Styrofoam

Finally, brothers and sisters, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that, as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God (as, in fact, you are doing), you should do so more and more .
1 T h e s s a l o n i a n s 4 : 1


Last Thursday, the Creation Care Committee attended the Women's board meeting to present on the topic of styrofoam. Our Savior's has, for many years, used styrofoam cups for the fellowship hour on Sunday mornings and has them available for use during the week as well. Styrofoam is also used on occasion for potlucks and community meals held in our building.

Vonnie Thordal, Co-President of the women's board, was enthusiastic and positive about adding the subject of styrofoam to their meeting agenda and we want to shout out a great big "Thank You!" to her her openness and willingness to consider another way!


Why is it important to stop using styrofoam?
Caring for the environment is part of our call to serve God and love our neighbor. A significant way we carry out that call is in the way we manage activities and functions on church grounds. This is easy to forget because our culture tells us it's our right to do what's easy and convenient. Christ tells us though, that it is our responsibility and vocation to honor God and the abundance He has given us.


Styrofoam is a bad deal
Styrofoam is a bad deal from beginning to end. Firstly, styrofoam is made from benzene, a known carcinogen, which is breathed in by the factory workers who often live lives of poverty which offer them little or no other choice for employment. The Benzene is converted to Styrene, polymerized and finally turned into foam by injecting gasses known to contribute to the destruction of the ozone layer and the production of smog. Benzene itself is made from oil and sometimes coal which is processed in plants which pump even more toxins and pollution into the air and ground and consume more oil to power the production process.

Secondly, there is no good way to recycle styrofoam. It is difficult to do and only a very few places do it. Furthermore, there are very few uses for recycled styrofoam and it is not suitable for making more cups. So recycling your cup does nothing to mitigate the need for more raw materials to make your next styrofoam cup.

Third. So styrofoam is made to be discarded and the damage to the environment is significant. According to the Recycler's Handbook, Americans send over 25 billion styrofoam cups to the landfill each year (and that's just the cups!). Consider Our Savior's: if 100 people drink coffee on Sunday mornings and use just one styrofoam cup, though some use more than one, times 52 weeks per year = 5,200 cups, they would use and throw away enough cups to fill 16 32 gallon trash cans. Then, the 5,200 cups are hauled away to the landfill in big, gas-guzzling trucks and dumped into the ground, where the chemicals leach into the ground and groundwater to become a problem for future generations.

Why is styrofoam still around if it's so bad?

Companies get away with it because they can. Styrofoam is cheap to make, cheap to ship and cheap to buy and they know if they put it on the shelves people will buy it. It's time for the Christian community to be the voice that says "No. This is not acceptable." We have to stop endorsing products that destroy what God gave us and charged us to protect.

There are several alternatives to styrofoam. The best and cheapest, of course, is to use ceramic mugs. One woman present at the meeting asked "how much would those cost?" and I was very happy to answer "nothing! We already own them and they're sitting in the cupboard downstairs in the kitchen!" Of course, using ceramic mugs requires the added time and effort of running the dishwasher as well as carting them upstairs to the Lounge on Sunday mornings and then back down again after the fellowship time is finished. We discussed the viability of asking the service unit volunteers who serve the coffee on Sundays to do this job or of finding someone who took on that task on a regular basis.

The next best thing would be biodegradable disposable cups - we still end up feeding the landfill but they would not be a toxic to God's creation and His people (factory workers!) as styrofoam. They are also thicker than paper cups and do well to hold hot liquids.

Yet another alternative is paper cups - though it was generally agreed at the meeting that those cups get pretty hot to hold.

Now what?

Though we did not reach a solid decision to discontinue stocking the church building with styrofoam cups, the women present at the meeting last Thursday were very gracious and open to learning more about the environmental issue around styrofoam and to the discussion of alternatives. Friends, this is where the process begins! And "Creation waits with eager longing..." (Romans 8:19).

June 21, 2010 Meeting Highlights

The Creation Care Committee met at Atomic Coffee in Moorhead and enjoyed the sun and heat - and wind - while sitting outside for our meeting. Thanks be to God - even for the wind!

