Environmental Working Group

See also Archive of Back Issues

Current Issue

ACTION ITEM!

Help right away with a post card project of the National Council of Churches. Contact Ed Dreby ( 609/261-8190, drebymans@igc.org) who will send as many post card sets as you can use. The purpose is to show Congress there is faith-based support for international agreements and national policies to address climate change. The next round of climate negotiations is this November in the Hague, Netherlands.

[ The text of cards to be sent to two Senators and one Representative states:

"As a person of faith, I believe that when the risks of climate change are examined through the lens of traditional religious values, there is a moral imperative to take action. These religious values include the goodness of God's creation, concern for our neighbors, the stewardship of creation, and justice for all people.

There is scientific consensus that climate change is real and that its major cause is the burning of fossil fuel. I urge you to support a Clean Energy Agenda that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by requiring clean cars, clean power plants, funding for wind and solar power, and ending subsidies for coal, oil and nuclear power, while providing assistance and job retraining for affected workers.

I urge you to support the Kyoto Protocol. an important step in protecting and restoring God's creation."

There is also a card to send to the Eco-Justice Working Group. Members of the Group will be present in the Hague to personally report to the US delegation on the cards sent to members of Congress. ]

Help recruit monthly meeting contact persons.

There are now 57 monthly meetings with identified contact persons (see list below). If your meeting is not listed and you are willing to be or to find a contact person, please let us know. Someone may also call you. There are approximately 500 Friends meetings and churches, so we have about 450 contact person slots open. You could work with us in systematic ways to expand QEW's list of meeting contact people.

Help elicit support for Friends Committee on National Legislation to work on "an earth restored."

QEW's first specific project has been to encourage monthly meetings to participate in FCNL's review of its legislative priorities, and express support for priorities relating to "an earth restored." We also asked meetings to consider policies to deal with global warming as a possible priority. The indications are that QEW's efforts have resulted in a significant increase in monthly meeting participation,and that concerns for "an earth restored" have been stronger and more focused than in past years.

At its annual meeting in November, FCNL will consider a recommendation that as soon as funds can be raised for this purpose a lobbyist be added to its staff to work on "seeking an earth restored." We hope the General Committee unites with this recommendation. If it does, we will soon be asking for your help in finding Friends who will make additional contributions to FCNL for this purpose.

Help produce and distribute the Quaker Eco-Bulletin.

This project, begun by the Environmental Working Group of Phila YM, is now in QEW's hands. QEW wants to continue QEB but we need people to work with us in order to do it. Can you write for QEB? serve on an editorial task force? Be a resource about particular issues?

Help QEW establish working relationships with YM committees.

Help QEW develop a Friendly interactive website for legislative action alerts in collaboration with FCUN.

Help explore ways that Friends, through QEW, can assist the projects of the Inter-Religious Center for Corporate Responsibility, or other forms of faith-based witness to US corporations on ecological concerns.

Help determine how QEW can be a voice for Friends concerned about the underlying conflict between our species' ecological realities and our society's commitment to unlimited economic expansion.

Identify an issue you are led to work on through QEW and ask us to help.

QEW's monthly meeting contacts: