ECO-JUSTICE NEWS September 2024 The Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM) has committed to a yearly-meeting-wide witness on climate change. The Eco-Justice Collaborative (EJC) of PYM issues this monthly bulletin to provide Friends with timely information and resources to help in their ongoing work witnessing for social and climate justice. Please share as you think appropriate. If you have stories, events, or resources to share, please send them to Ruth Darlington. |
|
Cross stitch at Westfield Friends Meeting, NJ “It is our task to make from fire not an all-consuming blaze
|
|
Friends Take Steps to Address the Climate Crisis. If you have a story to share, please contact Ruth Darlington at rdarlington49@gmail.com. 🌏 Front Porch Ribbon Cutting for Rewire America
by Liz Robinson When I got an email from Rewiring America asking if we knew anyone who had used benefits from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), I told them that we had used both tax credits and rebates to decarbonize our home and transportation. We had just replaced our gas water heater with a high efficiency heat pump water heater, and last year we bought an Electric Vehicle and installed an induction stove. All of these home improvements qualify for tax credits from the IRS and most also qualify for rebates from PECO, the local electric utility. We also used federal tax credits eight years ago when we installed a solar PV system. As a result of our experience, Paul and I were asked to host a Front Porch Ribbon Cutting on Sept. 3rd, where we were joined by state and federal officials to celebrate the second anniversary of the passage of the IRA and draw attention to the tax credits and rebates the IRA provides homeowners. These clean energy investments are saving us a significant amount of money every month on energy bills, through savings in electricity, gas and gasoline costs. It’s pretty amazing that we qualify for all these incentives to reduce our monthly bills and improve our quality of life while also reducing pollution and helping to slow climate change. All of the new technologies are much better than the old ones. The house is cleaner, we’re not breathing fumes, the basement is less humid, and our bills are way lower! What’s not to like? The front porch ribbon cutting was reported in the Pennsylvania Independent, and the full story is linked above. |
TAKE ACTION! MAKE A DIFFERENCE!Are you looking for something you can do this month to fight climate change, protect vital habitat, or address climate injustice? Here we have listed possible actions you can take organized by the five categories of action in the Climate Change Sprint Report: Advocacy, Education, Finance, Lowering Carbon Footprint, and Mourning Loss and Instilling Hope. We hope you will find something that speaks to you. If you have actions you want to share, please contact us. |
ADVOCACYWithout policy changes at all levels of society, we cannot do enough to stop the worst impacts of climate change. Quakers have historically been advocates for truth and justice. We have spoken truth to power, often without guarantee of safety or success. As the window to act on climate change narrows, we need such courageous activism more than ever.
VOTE! Find out where the candidates on your ballot stand on climate change and other earthcare-related issues! Climate Change and Other Earthcare Questions for Candidates in 2024 Elections The FCNL Working Group of Quaker Earthcare Witness (QEW) has compiled a set of questions you can use to determine your local, state and federal candidates’ positions on climate change while also letting them know how much these issues matter to you. There are also tips for how to present your questions to candidates and even a suggested script. 📞YOUTH! Sign up with Sunrise to call young climate voters! Sunrise Movement is holding phone banks every Monday (6-8 pm ET), Wednesday (8-10 pm ET), and Saturday (4-6 pm ET) from now until November 4th to mobilize young voters who are concerned about the climate crisis. Join from anywhere! VOTE! For Our Sacred Earth! GreenFaith USA is organizing people of all faiths to ask voters to vote their values this November and prioritize “ambitious climate action to protect our future.” You can help them mobilize voters by writing postcards or making phone calls to “low propensity voters” who care about the environment. 📢YOUTH! Are you ready for the Fridays for Future (FFF) Global Strike on Sept. 19th? Check out the Fridays for Future map to find an event near you. Tell the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission (PVSC) to reject a fourth power plant in Newark’s Ironbound community! This is an environmental justice travesty! In a recent alert the Evergreen Collaborative reported that the Ironbound Community Corporation has been fighting this planned power plant for the past three years, but they need our help. If you live in New Jersey, please speak up by making a public comment opposing the project before the PVSC Board votes on Sept. 19th. Visit the link to learn more and fill out the public comment form. Urge the NJ DEP to enact NJ PACT Resilient Environments and Landscapes Rules as part of the NJ Protection Against Climate Threats rule package. Use the linked form to submit a written