New Mexico Oxfam Action Corps

Oxfam Action Corps is recruiting for 2012!

2012-01-03T13:21:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,

Oxfam America is currently recruiting new volunteers for 2012-2013. If you are interested in joining the Oxfam Action Corps please sign up and spread the word by February 14th at http://www.oxfamactioncorps.org/.

Join the Oxfam Action Corps to support women farmers, fight global hunger, and build a better food system! You will meet great people and work together to change laws that can save lives, defend the rights of the world’s poorest farmers, and protect communities from rising food prices and climate change. You will gain leadership skills, have fun, and change the world!

Anybody can join the local effort! All levels of experience are welcome. You can also apply for Oxfam’s free four-day leadership training in Washington D.C. May 12 – May 15.

This year, we will mobilize for the GROW campaign for global food justice. The women and men in poor countries who struggle to grow enough food to feed their families are facing competition for land and water, rising prices, and climate change. We will call for laws that support women and farmers, sustainable practices, and resilience to climate change, and ensure a better future for people in the poorest regions of the world.

This is a year-round volunteer opportunity, with a deadline of February 14 to apply for the spring training. Find out more and sign up at http://www.oxfamactioncorps.org/ .

Check out this video to see what we are all about:

2011-10-16T11:58:00.000-06:00

Oxfam America's website has a feature article about Nelly Velandia, a Colombian farmer who is organizing farmer's markets in Bogota. Nelly is in Iowa right now attending the World Food Prize with several other international farmers. Learn more about Nelly and her project here

School Garden Project Grants Available

2011-10-12T19:14:00.002-06:00

Know of a school in your district who could use $2000 to start or support their existing garden projects? The School Garden Grant Program, a collaboration between Whole Kids Foundation, Whole Foods Market and FoodCorps, can help. For more information about the grant application process, go here.

Stop Monsanto GM Corn from coming to your grocery store!

2011-10-12T18:58:00.006-06:00

Food & Water Watch is currently circulating a petition that expresses concern about Genetically Modified corn being sold when Monsanto is legally allowed to distribute it next year. To learn more about the dangers of GM corn and/or to sign the petition, go here

Canning Power

2011-10-12T18:46:00.003-06:00

Wonderful article with recipes about canning fruits and veggies on NPR. Check it out here

NPR story on Alice Waters

2011-08-22T14:51:00.002-06:00

If you missed the story NPR did on Alice Waters, entitled http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif Alice Waters: 40 years of Sustainable Food you should check it out.

ABQ Cultural Conference

2011-08-09T17:43:00.004-06:00

Action Corps' Organizers have been working with the Albuquerque Cultural Conference since this May to help make the conference more environmentally friendly and to include food justice & fair trade practices. One of our organizers, Shauna Osborn, is also giving a workshop called DIY Digital Activism: Using Alternative and Digital Media for Activism and Advocacy. Be sure to check out the event--many great activists and scholars will be in attendance.

2011-08-03T16:20:00.001-06:00

The problem with biofuels...

2011-07-18T19:57:00.003-06:00

Are biofuels the answer for our global oil addiction? Sadly, no. For a more detailed discussion about the problem with biofuel, check this out.

Oxfam Action Corp will be petitioning lawmakers to keep our crops for food, not fuel. To help, join us and Oxfam's GROW campaign.

Interested in Oxfam Action Corps?

2011-07-12T18:36:00.002-06:00

Across the US, people are connecting with Oxfam America’s global reach and impact through the Oxfam Action Corps. Members of the Action Corps are leading a charge to improve
national legislation and deepen local community resources to fight poverty and injustice.

THE CHALLENGE OF WIDESPREAD POVERTY

Our global community

Forty percent of the people on our planet—more than 2.5 billion—live in poverty, struggling to survive on less than $2 a day. Poverty affects all aspects of people’s lives. For example, global climate change puts poor people at greater risk. Their homes are often least prepared to withstand the destructive force of an earthquake or a hurricane, and they have the fewest resources for recovery. In fact, 97 percent of all natural disaster-related deaths take place in developing countries.

