Earth Day Action: Water, Holy Water

Today is Earth Day! How are you and your church community planning to commemorate Earth Day and celebrate God’s beautiful gift of Creation?  Have you chosen a Sunday to hold an Earth Sunday worship service?

Make sure to check out the annual Earth Sunday worship resource from Creation Justice Ministries (formerly the NCC Eco-Justice Program). This year, we are focusing on Water, Holy Water, with which we have been blessed throughout our faith story. “Throughout the Bible, water plays a significant role in helping us understand the nature of God… [from] the crossing of the Red Sea [to] Jesus’ baptism… [from] the woman at the well [to] Jesus describing himself as ‘living water.’”[1] Indeed, water – fresh, clean water – has an essential role in our lives even beyond its spiritual significance. Clean water is essential for life and identified by our faith tradition as a human right. [2]

And in the Reformed tradition, we engage our faith beyond the church walls as well. Take action today to support a new rule that will provide greater protection for U.S. water.

This month, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a draft rule that will provide clarity, protecting streams and wetlands that connect to larger watersheds and protecting the quality of the water that we depend on for drinking, cooking, washing, swimming, and fishing. Under the proposed rule many of the streams and wetlands that were historically covered under the Clean Water Act will again be covered. The proposed rule works within the more narrow definition of "waters of the United States" given by the two Supreme Court rulings and clarifies that under the Clean Water Act:

• Most seasonal and rain-dependent streams are protected.
•  Wetlands near rivers and streams are protected.
• Other types of waters that have less certain connections with downstream will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine if their connection to overall water quality is significant. 

The process opens the rule up for public comment, so this is a great opportunity to weigh in for a proactive regulation that will protect our water. The EPA needs to hear from you in support of U.S. waters and safe and clean water for all. 

Click here to submit a comment to the EPA.

“The health of rivers, lakes, bays, and coastal waters depend on the streams and wetlands where they begin. Streams and wetlands provide many benefits to communities – they trap floodwaters, recharge groundwater supplies, remove pollution, and provide habitat for fish and wildlife. They are also economic drivers because of their role in fishing, hunting, agriculture, recreation, energy, and manufacturing.” [3]

The most recent Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assembly (2012) acknowledged protection of the environment as vital to the Christian faith, supported a strong and proactive EPA, and affirmed a statement urging strong oversight authority over waters of the U.S. [4]

For more information on the proposed rule, visit the EPA site on Waters of the United States.

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[1] Excerpted from Water, Holy Water, published by Creation Justice Ministries, Earth Sunday Resource, 2014. http://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/50750/p/salsa/web/common/public/signup?signup_page_KEY=7497

[2] 219^th General Assembly (2010), Minutes, p. 332.

[3] Press Release from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “EPA and Army Corps of Engineers Clarify Protection for Nation’s Streams and Wetlands: Agriculture’s Exemptions and Exclusions from Clean Water Act Expanded by Proposal,” Released March 25, 2014.

[4] 220^th General Assembly (2012), Minutes, p. 241.

Join Presbyterian Women in Taking Action for Peace and Justice

The triennial Churchwide Gathering of Presbyterian Women convened yesterday in Orlando, Florida. Office of Public Witness Director J. Herbert Nelson and Fellow Blair Moorhead are among the nearly 2,000 participants at the Gathering, which is exploring the theme "River of Hope." As participants in the Gathering learn about a range of peace and justice issues - from providing access to clean water to ending violence against women - the Office of Public Witness has teamed up with Presbyterian Women to provide immediate advocacy opportunities in the interactive PW Live exhibit.

As the members of Presbyterian Women learn about and take action on important issues of peace and justice, we invite you to add your voice to theirs by taking action now on these important issues:

• Speak Out for Peace in the Sudan: Despite the secession of South Sudan from the north, President Omar al-Bashir continues to terrorize the Sudanese people, bombing villages and blockading humanitarian aid from entering targeted areas. The military attacks have displaced civilians, preventing crop production and placing 500,000 people at the risk of starvation. The Sudan Peace, Security, and Accountability Act of 2012 (H.R. 4169) seeks to end Bashir’s campaign of violence and help the Sudanese people. The law would increase engagement with other stakeholders with influence in Sudan; provide assistance to afflicted areas in the country; create tough sanctions to target any person or entity that assists in any way with the exercise of serious human rights violations, including interfering with humanitarian aid, permitting impunity, or providing money, goods or military equipment to the government of Sudan; and would create benchmarks for ending sanctions should the Sudanese government choose to end the violence against its own people and seek peace. Take action now to urge your Representative to support HR 4169.
• Water for the World: The need for adequate drinking water and sanitation remains great. Eighty percent of sickness in the developing world, and the deaths of 4,500 children daily, trace back to contaminated water and inadequate sanitation. Diarrheal dehydration caused by these diseases kills more children than AIDS, malaria and TB combined. In 2005, Congress passed the Water for the Poor Act, which made safe drinking water and sanitation official U.S. foreign policy priorities. To build on this success, a bipartisan group of leaders in the House has introduced the Water for the World Act of 2012 (HR3658). This new legislation would place high-level water leadership at USAID and the State Department, ensure that a significant portion of field personnel have water and sanitation experience, and set a goal of bringing sustainable, safe drinking water and sanitation to 100 million people over the next six years. Contact your Representative urging him or her to co-sponsor the Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act.

The Office of Public Witness invites you to stand with Presbyterian Women as they advocate for these important peace and justice issues by taking action today, and to join us in praying for the participants and leaders at the Churchwide Gathering.

Look for more opportunities to join the Presbyterian Women in advocacy on Saturday!