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Monday, August 02, 2010
Strong Climate Law Essential
By Sister Joan Brown, Osf
Executive Director, New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light
On any given day in the Journal there are numerous pieces relating to concerns of water, climate change, environment, energy use, new renewable energy and energy efficiency jobs and businesses. For example, in last Tuesday's edition I counted at least a dozen pieces.
From what I read in the Journal there is a desire for new energy jobs and an environment for the children and the future. I even pick up that we in New Mexico care about our brothers and sisters.
If there is so much concern for life, earth, our water, the future on this one precious planet, why does it seem nearly impossible to pass a comprehensive climate bill in Congress? Senate leadership has announced that, after months of work to craft legislation, the Senate will not take up a comprehensive energy and climate bill before the August recess.
Where are the ears to hear and the eyes to see? The good people of this country are still grappling with an oil catastrophe that will affect the shores of the Gulf and families for decades, families are still grieving the loss of breadwinners in a major coal mining tragedy, and the summer's heat waves contribute to making the last six months the hottest in many areas.
Instead of addressing these concerns and many others through a comprehensive climate change and clean energy legislation, lobbyists with more resources than most of us can imagine have stalled any meaningful legislation.
People are tired. People are tired of the lack of moral integrity of leaders who do not look after the future of the children, and all that God has created on this amazing place we live, Earth.
Are our elected representatives incapable of addressing the greatest environmental crisis of our generation? How do we explain this to our children when they ask? How do we explain this to people from other countries who are waiting for us to act?
I work with people of faith who have urged our senators to act, and to invest in alternatives to burning oil and coal. Polls indicate Americans want a strong climate bill that addresses global warming, but our leaders are not listening, and they are not seeing.
We are still waiting, and indeed, the world is waiting.
Our senators and President Obama have a responsibility not just to do what is easy, or what is politically expedient, but to do what is right.
It is time for moral leadership.
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