An American perspective

Poverty is not just a crisis in the developing world. Although the US is one of the wealthiest countries, almost 37 million Americans live in poverty. When hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, it exposed how inequitable life is right here at home. Like other poor people, Americans living in poverty are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The Oxfam Action Corps is working to change that.

The Oxfafam Action Corps

Creating solutions
The Oxfam Action Corps is a nonpartisan volunteer initiative. Active in more than a dozen cities nationwide, the Action Corps’s purpose is to inform, inspire, and mobilize public support for policies to end hunger, poverty, and social injustice in the US
and globally.

Solutions are within reach. As an influential nation with the one of world’s largest economies, the US is in a position where even small changes here can have a global impact. The Action Corps aims to organize those who are concerned and generate the political will for local and global solutions. We all have a part to play in resolving the crises of our time.

Making poverty reduction a priority

The Oxfam Action Corps aims to make poverty reduction a national priority. Members organize in their communities and meet with elected representatives to advocate for policy solutions. Their work is informed by Oxfam’s experience and insight in development and anti-poverty efforts in the US and overseas.

What NM Oxfam Action Corps Do:

• Raise public awareness through house parties and other events;
• Organize delegations of concerned people to visit with elected officials;
• Recruit Oxfam supporters at events and concerts;
• Work together with allied organization;
• Conduct petition drives and letter-writing campaigns.

For more information, please come to our next volunteer meeting--July 14th at 7pm at the Flying Star in Nob Hill (near the corner of Amherst and Central) or email us. We look forward to meeting you soon!

NM Foodshed Field School Report July 13

2011-07-08T20:16:00.001-06:00

UNM students will showcase five original media pieces and lead a brief panel discussion regarding research projects they developed during their month studying New Mexico’s food systems. Join us for this special opportunity to gain insight into the state’s flourishing foodshed!

A diverse group of UNM students, including aspiring farmers, architects, teachers, biologists and nutritionists, came together this summer to explore New Mexico’s unique cultural and agricultural landscape and gain firsthand knowledge of the inner workings of the state’s foodshed. The inaugural class, supported by a two-year grant from the USDA Hispanic Serving Institutions program, consisted of 14 students and four instructors traveling across the state during the month of June to visit and learn from farmers, ranchers and communities committed to building and maintaining a thriving foodshed. The field school is based on a multidisciplinary, experiential approach; through observation and interaction with numerous agricultural mentors students strive to identify and invent career paths that will support the local food network.

For more information visit the UNM Foodshed Field School website: http://unmfoodshedfieldschool.wordpress.com/

DATE/TIME: Wed, July 13th, 9:00am-10:30am

LOCATION: MRCOG offices located at 809 Copper Ave NW

For more information: contact Ann Simon at (505) 724-3617 or at asimon@mrcog-nm.gov.

Why GROW?

2011-07-08T18:53:00.002-06:00

Reason #1 and Reason #2 why it's important to change the food system

Table for 9 Billion Launch Event

2011-06-09T16:30:00.006-06:00

NM Oxfam Action Corps were out spreading the word about the GROW Campaign last weekend in Nob Hill. We set up a table with information and GROW goodies in front of the La Montanita Co Op. We met some wonderful local ABQ folks who were committed to sustainability, organic agriculture, and food security. Lively conversations about ending hunger, population numbers, and NM activism paired with the amazing early June sun left us feeling energized and productive.

Thanks to La Montanita for giving us table space next to their organic herbs and seedlings, which totally fits with the new GROW Campaign.

A big thank you to everyone who came out and supported the event and the GROW Campaign! More local ABQ and Santa Fe events to come later this summer. Let us know if there's somewhere nearby you think we should show up!

Food. Justice. Planet. The Oxfam GROW Campaign

2011-06-04T13:59:00.007-06:00

Our global food system is broken. One in seven people go to bed hungry every night. The new Oxfam GROW campaign is about building a better food system. One that feeds all people sustainably. One that empowers poor people to earn a living, feed their families, and thrive.

We're building a table for 9 billion. Join Oxfam and help make sure everyone has a seat at the table.

All of us, in this generation and the next, deserve enough to eat. To meet the needs of humankind and take pressure off the planet, we need to grow more fairly and sustainably and choose cooperation over division. Together, we can fight hunger by urging governments and companies to make smarter investments in agriculture and climate preparedness—investments that protect farmers living in poor and marginalized communities worldwide.

