31 MAY 2020 · According to a new study of global carbon output, daily emissions of greenhouse gases dropped 17 percent from April 2019 to April 2020. At certain points during the lockdown, emissions in some countries fell by 26 percent. Elizabeth Chun Hye Lee, United Methodist Women’s Executive for Economic and Environmental Justice and Climate Justice Lead, released the following statement: “Most state governments passed some form of ‘shelter-in-place’ order to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus between March 2020 and April 2020. Such ‘stay-at-home’ policies contributed to reduced air pollution by keeping people indoors, thereby limiting pollution from motorcycles, cars, buses, trains and airplanes. “However, we should not be seduced into thinking that a momentary drop in air pollution means all is well. As ‘safer-at-home’ orders are lifted, many people will go back to relying on personal and public transportation, which directly causes air pollution. Further, while indoors, many of us have still relied on energy sources such as natural gas that contributes to the erosion of the environment. The primary method of obtaining natural gas in the United States is hydraulic fracking, which United Methodist Women has strongly advocated against. In places, such as Pennsylvania, where fracking occurs, community members often suffer from respiratory illnesses, infertility, birth defects and other health ailments. The people most impacted are people of color and persons living in poverty. “Despite the momentary shift in air pollution, there is still an urgent need to transition to renewable energy that prioritizes and privileges public health, especially for frontline communities and workers whose health has been impacted by our current energy economy. Stimulus and recovery packages should be tied to supporting a renewable energy transition. This includes eliminating subsidies for polluting fuels and ensuring adequate and equitable access to funding and finance for clean renewables, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, zero-emission fleets of school buses and public transportation that prioritizes marginalized communities. This could include giving more workers the option to work from home, especially in industries where it is safe to do so, incentivizing car pools, redesigning communities so jobs and homes are not only in closer proximity, but affordable so persons most impacted are not shut out of opportunities.”

19 FEB 2020 · As the nation celebrates Black History Month, United Methodist Women today expressed support for U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley’s (D-MA) Ending Punitive, Unfair, School-Based Harm that is Overt and Unresponsive to Trauma (PUSHOUT) Act. As the largest denominational organization for women, the group urged its members to actively support the sweeping bill that incentivizes schools and states to end policies and practices that funnel black and brown children away from educational success and into the criminal justice system. The organization encouraged members to support the measure by: *Urging their respective federal elected officials to support the bill, *Utilizing United Methodist Women’s Bible study curricula around school pushout, *Studying Monique Morris’ book, “Pushout” as part of the organization’s 2020 Mission u. Morris worked with Rep. Pressley on the legislation cited above. “While for some folks the conversation about the school-to-prison pipeline and school pushout might seem like a new issue, the reality is that it is a continuation of a long-lasting, unfinished struggle for racial justice and educational equity,” said Emily Jones, United Methodist Women’s Executive for Racial Justice. “In introducing this bill, Rep. Pressley is building upon the work of grassroots groups such as Dignity In Schools, Racial Justice Now, Advancement Project, Padres y Jovenes Unidos, Alliance for Educational Justice and others who have long fought to end punitive discipline. The Ending PUSHOUT Act is a next step in the ongoing work, pushing forward the efforts of generations that came before us -- luminaries like Pauli Murray who wrote ‘States’ Laws on Race and Color,’ a key resource in changing history via the Supreme Court, and Mary McLeod Bethune who carved educational pathways as a black educator and institution-builder. At United Methodist Women, we believe the best way to celebrate Black History Month is to join in the struggle for black futures.” Rep. Pressley’s Ending PUSHOUT Act creates a $2.5 billion fund to incentivize schools and states to: abandon unfair and discriminatory disciplinary policies and practices that push black and brown students out of the classroom; strengthen civil rights monitoring and enforcement; and establish a task force to address school pushout, with particular attention to girls of color. Participating states and schools would also be supported to invest in restorative practices, trauma-informed care, counselors, social workers and mental health professionals. Funds may not be used for police in schools. “To honor the call of Jesus on our lives and the movement of the Spirit in our midst, women of faith must be actively engaged, supporting directly impacted communities and people-of-color led groups in the fight for educational equity, racial justice and an end to biased, punitive and exclusionary school policies,” Jones concluded. Find out more at https://www.unitedmethodistwomen.org/news/united-methodist-women-we-must-help-dismantle-the-school-to-prison-pipeline

19 FEB 2020 · As the nation celebrates Black History Month, United Methodist Women today expressed support for U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley’s (D-MA) Ending Punitive, Unfair, School-Based Harm that is Overt and Unresponsive to Trauma (PUSHOUT) Act. As the largest denominational organization for women, the group urged its members to actively support the sweeping bill that incentivizes schools and states to end policies and practices that funnel black and brown children away from educational success and into the criminal justice system. The organization encouraged members to support the measure by: *Urging their respective federal elected officials to support the bill, *Utilizing United Methodist Women’s Bible study curricula around school pushout, *Studying Monique Morris’ book, “Pushout” as part of the organization’s 2020 Mission u. Morris worked with Rep. Pressley on the legislation cited above. “While for some folks the conversation about the school-to-prison pipeline and school pushout might seem like a new issue, the reality is that it is a continuation of a long-lasting, unfinished struggle for racial justice and educational equity,” said Emily Jones, United Methodist Women’s Executive for Racial Justice. “In introducing this bill, Rep. Pressley is building upon the work of grassroots groups such as Dignity In Schools, Racial Justice Now, Advancement Project, Padres y Jovenes Unidos, Alliance for Educational Justice and others who have long fought to end punitive discipline. The Ending PUSHOUT Act is a next step in the ongoing work, pushing forward the efforts of generations that came before us -- luminaries like Pauli Murray who wrote ‘States’ Laws on Race and Color,’ a key resource in changing history via the Supreme Court, and Mary McLeod Bethune who carved educational pathways as a black educator and institution-builder. At United Methodist Women, we believe the best way to celebrate Black History Month is to join in the struggle for black futures.” Rep. Pressley’s Ending PUSHOUT Act creates a $2.5 billion fund to incentivize schools and states to: abandon unfair and discriminatory disciplinary policies and practices that push black and brown students out of the classroom; strengthen civil rights monitoring and enforcement; and establish a task force to address school pushout, with particular attention to girls of color. Participating states and schools would also be supported to invest in restorative practices, trauma-informed care, counselors, social workers and mental health professionals. Funds may not be used for police in schools. “To honor the call of Jesus on our lives and the movement of the Spirit in our midst, women of faith must be actively engaged, supporting directly impacted communities and people-of-color led groups in the fight for educational equity, racial justice and an end to biased, punitive and exclusionary school policies,” Jones concluded. Find out more at https://www.unitedmethodistwomen.org/news/united-methodist-women-we-must-help-dismantle-the-school-to-prison-pipeline