely,