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

New Mexico Climate Change Task Force Seeks Public Input

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The New Mexico Climate Change Task Force encourages the public to participate in a new survey as the state seeks input to guide our ongoing climate work. Public input is a critical component of our climate strategy as we look to meet our emissions reduction goals, as well as boost the state’s resilience to the effects of climate change.

The work of the Task Force, which is co-chaired by the cabinet secretaries of the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) and Environment Department (NMED), continued throughout the pandemic and subgroups were created to explore how to move our current strategies forward and develop new ones.

Accomplishments to date include passage of the Energy Transition Act, new solar market development tax credits for homeowners and businesses, adoption of modern statewide building codes, completion of the Renewable Energy Transmission Authority (RETA) study on transmission corridors for renewable energy, and a statewide natural gas waste reduction rule. More accomplishments and strategies underway are detailed in the Task Force’s annual strategy document.

“The Task Force invites all New Mexicans to take part in the survey and identify what matters most to communities when it comes to climate action,” said EMNRD Cabinet Secretary Sarah Cottrell Propst. “Our work will be most impactful if all New Mexicans are represented in our climate plans.”

Please participate in this survey, which is available in English and Spanish and will be open through July 15, 2021.

UCC Church in Albuquerque to Host Environmental Forums in June

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By Ruth Striegel

The Green Justice team at First Congregational UCC in Albuquerque is hosting a special series of online environmental forums during June, and all are welcome to attend over Zoom. There will be forums every Monday evening, 7:00 to 8:00 PM.

On June 7, we’ll be watching an abbreviated version of the documentary, “Kiss the Ground,” and learning about the history of industrial agriculture, the problems created by it, and the movement to embrace regenerative agriculture, healing the soil and sequestering carbon.

On June 14, 21, and 28, we will watch and discuss Climate Solutions 101 from Project Drawdown, an educational program focused on solutions to the climate crisis.

Climate Solutions 101 is the world’s first major educational effort focused solely on solutions. Rather than rehashing well-known climate challenges, Project Drawdown centers game-changing climate action based on its own rigorous scientific research and analysis.

Green Justice is also working with the FCUCC Racial Justice committee to host a forum on Sunday, June 27 at 3:00 PM, where we will learn about how Environmental Racism has impacted New Mexico from Dr. Myrriah Gomez of the UNM Honors College. Myrriah’s current book project, Nuclear Nuevo México: Identity, Ethnicity, and Resistance in Atomic Third Spaces, examines the effects of the nuclear industrial complex on Nuevomexicanos.

All are welcome to attend the forums. Please contact Ruth Striegel at ruth.striegel@gmail.com for a Zoom link.