Carbon Fast 2015

“But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” – John 4:14 How ‘water-savvy’ is your church? Consider changing the taps in your building to those which switch on and off automatically. Or simply mend any dripping taps at your church! You can put a filled 2 litre bottle in your cistern and save 2 litres every time you flush! Water Crisis – what are the causes? Many factors are responsible. To mention but a few: increased and unsustainable agricultural and industrial use of water, deforestation and land-degradation that seriously change the water cycle, over-consumption and waste, pollution and population growth. Climate change and global warming are reducing rainfall. The crisis is also aggravated by the prevailing economic system. Public and community control of water supply has drastically diminished over recent decades and years. Increasingly water is treated as a commercial good subject to market conditions. Many cases can be cited where privatisation of water resources and water supply systems has deprived the poor from access to water. We must all learn to save water but also to work for water justice Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water who is so useful, humble, precious, and pure.

 Luke 3:11: “if you have two coats- give one away” Clear your closet of unused clothes, give them away or host a second hand sale. Clear out your cupboards! If you haven’t used or worn it in the last six months, you probably don’t need it. Sell or give your extra stuff away, and recycle used electronics safely. Or get creative and organize a second hand sale with your friends and neighbours. Everything you own should have value, either because it’s functional or beautiful or you just love it. Remember the question of what you’d grab if your house were on fire; that’s your baseline for determining an object’s worth. Easy trick: Once a year, reverse the hangers in your closet. When you wear something, turn the hanger right-side around again. After a few months, look at which hangers are still reversed–and get rid of those clothes.

Their land will be an object of horror and of lasting scorn; all who pass by will be appalled and will shake their heads. (Jerem 18:16) Begin your plastic free journey today. What can you reduce? Declare today ‘plastics-free day’ at home. As you use up a plastic item in your home, actively look for a non-plastic, more durable alternative. Be sure not to pick up your groceries in a plastic carry bag, but use your own re-useable bags instead Plastic can be amazing. But when it’s reduced to disposable, throwaway items, there’s a big problem – there simply is no ‘away’ to throw it to. And plastic hangs around for a very, very long time. A lot of plastic rubbish finds its way into the ocean. Most of that you will never see, as it’s broken down into tiny particles. But these ‘microplastics’ have been finding their way into ocean food chains for a long time, and now they are starting to turn up in the fish you eat, and in the sea salt you sprinkle on your chips. Bigger bits of plastic meanwhile are eaten by seabirds, fish, turtles andwhales, which die with stomachs full of plastic, assuming they’ve not been unlucky enough to get ensnared and killed by plastic before then. There are some massive solutions needed, but the most important one is obviously for less plastic to be thrown away in the first place. And that’s something we can all help with. Every bit of plastic not used, not thrown away, or not left lying around is a good thing. The simple idea here is ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ – in that order. Sure we’ve heard it hundreds of times, but it’s never more true than it is with plastics. Here’s a quick list of 5 things you can do to help make the problem of plastic less drastic. SAY NO TO SINGLE USE PLASTICS Take your own shopping bag with you. Use a reusable drinks bottle or hot drinks mug. Pass on plastic cutlery or unnecessary straws. Avoid overpackaging. AVOID MICROBEADS It’s pretty unbelievable, but the same plastic used to make carrier bags is found as tiny microbeads in cosmetics. This ends up down the drain, and in the ocean. It’s madness, and corporates and governments at last seem to be waking up to that – butcheck before you buy! RECYCLE I’m not going to tell you not to litter, because that’s obvious – right? But if you do use plastic a) buy stuff that’s already recycled, and b) recycle it afterwards. If you’re local area doesn’t have recycling facilities – start one at your church DO A BEACH CLEAN The fresh air is good for you. And every bit of plastic removed from the beach is a good thing, and might mean one less dead seabird or turtle too. You can find out more here, or just do your own plastic pick up, even if you only have a couple of minutes. CONVINCE A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER TO DO ALL OF THIS TOO There’s a good chance you’re already doing this stuff. But don’t stop there. Less plastic and less waste is good news for all of us, and the planet, so spread the word!

