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!

“The blessings of God are evident all around us, including in the sacred spaces that make up our houses of worship. These sacred spaces are where we come to be spiritually nurtured, enriched, and recharged. These spaces become a gathering place to meet in fellowship with our neighbors, and are the center of our mission activities. Even as we are blessed as communities of faith with gathering places for our worship and ministry, we have responsibilities to be good stewards of these sacred spaces.”

The Earth Day Sunday 2010 Resource, Sacred Spaces and an Abundant Life: Worship Spaces as Stewardship, is available now.  This resource asks us to recognize that everything we have including our worship spaces belong to God.  It encourages us to consider the way we use these gifts God has entrusted to us, and to be mindful of the impacts that may have on each other and all of God’s Creation. It challenges us to use the blessings of our worship spaces in ways that reflect God’s goodness and love, and provides the information and resources we need to do just that.

Click here download

Email info@nccecojustice.org to request hard copies (available soon)

What’s Inside?

• Resources for worship and Bible study
• Energy efficiency and conservation:  environmental and fiscal stewardship
• Protecting the health of members and vulnerable communities:  reducing toxic products and materials
• Water and Land Conservation: Ensuring God’s waters and lands remain clean, healthy and abundant

Click here to learn more about the topics covered in the Earth Day Sunday 2010 Resource.

Why So Early?

This year’s resource provides congregations with so many ways to become better stewards of their houses of worship; we wanted to give Congregations the option of starting a project now and celebrating their success on Earth Day Sunday.  Check out the Commissioning service for Creation Care groups found in the bulletin insert.

Environmental and Fiscal Stewardship

As you begin to determine the church budget for next year think about ways environmental and fiscal stewardship intersect.  Many of the suggestions for conserving water and energy will save your congregation money, ensuring more money for church missions.

We are called to be like the faithful servant Jesus describes in Luke 12: 42-44.  “Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives.” (43).   Let us begin to do the work to which we have been called.

Last week was climate action week, a global campaign to empower people from around the world to push world leaders to respond to the challenge of climate change. On September 21st, over 2,600 events in 134 countries were organized around the theme a “global wakeup call.” Participants called their leaders asking them to take action to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. Here in the U.S., over 1600 people participated in the kick off to the global wake-up call, which occurred in Central Park in New York on Sunday, and throughout the week, people of faith called their senators and added their voice to the call for justice for God’s people and God’s Creation.

In addition, People of faith are encouraging President Obama to attend the Copenhagen Climate Negotiations this December by participating in the Countdown to Copenhagen Campaign. Over 50 congregations from around the country are hosting post card drives, sending thousands of post cards asking President Obama to personally attend the meetings, and making a commitment to take personal action to reduce their climate emissions. You can join them and sign the postcard on line. Click here. Last week, a chorus of voices lifted the moral concern of climate change to world leaders. But, our work is not yet done. On October, 11th people of faith can contemplate the issue of climate change as it impacts God’s Children and celebrate the many wonderful ways in which children connect to the natural world around them. Click here to download worship resources.

Click here to watch a powerful video connecting climate change and human rights.

From Chloe Schwabe -

From September 19-26, a delegation of Presbyterian Indigenous Yupik tribal leaders, youth and elders from the Arctic/Bering Sea villages of St. Lawrence Island, Alaska came to Washington D.C. They shared their history, culture, and the importance of their traditional diet of foods for physical and spiritual sustenance. They spoke with people of faith, environmental justice and health advocates and government officials at a forum held at the United Methodist Building on September 22^nd. Additionally, they met with members of Congress, the Environmental Protection Agency and the military to educate and discuss solutions, such as community-based research, to the challenges they face.

The former military based on the Island disposed of toxic waste on the Island, including massive amounts of fuels, solvents, poly-chlorinated biphenols (PCBs), pesticides, and heavy metals. The contamination still causes illnesses in the community and in the rest of God’s Creation in the Arctic including increased rates of cancer as the chemicals persist in the environment. Some people have been displaced from their land due to the contamination. Despite this, the community is still grateful for the role that the military played in protecting them during the Cold War.

In addition, the Arctic has become a hemispheric sink for persistent chemicals that travel hundreds of miles into the region and accumulate in the bodies of wildlife and people. “The Indigenous Arctic peoples are suffering the most from these chemicals,” says Vi Waghiyi, a Yupik woman from St. Lawrence Island, “because the chemicals – pesticides, perfluorinated compounds and toxic flame retardants, to—are long lasting, and drift North on wind and water currents from where they are applied in the Southern latitudes. That means these chemicals are also in our traditional foods and affecting our health and the health of our children.”

The delegation from St. Lawrence Island calls upon policy makers to hold the military and chemical industry accountable for violations of human rights. They urged policy makers to assist in their community-based research and advocacy efforts to protect the health of present and future generations.

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” – John 10.10

“On the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food, their leaves will not whither nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.” -Ezekiel 47.12

The Bible speaks of the efforts to ensure that we live abundantly. It doesn’t mean that we have a house full of stuff- but many of us manage to have that too. I know even with the my efforts to live with a small footprint that I still accumulate things. Things I use, things I dont use, things people give me or leave behind, and things I used to use but haven’t “disposed” of in some way or another.

New healthystuff.org tests 5000 consumer products for safety

I don’t think that a basement full of boxes is exactly what Jesus had in mind when he said “he came so they would have life and have it abundantly.”  But it certainly seems hard to get around this issue of stuff. In these more challenging economic times I try to take the time to think about the three following questions:

1) Do I need it?
2) How toxic is it?
3) Do the long term health impacts outweigh the short term costs of buying something that may cost more but is less toxic?

A new website was just created that can help me answer #2. Healthy Stuff.org tested 5000 car, toys, apparel, and pet products for safety and gives them a rating. based on this information I know what the safer options are and I can decide the answers to the other questions.

Additionally, by making mindful choices to choose products that cause less harm, I can better reflect the spirit of Jesus’s words. Safer products mean I can care for my body, protect Creation from toxic chemicals, and also protect vulnerable communities and workers near the manufacture or disposal facilities. Abundant living should really reflect a justice filled world that honors the health and safety of all God’s people and Creation.

Learn more about environmental health from a faith perspoective at www.nccecojustice.org/health