April 14 – Palm Sunday
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April 14 – Palm Sunday Read More »
Plastic Fast 2019
April 12 – No More Wet wipes
[siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Image_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] “He shall then wash his clothes and bathe his body in water and be clean.” – Leviticus 14: 9 Millions of us have grabbed a wet wipe to clean our hands, faces, worktops, children, and almost everything else at some point. What harm can it do, we might think – they’re only little squares of wet tissue. Aren’t they? But now people are realising that wet wipes, like so many other everyday throwaway items, contain plastic, and aren’t so harmless after all. Wet wipes are often advertised as “flushable”, implying they’re somewhat environmentally friendly. However, they’re actually causing a wide number of problems. Wet wipes are often partly made of polyester, a form of plastic that doesn’t deteriorate like, for example, a tissue might do. This is woven together with cotton, but as a whole means wipes remain together in waterways for a long time. Some wet wipes have been re-engineered by the industry to be made of wood pulp, the material that toilet paper is made from. However, they’re also chemically treated to ensure they last far longer – and while hygiene firms claim they break down, water companies and scientists disagree, saying they are still very slow to degrade. When they eventually do break down, the small remaining pieces of plastic add to the global micro-plastics problem, as marine life consume them. Once they are flushed down a toilet, wet wipes can cause blockages in sewers, particularly when they gather in large numbers. Wet wipes made up 93 per cent of the material that forms blockages according to a UK study Wet wipes combine with cooking oil and other fats to create massive lumps (called fatbergs) that have to be manually removed and dismantled. The wipes also have the potential to clog up drains in houses, leading to homes being flooded with sewage. Riverbeds are remade by wet wipes Some wet wipes are ejected from sewers and enter rivers and canals, where they cause further problems. They tend to drift to the bottom of rivers and get clogged with mud, sticks and other debris, and look like a natural part of the riverbed. Ditch the wipes When it comes to cleaning, avoid multi-purpose cleaning wipes for your home surfaces and opt for liquid cleaning products and a reusable cloth. No disposable wipes necessary, just a re-usable J-cloth. And why not go re-usable for baby care instead? Use washable cloth baby wipes, keeping the comfort of a wipe but ditching the wasteful result. “To be better to our environment, where possible, why not go back to a good old-fashioned flannel or re-usable baby cloth?” Read more at: https://inews.co.uk/news/environment/wet-wipes-environmental-hazard/ https://friendsoftheearth.uk/plastics/wet-wipes-keeping-them-out-our-seas-and-sewers
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April 11 – Have a Toy Swap!
[siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Image_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] All the believers shared everything they had. Acts 4: 32-35 A lot of toys end up in the bin or sitting on shelves because the children are bored of them. Why not organise a Toy Swap at Sunday School? What is old to you is still new and fun for me! Choose your “rules” For example: People must bring toys that still work or are not broken. This can be a fundraising event and a fun one. Make little ‘books’ of tickets by stapling together squares of paper. Decide how much each ‘ticket’ costs. Keep the prices nice and low and affordable. The advantage of using the tickets is all the kids have the same number of chances to buy so the kids with lots of pocket money cant dominate. Have a few ‘books’ of tickets for the kids you know don’t have money. Decide what you are fundraising for (eg Sunday School outing). Have an older child or adult sell the ‘tickets’ Display! When your guests arrive, set up their toys in a large enough area for people to browse and see what’s available. More toys will be bought when people can really see what’s available Put a price on each item, (an adult can decide on the prices) then the children bring the toy or game to the ‘checkout; and pay with their tickets. You can even go so far as to group the puzzles together, boy toys on one table, girl toys on another. Baby toys somewhere else.
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April 10 – Less Plastic Snacks!
[siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Image_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. Gen 1 : 29 Snacks are some of the most high in plastic – but there is lots we can do to make a difference. Avoid individual packs Resist individually packed snacks and go with zero- or low-waste options, like nuts from those in-store bulk dispensers and fruit. Some restaurants are shifting to paper covered mints ask them to do that if you visit a restaurant Don’t buy chewing gum Most chewing gums are made out of a synthetic, rubbery product called polyisobutylene that is mixed with plasticisers and materials to make the mixture chewable. When thrown on the ground, chewing gum can get stuck to many small animals, such as birds. The birds then struggle to remove the sticky plastic and it can get caught in their beaks, which could result in suffocation, starvation or rotting of their feet if stepped in. Not to mention the plastic and coated packaging chewing gum comes in. Bake your own snacks Baking your own snacks such as muffins or biscuits is much more fun, much cheaper and produces way less plastic! Eco-brick the waste from your snacks Keep an eco-brick in the kitchen and have the kids eco-brick their waste from snacks from their lunch boxes. Here is some more info on Eco-bricks if you haven’t come across them. EcoBricks are constructed from 2-litre plastic bottles that have been tightly packed with non-biodegradable waste. Keep your bottle near your bin so that all plastic waste can be put into the bottle. It helps to use a wooden stick of sorts, such as the handle of a wooden spoon, to compact the plastic as much as possible. An EcoBrick is complete when the bottle can no longer be squeezed, and there should be no space inside the bottle. EcoBricks should weigh about 500 grams. Eco-bricks are now being used to build glassrooms, raised flower beds, walls etc, instead of sending the waste to land fill or it ending up in the ocean. https://www.getaway.co.za/travel-news/eco-brick-today/
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April 9 – Teach our kids to save the planet
[siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Image_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Psalm 78:5-6 It’s crucial that we work to create a more sustainable future for ourselves and upcoming generations, and the work must begin now ― not with young adults, but with young children. When children play in nature before age 11, they are “more likely to grow up to be environmentalists than other children.” Additional research has suggested that kids who engage with the natural world alongside “significant others” like family members and teachers are more likely to protect that nature later in life. Much of what children come to know and understand is gained through social learning. As kids, we learn how to appropriately interact with one another and in society. We are taught not to hit or bite; we can’t simply take whatever we want from the toy store’s shelves. Children are also conditioned ― sometimes with purpose but usually without much thought ― to interact in certain ways with the non-human world. When a child sees an insect, for example, she looks to those around her for guidance on how to respond. When my oldest daughter was 4 years old, she discovered the larva of a green fig beetle buried beneath the dirt in our garden, and it practically became a family event. The experience only lasted a few minutes, but the questions persisted for weeks: How does the green beetle grow? How does it move? What does it eat? What eats it? This kind of curiosity and respect, when encouraged and allowed to develop, can later extend to spiders, bees, birds, forests and, eventually, entire ecosystems. How a child treats a new insect or interesting plant may seem insignificant, but these early, entry-level and everyday opportunities to connect with non-human nature are critically important. They scale up. They encourage children to consider their own position within the enlarged boundaries of a community and weigh the impact of their actions. As kids grow into adulthood, this mindset will be brought to bear on larger-scale questions and decisions that affect the world we live in. From curiosity comes learning, from learning comes respect, and from respect comes stewardship and advocacy. Operating under an environmental ethic may sound unrealistic, but it’s less complicated than it seems. Fostering a child’s curiosity is simple. Spend time outdoors; even a walk to the store is an opportunity for children to observe and be curious about their natural surroundings. If you’re a city-dweller without much land to call your own, plant some potted vegetables or herbs. The process of planting, growing and harvesting something they can actually eat is a powerful tool for connecting kids to nature. Let them get their hands dirty. Furthermore, most kids are fascinated by things adults consider gross and pick up on the idea very early on that certain things are “yucky.” Don’t scream and run away when an insect approaches. Show the child you are curious about the world around you, too. And remember: Sometimes less is more. You don’t need to drag your child on a long hike every weekend to teach them to appreciate the environment. A nature scavenger hunt around the local park can be equally impactful. When weather doesn’t permit, watch nature shows as a family. Help children to understand the impact on nature and other creatures of the plastic choices we make. If they understand that a particular lolly stick or sucker stick is made of plastic rather than paper they will learn to choose the paper one. They can look at the many choices in the supermarket aisle and choose things that do not hurt animals and birds. If they understand the damage that a piece of balloon can do to a turtle, they will be happy to have other decorations for their birthday https://www.huffpost.com/entry/opinion-crow-miller-sustainability_n_5a7a6110e4b06505b4e928b9
