President Obama has announced today that he will attend the Copenhagen climate negotiations beginning in less than two weeks.  Click hereto read the press release. This is definitely something to be thankful for.  As Tyler has mentioned in her most recent blog post, members of the faith community are concerned that the actions taken in Copenhagen will not be enough to curb the impacts of climate change already being felt by communities around the world.  Hopefully the presence of President Obama and members of his cabinet will help to foster a dialogue that will take us further toward reaching our faithful goal of protecting God’s people and God’s Creation.

Thousands of people from the faith community signed Count Down to Copenhagen postcards, delivered to President and members of the senate earlier this month, asking the President to go to Copenhagen. Our voices have been heard. Now we must continue to pray that God will work through our leaders to allow something good to come from Copenhagen.

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!

I am currently out West visiting family for Thanksgiving. Yesterday my sister, my six-month old nephew, and I went hiking in the hills of the Bay Area. We reached Inspiration Point and took a moment to appreciate the awesome view below. On the one side were rolling hills of pine trees and plants characteristic of Chapparal ecology. Across the Bay, we could see the Golden Gate Bridge surrounded in mist. While the uniqueness of the Golden Gate Bridge is certainly hard to miss, it was certainly the beauty of God’s works and handicraft that predominated. It was quite a sight to see the juxtaposition of this amazing feat of humankind seem so small in light of the natural beauty around it. I left Inspiration Point feeling humbled and reconnected to the Earth, and to God.

In less than 3 weeks, I will be traveling to Copenhagen for the UN climate negotiations. Though I am thrilled to be part of this process, I find myself growing more and more skeptical about what will actually come of this gathering. Unfortunately, recent news has already revealed that heads of state, including President Obama, have already conceded that a final agreement is not do-able in the short time frame.

(click here for the full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/world/asia/15prexy.html)

Instead of a fully drawn out agreement, leaders decided to develop a politically binding short term agreement that would set the stage for the future. But will this be enough? And what will the future look like?

The challenges that the process is currently facing are many and big – from the lack of action taken by the US to the differences between industrialized and less industrialized countries  to questions about adaptation and financing – there is clearly a lot to be worked out.

Smarter people than I are speculating that the politically binding short term agreement will look at possible emissions reductions targets, while laying out ideas on mitigation actions for less industrialized nations. While these will be a helpful step forward to a future binding legal agreement, there is much concern in the faith community that it won’t be enough.

We are seeing the impacts of climate change every day in the worlds least industrialized nations. People are starving, natural disasters are on the rise, and families are being forced from their homes. We are called to seek justice – but will justice come from the Copenhagen conference? will the “politically binding agreement” put us on a path that can prevent the worst impacts of climate change and protect God’s great earth?

Unfortunately, I don’t know the answers and only time will tell. But I pray that something good will come of Copenhagen.

p.s. check back here for updates on what is happening in Copenhagen – December 7-18, 2009 – hopefully I will have good news to report!

Friends, today I want to share with you an exciting movement stirring among young adults in the ecumenical movement. This year, before the General Assembly of the National Council of Churches and Church World Service, was the second New Fire Conference, which brought together 38 young adults from various communions, as well as parts of the country and world. For the purposes of this blog, it is important to note that one of the issues dealt with was a training on how to hold an ecumenical event on climate change locally – focusing on things like holding a postcard drive, or a candlelight vigil, or greening your congregation.

But more than that, this event was emblematic of a movement among young adults to do more to bring the church into better living relationship with each other, and to radiate that relationship to the rest of the world. I wrote the wrap up press release for the event (which you can read by clicking here), but be sure to also check out faithconnectsus.org, a website dedicated to young adult ecumenism – and see how you can get involved, or how you can get a young adult you know involved. Eco-Justice is part of this movement of young adults who want to join together to bring God’s message of reconciliation with all of the created world to their communities – whether that be local, regional, national, or global. Join us!

In preparing for Ecumenical Advocacy Days, I’ve been thinking about the connection between Eco-Justice and Immigration.  And as I was traveling recently I picked up a magazine I’d never read before and found an article that embodied the tension between these issues of environmental justice and of immigration.