statement online by November 3rd. The Sierra Club NJ Chapter states, “These rules, which are essential for building a resilient future, would integrate climate change impacts such as sea level rise into the regulatory process, enhance protections for coastal areas, improve stormwater programs, and safeguard critical wildlife habitats.” Three public hearings were scheduled, but only one remains to be held: September 19, 2024, Virtually at 10:00 A.M.; Click Here to Join Tell the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to stop Exxon from dumping even more pollution into the air! According to Environmental Action, Texas regulators have approved Exxon’s permit to expand Baytown Plastics, “one of its dirtiest facilities.” The Environmental Action petition calls on the EPA to block the expansion. Tell Secretary of the Navy Del Toro and Secretary of the Air Force Kendall to cancel polluting air shows and protect us from the climate crisis! While the Pentagon acknowledges the threat of global warming, the U.S. Military is still the world’s largest institutional emitter of greenhouse gasses. Veterans for Peace say, “Military air shows are polluting our planet by burning fossil fuels, all for ‘entertainment’ that glorifies war and militarism” and they ask us to sign their petition to the Secretaries of the U.S. Navy and Airforce to stop emitting GHGs. Sign up for Quaker Action Mid-Atlantic Region (QAMAR) Alerts. To work more effectively on the most important issues of our time, Quakers in the Mid-Atlantic region have formed a new organization, Quaker Action Mid-Atlantic Region (QAMAR), as a nonprofit 501 c-4 that can engage directly in policy and legislative work at the state and local level. QAMAR’s Board of Directors has decided that initially they will focus on two pressing issues: the Climate Crisis and Gun Violence. Steve Loughin, QAMAR Clerk, wrote, “Friends have a unique voice and history in our region. Our fundamental values of Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality and Sustainability can help solve some of our thorniest problems and build a safe, secure, sustainable future for all.” There is no fee to sign up on the QAMAR Action Network. You’ll receive notification of their upcoming webinars, presentations, workshops, and actions relevant to your area code. Sign up for FCNL Action Alerts. Sign up to get weekly advocacy alerts and updates from Friends Committee on National Legislation in your Inbox.
|
EDUCATIONFor our actions to be effective, they need to be informed. Listed below are several resources to help expand our understanding of the issues and guide our actions. How Solar Friendly Is Your State? CNET has scored all 50 states on how solar-friendly their residential solar policies are. Spoiler Alert: New Jersey ranked #1! Maryland scored #4, Delaware scored # 17, and Pennsylvania #38. See the interactive map and read the report to find out what PYM states are doing right and what they could do better. The Deteriorating Environment Is a Public Concern, but Americans Misunderstand Their Contribution to the Problem. A Global Commons survey found that 88% of people around the world are worried about the state of nature. The survey showed that Americans are included in that global majority, but they underestimate their vulnerability and, they don’t believe they share responsibility for global environmental problems. Learn more about the disparity in the Inside Climate News report. Advanced Recycling—Fact or Fantasy? The petrochemical industry promotes “advanced” or “chemical” recycling as a way to handle difficult-to-recycle plastic waste. Environmental advocates warn that these processes produce toxic pollution and contribute to global warming. This Inside Climate News report about a 2-year investigation of a Houston chemical recycling project reveals the promises and problems of advanced plastic recycling. Learn More About Water Privatization. Many communities in our region face having their water and sewer systems bought out by private companies, who promise to address aging infrastructure, but in most cases that promise is delivered at great expense to individual rate payers. If you missed a recent Food & Water Watch webinar about this issue, you can watch the full recording of the program to learn more. |
FINANCEHow can we make our financial decisions climate solutions? Money drives climate change. Without loans from banks, investments from money management funds, and insurance premiums, fossil fuel projects could not continue. Equally, it takes bank loans, investments, and insurance for clean energy and other climate solutions to go forward. How can we turn our own financial decisions into climate solutions? And how can we address the financial systems that currently drive climate destruction? Banking on Climate Chaos 2024 Report According to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), “Citi Bank is the second largest financier of fossil fuels and the largest financier of fossil fuel expansion since the Paris Agreement.” Read the report for a greater understanding of just how banks and other financial institutions continue to undermine efforts to reduce global emissions. (Also see the UCS Sept. 25th webinar, “Ending Fossil Fuel Finance” I Upcoming Events below.) |
