Sister Joan Brown: Global Faith Community Speaks Out ahead of Climate Conference

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Sister Joan Brown, osf, executive director of New Mexico Interfaith Power & Light wrote an opinion piece for the Gallup Independent about the commitments by faith leaders around the world to address climate change ahead of the the 26th U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland from Oct. 31-Nov.12.  The article is entitled “Did you miss a critical event this week?” Here is an excerpt:

Pope Francis and 40 faith leaders representing 84% of the world’s people who identify with a faith met and signed a climate appeal Oct. 4. Many of us missed this unprecedented event, just as we are missing the call to care for Our Common Home and take action to address climate change.

The appeal made at the Vatican addresses all governments participating in the 26th U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland…The strong document calls for decisive international action by governments implores leaders to “safeguard, restore and heal our wounded humanity and the home entrusted to our stewardship.”

Signed by the religious leaders of major traditions, it implores the world to listen and act. “Future generations will never forgive us if we miss the opportunity to protect our common home. We have inherited a garden; we must not leave a desert to our children.”

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Two Local Authors to Discuss Water at Our Annual Meeting

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If you haven’t registered for New Mexico Interfaith Power & Light’s annual meeting online, now is a good time to do so.  Our meeting will feature a panel on water, featuring two local authors and prominent environmental experts.

Laura Paskus

Environmental journalist 

Author of “At the Precipice”

 

 

Sandra Postel

Director of the Global Water Policy Project

Author of “Replenish: The Virtuous Cycle of Water and Prosperity”

 

Arcie Chapa

Center for Regional Studies at UNM

will moderate the panel

 

Here are descriptions of the two books

At the Precipice explores the question many of us have asked ourselves: What kind of world are we leaving to our children? The realities of climate change consume the media and keep us up at night worrying about the future. … Google Books
Originally published: September 15, 2020

“Nothing is more important to life than water, and no one knows water better than Sandra Postel. Replenish is a wise, sobering, but ultimately hopeful book.” —Elizabeth Kolbert “Remarkable.” —New York Times Book Review “Clear-eyed treatise…Postel makes her case eloquently.” … Google Books  

Originally published: October 10, 2017

Register for our meeting

Acting for Sister Water: A Soul Emergency

Thursday, Nov. 4, 6:30 pm

Via zoom: Send Registration request to carlos@nm-ipl.org and livestreamed on Facebook. Recording will be available after the event on IPL’s You Tube channel.

Testimony on State Methane Rules: Anita Amstutz

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Members and supporters of New Mexico Interfaith Power & Light have prepared testimony for hearings held by the Environmental Improvement Board. The hearings, held the week of Sept. 20-24, are in support of the The New Mexico Environment Department’s (NMED) strong proposal to cut ozone-forming volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and methane released by the oil and gas industry. This testimony comes from Anita Amstutuz, a memberof the NM-IPL Advisory Board.

I am Rev. Anita Amstutz, speaking from the Mennonite Church tradition, Mountain States Region. I support strong methane rules. 

New Mexico has a methane problem. Oil and gas operations release more than 1.1 million tons of methane each year (That has the same short-term climate impacts as 22 coal-fired power plants or 28 million automobiles.)

 Methane is a powerful climate change pollutant responsible for 25% of the warming we’re experiencing today. Operations release more than 337,500 tons of smog-forming volatile organic compounds as well as toxic air pollutants that affect health, especially most vulnerable children and elderly. In the Land of Enchantment, this is not acceptable. Have we become a sacrifice zone?

Methane pollution is a top tier environmental issue in New Mexico. In 2021, the Colorado College’s bipartisan Conservation in the West survey found that 89% of voters support requirements for companies to update equipment and technologies to address methane and air pollution. 

The time is now. As global temperatures soar and violent, catastrophic fires, storms and other natural disasters increase, we must do our part to curb what is destroying our land, soil, air. 

Please address the following: 

  • Protect those living closest to development by requiring more frequent inspections to find and fix leaks.
  • Ensure strong requirements for operators to control pollution during the completion of an oil or gas well or when they redevelop an existing well.
  • Strengthen requirements to cut pollution from pneumatic controllers that are used in oil and gas production. NMED should require companies to inspect pneumatics for leaks and accelerate the timeline to retrofit equipment with zero-bleed or zero-emission pneumatic controllers.

As a long time beekeeper, I am also aware of the devastating climate changes on the insect world and all wildlife. Please do the right thing now. Future generations are depending on your prudence and wisdom. 

Sincerely,

—

Anita Amstutz

Albuquerque, NM