The article from WEND Magazine, explored the journey of photographers from the International League of Conservation Photographers.  Apart of a program called Rapid Assessment Visual Expedition, RAVE, the photographers descended upon the border between Mexico and the US to document the issues being created with regards to the 2000 mile barrier.  The group explored a number of issues from human and animal migration, to the degradation of natural resources.  Their findings not only documented in the magazine article have been turned into a traveling exhibit to raise awareness and influence the politically minded to address the issues they’ve documented.  The exhibit is currently in the Washington, DC in the Russell Senate Office Building Rotunda in hopes that legislators will see the issues of the Mexico Border in a different light.

If you are in the area, I highly recommend you stop by the Russell Rotunda and take a look at the images.  Here is an video highlighting the exhibit. Also give a look at the article on the website for RAVE.  If you are interested in eco-justice issues or immigration, you can see how both these issues can be deeply connected.

If you want to get involved more in both these issues, mark your calendars for March 19-22 for Ecumenical Advocacy Days.  Ecumenical Advocacy Days is a conference for people of faith to come together to learn about justice issues local and global.  Through different levels of education, we learn better tools to communicate and advocate for change in the midst of injustice.  This year the major issue will focus our attention on immigration as we hear first hand stories of people struggling in the midst of immigration.   We will hear stories of struggles with the Mexican Border , stories of how changing climate are requiring people to migrate from their native lands, stories of how immigration reform is desperately needed, along with many others.

The focus for Ecumenical Advocacy days is not the only issue to be discussed during the weekend conference.  If you are working in the midst of other justice issues, this is the conference for you to attend.  Check out the EAD Website to learn about the other issues that we will have workshops during the weekend.   Over the next couple of weeks you will see more and more information concerning the conference becoming available.

Recently, the Eco-Justice Working Group of the National Council of Churches went on an immersion experience to Whitesburg, Kentucky, to see the impacts of Mountain firsthand, but also heard the stories of people whose lives have been drastically impacted – from lost jobs, to lost homes and properties, to lost sense of place and being. Katie Holmes, of the Prebyterian Church (USA) Environmetal Ministries Office, wrote following the experience, “In the face of such fear and injustice, the resilience and courage of those who are speaking out against mountaintop removal is inspiring.  A resident said that others think of Appalachians as “throw-away people.”  Indeed, the coal companies treat the local population this way.  We need to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Appalachia and fight this idea that the people and the mountains can be thrown away.  This is not only a matter of environmental concern, it is also a justice issue.  Folks we visited with in Whitesburg went so far as to say that ‘democracy is under siege in eastern Kentucky.’”

We now have an opportunity to take action in a different part of Appalachia. Last week reports confirmed that blasting had begun on Coal River Mountain in West Virginia, and the West Virginia DEP confirmed that coal was being moved off the mountain. Rising above a picturesque valley in southern West Virginia, like an oasis in the midst of coal country, Coal River Mountain represents the last, best hope for a community resisting the legacy of dirty energy in this part of Appalachia. Local residents have rallied around a plan to build a wind farm on the peaks of Coal River Mountain, the highest ever slated for mountaintop removal mining.  Click here to call on President Obama to stop this destruction.

Over 1,200 miles of streams have been buried because of dumping practices related to MTR. Dumping mining waste in streams pollutes the waters, having adverse effects on the creatures living in the waters and the humans living nearby.  Polluted waters can cause extinctions or endangerments of species.  Additionally, communities rely upon the waterways as a source for drinking and bathing, but dumping makes it an unsuitable source for either.

The proposed wind farm would provide enough wind potential to provide electricity for over 85,000 homes, as well as clean, permanent jobs to the community.  All God’s people share the responsibility of protecting lands and water so that all of humankind, especially those living in poverty and generations yet to come, may use and enjoy Creation. Click here to call on President Obama to end the Coal Mountain mining project.