LOWERING CARBON FOOTPRINTWhile individual actions to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are not enough to solve the climate crisis, they are important. Whether you have already taken steps to lower your carbon footprint or that of your Meeting or your Friends School or you are just starting down that path, we hope you will find ideas here to support your carbon footprint reduction efforts. Join EJC in supporting the Sept. 20th Global Climate Strike! In collaboration with Fridays for Futures’ Global Climate Strike on September 20, the Eco-Justice Collaborative invites all Quakers in Philadelphia Yearly Meeting to help us develop a baseline of information and a community of support to help all of us reduce carbon emissions by electrifying our lives. Please complete the linked survey and be sure to respond to each question. We will publish the results in the EJC newsletter in the aggregate. We will not publish any individual results in any form. Your responses to this survey will also help inform our planning for a winter Thread Gathering on the Climate Crisis. You can learn more about the Global Climate Strike here. |
MOURNING LOSS AND INSTILLING HOPEIf we don’t face the grief we experience when faced with the loss of beloved environments or species and the threat that climate change poses to us and future generations, we can find ourselves paralyzed. Succumbing to despair is not an option, but we need one another’s support to hold onto hope. Find inspiration from films about others who are living their values as climate witnesses and making a difference. The 2024 IPL PA online film festival will run Sept. 26th to 28th and feature films about Wangaari Maathai, “landless ecological farmers” in Peru, and farmers and other people on the frontline of the sustainable food movement. See the Upcoming Events section to learn more and register. Join with others in taking action to protect what you care about. On Sept. 22nd, Quaker Call to Action will hold a Family-Friendly Gathering to Support Democracy, including a program for children. See the entry in Upcoming Events for details. Attend a Climate Witness Stewards Climate Café. The PYM Climate Witness Stewards host these virtual cafes to provide a supportive, spiritually nurturing, and community-building way to share climate action information and hope. The next Climate Café is scheduled for October 24th at 7 PM on Zoom. See the Upcoming Events section for details and registration link. Attend Earthcare-Centered Worship Sharing with QEW. Quaker Earthcare Witness (QEW) typically holds worship sharing on the fourth Tuesday of every month. However, we will not be hosting worship sharing in September to prepare for our Fall Gathering. Register for our online gathering to participate in morning worship sharing from October 4th to 6th. |
|
UPCOMING EVENTSSummer is over, and with the arrival of fall comes an abundance of events and opportunities. TONIGHT! Sept. 14th at 6pm ET 🎥FAMILY FRIENDLY! Movie Night at Gwynedd. The Peace and Sustainability Committee will host the September movie night, starting with a delicious vegan/vegetarian dinner for all. The movie starts at 7pm with a separate movie for kids. People can RSVP to Heather O’Malley at 215•527•7142. We know this is short notice but come if you can. Sept. 16th at 8pm ET FCNL Listening Session on Legislative Priorities. On September 16th, Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) will hold its last online listening session before the 2024 Annual Meeting. Join the policy committee to learn about the legislative priorities and share your priorities and concerns. Be sure to register in advance to get the zoom link. Sept. 17th from 10-11:30 am ET Understanding the Role of Carbon Dioxide Removal in Long-term Climate Planning. The World Resources Institute says, “The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has made it clear that carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is a needed complement to deep and rapid emissions reductions to avoid the worst consequences of climate change…” This webinar is offered as part of WRI programming for Climate Week NYC. If you are lucky enough to by in New York City for Climate Week, find information here for in-person events, including “Nature Hub at Climate Week NYC” and “Progress No Matter What: Continued Climate Action in the States,” both on Sept. 23rd Sept. 18th from 2-3:15 pm ET Mobilizing the market: The barriers to financing a more scalable climate response On September 18, the Brookings Initiative on Climate Research and Action will host a public event to explore the challenges and opportunities related to financing a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable climate response. Use the link in the event title to register to watch online from anywhere in the U.S. If you are in D.C., you can also register to attend in person in the Faulk Auditorium at 1775 Massachusetts Avenue NW. Sept. 20th from 9:30 to 11 am ET Advancing Biodiversity for Community Resilience and Global Stability: Insights Ahead of COP16. This webinar is hosted by the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change & Security Program. Learn more and register at the link. 