Climate Change is an Ethical and Moral Concern

The Circo for the Community fundraiser on Saturday, March 5, will benefit five organizations, including New Mexico Interfaith Power & Light (NMIPL). Here is a preview of a full video that will be shown at the fundraiser, which will also benefit the New Mexico Conference of Churches, La Mesa Arts Academy, the New Mexico Faith Coalition for Immigrant Justice (NMFCIJ) and the Albuquerque Aerialist Collective.  (We posted a video from the NMFCIJ earlier this week).Tickets are $35 and can be purchased on the NMCC site or at the door (you can write a check for any of these organizations). The cost of the ticket includes dinner and a reception.

Sister Joan Brown to Present Summary of Paris Climate Talks

Rev. Sally Bingham, Susan Stephenson, Sister Joan Brown

Transition ABQ and New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light 

invite you to 

Forward from Paris"The Participation of Civil Society and Faith Communities in Combating Climate Change" 

Wednesday, Jan. 13, 6:30 pm

First Unitarian Church, 3701 Carlisle Blvd. NE (map)

The featured presenter is Sister Joan Brown, an official observer for Franciscans International and Interfaith Power and Light (IPL) at the UN Climate Conference in Paris (COP21) in December. At the request of the U.S. State Department, Sister Joan put together a presentation for the COP21 conference, along with Interfaith Power & Light founder Rev. Sally Bingham and Susan Stephenson, executive director of IPLs Regeneration Project . IPL delivered an 11-foot scroll with signatures of people who support the Paris Pledge.

Sister Joan will discuss the role of the religious community and civil society before and during the conference. She will also offer details on the actual negotiations for this historical agreement. More importantly, she will tell us how we in Albuquerque can engage in the important work ahead.

Agenda for Jan. 13 Meeting:
6:30 Cider & Cookies & Conversation
7:00 Presentation by Joan Brown
7:45 Q & A
8:05 Actions & Pledges
8:20 Community Announcements
8:30 Closing

Interfaith Procession and Candlelight Prayer for UN Climate Meeting Scheduled for Monday November 30 in Albuquerque

The Interfaith community in Albuquerque is coming together on Monday, Nov. 30, for a procession and candlelight vigil ahead of the upcoming UN Climate Talks in Paris. The vigil begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Federal Building, Gold and 6th SW, and ends at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 619 Copper Ave. NW  Here is a map (Note: The exact route will be announced later. The map just shows the starting and ending locations)

Even as the world is reeling from the violence in Paris, World Leaders from more than 150 nations prepare for the UN Climate Change meeting in Paris, November 30-December 11. An unprecedented number of leaders of religious traditions, including Pope Francis, the Dalai Lama and Muslim and Jewish world leaders are calling all people to act for climate justice. They will offer a moral voice to public officials as they meet to agree to an international agreement.
 

You are invited to participate in a special prayer for the meeting and to bless those from Albuquerque who will be traveling to Paris for this important gathering.

Order of evening:
*Procession calling to mind the many climate refugees
*Candle light prayer in Immaculate Conception with music, sacred dance, prayers by major religious tradition representatives, blessing of those going to Paris and blessing of those representing organizations that will be in Paris, call to action.

Co-sponsors: New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light, New Mexico Conference of Churches, New Mexico Oxfam Action Corps, Bread for the World-New Mexico, Catholic Charities of Central New Mexico, Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe, and others.

For more information contact Sister Joan Brown (joan@nm-ipl.org).

Climate Agreement A Sacred Bread Moment

"This is a historic moment. For the first time in human history, 196 have nations agreed that we are in a climate crisis and we can no longer delay action. The strong presence of civil society and the moral voice of faith traditions have been essential in pushing the negotiations forward. -Rev. Sally Bingham

By all accounts, the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21) on Nov. 30-Dec. 11, was a resounding success. Representatives of 195 countries adopted an unprecedented global agreement on Dec. 12 to fight global climate change.



"The Paris agreement is adopted for the climate," said the president of COP21, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, prompting a long round of applause throughout the room.  (Video footage from BFM-TV in France).