“Again Jesus spoke to them, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’” John 8:12

“But Jesus called for them and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.” Luke 18:16

As you carve your jack-o-lantern this Halloween, it can also be an opportunity to reflect on John 8:12. If Jesus were here today, what might he say if he learned that some of the face paint that kids are putting on this Halloween and throughout the year contain common allergens, some at levels that even exceed industry recommendations? Or that some of the face paints contain small amounts of lead (while the health effects of absorption through the skin is not well understood, it is recommended that people not put lead around the mouth or on the hands to avoid ingestion)? We, as disciples of Christ, can walk with our torch of justice by ensuring that vulnerable populations, such as children, are not exposed to toxic chemicals when possible.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics released a new report Tuesday called Pretty Scary. They tested face paints and theater makeup for lead (a neurotoxin), nickel, cobalt, and chromium (common allergens linked to contact dermatitis and skin sensitation). It is concerning that the products did not list any of these chemicals on their labels. Some products even said they were “hypo-allergenic” when they contained these common skin allergens. Check out the report here to learn more.

Jesus called on his disciples to welcome the children. We, too, should welcome and nurture children by ensuring that they grow up healthy and humble. They should understand the importance of caring for their bodies as holy temples (I Corinthians 6:19-20), in addition to vulnerable populations and God’s Creation. One place to start is to ensure kids  eat a healthy diet (don’t eat too much Halloween treats; or better yet, try and pass out healthy options), get plenty of exercise, and avoid toxic chemicals when possible.

The FDA currently does not have a lot of regulatory power or resources to regulate the chemicals in our cosmetics products such as face paint, deodorant, colognes, and makeup. It will take bold witness from people of faith and Congress to ensure that children and performers can express their creativity on Halloween (or any other day) without worrying about what is lurking in their face paint.

New Healthy Spa Toolkit

Additionally, while exposure to these common allergens, and potential exposure to lead is certainly a concern, there are personal care products that contain lead in higher amounts or are applied directly on the lips; other they contain scarier chemicals linked to other life threatening additions such as cancer or reproductive harm.

To learn more about safe personal care products, download our Healthy Spa workshop guide and toolkit for people of faith.

I have been reading and searching for a definition for sustainability that would underscore our work here at Eco-Justice for some time now.  I’ve read countless things that have probably confused myself more than anything, but I’ve found poetry and other abstract ideas that point towards an idea of sustainability suggesting maybe the definition exists beyond basic reasoning.

I’ve seen definitions that fit an economic relationship with the world.  Seeing the world as a mine full of resources that may not be able to replenish itself at the rate in which we are harvesting.  The economic understanding of sustainability, hopes to offer an understanding of enough in hopes that our children and their children will have the resources they need to survive because we conserve today.  This definition however identifies everything by placing a value on resources, objectifying the world.  Everything becomes classified by its value producing a world in which something’s importance is reflective of its value.

The environmental definition involves terms such as bio-diversity, sustaining the earth and atmosphere, and seeing the world as a delicate system to which we must care for.  Whereas the economic definition objectifies the world in which resources have value based upon their importance in the world, the environmental definition observes the world as a fragile network of relationships in which we must handle with delicate care.  This definition creates tension as to best practices for the caring of the world and limits the partnership between humanity and creation.

Both definitions maintain a hierarchical understanding in which humanity is set apart of the world.  We either are the harvesters or the caretakers who enter the world as a foreign place and try to prepare for a future in which our children and their children can exist.  I do not want to suggest that they are bad definitions as environmentalist and business professionals are working extremely hard to raise awareness for creation hoping to awaken us from our slumber and abuse of the worlds resources.  However I think the definitions are incomplete lacking an understanding of connection and partnership between Creation and Humanity.

I found this poem as I read Dr Janet Parker’s Sermon “From Apocalypse to Genesis” that was published in Yale Divinity School Journal Reflections (Spring ’07) and was also awarded the National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Sermon of 2007.  To conclude her message, Dr. parker uses a poem/prayer by Wendell Berry calling for a faithful sustainable relationship.

“When despair for the world grows within me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.”    Peace of Wild Things-Wendell Berry

As I read Berry, I find myself remembering the end of a beautiful poem called “Being Human” by a group called Climbing Poetree.  The last line a beautiful reminder of what Berry, and a definition of sustainability seek to remind us;

“effort gives way to existence.”