For More information about the GROW campaign, please visit the Oxfam Website.

Stay tuned for more information about how the New Mexico Oxfam Action Corps will be helping you end world hunger.

Oxfam Change.

2011-03-18T11:15:00.001-06:00

Any undergrad students looking for a way to address poverty, hunger, and social injustice and support Oxfam on their campusApri?! Apply by l 1 to become an Oxfam CHANGE Leader!

http://oo.oxfamamerica.org/change/index.php/register/

2011-03-02T11:27:00.001-07:00

Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day

Rachel Carson:
The Wonder of Nature
Performed by Ann Beyke
Sunday, March 13, 3 pm
Albuquerque Mennonite Church
1300 Girard Blvd. NE
Rachel Carson was a marine biologist when few women dared even tread the water. Her lifelong love of nature and science led to research on how uncontrolled chemical use in our cities, towns and farming communities devastated wildlife and food sources. Silent Spring, her bestselling book on the topic, detailed this devastation and led to the eventual ban on the use of DDT in the United States. Carson’s work made environmentalism an integral part of our lives as she became the Mother of the Environmental Movement.
Enjoy Homemade Deserts and a silent auction for Earth items for Gardening and Eating as part of the event.
$10 suggested donation or 3 tickets for $25 if purchased by March 11. Tickets $12 at the door.
Checks payable to NM Interfaith Power and Light, PO Box 27162, Albuquerque, NM 87125.
Contact info@nm-ipl.org.
.
Sponsored by New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light and made possible by New Mexico Humanities Council and National Endowment for the Humanities and Department of Cultural Affairs of New Mexico

2011-03-02T10:57:00.002-07:00

Mark Your Calendars: Albuquerque Offering of Letters Workshop

Saturday, March 12
St. Andrew Presbyterian Church
5301 Ponderosa Ave NEAlbuquerque, NM
9:30-Noon
Special Guests Speakers: Representatives from the local group Racine Kreyol Cultural Arts, who will tell us about relief efforts in Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake in January 2010 Sarah Nezzer, local grassroots volunteer for Oxfam Action Corps, will tell us about Oxfam America's efforts related to foreign aid.
Learn more about the 2011 Offering of Letters Campaign.

Share strategies on letter-writing, worship, and other practical matters related to setting up an Offering of Letters at your church.
Please Join Us!
ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN
Bread's 2011 Offering of Letters will continue to push Congress and the administration toward U.S. foreign assistance that is more effective in reducing poverty. We will advocate for a stronger U.S. government focus on reducing poverty, clearer accountability for how aid dollars are spent, a transformed U.S. development agency, and U.S. aid that meets the needs and wants of local people.
The 2011 Offering of Letters campaign will continue to push Congress and the administration toward U.S. foreign assistance that is more effective in reducing global poverty.
We seek changes on four fronts:
A stronger U.S. government focus on reducing poverty.
Clearer accountability for how U.S. aid dollars are spent and their results.
A transformed U.S. development agency.
U.S. aid that meets the needs and wants of local people.
Resources
Where is U.S. foreign aid in action? Read stories from Haiti and Liberia.
Watch the Video
Download a copy of the Handbook in .pdf
Visit Offering of Letters Web site.
Listen to the Webinar from our western regional organizers

Originally Posted by: BreadNewMexico

Oxfam Action Corps 2011 Recruitment

2011-01-21T13:10:00.005-07:00

Hey Everyone,
Oxfam America is currently in the process of recruiting new volunteers for 2011-2012. If you are interested in joining the Oxfam Action Corps or if you know someone that might be interested, please spread the word and sign up by February 14th at http://www.oxfamamerica.org/whatyoucando/oxfam-action-corps-application .
You will meet great people and work together to change laws that can save lives, defend the rights of women and farmers, and protect communities from climate change. You will gain leadership skills, have fun, and change the world!
Anybody can join the local effort! All levels of experience are welcome. You can also apply for Oxfam’s free four-day leadership training in Washington D.C.
This year, we will mobilize a political response to the urgent problem of global hunger. The women and men in poor countries who struggle to grow enough food to feed their families are facing competition for land and water, rising prices, and climate change. We will call for laws that support women and farmers, sustainable practices, and resilience to climate change, and ensure a better future for people in the poorest regions of the world.
This is a year-round volunteer opportunity, with a deadline of February 14 to apply for the spring training. Find out more and sign up at http://www.oxfamamerica.org/whatyoucando/oxfam-action-corps-application .
Check out this video to see what we are all about:

