Practice using your voice; it is your superpower!

Thank you to all who partook in celebrating World Ocean Day and Waterspirit’s Walk for Water yesterday!

Today, a call echoes through the winds and waters urging that we rise in spiritual unity and civic action. At this pivotal moment, there are billions of dollars budgeted at the congressional level to deadly, dirty, water intensive false solutions that threaten our sacred waterways and perpetuate environmental harm. The deceptive allure of Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) or Carbon Capture Utilization and Sequestration (CCUS) as well as pending Hydrogen Hubs are scheduled to be funded through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Communities are growing increasingly concerned and speaking up and out. For example, WWNO- New Orleans public radio reported that the “Public outcry against carbon capture in Louisiana growing.”

What limited opportunities exist to comment before regulatory agencies, such as the Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, etc. and disrupt the notion that, for instance, Capital & Main reports, “Pennsylvania landowners could be forced to accept carbon dioxide burial on their land,” we must partake.

Environmental justice advocates, landowners, and increasingly, courageous first responders who learn about the lack of safety measures and preparedness have resoundingly rejected these false solutions. Yet, their voices are often drowned out by the relentless march towards funding these false solutions. This is where our VOICES in advocacy come into the fold.

Amidst this shadowed landscape, there are windows of opportunity. Let us unite in solidarity with communities across the land, amplifying the voices of those most burdened by the ravages of climate crises and environmental racism.

Waterspirit has several opportunities for you on our Calls to Action Page where you may “Sign a Letter” make a phone call, write, and more. Remember, water and air know no bounds! We encourage you to use this Calls to Action tool regularly to help grow support for sacred water and a just and stable future for the northeast region and beyond.

BREAKING: NJ Governor Murphy Signed Bill to Gut the Open Public Records Act (OPRA)

As guardians of the sacred waters and advocates for climate justice, Waterspirit is deeply disappointed and concerned over the Governor's decision to sign S2930/A4045. Our organization is dedicated to protecting the sanctity of water and advancing climate justice through our programs and advocacy efforts. Transparency is an essential standard of our work, enabling us to fulfill our mission with integrity and accountability.

The lack of transparency surrounding the signing of this legislation casts a shadow over our democracy and undermines the trust of the voters. In a time where the health of our planet and communities is at stake, transparency is not just a principle but a necessity for informed decision-making and meaningful public engagement.

As we navigate ongoing challenges posed by climate crisis and environmental degradation, it is imperative that government actions are transparent and in alignment with interconnectedness and justice. Without transparency, the voices of the people, the wisdom of the land, and the spirit of water risk being silenced and disregarded.

May our leaders uphold the principles of transparency, accountability, and ethical governance in all decision-making processes. Let us honor the interconnectedness of all beings and the sacredness of water by fostering a culture of openness and dialogue that empowers communities to participate in shaping a more just and sustainable future.

On this somber day for democracy, let us remember that our actions today will be remembered by future generations. May we act together in solidarity, guided by the wisdom of the waters and the urgency of climate justice, as we strive for a more transparent and equitable world for all.

Transparency, Accountability, and Growth

Join us in in protecting our Earth and holding accountable those who threaten its well-being.

Knowledge is power. How may we partake in oversight of polluters and ensure environmental justice if not for some level of government transparency? The most pressing call to action right now in New Jersey is for Governor Murphy to uphold transparency in government, by VETOing the harmful S2930/A4045 which would gut the Open Public Records Act (OPRA). Call 609-292-6000, Text 732-605-5445 and Send NJ’s Governor this Waterspirit inspired letter, and pass it on. (Visit our Calls to Action for more ways to support sacred water and a livable future in this region!) The Governor has not yet taken action, has not indicated what he will do -veto or sign-and the clarion call is echoing across media: this bad bill shall not pass.

We have a moral obligation to protect Earth and preserve its sacred natural resources. The desecration of our lands, waters, and air by polluters driven by greed is a violation of the sacred trust we hold with the Earth and future generations.

Of note on the subject of broad transparency toward environmental justice is last Thursday, Senate Budget Chairperson Senator Whitehouse (RI) and House Oversight and Accountability ranking member Representative Raskin (MD) referred their findings of decades long disinformation campaign by big polluters to the Department of Justice via Attorney General Garland. While we must focus on prevention, we must simultaneously support the need for polluters to pay to clean up the mess they knowingly made, which is being inherited by current and future generations of young people.