Sustainability is existing in the world realizing the beauty of life is living within our means, economically, and environmentally, as partners with the world and with each other so that tomorrow we can awaken again to the wonders of life.    Our efforts to faithfully live sustainable lives require us to consider how our faith informs the relationship between humanity and creation.  This understanding will affect our work in communities whether that be church communities, or small groups but also in our daily practices as we live out the gift of life.  Sustainability means I have enough, they have enough, the world has enough.  Some will enter this conversation by engaging the world on a global scale seeking to help peoples or eco-systems around the world.  Others will interact based on personal decisions about how they spend their money, and where they purchase goods.   All of which is a journey towards reestablishing a deeper connection with Creation, with our neighbor, and with God.  Our efforts to understand sustainability will give way to existing in relationship, an equal partnership in which we grow more fully in our understanding of the unknown.

I used to work at the Share Foundation: Building a New El Salvador Today with U.S. faith communities that accompanied communities in El Salvador to empower women and youth and and provide them with opportunities. In Fall 2005, I was in Wisconsin to help with a delegation from Chalatenango, El Salvador that shared with their sister parishes about emerging threats to mine for gold in El Salvador. This would mean that the communities living near the mine would possibly be displaced, suffer from health conditions related to the mining pollution, and that cyanide would contaminate the Lempa River- the lifeline that thousands in the country depend on for water.

The churches decided they wanted to accompany their brothers and sisters in Chalatenango and Cabanas and thus began a campaign. Since I left, the communities have achieved some successes. So far they have prevented any gold mining projects in El Salvador.

But they also face challenges. Pacific Rim, a Candian mining company with a subsidiary in the U.S., announced a law suit against the Salvadoran government under the Central American Free trade Agreement for not allowing them to go forward with their mining permits. This is the first international dispute filed under CAFTA. Another challenge the communities face is death threats. In June 2009, Marcelo Rivera was disappeared and murdered. He was one of the leaders of the National Working Group Against Mining in El Salvador. Jamie Moffett, a U.S. film maker, made a short film about Marcelo.

Despite these challenges, the National Working Group Against Mining in El Salvador continues to work to protect God’s Creation and human rights. For their efforts, they received the Letelier-Moffitt Memorial Human Rights award last week in Washington, DC. I attended an event with them and the broader Salvadoran community in D.C. on Saturday to honor their courage and hear their stories.

Next week is Bristol Bay Wild Salmon Week here in Washington, DC, and I couldn’t be more excited – mostly because it is a great excuse to endulge in some delicious, delicious salmon!  But, there is also a very important issue, whcih calls us to attention, as the watershed that produces these salmon, Bristol Bay, is currently under threat.

The Bristol Bay watershed supports the world’s largest remaining wild sockeye salmon fishery.  This bountiful resource provides a sustainable supply of food for the Alaska Native subsistence communities that rely on it as their primary source of food, and a healthy sustainable source of seafood to people throughout the world. However, this watershed, and the tremendous salmon fishery that it supports, is at serious risk from two significant mineral development issues: a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recommendation to open this area to mining and a proposal to develop a massive copper and gold mine at the headwaters of Bristol Bay.

Stewardship of the lands and waters God has entrusted to our care is both a critical part of our call to protect creation and a responsibility shared by all citizens. For more than three decades, these 1.1 million acres of BLM land were closed to mineral development because of unresolved land claims stemming from the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.  In late 2008, the BLM released its first ever Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the Bristol Bay area, and -despite local and national objections – the BLM recommended that 99 percent of the public lands be opened to hard rock mining and oil and gas development.

The proposed Pebble Mine is a direct and inevitable threat to this sustainable and internationally significant resource. Based on current ore projections, the proposed mine will be the largest mine in North America, generating 9 billion tons of harmful mine waste (tailings) that will be stored behind earthen dams, and remain on the landscape in perpetuity.  The mine and its associated infrastructure will create a massive industrial footprint at the heart of this pristine salmon-based watershed.

It is through water that all of Creation is gifted with life; life, in all of its forms, is not possible without water.  Furthermore, Lands and wilderness provide refuge for the body and soul, offer blessings of sustenance like soil and water, and serve as stunning reminders of God’s power and grace in our lives.  So, what can we do?  You can vote with your fork anytime – supporting the industry by buying salmon from the region, and eating at restaurants where it is served. Also, the documentary “Red Gold” features this region, and its threats, and is available for viewing.  In fact, combine the two, and partner a salmon tasting with a film viewing!

So, protect Bristol Bay.  And eat some delicious salmon at the same time!