The National Council of Churches will be holding a conference call/webinar on why the faith community cares about mountaintop removal coal mining, how God’s land and people are suffering, and what you can do to stop it.
*Space is limited, so register today
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Posted by Tammy Alexander
Below is a moving email from Peter Burkholder, a Mennonite from Maryland, who was one of hundreds arrested recently in a series of protests against the Keystone XL pipeline:
From: Peter Burkholder
Subject: Why I’m risking arrest to stop the tar sands pipeline
Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2011
Dear House Church:
I recently committed to taking part in the Tar Sands Action protests at the White House later this month (http://tarsandsaction.com). Our aim is to convince President Obama NOT to certify the Keystone XL pipeline from the Canadian tar sands to U.S. refineries. If all goes as planned, I’ll be arrested for misdemeanor trespassing as part of this direct action against tar sands development in particular, and in support of carbon emissions mitigation in general.
Why would I, a 46-year-old father of two living in suburban Maryland, risk arrest for the first time in my life? Well, what else can I do to that assure that my sons, ages six and nine, have some hope of raising their children on a planet still rich in biodiversity, and hospitable to our peculiarly fragile species?
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Posted by Tammy Alexander
Janelle Tupper writes for Third Way Cafe:
Balancing the needs of a healthy economy with the needs for clean air and safe drinking water requires a nuanced approach in which both sides are willing to discuss alternative solutions – not inflexible positions.
Protecting the environment involves certain sacrifices. However, we follow a God who demonstrated that sacrifice is the truest form of love. As people created by God, we are called to value life over money, the vulnerable over the powerful, and responsible stewardship over unchecked economic expansion.
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Posted by Patricia Kisare
Tammy Alexander reflects on Good Friday and Earth Day for PeaceSigns:
This year, Earth Day and Good Friday share the same day. Sadly, the parallelism seems appropriate. On
the day we mark the crucifixion of Jesus, we also reflect on the damage being done in myriad ways to God’s creation. This Lenten season, we have had much to lament.
Jesus suffered and died in part because those with power and wealth wanted to keep their power and wealth. Powerful energy company lobbyists today do their best to ensure that the status quo is maintained.
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Posted by Patricia Kisare
Early Saturday February 19 the House of Representatives passed legislation (H.R. 1)
MCC/Melissa Engle
that would cut federal spending by $61 billion. The cuts come mainly in programs dedicated to assistance for vulnerable populations in the U.S. and internationally.
You can let your Senators know that this approach to the budget is neither responsible nor just.
Together, these two areas of the budget represent just 15 percent of U.S. spending. Although the same legislation requests a defense budget 3 percent lower than the President’s 2011 request, it is still $8 billion higher than 2010 levels. Defense spending represents over 50 percent of U.S. discretionary (not mandatory) spending.
The math is questionable: how can we address the deficit without addressing the most expensive portion of the budget? Even beyond military spending, H.R. 1 fails to adequately address a number of root causes of the nation’s deficit.
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Posted by Christina Warner
Please join us in thanking the Environmental Protection Agency for their veto of permits for mountaintop removal coal mining in West Virginia.
After years of litigation and debate, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized a veto of water permits for a new mountaintop removal coal mine in West Virginia. The decision is seen by many as a hopeful sign for the future of mining regulation.
The Spruce Number One mine was the biggest mountaintop removal strip mine ever permitted in Appalachia. It was located in the Spruce Fork Watershed, which has already been negatively impacted by previous mining activity.
Click here for an MCC Action Alert about the veto, as well as a sample thank-you letter to the EPA.
Send a letter thanking the Environmental Protection Agency for their veto of permits for mountaintop removal coal mining in West Virginia.
Background: After years of litigation and debate, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized a veto of water permits for a new mountaintop removal coal mine in West Virginia. The decision is seen by many as a hopeful sign for the future of mining regulation.
Please join us in thanking the Environmental Protection Agency for their veto of permits for mountaintop removal coal mining in West Virginia.
After years of litigation and debate, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized a veto of water permits for a new mountaintop removal coal mine in West Virginia. The decision is seen by many as a hopeful sign for the future of mining regulation. The Spruce Number One mine was the biggest mountaintop removal strip mine ever permitted in Appalachia. It was located in the Spruce Fork Watershed, which has already been negatively impacted by previous mining activity.
The Spruce Number One mine was the biggest mountaintop removal strip mine ever permitted in Appalachia. It was located in the Spruce Fork Watershed, which has already been negatively impacted by previous mining activity.
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Posted by Tammy Alexander
From AllAfrica.com:
To gain the maximum carbon emissions reductions over fossil fuels while conserving forest cover and
biodiversity, biofuel feedstock should come from municipal and industrial waste, residues from crops and sustainably harvested wood, and from perennial plants grown on degraded land – already abandoned from agricultural use
Click here to read more.
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Posted by Patricia Kisare
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