{"id":14100,"date":"2020-12-23T11:41:27","date_gmt":"2020-12-23T19:41:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/earthministry.org\/staging\/?p=14100"},"modified":"2021-10-25T15:43:07","modified_gmt":"2021-10-25T22:43:07","slug":"earth-ministrys-2020-recap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/earthministry.org\/earth-ministrys-2020-recap\/","title":{"rendered":"Earth Ministry&#8217;s 2020 Recap"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Thank you to everyone who attended Earth Ministry\u2019s Year-End Gathering! Nearly 50 members of our community came together to reflect on 2020 and look toward to the year ahead. If you were not able to join us,&nbsp;here is a&nbsp;written version of&nbsp;Earth Ministry\u2019s year-in-review&nbsp;presentation.&nbsp;<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-medium\"><a href=\"https:\/\/earthministry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Year-End-Gathering.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/earthministry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Year-End-Gathering-300x300.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14913\" srcset=\"https:\/\/earthministry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Year-End-Gathering-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/earthministry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Year-End-Gathering-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/earthministry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Year-End-Gathering-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/earthministry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Year-End-Gathering-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/earthministry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Year-End-Gathering-200x200.png 200w, https:\/\/earthministry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Year-End-Gathering.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Community Within COVID<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Changed plans&nbsp;to&nbsp;celebrate the 50th&nbsp;anniversary of Earth Day, compiling an&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=t5hRyGI-9MA&amp;t=737s\">Earth Day interfaith video message<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;hosting&nbsp;Zoom gatherings&nbsp;<\/li><li>Community members sent in photos&nbsp;when quarantine began&nbsp;\u2013 see posts on Facebook and Instagram&nbsp;<\/li><li>Compiled&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/earthministry.org\/covid-19-coronavirus-resources\/\">COVID-19 resources<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;just recovery&nbsp;letter to Congress&nbsp;<\/li><li>Offered&nbsp;of&nbsp;Active Hope&nbsp;event&nbsp;online&nbsp;<\/li><li>Created&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/earthministry.org\/environmental-justice-is-racial-justice\/\">Earth Ministry\u2019s&nbsp;Black Lives Matter statement<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li><li>Produced a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/earthministry.org\/summer-2020-earth-letter\/\">Sustaining Community&nbsp;themed&nbsp;<em>Earth Letter<\/em><\/a>&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Earth Ministry\u2019s 2020-2025 Strategic Plan<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Board approved new 5-year strategic plan&nbsp;<\/li><li>Publicly shared an&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/earthministry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Earth-Ministry-Strategic-Plan-Summary-2020-2025.pdf\">executive summary<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/earthministry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Earth-Ministry-Strategic-Plan-2020-2025-Full.pdf\">full plan<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li><li>Introduced a new, more inclusive logo&nbsp;<\/li><li>Welcomed first Jewish and Unitarian Universalist board members&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Congregational Support<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Season of waiting while congregations adjusted to online life&nbsp;<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fastcompany.com\/90468537\/meet-the-christians-giving-up-carbon-for-lent\">Article in Fast Company<\/a>&nbsp;re: congregational greening and advocacy&nbsp;<\/li><li>Co-sponsored the Faith&nbsp;In&nbsp;Place Green Team Summit&nbsp;<\/li><li>Made the switch to Zoom workshops&nbsp;<\/li><li>Accompanied&nbsp;3 new Greening Congregations in process&nbsp;<\/li><li>Launched net zero carbon congregations&nbsp;networking space&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Faithful <strong>Advocacy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2020 Washington State Legislative Session<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Together we helped pass&#8230;<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Climate Pollution Limits Act (HB 2311)&nbsp;<ul><li>Update the state\u2019s greenhouse gas limits to reflect current science and lay groundwork to reach net zero carbon emissions and beyond.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>The Safer Firefighting Foam Act (HB 2265)&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul><li>Remove exemptions for oil refineries and chemical plants previously in WA\u2019s first-in-the-nation-ban of firefighting foam containing toxic PFAS chemicals.