Youth Project: Clean Up The Red
Plans for a Youth project with River Keepers are underway. Minister for Youth & Family Discipleship, Melissa Pickering, is on board and excited to do a "Clean Up the Red" day with the Youth. She has been very busy with the Mission Trip and will be able to plan more details in the coming weeks.

We anticipate the event would be on a Sunday afternoon in late summer and be no more than two hours long. Information on safety and what to wear when cleaning up the Red River is available from River Keepers. The Creation Care Committee will put this information into a packet to be sent home with the students. Carrie will check with Melissa about sending permission forms to be signed by the parents with these packets as well.

Rain Barrel Class
Carrie has been in contact with Lauri Winterfeldt at River Keepers about doing a rain barrel making class at Our Savior's. We feel it would be best to hold the class on a week night before the fall, while people are still interested and can still get some use out of them this summer. We don't have a date nailed down yet so we will put a general "head's up" announcement in the coming church newsletter. River Keepers is busy with other projects until July 28, so our class will have to be after that date.

The Use of Styrofoam on Church Grounds
Our goal is to address the use of styrofoam on church grounds this fall. We will propose that the church grounds be kept a styrofoam-free zone. This would mean using the ceramic coffee cups the church already has or supplying biodegradable cups rather than the styrofoam cups we currently supply. This would be the rule for Sunday fellowship times as well as for groups meeting in the church building throughout the week.

The Women's Board is currently without a president so we feel it is best to wait until after their fall elections.

Carrie has an article about the toxicity of styrofoam and why it's important for churches not to use it in the Web of Creation materials to include with the proposal. We will also include a short synopsis of the other ways Our Savior's cares for creation so it is understood that this is a church-wide effort and part of a grander plan.

Blessing the Animals, October, 2010
St. Francis of Assisi is remembered as a lover of all creation. Learn more about St. Francis and the custom of animal blessings here. The Creation Care Committee would like to hold a Blessing of the Animals on October 16. We would like to hold the blessing in Hansman Park and invite the surrounding neighbors to bring their pets as well.

We would need to create fliers and organize a time and volunteers to distribute them to neighborhood homes. This may be a wonderful opportunity for outreach!

Pr. Keith Zeh has done animal blessings before - Carrie will check with him to see if he would be willing to help us with this one.

Greenies Among Us
Laura will come up with some interview questions to use for email interviews of Our Savior's members who Care for Creation in various ways. Their answers and photos will be posted on the blog and advertized in the church newsletter.

Next Creation Care Meeting
Tuesday, August 10, 2010, 5:15 at Atomic Coffee in Moorhead.


If you have comments about what was discussed in our meeting, or if you would like to suggest a project to help Our Savior's care for God's creation, please click on the "Comment" link below or contact us by email.

Benefits of an Energy Audit

Benefits of an Energy Audit

The article above is written by Jason Parmer and appears on the Blessed Earth website (see the post below to learn more about Blessed Earth).

When was the last time you took a tour of your home's crawlspaces?

My own home was built in 1921. It's a fairly small house so one would think the energy bills wouldn't be too high - wrong! Our energy bills are through the roof during the winter months, despite several "do-it-yourself" attempts to winter-proof.

So what's the next step? An energy audit! Why haven't we done it yet? Honsetly, there is no good reason. We just haven't gotten around to it. I think that might be the default answer for many people who care about creation, but still haven't made any significant changes in lifestyle. We just "haven't gotten around to it yet." But how long will the earth wait for us?

The effects of climate change are increasing every single day - what are we waiting for? Most utility companies provide this service for free - there is nothing to loose, except energy loss of course.

Read Jason Parmer's article, Benefits of an Energy Audit, and find out what he learned by doing an audit on his home.

Blessed Earth

Blessed Earth is an organization I just discovered this spring. A person in Illinois was reading our blog and sent me a link to their website suggesting that we might find it interesting. Let me tell you, "interesting" is quite an understatement!

I perused their website, read their blogs, viewed a few videos about an educational series they created and could hardly stay in my chair I was so excited.

"Blessed Earth is an educational nonprofit that inspires and equips faith communities to become better stewards of the earth. Through outreach to churches, campuses and media we build bridges that promote measurable environmental change and meaningful spiritual growth" (Blessed Earth mission statement).

