This month's "healthy earth ideas," from the Presbytery Peace & Justice Action Group:
Healthy Earth Ideas
May 14, 2007
Psalm 24:1
The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.
News Tribune, April 26, 2007
“Americans in large bipartisan numbers say the heating of the Earth’s atmosphere is having serious effect on the environment...Ninety percent of Democrats, 80 percent of independents and 60 percent of Republicans said immediate action was required to curb the warming of the atmosphere and deal with its effects on global climate.”
Here are a few simple things you can do to help:
- Buy a terrapass to balance the greenhouse gas emissions from your car, airplane trips, even your furnace. www.terrapass.com.
- Buy foods that are locally grown—support your farmer’s markets and local organic farms. www.pugetsoundfresh.org.
- If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR compact florescent lightbulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 2.5 million homes for a year and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of nearly 800,000 cars.
- Drive less—consolidate trips, carpool, walk, take public transportation. Think before you drive.
- Reduce or eliminate beef from your diet.
- Stop drinking bottled water. Our Puget Sound water is among the cleanest in the country and is likely cleaner than bottled water. Americans use 2,000,000 plastic bottles per HOUR!
Other Resources:
Environmental Working Group offers bulletins on current environmental actions and answers questions on a variety of topics based on research. Sign up for their periodic updates. www.ewg.org.
Learning Opportunities:
Interfaith Creation Festival, May 31-June 3, Seattle. For information see www.interfaithcreationfest.org.
Northwest Earth Institute courses—contact www.nwei.org for information on discussion classes on Global Warming, Voluntary Simplicity, Deep Ecology, Sustainability, A Sense of Place, Health Children Healthy Planet, and others.
June 2007
Here are a few simple things you can do to help:
- Calculate how much CO2 you are producing: (www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/carboncalculator)
Offset the amount of CO2 you produce by checking these ideas: (www.nativeenergy.com/WB_ClimateCrisis.html?ClimateCrisis).
- Use biodegradable cleaning solutions and natural home remedies. Use plant-based solvents. http://es.epa.gov/techinfo/facts/safe-fs.html.
- Reduce: avoid buying take-out foods with extra packaging, over-packaged and individually packaged items. Buy in bulk or use refillable containers. Avoid products that have only 1 time use--napkins, paper towels, paper plates, disposable silverware, diapers, razors. Choose glass packaging when possible—glass is recyclable forever. It takes 500 years for Styrofoam to decompose.
- Buy less; buy quality products made to last. Share durable goods with others (e.g. tools). Buy products made from recycled materials http://www.recycledproducts.com, http://www.gaiam.com/retail/gai_shophome.asp
Other Resources:
Environment Washington is a statewide, citizen-based environmental advocacy organization. They combine independent research, practical ideas and tough-minded advocacy to overcome the opposition of powerful special interests. They focus exclusively on protecting Washington's air, water and open spaces. http://environmentwashington.org/action/global-warming/tell-friends2?id4=ES.
The Web of Creation was established to foster the movement for personal and social transformation to a just and sustainable world from religious perspectives. They define eco-justice as any effort that promotes ecological integrity with social justice as a central focus of religious understanding. http://www.webofcreation.org/
Learning Opportunities:
Rain Garden--June 11th, 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Location: Pierce County Environmental Service Building. To Participate: Pre-register or RSVP and get directions by calling 253-798-7028. $10 per participant includes materials and light refreshments, http://www.pierce.wsu.edu/.
July 2007
Psalms 104
O, Lord my God, you are very great...He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters...He makes grass grow for the cattle and plants for man to cultivate-bringing forth food from the earth; wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart...How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all."
Here are a few simple things you can do to help:
1. Join up with the Puget Sound MudUp program to clean up Puget Sound
shorelines. Sponsored by the Trust for Public Land, The Nature conservancy, and People for Puget Sound, they provide hands-on clean-up opportunities. Visit www.MudUp.org.
