Legislative Advocacy

We All Can Be Involved – We All Can Make a Difference

Legislative advocacy is an important way GreenFaith seeks to bring about a clean, healthy environment for all people.

First, GreenFaith informs people of different religious backgrounds about different pieces of environmental legislation, encouraging them to take action, such as sending letters to their elected officials. For instance, GreenFaith along with other environmental groups advocated for passage of the “Clean Car Bill” (requiring automobiles sold in New Jersey to meet California’s emissions standards, which are tougher than Federal standards), which became law in 2004. 

Today, GreenFaith actively advocates that Governor Corzine sign an Executive Order requiring companies doing business with the State of NJ to retrofit their diesel vehicles and equipment to meet tougher emissions standards. We are also asking the Governor and State Legislature to pass legislation committing NJ to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 70% by 2050.

Learn more about diesel fuel emissions
Download text of a letter you can download and send to Gov. Corzine

In addition to mobilizing our members and people of different religious backgrounds to advocate on certain issues, GreenFaith itself also advocates on a range of issues, providing testimony when appropriate.  We have advocated in favor of regulating CO2 as a pollutant (which would assist in the fight against climate change), in favor of increased funding for urban parks and open space, in favor of continued protection for endangered species in New Jersey, and against weakening the Federal Endangered Species Act.

GreenFaith will continue to identify issues of environmental importance, provide our members and peers with information, and offer resources to assist religious communities advocate for a safe, healthy environment for all people and for the entire community of creation. (You can let us know about issues of concern to your community by e-mailing us at info@GreenFaith.org.)

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"Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s words, 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,' motivate me to include the struggles against environmental racism and economic injustice in my lifelong commitment to social justice activism. No group of people should be forced to bear the disproportionate burdens of having incinerators, landfills, sewage treatment plants, oil refineries, and other polluters in their communities because of the color of their members’ skin or income level."
Read more about Valorie Caffee and her work