Stand Up Against Poverty

2010-09-08T23:54:00.003-06:00

Hello everyone! On September 17th the Oxfam Action Corps: Albuquerque, NM is hosting a small gathering for the international Stand Up Against Poverty Day. Stand Up is about sending a message to our leaders (as they attend the United Nations for the Millennium Development Goals Review Summit) that we expect real action on the issue staggering world poverty and the promises made to end it. Planning for this event is still underway, and more details will be forthcoming. If you and/or your organization is interested in getting involved, please contact us at nmoxfamactioncorps@gmail.com. We would love your assistance and input.

New Volunteer Opportunities.

2010-07-20T10:10:00.003-06:00

We have some very important opportunities in the next few weeks, and hope that you will be interested in joining us!

As you might be aware, Oxfam has been working very hard in supporting adaptation in the climate change bill. We know that climate change is already taking its toll on poor and vulnerable communities around the world and adequate investments for climate resilience and adaptation are needed today. The number of people likely to be affected by climate-related disasters each year will increase by 50% by 2015, to over 375 million. That’s more than the entire population of the United States! Thus, any climate change bill passed by the United States needs to contain investment in the resilience of poor communities on the front lines of climate change.

The Climate change bill is expected to drop next week around the 26th. That is when we here will be getting busy with the following:

1) Lobby visits: We will be meeting with various Representatives and Senators between the 26^th through the 28th to make sure they understand their constituency’s support for these measures. We would love to have you join us! If you don't have time however, a letter that we can deliver on your behalf also has a powerful impact.

2) Rapid Response: Depending upon the actual content of the bill, we may be contacting Oxfam supporters in our state or different states to ask they make their support for adaptation heard. Extra callers will be invaluable!

3) Outreach: We are looking forward to becoming more active in the local Abq area! We will potentially be tabling outside the Nob hill area on the 24th. This will be an amazing chance to spread the word about Oxfam, and the amazing work we do around the globe. We will definitely need volunteers to sit with us so no one is left to face the heat of the day all by themselves: D

Interested in taking action? Than dive in and join us this Saturday at the Flying Star on 723 Silver at 10:00 for an informal meet. Or send an email with any questions!

Interesting article on the Huffington Post

2010-06-18T11:49:00.001-06:00

Model Helena Christensen wrote an intriguing post in yesterday's Huffington Post. It's a good read.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/helena-christensen/invest-in-resilience-inve_b_615726.html

Hope all is well!

Albuquerque Summer of Action Kickoff Meeting 5/25!

2010-05-18T12:43:00.005-06:00

Are you passionate about fighting poverty and injustice? Looking to meet like-minded people?

Come meet Oxfam America volunteers on the ground in Albuquerque known as the Oxfam Action Corps.

Women and Climate Change Event - 3/11/10

2010-02-28T11:17:00.002-07:00

To celebrate International Women's Week, the New Mexico Oxfam Action Corps is co-sponsoring a panel discussion during which experts in the areas of human rights and climate justice, women's studies, environmental sustainability, and faith will explore the local and international implications of the Gender Gap in climate change. Questions and discussion will follow the presentations.

Sisters on the Planet: Exploring the Gender Gap in Climate Change

Thursday, March 11, 2010

7:00pm

UNM Student Union Building Lobo A&B

Free Event

Climate change disproportionately affects women. At the same time, women's voices are the least represented in policy decisions and climate change debate at local, regional, national, and international levels. Can women's voices play a more significant role in addressing climate change and sustainability? What is our call locally in New Mexico and in solidarity with women throughout the planet?