2. To reduce energy costs next winter, change furnace air filters
(every one to 3 months), install a programmable thermostat (65 daytime, 60 at night can save 10%), and replace older furnaces (before
1978) with high efficiency furnaces. www.eere.energy.gov/consumer.
3. For cooling you house, plant leafy trees and shrubs around your
house, especially deciduous trees on the west side to protect from the hot afternoon sun.
4. For building or remodeling projects choose composite or recycled
content, or use renewable flooring alternatives like bamboo and cork, or salvaged wood. www.thisoldhouse.com and www.greenhomeguide.com.
Other Resources:
Union of Concerned Scientists works to disseminate information and encourage advocacy on a variety of science-based issues, such as biodiversity, global warming, and clean fuels. www.ucsusa.org.
Priorities for a Healthy Washington is a bi-partisan coalition of environmental groups who work together to promote 4 legislative initiatives each year in our state. This past legislative session all
4 were successfully passed, including eliminating toxic flame retardants, increasing funding for wildlife and recreation programs in WA, and the Clean Air-Clean Fuels bill.
www.environmentalpriorities.org/sound.
Learning Opportunities:
Earth Ministry Interfaith Leadership Summit July 16th, 9;00-5:00 Camp Brotherhood, Arlington, WA. You can view an event flyer at:
http://www.stpatsseattle.org/documents/FinalFlyerandawardsNomination.doc
To register, go to: www.123signup.com/NICO. Suggested donation: $35
For more information, contact John Hale at NICO: jehale@earthlink.net or 425.865.0659.
Watch for information this Fall about the South Sound Earth Ministry-sponsored gathering intended to bring people of faith together to work on advocacy and hand-on service projects. More information to come.
August 2007
Psalms 148 (excerpts)
Praise the Lord sun and moon, all you singing stars. Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies, for he commanded and they were created. Praise the Lord from the earth you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruits trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, kinds of the earth and all nations. Let them praise the name of the Lord.”
Here are a few simple things you can do to help:
- Bring your own bags to the store when you shop. Choose paper and reuse bags.
- Compost your food remnants or find a friend with a garden who will take them.
- Laundry—use environmentally friends products, only run full loads, use only cold water, dry outside when weather permits. Avoid dry cleaning (toxic chemicals).
- Turn off computers and printers when not in use, unplug appliances such as coffee makers and anything with digital lights/numbers when not in use.
- Get ready for Fall—add weather-stripping, insulation, programmable thermostat, clean filters. If possible, add double-pained windows, buy Energy Start appliances.
Resources:
Information on how Global Warming is affecting the State of Washington.
http://online.nwf.org/site/DocServer/Washington.pdf?docID=1523
Friends Committee on National Legislation fcnl@fcnl.org * http://www.fcnl.org
We seek a world free of war and the threat of war, We seek a society with equity and justice for all, We seek a community where every person's potential may be fulfilled, We seek an earth restored. FCNL provides current information on legislation and advocacy opportunities from a faith perspective.
Religious Coalition for the Common Good: www.thewac.org/rccg.asp
Provides ecumenical information, resources, advocacy opportunities for churches and peoples of faith in Washington, including environmental issues, housing, living wage/poverty, health care, tax fairness, and criminal and restorative justice.
Learning Opportunities
Earth Ministry South Sound Fall Advocacy Training in November—watch for details.
Global Warming Sunday School discussion course available through Northwest Earth Institute. Contact Karen Van Vlack karinv@nwei.org for information.
More on Caring For The Earth, Our Neighbors & Ourselves
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...And God saw that it was good...The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” Genesis 1 & 2
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The Problem
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What you can do
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Impact of your actions
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Food:
1) Harmful chemicals. 140 million tons were used in 2000 to grow crops world-wide. The EPA says over 100 pesticide ingredients are suspected of causing birth defects, cancer, and gene mutations.
2) Distance. The average food product is shipped 1500 miles (e.g. shipping a kiwi from New Zealand produces 5 times its weight in carbon dioxide emissions).