"From a justice perspective, the agreements recognition of the risk of "loss and damage" for climate vulnerable nations, and the need to address and minimize displacement related to the impacts of climate change, is an important step forward underscoring the need for developed nations like the United States to support those least responsible for causing this crisis," said Rev. Sally Bingham, founder and president of the national environmental organization Interfaith Power and Light.

The agreement--which is compatible with Goal 13 of the Global Goals for Sustainable Development--is only a beginning, "The Paris COP is a moral call for a safe climate for our children and grandchildren and a critical step forward," said Rev. Bingham. "There is much work to do to reach this goal, and U.S. faith communities will continue to advocate for stronger action from our government and financing for the most vulnerable."

Joan Brown, a Franciscan sister who is director of New Mexico Interfaith Power & Light, was present at the talks.  Here are some excerpts of the experiences she related through her blog,

"I feel very humbled to be in the COP 21 at this historic moment when the world came together for the first ever climate change agreement. Some important pieces include a 2 degree target that aspires to 1.5 or below, mechanisms and near term process dates and accountability to ramp up efforts, for the first time a section that addressed loss and damage, it sets the course toward the end of fossil fuel dependence and the way to a clean energy future, and it is a document that the world can stand behind—-though it is not perfect nor as strong as desired.

I have been trying to think of a symbol that might describe this amazing and moving moment and yet also carry the concerns for the vulnerable communities.

Bread is a symbol of this process. Bread has fed thousands each day here at the COP as they worked. Bread feeds billions on the planet each day whether it is flat bread, tortillas, chapatas, french bread, pita or other types of bread. Bread is sacred and shared in rituals. Bread is sacred and shared around family and community tables. Even when their is not total accord in the family, bread is shared together in tears and laughter. Bread requires work and good ingredients. As a baker, sometimes my bread is amazing and sometimes is almost a failure—but we eat it, because we cannot waste bread. 

The COP21 agreement is a sacred bread moment shared around the holy table of the Earth. The bread is not perfectly risen, it misses some ingredients and lacks some salt. While there may not be total accord around the table we sit and share and nourish one another to continue the hard and vital work ahead. We open our hearts and ears to the stories of climate crisis of the vulnerable and their needs and we seek, through our work, to share the bread of our lives through prayer infused action."
Here is Sister Joans Full Post

Stay Tuned for updates and specific details from the COP21 Summit

Dance Pray Walk Barefoot and Take Legislative Action During Climate Talks in Paris

The faith community and people of conscience in Albuquerque and Santa Fe took a number of actions during the conference on climate in Paris (COP21) on Nov. 30-Dec. 11. An interfaith vigil in Albuquerque brought members of the Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh and other traditions for a procession and a prayer service in Albuquerque on Nov. 30. The service, which was held at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, was planned to coincide with the departure of Sister Joan Brown and Sister Marlene Perrotte of New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light  to the talks in Paris the next day.  Below are a few snapshots of the service.

Rev. Sylvia Miller-Mutia and her family led liturgical dance

Father Warren Broussard, Sister Joan Brown

Necip Orhan

Ruby Kochhar and fellow member of Sikh community

Rabbi Arthur Flicker

Legislative Advocacy
The local actions in conjunction with COP21 included opportunities for advocacy and an activity on the Plaza in Santa Fe this afternoon (Wednesday, Dec. 2). The legislative advocacy efforts include actions at the federal and state levels. We are asked to urge our members of the New Mexico State House and Senate to pass the Home Renewable Energy Tax Credit and to advocate to Sen. Tom Udall to vote to vote to fund the U.S. contribution to the Green Climate Fund.

Barefoot on the Santa Fe Plaza

Organizers of the "Shoes of Solidarity" event asked people in the Santa Fe area to bring their shoes to the Plaza on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.  (or anytime thereafter until Dec. 11) in solidarity with the COP21 summit. "Please place your shoes on the grassy areas only. Take the time to invite your neighbors and friends to join you as a statement that New Mexicans want the climate restored to a safe, stable level, and that you want to see New Mexico leaders mobilize for serious climate action," said organizers, who created a Facebook event  to publicize the action.