Moderated Panel addressing:

Human Rights, Women and Climate Justice -- June Lorenzo, lawyer for Laguna Pueblo

Women and Climate Change: Are we the answer? -- JoDee Powers, Climate Consultant

Sustainability and Women -- Fiona Sinclair, former UNM Sustainability Studies Professor

How do we respond? The ethics of climate change and our responsibilities -- Rev. Elizabeth Lyman, Volunteer Coordinator for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance following Katrina

Event co-sponsored by New Mexico Oxfam Action Corps, Church Women United, League of Women Voters, New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light, UNM Women Studies, and Clean Energy Works of New Mexico.

Get Involved!

2010-02-28T08:33:00.002-07:00

Oxfam America is recruiting new volunteers for 2010-2011. If you are interested in working with the New Mexico Oxfam Action Corps, contact Mark Pustay at nmoxfamactioncorps@gmail.com or check out the Oxfam America website: http://www.oxfamamerica.org/whatyoucando/take-action/community-action.

Oxfam Action Corps — Oxfam America

2010-01-26T01:10:00.001-07:00

Oxfam Action Corps — Oxfam America

Posted using ShareThis

EVENT RESCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER 14TH!!

2009-12-11T21:37:00.000-07:00

Everyone,

I apologize for the short notice, but due to circumstances completely out of our control, we are going to have to reschedule tomorrow's wall petition event for Monday, December 14th on the UNM Campus from Noon to 2 PM. This is certainly not ideal, but please stop by on Monday!

Also, if you are interested in taking an active role with the Action Corps, let us know!

Amy, Mark, and Ali

New Mexico Oxfam Action Corps

http://www.oxfamnewmexico.blogspot.com/

December 12 in Old Town - Help Bring About a REAL DEAL for Climate Change!

2009-12-01T21:42:00.000-07:00

On December 12, from noon until 2 pm, we will be in the Old Town Plaza here in Albuquerque near the Gazebo and will have a wall petition available to sign encouraging the world leaders gathered in Copenhagen to sign a real deal for climate change. The petition will then be delivered to our representatives' offices to encourage them to implement the commitments made by our government at Copenhagen.

If you would like to help, please let us know at nmoxfamactioncorps@gmail.com. This is a terribly important moment in the campaign, and we need all the help and support we can get!

Sisters on the Planet Screening Thursday!

2009-10-26T08:55:00.000-06:00

There will be a Sisters on the Planet screening this Thursday night at 300 Tijeras NE, #207. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP at 740-258-4906 or at nmoxfamactioncorps@gmail.com.

Thanks!

SOTP House Party TONIGHT - in conjunction with 1Sky

2009-10-01T10:56:00.001-06:00

Everyone who wants to see Sisters on the Planet should plan to attend a house party showing and discussion on the movie TONIGHT at 7:00 PM! It will be at 12347 Claremont here in Albuquerque, 87112. It will be a joint event with 1Sky.

If you need any details, contact Mark, Amy or Ali at nmoxfamactioncorps@gmail.com.

SISTERS ON THE PLANET SCREENING THIS THURSDAY

2009-09-21T19:20:00.001-06:00

Everyone,

Please come to the Sisters on the Planet Screening at UNM's Dane Smith Hall this coming Thursday, September 21. It will be in Room 326. Please come and see a wonderful film and engage in some fascinating discussion. It will be well worth your time.

See you there!!

Wrap-Up LWV Event

2009-08-31T16:16:00.001-06:00

Thank you to everyone who came to the Symposium on August 21st! It was an informative day for all.

Further, the Action Corps wish to thank Representatives Lujan and Heinrich, as well as Sarah Cobb from Sen. Udall's office, for coming to the Symposium and sharing their thoughts and support. It was certainly encouraging to see so much support for climate change legislation!

Thank you as well to Lora Lucero of the New Mexico LWV and to Sister Joan Brown of Interfaith Power and Light; without them, Oxfam's presence at the Symposium would not have been possible.

Call for comments - Climate Change Conference - August 31

2009-08-31T16:13:00.000-06:00

Everyone,

If anyone attended the NLCCC Conference on Climate Change today at UNM, give us a shout at nmoxfamactioncorps@gmail.com. We want to get an idea about the views expressed there.

