Faith-Based Climate Action News, 4-8-23

To help assess the engagement of UUFC members and friends in faith-based climate action and to encourage such action, please anonymously share the number of the actions below you take this week. Optionally, you may anonymously also share other recent climate action. <Share>

Sat 8 Apr

From: UUs for Social Justice <link>

Act For A Climate-Smart Farm Bill. This year, as faith-based actors, we have an essential role in showcasing that faith advocates see a moral imperative for a proposal that shifts to a greener, more sustainable, regenerative approach. Please take action: Review our Handout, send a message using our <online letter platform>, and distribute an Action Poster.

From: Interfaith Power & Light <link>

Join us in calling on Toyota to stop lobbying against climate change provisions and join other automakers in pledging to deliver 100% electric vehicles by 2035! . Toyota ranked among the “world’s most obstructive companies on climate policy” of 2022, with oil giants like Exxon Mobil and Chevron. <Toyota: It’s time to answer the call.>

From: Native Organizers Alliance <link>

With the House of Representatives passing HR1 (the “Polluters over People Act”), the bill now moves to the Senate. Although top Senate Democrats and the White House have signaled they’re against the full bill, they may still want to pass a core element of the bill in an effort to fast-track fossil fuel development and extraction. This would roll back foundational environmental laws and regulations that safeguard Native communities. Together, we must demonstrate massive public opposition to HR1 and any actions meant to remove Native voices from critical policy decisions, <Sign & Send>

Action Opportunities from recent weeks <link>

Do petitions work? <link>.

Petitions can help advance a cause by:

Raising awareness and signaling public opinion to decision-makers, influencing their decisions;
Showing the media that there is a story worth covering;
Helping organizations gain supporters and identify people who may want to get more involved on an issue; and
Providing an accessible avenue for activism and civic engagement, inviting people who might not otherwise get involved in those spaces to participate.

Are Petitions ‘slacktivism’? <link>

Critics have often labeled online petitions as another form of “slacktivism,” pointing to their low-risk nature that doesn’t commit its signers to any further action other than the click of a button. But it’s exactly that ease and accessibility which make petitions powerful tools, Clark-Parsons says. “Both research and anecdotal evidence tell us that most people will not take part in activism that requires great risk or high levels of commitment,” Clark-Parsons said. “What critics refer to as ‘slacktivism’ can actually create an alternative outlet for those who would typically not get involved in any movement at all.” With the help of petitions, organizers and movement leaders can visualize who their supporters are and who are “the people who agree with their mission but aren’t willing to take major actions to support it just yet,” she says.

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Of Note This Week

From: Climate Action Team. Why do Unitarians care about the 2023 Farm Bill?

From: Corvallis Sustainability Coalition: Shift Together campaign to address the climate crisis by helping

everyone in the Corvallis community shift to energy efficiency and renewable energy.

From: UU Ministry for Earth. Monthly (April) Musings

From: The Environmental Voter Project.: Report: The Hidden Potential of Green Voters in Red States

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Upcoming

Sat 15 Apr:

GREEN LIVING HOME & EV EXPO Benton Co. Fairgrounds Auditorium

Learn about the latest in building materials and equipment as well as improved construction methods. A wide variety of vendors will be showing exciting new products. Watch a fun cooking demonstration on an induction stove, tour the Better Building Coach that features energy-saving mechanical systems. Be sure to check out the Renter’s Corner, featuring many moveable items geared to make your life better. <Press Release> <Flyer>

Sun 16 Apr:

Earth Month service @ UUFC. Building relationships through care for our Earth

Tue 18 Apr, 10:00 AM

Interfaith Power & Light Farm Bill webinar.

As people of faith and conscience, we are called to promote the dignity and worth of all people. The Farm Bill — an enormous multibillion-dollar agriculture and nutrition bill passed every five years, presents a unique opportunity to create solutions that better protect our planet, and support farmers as they grow and harvest healthy food for all. For too long, powerful corporations have influenced what farmers grow, often pushing farms towards conventional agricultural practices that contribute to harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Through the Farm Bill, Congress can champion a transition to support farmers towards more sustainable practices that help mitigate climate change, instead of contributing to it. It is imperative we shift our agricultural policies to better support farmers in creating a more sustainable and just future for all of our neighbors. <Register>

Thu 20 Apr .5:00 PM

UU Ministry for Earth EARTH DAY WORSHIP

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