BAPA works closely with the Adivasi and indigenous efforts to protect their land and livelihood. The conference emphasized the importance of the need for enforcement of their rightful ownership of land and of access the courts to defend their rights and limit harassment. In light of government statements in the past year that have failed to recognize the presence of indigenous peoples in Bangladesh, the conference was also a bold statement to political leaders and government authorities about the reality of indigenous peoples in Bangladesh, the dignity of their culture and traditions, and their rightful ownership of land.

Economic development is an imperative for the government of Bangladesh, but in the northeast, this has come into conflict with the rights, needs and desires of the indigenous peoples on whose land some of this development has taken place.

Fr. Joseph Gomes, OMI spoke at the conference on logging, indigenous livelihoods and the environment. Sharif Jamil, a close collaborator of the Oblates who helped organize the conference, kindly sent us pictures and the program which can be viewed here:

Click on each page separately to view the Conference Program Page 1; Page 2; Page 3; Page 4; Page 5; Page 6; Page 7

A full conference report is expected soon.

Watch a slideshow of pictures from the Conference…

Karen Schwartz, the hospital system’s vice president for facilities, says that the move was inspired by the fact that as a petroleum-based product, Styrofoam doesn’t decompose or go away over time in a landfill. It stays forever and it takes up space. If you throw it in the ocean, it floats and it can kill sea life. If you burn or incinerate it, the chemicals that were used in the manufacturing of it aerosolize and again has a negative impact on the environment…

“We really couldn’t find a redeeming quality other than the fact that it held stuff.” Schwartz added: “We are all responsible for caring for God’s creation and we are interdependent on one another. It is really short-sighted of me to think that my actions and behaviors don’t impact someone in Haiti, Peru, Africa or China – because they do.” (Story from The Greenville News, 12/30/2011)

We’d like to give a shout out to the Catholic Climate Covenant  for sharing this story in their Weekly  E-Update. For more information, and to sign up, visit their website at: http://catholicclimatecovenant.org/

Catholic Climate Covenant is a project of the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change.

“It is hard to imagine a situation that so clearly illustrates this link between the environment and life issues as the impact of mercury and other toxic air pollution on children’s health,” said Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, Calif., who heads the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.

“Children, inside and outside the womb, are uniquely vulnerable to environmental hazards and exposure to toxic pollutants in the environment.”

Read the Catholic News Agency article…

Watch “The Story of Broke”:

The latest news on activism regarding the possible air pollution from the All American Asphalt Company in San Fernando, CA:

The agency that regulates air quality in Los Angeles (SCAQMD) requires that at least eight different people from different households call to report a problem in one day in order for them to take action. Whenever you smell something that smells like asphalt call 1-800-288-7664. You have to report the type of smell, the day and time, where the smell is coming from, and if it continues. You will be asked for your name and contact information but that will be kept confidential. Most likely the smell of hot asphalt comes from All American Asphalt located at 11549 Bradley Av, San Fernando, CA 91340.

The environmental committee of Mary Immaculate will have a meeting at the San Fernando Park on Saturday, September 17 at 9:30 a.m. (on the benches near the basketball court) to motivate and guide more people to call when they sense this bad smell.

This year the program will present four courses:

• Foundations of Theological Reflection
• Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding 1
• Economics and People
• Water, Environment, and Development

In subsequent years, additional JPIC-linked courses will be added, covering eventually more than 20 central areas of JPIC concern. This will ideally provide pastoral workers, clergy and religious with a ‘tool-box’ of skills to minister more effectively in this important pastoral area.

The course is self-learning in design; the level is pitched at post high (secondary) school level and is in English. Participants set their own pace during each course, studying at a speed suitable to their already busy schedules. When participants complete a required number of courses they will be awarded a certificate by Duquesne University. Registration in the course will also enable participants to use Duquesne’s vast electronic library services free of charge and so permit them to access and download hundreds of thousands of articles in many disciplines from a wide selection of journals, as well as book chapters.

The course is offered free of charge and is the first of its kind available via the internet. Prerequisites include a reasonably good internet access and an adequate fluency in English. You can find detailed information on the program and contact details at http://www.duq.edu/jpic.

The first film to tackle the subject, Dirty Oil dramatically explores the battle between industry, government, local communities and environmentalists over the development of the oil sands of Alberta, Canada.

From the heart of the oil sands, the film follows the pipelines to the U.S. Midwest refineries, to witness how refineries, much like its Canadian counterparts, try to increase toxic dumpings into the Great Lakes. These disturbing stories profoundly illustrate the price dirty oil is taking on both sides of the border.

It is the heart-wrenching story of industry and government putting money before the health and security of its people and the environment.

View “Dirty Oil” online on the Babelgum website

From the makers of Downstream: Narrated by Canadian actress and environmentalist Neve Campbell, this much anticipated feature documentary from Academy Award®-Nominated director Leslie Iwerks goes deep behind-the-scenes into the strip-mined world of Northern Alberta, Canada.

The construction of such a pipeline would have devastating impacts on people living in the refining processing area as well as on the 500 miles of farmland and 1300 miles of privately-owned land that the pipeline would cross. It would also cross over the great Ogallala Aquifer, which provides roughly 30% of all the water used for irrigation on American farms. The aquifer would suffer as a result of any oil spills.

The tar-sands oil under the Boreal Forest in Canada is some of the dirtiest fuel on the planet. Once extracted and burned, tar-sands oil produces high levels of sulfur oxide, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide.

We need to get our energy from clean sources, and not continue to look to ever more environmentally damaging and expensive sources of fossil fuels.

Read the letter on the Keystone Pipeline XL project.

Some 200 people involved in social justice issues for the church gathered May 16-18 for an international conference sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. The meeting celebrated the 50th anniversary of Blessed Pope John XXIII’s social encyclical, “Mater et Magistra.” It was designed to find ways to use the church’s social teaching, including Pope Benedict XVI’s 2009 social encyclical “Caritas in Veritate,” to bring greater justice to a globalized world.

The Oblates were represented by Fr. Seamus Finn, OMI, US JPIC Director. Fr. Seamus, a leader in the faith-responsible investment movement said, “Individual Catholics are looking for guidance” in how to connect their concern for corporate responsibility and the environment to their faith and Christian spirituality.

Christians cannot be motivated solely by utilitarian arguments that natural resources should be protected so that they will not run out or poison future generations, he said, adding that “Environmental and corporate ethics needs to be based on the Christian sense of stewardship, of care, respect and appreciation for God’s gifts.”

Read the Catholic News Service article…

Recipes for Non-Toxic Cleaning (Download PDF)

Available also on this website in Spanish

Thanks to the Oblate Ecological Initiative for these suggestions.