Thanks!

UPDATE - "Sisters on the Planet" Screening RESCHEDULED

2009-08-20T11:29:00.000-06:00

There will be no screening of Sisters on the Planet at Flying Star tonight. It will be rescheduled to a later date.

Please however visit us tomorrow at the League of Women Voters' Climate Change Symposium at UNM tomorrow.

NM Oxfam Action Corps to appear at UNM Symposium August 21th

2009-07-30T17:02:00.000-06:00

The NM Oxfam Action Corps will be at a climate change symposium at UNM on August 21st. Thanks to the League of Women Voters for all their hard work on this symposium.

For more information, visit http://www.lwvnm.org/.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS - SOTP SCREENING AUGUST 20TH!

2009-07-30T16:59:00.000-06:00

Everyone,

We will be having a screening of Sisters on the Planet, a compelling documentary on the impact climate change has on low-income communities, and in particular on women, on August 20th at Flying Star in Nob Hill.

For more information on the documentary, please see http://www.oxfamamerica.org/campaigns/climate-change/sisters-on-the-planet.

ACT NOW!!!

2009-06-25T09:54:00.001-06:00

Vote on Friday!

http://www.grist.org/article/2009-06-24-waxman-markey-activism/

MEETING TONIGHT!!!

2009-06-25T09:53:00.001-06:00

Meeting tonight at Flying Star in Nob Hill at 7 PM. Come excited!

Momentum towards international climate change pact

2009-06-17T18:50:00.000-06:00

By the looks of it, humanitarian organizations like Oxfam are starting to make an impact!

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=31066&Cr=climate&Cr1=copenhagen

“The scale of the potential humanitarian challenge presented by climate change in the future is huge,” said John Holmes, the head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), one of the UN bodies involved in the IASC.

“This is a defining moment to ensure that the challenge is not insurmountable and human suffering is minimised,” added Mr. Holmes, who is also the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator.

More than 20 million people have been displaced by climate-related sudden-onset natural disasters in 2008 alone, according to a new study by OCHA and the Norwegian Refugee Council’s (NRC) Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre.

The total number of people affected by natural disasters has risen sharply over the past 10 years, with an average of 211 million people directly affected each year, nearly five times the number impacted by conflict in the same period.

Extreme and slow-onset climate events – such as floods, storms, droughts, rising sea levels and desertification – are impacting more and more people each year, with the most vulnerable including women and children, those already struggling with poverty, insecurity, hunger, poor health and environmental decline.

Climate change is also expected to dramatically affect patterns of migration and population movement, with many millions to be displaced by prolonged droughts, repeated floods or storms, according to an IASC news release."

Albuquerque Pridefest - THANK YOU!

2009-06-16T08:53:00.000-06:00

A big thank you to everyone who stopped by the Oxfam booth at the Albuquerque Pridefest this past weekend! It was wonderful to see so many people who support poverty eradication and substantive change on environmental policy. If you signed up for the listserve, thank you so much! Please let us know about the volunteer activities you are willing to do; there are many opportunities.

Thank you as well to Allie, who came out and manned the table for most of the afternoon.

Don't forget, we have a group meeting on Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the Flying Star Cafe in Nob Hill. Amy and I will be there. Please bring your ideas and your passion.

~Mark

Conference Call with Waxman and Markey - Climate Change

2009-06-08T13:02:00.000-06:00

Fantastic opportunity available!!

For anyone who is interested, there is a national conference call on climate change with Representatives Harry Waxman and Ed Markey, the co-sponsors of ACES, this coming Wednesday at 2:30. Contact me or Amy at nmoxfamactioncorps@gmail.com for more details.

Should be very exciting.

- Mark

Movie Screening - Sustainable Santa Fe

2009-06-08T09:27:00.000-06:00

The advocacy group Sustainable Santa Fe is hosting a film and post-viewing discussion on June 11, 2009 at the Santa Fe Complex at 624 Agua Fria in Santa Fe. The movie is entitled "The Money Fix" and it focuses on the national money system. A $5 donation is suggested.

Though the movie does not focus on climate change, the movie appears informative nonetheless.

Information is available via email at info@santafealliance.com.

