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#fast4earth BUY VEGETABLES LOCALLY – REDUCE  FOOD MILES Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” Gen 1:11 Food mile : the distance food travels from where it is grown to the end user   When you buy food, you’re also buying the labor to grow and harvest it, the roads to transport it from the farm, processing if need be, and the fuel to fly it hundreds or even thousands of miles. This is a luxury we’ve all grown accustomed to, as modern retailers continue to supply an increasing number of imported goods through a sophisticated system that goes largely unnoticed.   But when we add up the resources needed to transport many of these goods around the world, our carbon footprint grows at an unsustainable rate. Transporting food is a fuel-guzzling process that eats up fossil fuels. In turn, the use of fossil fuels generates large quantities of carbon dioxide, a heat-trapping greenhouse gas, that warms our atmosphere. By supporting local farms and in-season produce, we can drastically cut down on the miles a food travels to get to our plate and its subsequent fuel usage. But doing this has other benefits, too. Here are five other reasons to shop local: Provide an income for a family That R50 you spend on vegetables in a supermarket makes no difference to that shop, but it may make the difference between food on a table and not for one family.   Fresh produce contains more nutrients   The quality and nutritional value of produce can be affected by careless handling, mechanical harvesting methods, storage at improper temperatures, and rough transport – all factors that are more likely to increase the farther it must travel.   Less travel means a safer food supply   Less transportation and handling also means less chance for contamination throughout the supply chain.   Seasonal produce offers better variety   Eating what’s in season means following the natural flow of the seasons and adding variety to your diet throughout the course of a year. A diet centered on variety is more likely to contain a good balance of nutrients.   Supporting local preserves green spaces + biodiversity   Small farms are more likely to pay attention to the ecosystem and soil health of their farm so that it lasts well beyond this season and continues to deliver high quality goods. By supporting them, you’re supporting their practices.     https://vegetableandbutcher.com/blogs/more-than-food/what-are-food-miles

#fast4earth Pick up Litter I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable. Jer 2: 7 It is not my litter, but it is my community. One of the ways to reduce littering is if we all take part. As you go for a walk or jog, commit to picking up three or five pieces on the last part of your run. You will influence others around you and begin the change the culture of people dropping litter. “plogging” is an idea which started in Sweden. Plogging is a combination of jogging with picking up litter (merging the Swedish verbs plocka upp (pick up) and jogga (jog) gives the new Swedish verb plogga, from which the word plogging derives).] It started as an organized activity in Sweden around 2016 and spread to other countries in 2018, following increased concern about plastic pollution. As a workout, it provides variation in body movements by adding bending, squatting and stretching to the main action of running, hiking, or walking Plogging is considered a perfect activity, as it is positive both for the body, and for the environment. An estimated 20,000 people Plog daily in 100 countries and some plogging events have attracted over 3,000,000 participants. Become a plogger, get fit and improve your community! https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-england-dorset-43912683

RESOURCES FOR WORLD WATER DAY  Liturgy for World Water Day service https://www.greenanglicans.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/World-Water-Day-service-2021-1.pdf Work sheet for Sunday School teachers https://www.greenanglicans.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Worksheet-for-Sunday-School-teachers-1.pdf Ground water fact sheet (Cape Town) https://www.greenanglicans.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Groundwater-fact-sheet-Cape-Town-1.pdf  

#FAST4EARTH  FIND CONTACTS FOR REPORTING ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS “Speak up for those who have no voice” Prov 31:8 One of the most important things that we can do to prevent illegal dumping and water leaks, is to make sure that we know the how to report these issues and what are the contact details. It is often quite difficult to find out who to report to, you can hunt on your municipality website, or if there is someone in your congregation who works for the municipality , ask them to find out for you. Even when you have the correct email address or contact number, you will often have to contact them multiple times.  The best is to get a group of different people reporting the issue, to raise it up the municipality’s priority list. Share the contact details on your community whatsapp or facebook group or your church group. Tag your councillor when you post pictures of the problem on Facebook and social media. And if you get nowhere  then the next stage it to go to the press, that will normally get some action!!

#fast4earth Candlelit dinner Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. (Matthew 5:15) Having a candlelit dinner can be very fun, and also makes us appreciate the value of electricity and commit to saving it when we can ATMOSPHERE The flicker of candlelight produces a lovely ambiance that simply cannot be replicated. Lighting a few well-placed candles in your home can really add effect and create a cozy and intimate atmosphere. Adding a candle here-and-there will create softness in your room and instantly make it feel warm and welcoming. DESTRESSING Candles are known for their soothing, healing properties and are often used by therapists, such as massage therapists, to create a peaceful ambiance in their therapy rooms. The sheer act of lighting a candle, its lovely flicker and the gentle glow it creates, helps ease and soothe the mind. Give it a try the next time you have a stressful day: light a candle, watch the flame and just breathe for a few minutes – even just 60 seconds can make a big difference. CELEBRATION Lighting candles and eating in the dark can turn a regular family dinner into a celebration or into a romantic dinner for two! FRAGRANCE Scented candles are a perfect way to subtly add a wonderful fragrance to your space, and cover-up unwelcome odors. Candles such as Citronella can keep flies away. MEDITATION & PRAYER Lighting candles during meditation is a wonderful way to support your practice. You can focus on the flame of a burning candle while praying, it helps you to concentrate. https://litupcandleco.com/blogs/get-lit/benefits-from-burning-candles

#fast4earth Have an electronics free day I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. (Psalm 101:3) Five Reasons to Take a Break from Screens Research is growing that shows that excessive media  use is not good for us physically, mentally, or emotionally. The good news is that taking a media break is a powerful way to improve our well-being. What are some of the advantages? Slow down and smell the roses! We do not appreciate the moments of silence or peace in between activities, because we always grab our cell phone to see what we have been missing. So we never really have a moment of complete down time. When we walk to your next appointment or class, take time to breathe in the fresh air, rather than checking your social media as you rush along. Improved sleep Electronic media is not your friend when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, especially if it’s used in the hours close to bedtime. This is partly due to the  effects of the “blue light” of the screen, which confuses the brain into thinking it is not night time, , delaying  sleep. In one study, for example, people reading on an e-reader at night, compared to those reading a print book,  took longer to fall asleep, and felt less rested the next day. We are also temped to ‘quickly’ check our social media , and find ourselves still active hours later. Late night work emails or irritating social media posts will disturb your peace and not let you sleep.. Better  connections Social media promises social connection, but the full richness of human relationships is best found face-to-face. Playing an active or board game with your children can be a huge highlight of their week as you are not distracted by your phone.  You can have deeper conversations when you are not constantly distracted. We can nourish our relationships by having a fast from electronics! 4. Productivity and learning Any work that requires a focused mind will benefit from a media break. The constant use of electronics means that we are always ‘task switching’ and not concentrating so deeply on the task at hand. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/five_reasons_to_take_a_break_from_screens