Planting Trees for Our Future and Gardens to Nourish our Community

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Seeds and seedlings are going in the ground this summer and fall. In this video, we feature the Forest of Bliss campaign and its origins at Alvarado Park in November 2019 (with support from the Albuquerque Sikh Gurudwara under the leadership of Manjeet Kaur Tangri).

The campaign has resulted in the planting of several dozen trees around New Mexico over the past several years, including the Rio Grande Community Farm/Garden. Another 30 trees will be planted at that site in September 2021.

The Rio Grande Community Garden/Farm also provides gardening opportunities for non-profits like Tres Hermanas Farm, which serves refugees.

Our video also celebrates community gardens at St. John’s United Methodist Church and St. John XXIII Catholic Community, which provide nourishment for needy families and individuals in Albuquerque.

“Climate change is touching into every aspect of life’

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An article in The New Mexico Political Report on July 26 examines the impact of climate change on communities and families of color. Sister Joan Brown is quoted in the article.

Here are excerpts:

“According to a Yale Project on Climate Change and George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication report, communities of color are likely to disproportionately feel climate change more than white communities due to socioeconomic inequities. Communities of color are likely to be more vulnerable to heat waves, extreme weather events, environmental degradation and the resulting job opportunity dislocations, the report said.

Brown said she believes the first aspect of climate change to have the greatest impact on families of color in New Mexico will be the intensity of forest fires in the state.”

This week forest fire smoke from western states has affected skies and air pollution in the eastern part of the U.S. and the Bootleg Fire in Oregon is so intense it is causing its own weather.

“I think we’ve already seen some of that with fires that have drastically changed some of the areas where people live. Vegetation that won’t come back affects the watershed, affects irrigation, animals that live here. What we’ll see with exceptional drought, we see right now,” she said.

Families of color who live in Albuquerque are also feeling the effects of climate change and the ensuing severe drought, Brown said. Her organization has been involved in tree plantings, as part of the City of Albuquerque’s initiative to plant thousands of trees in city neighborhoods. Brown said New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light has focused its efforts in the International District in Albuquerque because the area acts as a “heat sink” due to a lack of vegetation and too much concrete, she said.

Heat sinks, which occur in urban settings, are more likely to affect low income and diverse communities such as the International District, Brown said.

“As it gets hotter, heat sinks will affect mental and emotional health. You get really depressed if there’s no shade, no beauty or coolness. It really impacts children and their well being. Trees are really important to children for that green and that beauty,” she said.

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Guest Column: Faith leaders in Michigan are ready for climate action

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(Note: Faith leaders around the country are speaking out for our government to take concrete actions to address climate change. Here is an excerpt of a guest column by Father Charles Morris in the Michigan Advance newspaper on July 29).

Even as we turn the corner on the COVID-19 pandemic, a feat that President Joe Biden himself came to Michigan over the Fourth of July weekend to celebrate, many in our state still find our faith challenged by the ongoing climate crisis.

Severe flooding trapped drivers in Detroit and prompted emergency rescues last month, while other parts of our state are now gearing up for wildfires as exceptionally dry, hot conditions continue. All these climate catastrophes are made more frequent and severe by climate change, and it is clear something must be done.

Faith leaders from across the country have united in their call for a bold recovery and an infrastructure package that will help us rebuild in a way that makes us stronger than ever before. The clean energy transition is the future, and we’re counting on Congress to turn this vision into a reality. Faith leaders – across all denominations – are calling on members of Congress to support passing this monumental legislation to help families get back on their feet, protect our public health and preserve our beloved environment.   Read Full Article