Embracing truth, even when it is uncomfortable, allows us to learn from mistakes, and evolve into our best selves. Only through facing reality with honesty and courage may we truly progress and reach our full potential. What would it be like if state budgets were prioritized by morality?

Join us as we work to preserve and enhance transparency and environmental justice in New Jersey & beyond! Take Action Today

Our Summer Newsletter is Here!

CLICK HERE to read the pdf of Waterspirit’s exciting summer newsletter. Inside, you’ll find:

  • an article about faith and climate anxiety;

  • an article about mentoring youth activists;

  • fun facts about water and waves;

  • eco-spiritual summer reflections;

  • recognition for our donors who have given in honor of loved ones;

  • plus photos from recent events.

Print newsletters will arrive in the mail next week. If you would prefer to receive a hard copy of the newsletter, please reach out to water@waterspirit.org.

Investing in A Livable Future

Recently the state legislature of Oregon passed a bill into law that would prevent investments in coal related holdings. The power that states and organizations of large financial wealth have and hold can make a big impact toward a livable future. A forthcoming report Banking on Climate Chaos finds that big banks, for instance, spent over $347 billion on fossil fuel expansion in 2023. Zoom in on the Biden Administration’s recent passage of power plant rules, which continue to exclude gas plants.

This moment requires creativity and courage. Some people are using their power of song to sway investors. Waterspirit is proud to share that Sister Susan Francois who is advocating for social justice, is not only doing this great work and supporting NJ’s Fossil Fuel Divestment Act (S198), but is also getting press coverage for her wider ripples of influence.

Read Investor Nuns’ Shareholder Resolutions Aim to Stop Wall Street Financing of Fossil Fuel Development on Indigenous Lands: Faith-Based Climate Advocates’ Transparency Efforts are More Than a Hail Mary via Keerti Gopal, InsideClimateNews.

We often share that if it was not recorded or reported, it did not happen.

Fitting it is that our Calls to Action page prominently features ways for you to take action to SAVE New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act law, through Monday!

Join Waterspirit and our powerful network as we advocate together with love and hope!

Drinking Water Week 2024: We Need Oversight To Ensure Water Quality

This week is Drinking Water Week! This is a great time to raise awareness about the importance of water quality and access. Calling back to the importance of investigating from our blog post last week, we must be ever guarded when it comes to holding our representatives accountable to representing all of the people, not a few or for self-interest gains. Laws are only as effective as they are implemented.

URGENT ACTION IN NJ: We must lend attention to tomorrow’s hearing of S-2930 Thursday, May 9 at 10 am in the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. Its companion, A-4045, will be heard on Friday, May 10 at 12 pm in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Passage of these bills may set up for floor votes in both chambers on Monday, May 13th, which will determine if residents will have access -however costly-to transparency in the notoriously corrupt state. (Take Action Below)

Let us be reminded that New Jersey’s representatives do not reflect the lived experiences of the majority of their constituents in 2024. For those who may show up, please do; you make a difference when you show up.

Pope Francis helps us think about the lucidity required for this moment in time:

“28. We need to rethink among other things the question of human power, its meaning and its limits. For our power has frenetically increased in a few decades. We have made impressive and awesome technological advances, and we have not realized that at the same time we have turned into highly dangerous beings, capable of threatening the lives of many beings and our own survival. Today it is worth repeating the ironic comment of Solovyov about an “age which was so advanced as to be actually the last one”. [22] We need lucidity and honesty in order to recognize in time that our power and the progress we are producing are turning against us. [23] “ Laudate Deum

ACTION STEPS TO DEFEND OPRA from our friends at League of Women Voters NJ:

  1. SHOW UP AND BE HEARD: Attend Thursday's Committee Meeting and Testify. Let us know you are coming and request additional information here!              

  2. APPLY PRESSURE: Call your legislators and urge them to vote no! Use this call script to make your case.

  3. EMAIL YOUR LEGISLATORS: bit.ly/protectopra. Visit our social media pages @lwvnj to share the action alert with your networks. 

  4. STAY READY: A4045 will also be scheduled for a committee hearing in the Assembly. This could happen as early as Monday 5/13. 

 Join Us! Water@waterspirit.org