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April 8 – Give Experiences not plastic toys
Train up a child in the way they should go: and when they are old, they will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 The toy industry is massive – it generated over $20 billion in sales last year and made a huge impact on the environment. Plastic toys, which tend to be inexpensive and vibrantly colored, account for 90 percent of the market,. And while they pose the same risks as any other plastic item, these playthings have short life-spans and are often impossible to recycle. Sometimes they only last a few days or weeks before being broken.One of the things that separates plastic toys from other plastic objects is that they’re essentially destined for the landfill.Plastic toys pose a unique challenge because they’re typically composed of other materials too, such as metals. The recyclable components can’t be separated out, and become prohibitive for recycling centers,Environmental experts say to look to the products of eras past ― when toys were made from durable materials that could be passed down from one generation to the next. Before World War II, heavy-duty toys were the standard. But once metal became hard to come by, plastics took over ― and have dominated the industry ever since.Look for Items made from wood, cotton, metal and natural rubber as alternatives to plastic toys.And why not buy your child/grandchild an experience rather than a plastic toy? Here are some ideas: 1. Tickets to an event. Give your child tickets to an event that allows them to feel grown-up, special, or just something to look forward to. Most of all, it’s something to do together. 2. Magazine subscriptions. Not only does she look forward to receiving mail every month, but magazines such as these that are low on fluff and high on quality give a child a on-going dose of fun education and encourage their literacy skills! 3. Classes. Encourage what your child loves or is good at. Be it dance, art, athletics, horseback riding, music, storytelling, or carpentry, give your child a chance to enhance their skills doing something they love or want to learn. The only word of caution here is to book the classes before you gift them – it’s all too easy to promise this gift and then not follow through on actually booking them. 4. Memberships. If there’s a zoo, aquarium, museum, theatre, or music venue in your area, gift your child a membership so they can attend regularly. Not only will it provide on-going events together, but you’ll get to explore more in depth each time you attend. These are especially good for large families, as typically getting a “family rate” is significantly cheaper than purchasing a day pass once or twice. 5. Dress up clothes. Dress-up clothes used to be hand-me-downs from Grandma, so visit your local thrift store and fill your dress-up wardrobe with inexpensive, REAL clothing (not the cheap Disney pre-made stuff that only allows your child how to pretend to be one movie character). Our favorites are aprons, old-fashioned shoes, feather boas, fans, hats of all sorts, old ball gowns, scrubs, and the like. 6. Repurposed play food & kitchen items. Put together an entire kitchen of play food by collecting used containers from your own kitchen, such as spice jars, salt & pepper shakers, and empty boxes (such as from baking powder, cornstarch, sugar, and baking soda), then cleaning them out well and carefully taping shut any sharp or loose edges. If they’re already “pretty” enough as a gift, leave them be, but if you want to “prettify” them, paint and decorate them to make them look just right. 7. Their own travel supplies. Whether it’s a toiletry bag to keep their toothbrush in the next time they spend the night at Grandma’s or a backpacking backpack all their own, having their own travel bag or supplies for on the road gears children up for adventure and helps assuage fears of the unknown by fostering independence. If you’ve traveled away from home before, perhaps slip a few photos from the trip into the gift as well. 8. A piggy bank. Help your child begin to learn important budgeting and saving skills by giving them a piggy bank.. You can seed the piggy bank with a cash gift too if you so desire! 9. Music. Music is the language of the soul and can stir the heart, the soul, and the mind – so whether you want to gift your child classic rock or classical rhapsodies, give a gift that can inspire for years. My husband and I still return to music we first heard decades ago when we feel the need to dance, grieve, or just sing at the top of our lungs while we do family housecleaning – and our children do the same with the music they each love. 10. Musical instruments. Listening to music is essential, but making it and creating your own sounds, melodies, and rhythms is even more so. Whether it’s small, like shaker eggs and maracas, or large, like a guitar or keyboard, the ability to create music informs and shapes the mind AND spirit. 11. A photo album. Whether blank, filled with photos, or gifted with a small camera, a photo album helps create the story of one’s life. Whether the child uses it to tell the story of a single event or the events of their life, this can become a treasured item for years to come. 12. One-on-one outings. Do an activity together of the child’s choosing, such as skating, swimming, skiing, bowling, painting – you name it! Intentional time together having fun is the best part of this gift. 13. Nature up-close. Give a gift that will help your child observe and interact with nature on a regular basis. A few ideas include a butterfly garden to watch caterpillars morph into butterflies, a bird feeder + bird seed + bird field guide a bug house, or even just a magnifying glass, a pair of binoculars,
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