    “For if someone does not know how to manage his or her  own household, how will he care for God’s church?” 1 Timothy 3:5 Are you damaging God’s Creation with your use of cleaning materials? The major concern is the chemicals which cleaning products contain. There are thousands of chemicals in common use and many have not been tested for safety, though the effects of many are known. They may pollute streams and rivers and may take a long time to degrade into harmless products. Some may not break down at all but may persist in the environment. These may enter the food chain, being eaten by aquatic creatures and perhaps eventually by us. When consumed or absorbed through the skin, they may have harmful effects, be toxic, cause cancer or cause birth defects. Detergents are all now biodegradable, though some may break down quicker than others, but they often contain chemicals which may cause problems. Phosphates can upset the balance of nutrients in rivers and streams, while many products also contain enzymes, bleaches, brighteners and perfumes. People with sensitive skin or allergies may find these substances may aggravate their condition. What to do? One option is to look out for environmentally friendly products. They will tend to be a bit more expensive, but consider it your gift to the Earth and to your Grandkids future… Another option is to create your own products. Here are a few ideas: Green cleaning spray. Make a  water and white vinegar solution (it only cost a few cents) rather than shelling out for pricey antibacterial cleaners and soaps.. Combine 9 parts water with 1 part white vinegar into a spray bottle and get cleaning! All purpose cleaner and deodorizer Great for: Kitchen counters, appliances, and inside the refrigerator Mix 4 tablespoons of baking soda with a litre of water. Pour solution on a clean sponge and wipe. And here are 67 ideas of home made cleaning products!  

“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus”. Luke 12:18 The Challenge today: On bin day, look at the size of your rubbish and commit to reducing it by half.We focus a lot on “recycle” but today the challenge is “reduce” Reduce!! F. Schumacher said years ago, “Small is beautiful,” and many other wise people have come to know that less stuff invariably leaves room for more soul. In fact, possessions and soul seem to operate in inverse proportion to one another. Only through simplicity can we find deep contentment instead of perpetually striving and living unsatisfied. Simple living is the foundational social justice teaching of Jesus, Francis, Gandhi, and all hermits, mystics, prophets, and seers since time immemorial. Here are some practical ideas Bring reusable bags and containers when shopping, traveling, or packing lunches or leftovers. Choose products that are returnable, reusable, or refillable over single-use items. Avoid individually wrapped items, snack packs, and single-serve containers. Buy large containers of items or in  bulk  whenever practical. Be aware of double-packaging – some “bulk packages” are just individually wrapped items packaged yet again and sold as a bulk item. Purchase items such as dish soap and laundry detergents in concentrate forms. Compost food scraps and garden waste. Food and yard waste accounts for about 11 percent of the garbage thrown away. Many types of food scraps, along with leaves and yard trimmings, can be combined in your backyard compost bin. Reduce the amount of unwanted mail you receive. Make sure you contact the people sending you stuff and get off their distribution list. Shop at second-hand stores.  You can find great used and unused clothes at low cost to you and the environment.  Buy quality clothing that won’t wear out and can be handed down, Buy items made of recycled content, and use and reuse them as much as you can. For instance, use both sides of every page of a notebook before moving on to the next clean notebook.  Use unneeded, printed on printer paper for a scratch pad. Also, remember that buying in bulk rather than individual packages will save you lots of money and reduce waste! Packaging makes up 30% of the weight and 50% of trash by volume. Buy juice, snacks, and other lunch items in bulk and use those reusable containers each day. 10 Ways to reduce waste 

“So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty” Ezra 8:23 #fastfortheclimate – Join people around the world fasting for the planet on the 1st of every month.  Fastfortheclimate                                                     What is the Fast for the Climate? When Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda had just devastated the Philippines in November 2013, then climate commissioner Yeb Saño was at the UN climate talks in Warsaw. His own family was caught up in the disaster that killed thousands and destroyed homes and livelihoods across the country. In a moving speech, Yeb said he would not eat until the Warsaw conference ended or delivered actions that would ‘stop the madness’ of the climate crisis. So long as the people he represented could not eat, nor would he. Hundreds of others from around the world chose to fast with him in solidarity. The Fast For The Climate has grown into global movement with participation of youth groups, environmental groups and faith-based groups, who all want urgent action on climate change by governments. On the first day of every month, thousands of people around the world fast from Food in solidarity with those impacted by climate change. Commit to joining this movement! “Fasting made climate change real for me, opened my eyes and brought me closer to my neighbours. This is one of the reasons why fasting once a month is interesting: it raises one’s awareness on a regular basis and not only when extreme weather events happen. As long as you share your commitment around you, you help raising awareness about climate change. And that is, after all, what makes your fast matter.” — Martin Kopp.