NMIPL IN THE NEWS
Carlsbad Current Argus. Sep. 3, 2020 New Mexico finalizes oil and gas wastewater regulations, lawmakers hear testimony (Rev. Nick King Quoted)
Las Cruces Sun-News, Aug. 19, 2020, Report on solving climate crisis brings hope (Co-authored by Michael Sells, Clara Sims and Edith Yanez)
Santa Fe New Mexican, Aug. 15, 2020 Vote your values this November (Commentary by Larry Rasmussen and Tabitha Arnold)
“They Thought They Could Bury Us…” The Church and the Climate Crisis
/in Faithful Citizenship, Featured Articles, Reflections /by adminThese words were on the front cover of a small publication someone had left behind at the coffee shop where I was engaged in conversation. The words became sweeter than the latte I was sipping. They are about resilience, yes, but even more—they speak the language of resurrection.
“It’s the story of Jesus—buried and rising. It’s the call of the Church—resilient and rising.” And if ever there was a time to be called out—to be the ekklesia—it’s now.
The Greek word ekklesia doesn’t mean a building or a denomination. It means a people called out from wherever they are into public assembly—to talk about a crisis in the community, or even the cosmos. That’s what the early church did. That’s what we are supposed to do.
And what could be more of a cosmic crisis than climate change?
Now I know—I can hear the objection: “The church shouldn’t get political.” But honestly, when has the church not been involved in the crises of its time, at least when it’s been at its best? Abolition. Civil rights. Peace movements. The call to care for the poor. These weren’t distractions from the gospel. They were the gospel, lived out loud.
So here we are again. The planet is groaning, quite literally. Wildfires, floods, rising seas, vanishing species—not warnings of some distant apocalypse, but signs of one already unfolding. This is not a drill. And yet, this is not a moment without hope.
I want to be clear: the church is still here. Even if people don’t hear about us much anymore. Even if our voice has been drowned out by louder ones that claim Jesus for their own political agenda. Even if some days we wonder if our voice matters at all.
It does. It must.
This is not just a scientific issue, though science is crucial. This is a moral issue. A justice issue. A spiritual issue. The people harmed first and worst by climate disruption are the poor, the young, the marginalized, the voiceless—just the ones Jesus always seemed to be drawn to. And we must not forget the non-human species with whom we share the planet.
If we believe in love of neighbor,
we cannot ignore this.
If we believe the earth is God’s creation,
we cannot treat it like a landfill.
If we believe resurrection is real,
then we must believe that even now, new life can rise from the ash.
The church still gathers every week. We still sing, and pray, and listen. What if we listened to the cries of the earth? What if our prayers included the forests, the coral reefs, the farmers in drought, the children yet unborn? What if we looked at our budgets, our buildings, our energy use—and asked, “What would love do here?”
It’s time to reclaim our voice—not in fear or anger, but in courage and faith.
Let us be the seeds.
Let us be the saints.
Let us be the ekklesia the world needs right now. We’ve been buried long enough.
Let’s rise.
– Rev. Harry Eberts
We Are Earth: A Faithful Response to the Climate Crisis
/in Faithful Citizenship, Featured Articles, Reflections /by adminAs leaders in Washington D.C. push harmful climate policies, they endanger us all—including themselves. In our recent newsletter, our Executive Director, Desirée Bernard, calls us to walk together toward justice, healing, and hope. Read her full statement below.
Dear NM & El Paso IPL Community,
Across our beautiful planet and region we are witnessing the impacts of the climate crisis. Each day we struggle to metabolize information about new disasters, threats, and diminishments to our sacred creation. We see extractivist worldviews driving leaders in Washington D.C. to push policies that don’t just harm the planet – they endanger everyone, including the people advancing them. So many of the truths we are called to witness in this moment are weighing upon and breaking our hearts.
And still we the people–we are Earth! If we had forgotten, we are increasingly waking up to this reality. When we harm that which sustains us, we harm ourselves. And when we rise to protect that, we are protecting ourselves and our loved ones. Arising to protect. This, too, is who we are.
We the people cannot be stopped in our widespread and still-emerging movements to care for ourselves, one another, and our common home.
We invite you to join our efforts at New Mexico and El Paso Interfaith Power and Light. We are already mobilizing and planning to further mobilize projects that put our faith in action to protect our climate, lands, waters, and people.
Are you or your faith community ready to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions, collaborate on land and water based projects, or advocate for helpful policies? We are here to support you in your desire to do something!
Together we are choosing and will keep walking a path of justice, healing, and hope.
Together, rooted in courage and love, we can and will shape a future where all beings may thrive.
In faith and solidarity,
Desirée Bernard
Executive Director, NM and El Paso Interfaith Power and Light
10 Ways Your Faith Community Can Decarbonize: A Spiritual Call to Climate Action
/in Featured Articles /by adminAs people of faith, we are called to care for Creation — not just in word, but in action. In New Mexico and across the world, the impacts of climate change are growing more severe, especially for the most vulnerable among us. In the face of this crisis, faith communities have a powerful role to play: as moral leaders, as spiritual anchors, and as agents of real change.
That’s why we’ve created a new resource: “10 ways to decarbonize your House of Worship. HOW will you light the way?”
This simple guide offers practical, spiritually grounded actions any house of worship can take to reduce its carbon footprint. Whether you’re just beginning or ready to go deeper, these steps can help your community align its values with its impact.
From starting a “green team,” to switching to heat pumps, to planting native gardens and exploring solar — every action is an expression of care. Together, we can build a healthier, more just future rooted in faith and love.
👉 Download the PDF
Let this be your starting point — a spark that grows into a movement of renewal and hope.