📢YOUTH! Sept. 20-27 Fridays for Future’s Global Week of Climate Action. The YOUTH-organized Global Climate Strike on Sept. 20th launches a week of climate actions. Plan an action in your community or use the map at their website to find an event near you and RSVP. Sept. 22nd from 2-5 pm at Friends Center in Philadelphia Faith into Action: A Family-Friendly Gathering in Support of Democracy. Quaker Call to Action cordially invites you to this in-person event at 1515 Cherry Street in Philadelphia. Speakers include Quaker activist George Lakey, POWER interim Executive Director Rev. Gregory Edwards, and cofounder of Philadelphia Sisters Waging Peace Rabbi Nancy Fuchs Kreimer. An engaging children’s program is planned. See the PYM events calendar for a detailed description and link to register. Sept. 25th at 11 am ET Climate and Peace: Stories from Around the World. Join the Church of the Brethren, the Friends Committee on National Legislation, and Mennonite Central Committee to learn from partners around the world about how climate change is driving conflict within their communities and how they are acting to address this crisis. Hear how YOU can take action to advocate for international climate assistance and support peace globally! Sept. 25th at 1:00 ET Ending Fossil Fuel Finance. This Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) virtual Climate Week event will feature a panel of scientists, activists, and frontline leaders trying to stop the financing of the climate crisis. Sept. 26th from 1-6 pm ET 2024 IPL Interfaith Climate Convening. This year Interfaith Power & Light presents a completely virtual and accessible convening to reach more of its Pennsylvania network. The theme, “Planting Seeds for New Futures,” addresses the “intersections of faith, food, sustainable agriculture, and justice.” Register to get the zoom link and a Watch Party Guide for those who would like to gather as a congregation or community to watch the program together. Sept. 26th-28th at 6 pm ET Interfaith Power & Light PA (IPL PA) Online Film Festival. The 2024 IPL PA film festival features three films—”Taking Root: The Vision of Wangaari Maathai,” “Stewards of the Land—Seran las duenas de la tierra,” and “Common Ground,” sequel to “Kiss the Ground.” Check the link for more about each film and a link to register for one or all three. Oct. 1st at 7pm ET Proposed Plastic Pollution Reduction Priorities for the Next U.S. President.. Beyond Plastics says, “Plastic pollution is everywhere—in our air, water, food, soil, and bodies.” But we have proven solutions; we just need the right policies. Join Beyond Plastics’ free webinar to hear from a panel of experts about Beyond Plastics’ 27 policy recommendations. Oct. 10th at 7pm ET Using PYM’s Climate Action Resource. “Creating a Playbook for Climate Action is a tool for Friends seeking to live out our yearly meeting-wide witness on climate change in their homes and their Meetings. We invite all Friends to join us for this upcoming online “check-in” to share how you’re putting this resource to good use. Learn more and register at the PYM calendar of events. Oct. 24th at 7pm ET Climate Café: A Place for Support and to Report. The PYM Climate Witness Stewards invite you to this online forum to share your climate work and find support in an informal setting. All are welcome! |
|
GOOD NEWS Nationally: Utah youth get a hearing before the Utah Supreme Court. In September, the Utah Supreme heard arguments in the case of Natalie R v. State of Utah. According to Our Children’s Trust, this was the first time that a U.S. higher court has “has explored the right to life in the context of climate harms to children. Ever.” Nationally: Solar Farms Support Biodiversity. As reported in the New York Times (link is to a “gifted”/free article), solar projects across the U.S. provide more than clean energy. They also offer help in addressing species loss that is driven largely by habitat loss. |
| RESOURCES
“Guide to Quaker Lobbying.” This guide from Indiana Friends’ Committee on Legislation gives practical advice for lobbying at the state level for issues Friends care about. “Creating a Playbook for Climate Action” This Yearly Meeting guide is intended to help Meetings develop a playbook to support individuals, households and meetings address climate change. Solar Toolkit for All. Developed by the Philadelphia Solar Energy Association (PSEA), Solar Schools for All is available for free through the PA DEP. The toolkit “details the process in ten steps, provides access to all the new federal tax credits, grants and loans available, provides a sample Request for Proposal (RFP), and two powerful proformas. One proforma is for a Power Purchase Agreement and the other is for Direct Ownership, to help schools run the numbers in a range of scenarios to decide how to optimize the benefits of solar for any school.” Climate Witness Stewards on the PYM website. The Climate Witness Stewards (CWS) were established to support the Yearly Meeting and hold it accountable to its climate change witness. You can read their full charge and find bios of the individual stewards at the CWS page of the PYM website. 🌱YOUTH: Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults. Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book about “Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teaching of Plants” has been a source of inspiration and information for many people concerned about taking care of the planet. It has been adapted for young adult readers by Monique Gray Smith and illustrated by Nicole Neidhardt. Published by Lerner Publishing Group, the book is available through online booksellers, including independent booksellers. Watch the YouTube video for an audio preview of the book. Energy Stewardship for Friends Institutions. This EJC series consists of four workshops designed to help stakeholders at Friends meetings, schools, retirement communities, and other institutions make their facilities more sustainable. The link will take you to the PYM YouTube channel, where you can select individual videos (Saving Money on Your Commercial Electric Account, Solar Schools and Nonprofit Toolkit, Options and Funding for Electrifying Your HVAC Systems), or you can select, “Play All.” Rewiring America’s Personal Electrification Planner By electrifying your home, you can save thousands of dollars and eliminate the majority of your GHG emissions. This personal planning tool from Rewiring America makes it easier. Greening Sacred Spaces Webinar Recordings. Here are the recordings from the three Greening Sacred Spaces webinars that EJC and the Climate Action Working Group (CAWG) of Concord QM hosted in the past year to inspire and assist Friends Meetings and institutions to make their property management policies more supportive of all of Creation. Watch the recordings on the PYM YouTube channel: Recording: Greening Sacred Spaces Workshop 1 Recording: Greening Sacred Spaces Workshop 2 Recording: Greening Sacred Spaces Workshop 3 Clean Energy 4 PA: 30 X 30 and Community Solar On Sept. 18th, Quaker Action Mid-Atlantic Region (QAMAR) hosted an action workshop concerning how much of Pennsylvania’s energy comes from renewable sources such as wind, solar, and geothermal. Nearly 70 people participated in the virtual workshop. At this link, you can see a video of the presentation by Liz Robinson (CPMM) and Bruce Birchard (CPMM) as well as view the slide deck and find additional background information. Climate and Money: A Guide to Fossil Fuel Divestment and Reinvestment. Friend Jennie Ratcliffe and fellow members of Durham (NC) Meeting’s Earthcare Witness Committee prepared this guide. It provides information about the what and the why of divestment, which banks, or funds to divest from, and how to divest and reinvest in a more livable world. The guide is available at the website of Quaker Earthcare Witness (QEW). BeFriending Creation Here is the latest edition of the Quaker Earthcare Witness (QEW) quarterly newsletter. Read online or download the pdf and be inspired by how Friends in North America are building community to address the climate and biodiversity crises. Inside the Greenhouse Inside the Greenhouse is Friends Committee on National Legislation’s monthly newsletter on energy and the environment. Read the September 2024 issue and previous issues at the FCNL website. PYM Funds for Suffering. This PYM granting group provides help to PYM members who experience financial hardship occasioned by obedience to the leadings of God’s spirit, or to conscience, consistent with Quaker testimonies. Download the Fund for Sufferings Fact Sheet [PDF] for application details. Grants can go to individuals only, not organizations, but requests for assistance can come from the individual concerned, from a Monthly Meeting on behalf of an individual, or in special cases from some person or group close to the person in need of assistance. If time allows, the request should be in writing. If urgent, and unable to reach the Clerk at the number listed, email Grants@pym.org. Applications are considered on a rolling basis; there are no deadlines for applications. The group email is FundForSufferings@pym.org. Quaker Earthcare Witness (QEW) Mini-Grants. Quaker Earthcare Witness (QEW) is a network of Quakers seeking to live in right relationship with Earth and in unity with nature. The QEW Mini-Grants Committee provides small matching grants to help fund Friends’ projects that put this principle into practice. We are looking for projects to support, especially those that help with providing food, involve youth, or help with challenging racial/ethnic barriers. If your Quaker organization is doing a project that meets our criteria, we invite you to apply. If you are an individual Quaker, involved with a project that meets our criteria, perhaps your Meeting could adopt the project. This would enable us to fund you. We can only fund through Quaker Meetings, Churches, Camps, Schools, etc. Matching grants are now available in amounts up to $1,500. More details are on the Mini-Grant application form. |
| Subscribe to PYM Peace & Social Justice Network
The Eco-Justice newsletter is distributed by Philadelphia Yearly Meeting through the Peace & Social Justice Network. Please sign up to continue to receive the information that interests you by filling out your name and check the “Peace & Social Justice” list via the PYM subscription link. |
| If you are having difficulty with your subscription to the Eco-Justice Newsletter, please contact Patricia Finley or Ruth Darlington, co-clerks of the Eco-Justice Collaborative.
Please visit the Eco-Justice Collaborative website. |
