Advocacy 

PEC Joins  Carbon Covenant – This new partnership helps fight global warming while improving life for those who bear its brunt.  Through this partnership, PEC is sponsoring a project in Cameroon with The Carbon Covenant, a program of Interfaith Power and Light (IPL) that links faith communities in the Global north and south in a common commitment to curb global warming and help mitigate its impact on vulnerable people.

• Help defend the Clean Air Act before a vote this week!  It is under attack by a resolution by Sen. Lisa Murkowski to gut the clean air act's authority to regulate dirty coal.  Click here to send your message to congress.
  
• "Communities on the Horizon" a new online network to network, inform and resource communities affected by the Gulf/BP oil spill
• NCC Eco Justice's Prayers for the Gulf
  
• Eco/Social Justice, Haiti, and PC (USA) Disaster Relief
• Mountaintop Coal Removal Takes a Hit!
  
• Mountaintop Coal Removal and Clean Water - NCCC Eco-Justice Program
• Hurricane Relief and Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) Program 2010
  
• GA: General Assembly Advocacy
• Climate Change and Public Health - Slide show presentation by Dr. Howard Frumkin of CDC (presented at the 2009 PEC Faith & Environment Conference)
  
  If your presbytery is meeting before May 19, 2010 it is able to concur with one or both the two environmental overtures that PEC is aware of that will be brought to General Assembly (GA). Concurrence is a demonstration of grassroots support and it also provides the opportunity for valuable education in your presbytery. It needs to happen at least 45 days before General Assembly, July 2-10, 2010 in Minneapolis, MN. The two overtures are described below. Also, if you are a commissioner to GA, you may submit a Commissioner’s Resolution from the floor. The PEC Advocacy Team would like to assist you, and we have some ideas on what topics would be especially valuable. Send an e-mail to jehrestore@aol.com.
  
  1. On February 13, the Presbytery of Charlotte approved an overture to Reaffirm the “Call to Restore Creation” from the 1990 GA policy Restoring Creation for Ecology and Justice” in recognition of its continuing importance, and the crucial work remaining on the 20th anniversary of this policy. Download the  Restoring Creation Overture.
  
  2. In January 2010, the Presbytery of South Louisiana voted to overture GA to support a theologically grounded education program focused on Gulf Coast wetlands restoration, to examine the role of corporations and institutions in the destruction of the wetlands and to advocate for policies to restore land lost to coastal erosion in southern deltaic regions of Louisiana. If your presbytery or congregation votes to support the overture, please let Kristina Peterson of Bayou Blue Presbyterian Church know at krajeskipeterson@msn.com or 304-266-2517. She can send you a coastal land loss map for your meeting or study group. Download the Wetlands Overture.
  

Why Advocacy?

"To see the world through the eyes of Christ as we are called to do, we must acknowledge, understand and accept responsibility for our connectedness to each other in the human family. Decisions of public policy have an effect for good or ill on our brothers and sisters. Politics is the business of structuring how we behave in out life together. It is the inevitable means by which we as individuals and as groups love our neighbors."

From How Should Christians Be Involved in the Public Area: A Study Guide for Presbyterian Congregations, by Elaine Saum, Presbyterian Peacemaking Program.

PEC engages in advocacy in several ways. As an organization we sign petitions, endorse campaigns and write letters to decision-makers. We also encourage and support members to engage in the public policy advocacy. In addition, PEC helps to draft overtures for General Assembly and informs membership of how they can be involved in supporting and developing resolutions and actions at the presbytery level.  PEC’s Advocacy Team helps to guide the organization's advocacy efforts and develops action alerts and resources to help Presbyterians be faithful advocates for God’s creation and God’s people.

PEC Advocacy Papers

Read PEC NE regional representative and author, Rev. John Preston's new article on Presbyterian perspectives on environmental advocacy:   Social Policy Advocacy from a Presbyterian Earth Care Perspective

Advocating at the Presbytery Level

There are many opportunities at the presbytery level to raise awareness of important environmental concerns and to provide a faith voice at the local and state levels.  Communication channels including e-mails and newsletters get the word out about putting faith into action in the public square for earth care around specific issues.  Presbytery ministry teams or committees can develop advocacy resolutions either confirming a policy that was passed by a recent general assembly or concurring with the overture of another presbytery. 

It is important to prepare well, and build strong relationships with decision-makers, both staff and volunteers in your presbytery.

Stories of Presbytery Advocacy:

Baltimore Presbytery
Presbytery of Greater Atlanta
Presbytery of the Cascades

PEC's Advocacy History

• 2010 - Working for strong energy and climate policies at the state and national levels.
• 2009 – Endorsed 350.org, a global climate action movement leading up to the international climate talks in Copenhagen, calling for a strong climate treaty.
• 2008 – 218th General Assembly: Advocated for the passage of The Power to Change: U.S. Energy Policy and Global Warming, a major update of PC (USA) energy policy in light of global warming, and an overture.  It also advocated for the re-establishing of an environmental office in the General Assembly of the PC (USA).
• 2007 - Passed a resolution at its conference at Mo Ranch, urging its membership to call for the reestablishment of Eco-Justice Ministries at the PC (USA) national office.  The office had been closed due to budget cuts in 2006.  Several presbyteries submitted overtures or concurred with others requesting the re-establishment of the office.  The new Office of Environmental Ministries opened in 2009 with a full-time coordinator.
• 2006 – Supported a resolution urging Presbyterians and their congregations to work towards living carbon neutral lives.
• 2005 - Advocated against drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, against the deletion of domestic environmental programs in the president's proposed Federal Budget, for protection from harmful chemicals in personal care products, and for a strong Endangered Species Act.   Also signed and supported ecumenical statements on caring for creation, such as "God's Mandate: Care for Creation" and "God's Earth is Sacred."
• 2004 - Advocated within the church for policies on overpopulation, emissions requirements and limited water resources. 

Within larger society, PEC has advocated for such environmental protections as:

• keeping dangerous chemicals out of personal care products in California
• stopping the privatization of Ghana's water
• protecting wild salmon in the Pacific Northwest
• upholding current national policies including the Endangered Species Act and the Roadless Area Conservation Rule
• endorsing the Earth Charter
• signing and supporting ecumenical statements on caring for God's creation, such as "God's Mandate: Care for Creation" and "God's Earth is Sacred"
• advocating
• against drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
• against the deletion of domestic environmental programs in the President's proposed Federal Budget
• for protection from harmful chemicals in personal care products
• for a strong Endangered Species Act
  

Join the Presbyterian Washington Office in its public policy witness:

• Use the Christian and Citizen guide.
• Read the Issue Brief on  Environment and Energy
  
• Visit the Presbyterian Legislative Action Center to e-mail your members of congress.
• Read the bi-monthly Washington Report.
• Sign up for email updates, Witness in Washington Weekly and Washington Report to Presbyterians at www.pcusa.org/washington.
  

Coming Soon: Brochure on PC (USA) Environmental Policy Positions

Overture for new Presbyterian environmental policies: If you would like to see the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) take new stands on environmental concerns, talk with your church session and presbytery. Feel free to consult PEC for help in the process.

Recommended Links:

Interfaith Power and Light
National Council of Churches: Eco-Justice Program
World Council of Churches, Climate Program
Ecumenical Water Network
Faith and Public Life
Bread for the World
National Religious Coalition on Creation Care
Presbyterian Eco-Justice E-mail