Environmental Justice Subcommittee
Native Plant Sale Hosted by J&P Environmental Justice Subcommittee
Our Mission & Goals
The Environmental Justice Subcommittee works to advance, educate and participate with individuals and groups to improve the condition of the environment for all of the earth’s inhabitants through direct action, education and advocacy in harmony with the environment.
- To improve the environmental footprint of our parish, it’s members, and the community.
- To conduct direct action by implementing such programs as, composting, tree plantings and maintenance, stormwater reduction, neighborhood clean ups, energy reduction strategies, and other environmental efforts to improve our footprint through collaboration within the parish and with partners.
- To educate each other through information sharing and with speakers to explore and expose the adverse effects humans have on the environment and its inhabitants and to propose solutions to improve these effects.
Environmental Justice Meetings
We will meet on the first Wednesday of each month currently on Zoom. There are no meetings in August or December.
Justice & Peace Meetings
The Justice & Peace Committee generally meets on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 7 PM. Instructions for Zoom access and agenda will be sent out a few days before the meeting.
Contact
Theresa Furnari
Environmental Justice Subcommittee Chair
tafurnari10@gmail.com
Follow Us on Social Media
Welcome Letter
Hello All: My name is Theresa Furnari and I want to welcome you to the Environmental Justice Subcommittee of the Justice and Peace Committee. I am honored to be taking over the reins for the subcommittee and I thank Len Heckwolf for his years of service as the former chair. As a parishioner of St. Ignatius Church for the past years, I have tremendously enjoyed the work of the Justice and Peace Committee. My desire to chair the Environmental Justice Subcommittee is rooted in my lifelong passion to live in harmony with nature.
The Environmental Justice (EJ) Subcommittee is guided by the principles cited in Lauduto Si, Pope Francis’ encyclical letter. Specifically, that we as individuals need to act for the benefit of the natural world, which includes the animals, soil, plants and waters. In addition to direct action and advocacy, EJ seeks to educate individuals as to the changes we can incorporate in our own lives that will benefit the community. Our mission statement sets out our objectives and can be found on our website, at Environmental Justice Subcommittee – St. Ignatius Catholic Community (st-ignatius.net)
We usually meet on the first Wednesday of each month currently on Zoom. There are no meetings in August and December. Our next meeting is March 2, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. We welcome all who are interested in learning more and/or serving on the committee. I can be contacted at TaFurnari10@gmail.com
Upcoming Events
Native Plant Sale
The Environmental Justice Subcommittee is hosting a native plant sale on May 21 after the 5:00 PM...
Earth Day 2022
What is Earth Day?April 22, 2022 will mark 52 years for the Earth Day movement. Today, Earth Day...
Current Legislation That NEEDS Your Support!
SB528 Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022, HB/708 comprehensive climate solutions, HB696 and others
HB596 / SB783: Maryland Constitutional Amendment on Environmental Human Rights
Ultimately, this decision will be up to the voters. If this bill passes with the required votes, it will be on the ballot this fall and up to us to decide whether to enshrine these rights in the Maryland Constitution. But the legislators must give the voters a voice.
HB108 / SB524: Energy efficiency assistance to low-income Marylanders
HB141 / SB 23: Equity in Transportation Sector
HB11 and SB616: Reclaim Renewable Energy Act of 2022
HB1031 / SB791: Maryland the Beautiful Act
Suggested Reads
A Terrible Thing to Waste
By Harriet A. Washington
A “powerful and indispensable” look at the devastating consequences of environmental racism (Gerald Markowitz) — and what we can do to remedy its toxic effects on marginalized communities.
THe Overstory
By Richard Powers
The Overstory, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, is a sweeping, impassioned work of activism and resistance that is also a stunning evocation of—and paean to—the natural world.
Bicycling with butterflies
By Sara Dykman
Sara Dykman made history when she became the first person to bicycle alongside monarch butterflies on their storied annual migration—a round-trip adventure that included three countries and more than 10,000 miles.
Tracking Climate Change in 193 Countries
A team of more than 40 Opinion writers, photographers and editors spent five months canvassing the globe to illustrate the deadly consequences of our warming world.
Review of Climate Change 2021
Earlier this year, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. The full report, clocking in at a mere 3,949 pages, is an extensive assessment of the current evidence on the physical science of climate change.
See The True Cost of Your Cheap Chicken
This video from the New York Times Opinion Piece shows how modern poultry farming keeps the cost down, but takes away the dignity of the farmer and the animal.
There are graphic images in this video.
Areas That Always Need Action
Composting
The Environmental Justice Subcomittee is working on elliminating all paper waste from the parish by implementing a program to introduce compostable paper cups, plates, and utensils to all parish functions.
The Green Library
Check out the new Green Library in Ignatian Hall . You will find over a hundred books and articles on the environment. Books are arranged by author. You are welcome to take a book home but please return to the shelves after you have enjoyed it.