3) Beef. 100 acres of land can produce enough beef for 20 people or enough wheat to feed 240. It takes up to 5000 gallons of water to process a pound of beef, depleting our underground aquifers. Eating 1 hamburger does the same amount of environmental damage as driving your car for 3 weeks
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1) Buy or grow your own organic foods, use food waste compost as natural fertilizer. (www.watoxics.org)
2) Eat local and seasonal foods, farmer’s markets or from a local organic farm, natural food stores. (www.tilthproducers.org)
3) Eat lower on the food chain. Avoid or reduce beef consumption (www.vegsource.com)
4) Calculate the effect of your diet on the environment and on your health (http://www.cspinet.org/EatingGreen/score.html)
5)
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Reduces consumption of pesticides and herbicides, supports local farmers, provides healthier, safer food for you and your family.
Reduces greenhouse gases through emissions from transporting imported food.
Saves massive amounts of water, avoids polluting streams and rivers and destroying topsoil, avoids destruction of tropical rainforests and aquifers (water sources for the Midwest and around the world)
Reduces carbon dioxide and methane gas emissions, helps save endangered species (rain forests destroyed to use as grazing land).
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Air:
Air Quality: The USA has 241 million cars on the road, which are responsible for 45% of the pollution produced by automobiles around the world.
Global Warming: Burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil, and clearing forests has dramatically increased the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth’s atmosphere and caused temperatures to rise.
(www.climatecrisis.net)
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1) Take the bus, walk, bike, consolidate trips or ride share.
2) Use the lowest mileage car for the longest distances.
3) Buy a more fuel efficient vehicle (Tax credits up to $3,400). (www.eere.energy.gov/cleancities/hev/)
4) Calculate how much CO2 you are producing.
(www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/carboncalculator)
5) Offset the amount of CO2 you produce.
(www.nativeenergy.com/WB_ClimateCrisis.html?ClimateCrisis)
or (www.terrapass.com)
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Helps you stay in shape--walking burns up to 1000 calories/hour.
Reduces CO2 emissions directly responsible for global warming. A car getting 25 mpg instead of 15 mpg saves 300 gallons of gasoline, and 6,600 lbs of CO2 per year.
Saves money. Bus passes are $54/month. Car insurance is much more. 300 gallons of gasoline costs about $900 currently.
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Water: www.pcusa.org/trade/thirst.htm
Water supplies. 1.1 billion people do not have access to a safe and adequate water supply - 97% of the world’s fresh water is stored in underground aquifers being depleted at a rate of 53 trillion gallons per year.
(www.earth-policy.org/Books/Out/Ote6_2.htm)
Pollution. Human and farm animal waste and over 10 million synthetic chemicals contribute to making our fresh water unsafe to drink. Over 200 million gallons of motor oil pollutes our waters every year. Storm drains on our streets empty directly into local waters untreated.
Plastic. A million tons of plastic are used each year for bottled water. Americans use 2 million plastic bottles per hour. Most plastic bottles are not recycled adding to the world’s waste. It takes 100 years for a plastic bottle to decompose.
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1) Avoid plastic bottled water. Drink tap water or purify your tap water with a filter. Use water in reusable containers.
http://www.prcweb.org/DOCS/waterbrochureFINAL.pdf
2) Support organizations that provide clean drinking water to those areas in the world without it. (www.water1st.org)
3) Bring used oil and other toxic wastes to recycling center. Avoid harmful and damaging chemicals and cleaners—especially where they can run into storm drains. (www.Superpages.com)
4) Reduce beef consumption. (5000 gallons of water used for 1 lb. of beef) (http://www.vegsource.com)
5) Use water wisely.
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Reduces the tons of plastic used to make bottled water each year.
Helps others. The UN estimates that if the world took half of what it now spends on bottled water ($100 billion/year) and invested it in water infrastructure and treatment, everyone in the world could have access to clean drinking water.
Saves water and keeps it safe for human consumption.
Saves money.
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