Earth Ministry / Washington Interfaith Power & Light

Earth Ministry/WA IPL

For a Just and Sustainable World

Category: News

For Everything There is a Season: A message from Executive Director LeeAnne Beres and the Board Executive Committee

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Dear Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light community, As it is said in Ecclesiastes, “For everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” After 16 years of pouring my heart and soul into Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light (WAIPL), I’m writing to let you know that the time has come for me to move on as Executive Director. My last day serving this community will be August 31. Photo credit: peter.more

Historic summit of tribes across Pacific Northwest presses dam removal on Inslee, Biden, Congress

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In a historic gathering of more than 15 Indian nations, tribal leaders from around the Northwest called for immediate action to save endangered orcas and the salmon they depend on. The call for salmon and orca recovery was joined by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington, who each stated dam removal on the Lower Snake River, a tributary of the Columbia, must remain on the table and a comprehensive solution quickly reached to save salmon and orcas from extinction.

Clean Cars Petition to Gov. Inslee

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Earth Ministry/WAIPL is joining with the Faith Action Network and our other partners in the Clean Cars campaign to petition Gov. Inslee, asking him to honor the desire of the legislature and the electorate by issuing an executive order setting forth the Clean Cars 2030 EV target.

We’re Hiring a Multifaith Outreach Coordinator!

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Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light seeks a part-time Multifaith Outreach Coordinator responsible for supporting our Greening Congregations and Colleague Connection programs. The position will cultivate new partnerships in Washington State with an emphasis on outreach to Jewish communities, and engage existing Earth Ministry/WAIPL congregations and Colleagues (congregational activists). Flexible 20 hrs/week schedule that includes some evenings and weekends. $22-$24/hour, generous vacation/sick leave, and cost-share health insurance available.

NW tribes want to be at the table for green energy planning

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When green energy projects bloom across Washington, many are on cultural sites important to tribes in the region. The Yakama Nation’s director of natural resources feels torn about the increasing number of windmills and dams in his tribe’s ancestral territories. While Phil Rigdon (Yakama) supports the pursuit of greener energy sources, he has also been part of the tribe’s opposition to these developments when they negatively impact cultural sites. Their concerns are not often heard by developers.

What you need to know about PFAS in food packaging

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Check out these graphics for everything you need to know about PFAS in food packaging in WA and the Department of Ecology's current open comment period on the scope of their 2nd alternatives assessment on PFAS in food packaging. Don't forget to submit your comment at bit.ly/EMpfas2AA by June 30, 2021!

US Supreme Court dismisses last legal appeal for Washington state coal export proposal

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This press release from the Power Past Coal coalition, which Earth Ministry/WAIPL is part of, celebrates the end of the proposed Millenium Bulk Exports coal terminal in Longview, WA after the coal industry's last remaining legal appeal was dismissed by the Supreme Court. The Rev. Kathleen Patton, an Episcopal priest in Longview, was also quoted in the press release.

Honoring Juneteenth

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Today, June 19, we honor Juneteenth, the date when news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached the last community of Black Americans who were still enslaved over two years after being freed by President Lincoln. It is a day that recognizes Black freedom and Black resistance.

“Senator Murray: Breach This Dam” Thursday night light projection by Nimiipuu Nez Perce Tribal Members on Lower Snake

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As dusk fell Thursday night 6/17 on the Snake River, members of the Nimiipuu Nez Perce tribe gathered at Lower Granite Dam with stories about why a free flowing river is critically important for tribal sovereignty. Their messages were amplified with an illuminated banner that says “Honor Treaties” and spotlights projecting messages to save wild salmon, respect treaty rights, and remove the 4 dams on the Lower Snake.

Advocacy Update: Vetoes, Statements, and Letters – Oh My!

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Well, we’re not in Kansas anymore Dorothy! The dust is settling from our spring advocacy efforts – many thanks to all of you who put your faith into action with Earth Ministry / Washington Interfaith Power & Light. Before we all are swept up in summer fun, here’s an update of where things stand with our work for environmental justice in Washington State.

PFAS in Food Packaging

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In 2018 Earth Ministry/WAIPL helped pass a bill to ban food packaging containing toxic PFAS chemicals. The Department of Ecology is now implementing that law by conducting a series of “alternatives assessments” before retailers are required to stop using food packaging with PFAS. Unfortunately, this process is slow going. Right now, Ecology is accepting comments on the scope of their second PFAS alternatives assessment. We are reminding the agency that their decisions and timeline have real implications for the health of human families and ecosystems.

Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians’ Salmon and River Restoration Resolution

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Calling on the President of the United States and the 117th Congress to seize the once-in-a-lifetime congressional opportunity to invest in salmon and river restoration in the Pacific Northwest, charting a stronger, better future for the Northwest, and bringing long-ignored tribal justice to our peoples and homelands.

Earth Ministry/WAIPL works within the unceded territories of Northwest Native nations. Our office is on the traditional land of the first people of Seattle, the Duwamish People past and present. Land acknowledgement is one way to resist erasure of Indigenous histories as well as to honor tribes and the land itself.