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>The Reusable Bag Act (SB 5323)&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul><li>Eliminate thin carry-home plastic bags at all retail establishments to help Washington address a growing recycling crisis.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Salmon<\/strong><strong>&nbsp;Recovery<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Lower Snake River Salmon<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Jan: Three Lower Snake River Stakeholder Process meetings (John R &amp; LeeAnne)&nbsp;<\/li><li>Feb:&nbsp;Outreach trip to&nbsp;Shalmon&nbsp;UCC in Richland,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/klcc.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net\/post\/climate-stewardship-connects-eastern-washington-faith-and-farming-legislative-action\">covered by NPR<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li><li>March: Columbia River Systems Operations Draft Environmental Impact Statement&nbsp;<ul><li>DEIS did not recommend dam removal,&nbsp;won\u2019t&nbsp;fulfill treaties\/save salmon&nbsp;<\/li><li>6 hearings moved to&nbsp;teleconferences,&nbsp;faith leaders testified&nbsp;<\/li><li>122 written comments&nbsp;through Earth Ministry&nbsp;<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.inlander.com\/spokane\/environmental-groups-question-why-important-decisions-are-moving-forward-as-public-is-distracted-with-covid-19-closures\/Content?oid=19456050\">Article in the Inlander<\/a>&nbsp;featuring&nbsp;pastor from Spokane&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>June-Aug:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/earthministry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Earth-Ministry-6th-CD-Faith-Salmon-Letter-with-signees.pdf\">6th&nbsp;District faith leader community letter<\/a>&nbsp;to US Rep. Derek Kilmer asking for collaborative leadership, signed by 77 and delivered with a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/earthministry.org\/press-release-6th-district-support-for-salmon\/\">joint press release<\/a>. Met with Rep. Kilmer in Aug and Oct, establishing ongoing relationship with his office.&nbsp;<\/li><li>Sept: Organization letter sent to 17 key&nbsp;state&nbsp;legislators thanking them for supporting the stakeholder process and asking them to support Gov. Inslee\u2019s new collaboration with 3 other Governors&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><li>Sept-Oct: 2 webinars on a faith-based approach to salmon recovery \u2013&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/earthministry.org\/salmon-event-recordings\/\">recordings available here<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li><li>Sept-Dec: Statewide salmon sign-on letter to Senators Murray and Cantwell&nbsp;signed by 452&nbsp;and delivered&nbsp;in&nbsp;virtual meetings&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>&nbsp;Chehalis River Dam&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>New dam proposed on the Chehalis River for flood reduction. It will not provide electricity or completely prevent flooding. The Quinault and Chehalis tribes are both opposed to the dam, as well as&nbsp;the Chehalis Alliance&nbsp;<\/li><li>May: 138 comments on the project\u2019s state DEIS&nbsp;through Earth Ministry&nbsp;<\/li><li>Win: Gov. Inslee directed agencies to assess a non-dam alternative. Also requested improved communications with tribes.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Climate&nbsp;<\/strong><strong>Action&nbsp;<\/strong><strong>and&nbsp;<\/strong><strong>Fossil Fuel<\/strong><strong>&nbsp;Projects<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Kalama Methanol&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>World\u2019s largest&nbsp;fracked-gas-to-methanol refinery&nbsp;proposed&nbsp;in Kalama along Columbia River&nbsp;<\/li><li>Sept-Oct: Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul><li>Stated that&nbsp;the project will have a large climate impact but justified&nbsp;it by speculating that it would be less emissions than potential alternative sources.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><li>3 hearings,&nbsp;Earth Ministry&nbsp;hosted pre-hearing training, 9 faith leaders testified, 148 comments&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>&nbsp;Tacoma LNG&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Stay motion to pause construction denied \u2013 appeal ongoing&nbsp;<\/li><li>Joint appeal of Clean Air Permit by Puyallup Tribe and&nbsp;environmental partners&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;legal&nbsp;hearings pushed back to March 2021&nbsp;<\/li><li>Sept-now: Screening&nbsp;<em>Ancestral Waters<\/em>&nbsp;by Native Daily Network&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;11&nbsp;screenings completed,&nbsp;4 tentative&nbsp;<\/li><li>Faith community photo petition in solidarity with Puyallup Tribe \u2013&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/media\/set\/?vanity=earthministry&amp;set=a.10158643826017320\">album on Facebook<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>&nbsp;Tacoma&nbsp;Tideflats Interim Regulations&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Interim regs currently protect Tideflats from new fossil fuel projects, we want them strengthened to include expansions of existing facilities&nbsp;<\/li><li>Renewed in May and Oct \u2013 Earth Ministry&nbsp;staff\/board testified at City Council&nbsp;<\/li><li>May: Coalition testimony training \u2013 Earth&nbsp;Ministry&nbsp;&nbsp;taught&nbsp;the advocacy piece and worked with local pastor on sample testimony&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><li>Oct: Council sent interim regs to&nbsp;Planning&nbsp;Commission to make permanent (win)&nbsp;<\/li><li>Sub Area Plan on pause&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">&nbsp;<strong>Seaport Sound Terminal (Tacoma)&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Fossil fuel storage and transport facility in Tacoma wants to expand capacity for storage. We asked the City to&nbsp;make a determination&nbsp;of significance for more review of impacts.&nbsp;<ul><li>Sept: 10 comments by&nbsp;people of faith in&nbsp;Tacoma,&nbsp;staff&nbsp;testified at public meeting&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>&nbsp;Fossil Free King County&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>July: King County Council voted to make permanent the ban on new fossil fuel infrastructure that we originally helped pass in 2019&nbsp;<ul><li>Earth Ministry submitted an organizational comment and&nbsp;staff&nbsp;testified&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Toxic<\/strong><strong>&nbsp;Chemical Reform<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>PFAS Drinking Water Standard&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Dec 2019: Staff\/board attended public meetings in Spokane, Mt. Vernon, and Tacoma&nbsp;<\/li><li>March:&nbsp;faith community&nbsp;comments on draft drinking water standard&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><li>Aug: Toxic Free Legacy Coalition letter expressing dismay at delay&nbsp;<\/li><li>Sept: Board of Health public meeting&nbsp;<\/li><li>Hearings scheduled for March 2021&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>&nbsp;PFAS Chemical Action Plan&nbsp;(CAP)&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Nov: Draft CAP released, open for comment through&nbsp;Jan 4,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/secure.everyaction.com\/FikQ-qRUEkem-_-FKqCAUQ2\">Earth Ministry comment form<\/a>&nbsp;<ul><li>Nov 11: Hosted&nbsp;PFAS&nbsp;advocacy training,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=EmBLiCxFVRU&amp;t=8s\">recording here<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li><li>3 hearings, faith community represented at each&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"> S<strong>afer Products for Washington\u00a0Act\u00a0Implementation\u00a0<\/strong> <\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Implementation of a bill we helped pass in 2019&nbsp;<\/li><li>Feb: sent 151 postcards from people of faith&nbsp;<\/li><li>Feb:&nbsp;Staff&nbsp;attended King County community stakeholder meeting&nbsp;<\/li><li>Win: expanded priority products that will be considered for PFAS contamination!&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Misc<\/strong><strong>&nbsp;Advocacy<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>128 signed on to our COVID-19 recovery principles sent to their Members of Congress&nbsp;\u2013 ongoing action,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/secure.everyaction.com\/4BruPOi_JkOLuHrAoZI_nA2\">sign here<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li><li>Staff testified at&nbsp;the&nbsp;UTC&nbsp;(Utility and Transportation Commission)&nbsp;to protect people from utility debts, shut offs and unjust fees&nbsp;during COVID-19&nbsp;<\/li><li>Nonpartisan&nbsp;email&nbsp;alerts on voter registration, vote your values, and get out the vote&nbsp;<\/li><li>Endorsed Seattle Proposition 1 to fund transit \u2013 passed!&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thank you to everyone who attended Earth Ministry\u2019s Year-End Gathering! If you were not able to join us, here is a written version of Earth Ministry\u2019s year-in-review presentation. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14689,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,128,130,132,6,33,124,139,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climate-news","category-fossil-fuels-news","category-fracked-gas-news","category-land-use-news","category-news","category-oil-news","category-pfas-news","category-rivers-and-salmon-news","category-toxics-news","comments-off"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/earthministry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Copy-of-Year-End-Gathering-2.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/earthministry.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14100"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/earthministry.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/earthministry.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/earthministry.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/earthministry.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14100"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/earthministry.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14100\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16350,"href":"https:\/\/earthministry.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14100\/revisions\/16350"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/earthministry.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/earthministry.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/earthministry.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14100"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/earthministry.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}