Oxfam America Press Release; Sites needed for Sisters on the Planet Screening

2009-06-02T13:23:00.001-06:00

Hey everyone,

A recent press release on climate change from OA: http://www.oxfamamerica.org/newsandpublications/press_releases/historic-house-climate-bill-passes-first-test-more-resources-still-needed-for-hardest-hit

Also, if anyone has any ideas about places, organizations, etc. that would be willing to hold a screening of "Sisters on the Planet," please let us know. We're consulting various organizations in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, but we have had little luck to date.

Hope everyone is well!

Two more analyses of Waxman-Markey

2009-05-27T15:19:00.000-06:00

Brookings doesn't give a glowing approval of Waxman-Markey, but it does make excellent points about green innovation. Something to consider:

http://www.brookings.edu/opinions/2009/0526_innovation_muro.aspx

Noting American progress on climate change appears to lag behind those of other developed countries:

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/05/counting_progress.html

Oxfam Action Corps - Upcoming Meeting

2009-05-18T18:06:00.001-06:00

We will be holding our first general meeting for all people interested in the Oxfam Action Corps. Details to come, but keep your pens and day-planners handy.

As if you needed more reason to support ACES...

2009-05-18T17:56:00.001-06:00

"Ten Reasons to Support Waxman-Markey Energy Bill"

http://www.americanprogressaction.org/issues/2009/05/waxman_markey_reasons.html

Also, there was a story on KUNM this morning about a conference of business leaders, non-profit organizers and members of state government issuing a statement in support of substantive action on climate change. If anyone knows more about this, or has a link to the article, please email nmoxfamactioncorps@gmail.com.

Great article that describes the kind of legislation we are working towards!

2009-05-15T01:37:00.000-06:00

From politico.com

In need of climate change cash
By: Lisa Lerer
May 13, 2009 04:36 AM EST

A loose coalition of international aid organizations, religious groups, environmental advocates and some businesses are lobbying Congress to include billions for international aid in the forthcoming

climate change bill.

The groups argue that helping developing countries cut greenhouse gases and protect against the effects of global warming is a key to success at the international climate talks scheduled for December in Copenhagen.

"The U.S. can't go completely empty-handed to Copenhagen," said Oxfam America President Raymond Offenheiser.

Existing problems of poverty and malnutrition in poorer countries have been exacerbated by climate change, experts say, as changing weather patterns and intensified storms hurt agricultural yields and infrastructure.

Roughly 262 million people were affected by climate disasters annually from 2000 to 2004, with over 98 percent of them in the developing world, according to the Human Development Report issued last year by the United Nations Development Program.

Developing nations argue that richer countries should help them offset these effects, given that they produce significantly more of the other greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. Rich countries "containing just 15 percent of the world's population" account for almost half of carbon dioxide emissions, according to UNDP.

Connie Hedegaard, Denmark's minister for climate and energy, told reporters that a deal at Copenhagen would be impossible unless richer nations bridge the divide between developed and developing countries with additional funds.

"Politically, it must be additional, and that could be a game changer," she told reporters last week.

The UNDP estimated that by 2015, developing countries would require $86 billion a year for climate adaptation, which includes measures such as reinforcing infrastructure, making sure water supplies are potable and helping poor countries adapt to changing agricultural conditions.

Last month, 23 Democrats sent a letter to Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), pushing the Energy and Commerce Committee chairman to include "robust" international financing in his energy and climate bill. The committee is expected to vote on the bill before the Memorial Day recess.

"Comprehensive climate change legislation should devote a significant portion of generated revenues to investments in international adaptation, clean technology cooperation and forest protecting activities in the developing world," the Democrats wrote. "It is an opportunity for leadership, innovation, economic growth at home and abroad, and trust building with developing countries."

Waxman's draft bill proposes the creation of a specialized international climate change program at USAID to provide assistance to the "most vulnerable developing countries."

Some aid organizations, religious and environmental groups would like 7 percent, or $7 billion, of any revenues generated by Waxman's legislation devoted to international adaptation efforts. The funding would have to be flexible enough to help communities deal with different needs, such as reinforcing buildings to deal with flooding from melting glaciers, reducing soil erosion with reforestation programs and diversifying agriculture practices to cope with changing
environmental conditions.

