On August 8, 2021, the 51th anniversary of the forcible taking of Salish Sea orca relations from Penn Cove, Washington, ATNI President Leonard Forsman, Tsleil-Waututh Nation Councillor Charlene Aleck, and other guests joined Lummi matriarchs at the “Netse Mot for Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut” virtual event and called for the return of the last surviving stolen orca.
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
This spring, over 130 people of faith asked the Department of Ecology to speed up the phase out of PFAS in food packaging. They heard us and changed their timeline, thanks to you!
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.
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.
Join Earth Ministry/WAIPL in supporting the Lummi elder-led campaign to bring captive Southern Resident orca Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut home from the Miami Seaquarium. We invite you to tweet about Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut using #SacredSeaDaughter.
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.
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.
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!
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.
The Shmita Project Northwest, a project of Congregation Beth Shalom and Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light, invites your congregation to become our partner in educating, inspiring, and building community around bringing Shmita to life in our region.
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.
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.
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.
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.
