News Archives » North America
The Integrity of Creation and the Athabasca Oil Sands February 9th, 2009
Luc Bouchard, Bishop of St. Paul in Alberta, Canada has issued a strong statement calling the extraction of oil from the tar sands of Alberta, Canada morally wrong and saying it is causing widespread environmental destruction. He links this extraction to the problems of human consumption of resources and wasteful life styles.
The term “tar sands”, known in the US as oil sands, refers to bitumin, a thick oil that is mixed in with sand, clay, and water. Intensive energy is required to process the sands into crude oil. Tar Sands oil is the world’s most harmful type of oil for the atmosphere, emitting high volumes of greenhouse gases during development, contributing to global warming, as well as other pollutants.
Here are some extracts from the Bishop’s Pastoral Letter, with a link to the Letter in its entirety.:
Click here to read more »
Foreclosure Prevention and Job Stimulus Plans Presented to Rep. Howard Berman of California February 4th, 2009
The Oblates of Mary Immaculate staff three parishes in the Los Angeles area. They are active supporters and participants in an effort to address the acute challenges facing homeowners and others hit by the severe economic downturn in their area.
Two proposals to stem foreclosures and stimulate job training were presented recently to the area’s Congressional representative, Howard Berman, a senior democrat in Congress. Presentation took place on January 25 at an assembly of more than 500 people from churches, synagogues and unions in San Fernando CA.
One LA Job Training Plan (PDF)
TAKE ACTION: Prevent the derailment of Obama’s economic recovery plan! February 1st, 2009
The Senate will vote on President Obama’s economic recovery bill soon. An organized campaign is trying to stop it. Your call can make a difference!
Our nation needs a strong and fair recovery plan. President Obama’s plan creates jobs and responds to the urgent and basic human needs of the nation’s poor and working families. It needs your support now!
Call your U.S. senators toll-free today.Tell them:
- To vote for the economic recovery bill without delay.
- To oppose efforts to include a flawed anti-immigrant measure called “E-Verify.”
Call toll-free* at 1-800-473-6711. Click here for your senators’ name or direct line if toll-free number is busy.
The Senate’s plan does what economists urge. It jumpstarts the economy by increasing food stamp and jobless benefits that people spend quickly. It prevents cuts in crucial state services. It invests in schools and energy efficiency.
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Immigration Videos Reveal Harsh Treatment of Detainees January 27th, 2009
“Since the time Thomas Jefferson spoke of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, America has tried to uphold human rights. But today, our immigration laws deny basic due process and human rights to people who live in the US.”
Thus begin two important immigration videos that reveal the reality many immigrants face in the US today.
Juana Villegas from Mexico was nine months pregnant when she was stopped for careless driving, for which she was later found innocent.
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Faith Groups call for Changes on the US-Mexico Border in a letter to incoming DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano January 24th, 2009
The Missionary Oblates JPIC office has joined the ecumenical faith community in a letter addressed to incoming Secretary for the U.S Department of Homeland Security, Honorable Janet Napolitano calling for immediate changes in border security that address the environmental and humanitarian crisis there.