Religious groups cite funding for international adaptation as their No. 1 priority for the bill.

"The moral measure of climate change legislation is how it treats the poor and vulnerable in our own country and around the world," John Carr, director of justice, peace and human development for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in a statement.

Religious groups, sponsored by the faith-based, nonprofit American Values Network, are running ads on Christian radio in key districts in seven states and e-mailing more than 5.3 million evangelicals and Catholics, urging them to support climate change legislation that pays
special attention to the needs of vulnerable communities at home and abroad.

The prospective funding could also help mitigate the new national security risks created by changing weather conditions, the groups argue. Droughts, famines and floods caused by global warming could destabilize regions around the world as competition increases for food
and water.

"Supporting climate readiness now can help avert global instability and will save billions of dollars down the road in emergency relief and military engagement by reducing the worst effects of climate-related disasters," a group of 24 international aid and environmental groups
wrote in a March letter to the heads of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and its Energy and Environment Subcommittee.

Cap and Trade: Swallow That Term

Democrats are getting their talking points in order as the climate change debate heats up this week.

On Monday, pollster Mark Mellman briefed Democratic press aides in the House on the most politically savvy ways to talk about climate change. The briefing aimed to prepare the press secretaries for the crush of coverage expected this week, after Energy and Commerce
Committee Chairman Henry Waxman unveils his complex climate and energy bill.

The meeting, a weekly confab for House press secretaries, was one of the most well-attended since January, according to one participant.

The phrase "clean energy jobs" is the best way to explain the benefits of climate change legislation, according to polling presented in PowerPoint by Mellman.

Using "cap and trade" to describe the legislation - which creates an auction market for carbon emissions - is a mistake, because voters find the term confusing. Also to be avoided is "green jobs," a phrase popular with environmentalists to describe careers in renewable energy,
energy efficiency and other types of sustainable technologies. Voters think the term describes white-collar jobs for highly educated professors, according to Democratic aides at the meeting.

A Rasmussen poll released on Monday found that just 24 percent of voters correctly identified the cap-and-trade proposal as dealing with environmental issues. Slightly more - 29 percent - thought the term was about regulating Wall Street, and 17 percent thought it had to do with
health care reform. Thirty percent had no idea.

Dallas Morning News supports Waxman-Markey

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On Friday, the Dallas Morning News came out in support of the Waxman-Markey bill, but correctly notes that it is far from ideal. As the Morning News notes, it is a "start in the right direction," but despite possible passage, Congress would be "not yet near the finish line." To further quote the editorial, "The time for talk is over, and Congress owes it to our future to pass a better-balanced energy bill this year."

The editorial is surprisingly strong on details, so it's a helpful primer. It does not, however, provide explicit support for the international adaptation provisions of Waxman-Markey. These are vital provisions. Think of adaptation as cultural infrastructure; without systems in place to use new technologies and funding in manners that are efficient and respect the rights of the underprivileged, Waxman-Markey would be simply a hollow measure. In other respects, however, the editorial deserves praise.

The entire editorial is available at: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/editorials/stories/DN-waxman_0511edi.State.Edition1.203c342.html

Welcome!

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Welcome to the New Mexico Oxfam America Action Corps weblog! Here you will find the most up-to-date news and information regarding current efforts to address climate change, as well as Oxfam America's events and calls to action here in New Mexico.

Oxfam America is raising awareness about the impact climate change has on the underprivileged. Climate change exacerbates current inequalities and poses a significant threat to stability and security throughtout the world. Oxfam America is currently mobilizing groups across the country to promote positive legislation addressing climate change immediately. Currently, the House of Representatives is considering the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (the "ACES Act" or sometimes called "Waxman-Markey" for shorthand), and we are monitoring the developments.

We hope this web log provides you with the information you need to be fully informed. Further, we hope the news, stories and comments on this site will inspire you to make a difference.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to post them and they will be addressed as soon as possible. Further, you are always welcome to email the local Action Corps Organizers, Amy Walkowiak and Mark Pustay, at nmoxfamactioncorps@gmail.com.

Again, welcome!