Not only do they provide resources for churches in pratically every context I can think of, but it is also completely founded in Scripture. The founder of the company, Dr. Matthew Sleeth, is a surgeon turned Creation Care Expert. He may know more about this issue than anyone in the nation.

Please, if you're looking for inspiration, check this out!! blessedearth.org. Read - learn - watch the videos - join the mailing list - be inspired. I was.



Of particular interest is their page with Creation Care tips - talk about an incredible resource! Click here to check it out!

Happy Earth Day!

The heavens are telling the glory of God;

and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours forth speech,
and night to night declares knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words;

their voice is not heard;

yet their voice goes out through all the earth,

and their words to the end of the world.

P s a l m 1 9 : 1 - 4

Indeed - this IS the day the Lord has made! And what a glorious day it is! Happy Earth Day to you. We hope you will find a way to celebrate the miraculous creation today. For ideas, click here.

There is a "Green Expo" coming up on May 9 at the Fargo Civic Center. Click here for more details.

Thank you to everyone who participated in Earth Week events here at Our Savior's. Our worship services on Sunday and Wednesday celebrated the great Creator. Over sixty-five worshippers pledged to become better stewards of creation during those services. Discussions during our three global warming classes this week were thoughtful and spirit-filled.

We are the people of God and we are making a difference right here Moorhead. When the task of "going green" begins to look overwhelming or unattainable please remember this: God's grace is a renewable resource! He will give us what we need to make a difference. We are the hands and feet of Christ - let's let Him work through us today!

A Prayer for Earth Day
God our Creator and Parent, who is as far as the stars and as near as our breath, You are holy. Let all creation worship you and live in harmony with you and each other. Give us today what we need; and forgive us for withdrawing from mutuality with You, as we forgive those who have withdrawn from mutuality with us; let us find our happiness in You. For all that matters is in You, and through You, and of You and for You, forever. Amen.

Global Warming Might Spur Earthquakes and Volcanoes

The following article was emailed to me by an Our Savior's member who attended last night's Earth Week video: "An Incoveneint Truth." Please note that this article was written in 2007 on LiveScience.com. When are we going to start believing scientists' predicitons?

By Andrea Thompson, LiveScience Staff Writer
posted: 30 August 2007 08:57 am ET

Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and landslides are some of the additional catastrophes that climate change and its rising sea levels and melting glaciers could bring, a geologist says.

The impact of human-induced global warming on Earth's ice and oceans is already noticeable: Greenland's glaciers are melting at an increasing rate, and sea level rose by a little more than half a foot (0.17 meters) globally in the 20th century, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

With these trends in ice cover and sea level only expected to continue and likely worsen if atmospheric carbon dioxide levels continue to rise, they could alter the stresses and forces fighting for balance in the ground under our feet—changes that are well-documented in studies of past climate change, but which are just beginning to be studied as possible consequences of the current state of global warming.

"Although they've described it in the past, nobody's thought about it in terms of future effects of climate change," said Bill McGuire of the University College London's Hazard Research Center.
McGuire's speculations of increased geological activity have not yet been published in a journal, but he has written an article about them published in the Guardian Unlimited.

Rebounding crust
One particular feature that can change the balance of forces in Earth's crust is ice, in the form of glaciers and ice sheets that cover much of the area around Earth's poles plus mountains at all latitudes. The weight of ice depresses the crust on which it sits.

As the ice melts, the crust below no longer has anything sitting on top of it, and so can rebound fairly rapidly (by geological standards). (This rebounding is actually occurring now as a result of the end of the last Ice Age: The retreat of massive ice sheets from the northern United States and Canada has allowed the crust in these areas to bounce back.)

Areas of rebounding crust could change the stresses acting on earthquake faults and volcanoes in the crust.

"In places like Iceland, for example, where you have the Eyjafjallajökull ice sheet, which wouldn't survive [global warming], and you've got lots of volcanoes under that, the unloading effect can trigger eruptions," McGuire said.

With the changing dynamics in the crust, faults could also be destabilized, which could bring a whole host of other problems.

"It's not just the volcanoes. Obviously if you load and unload active faults, then you're liable to trigger earthquakes," McGuire told LiveScience, noting that there is ample evidence for this association in past climate change events.

"At the end of the last Ice Age, there was a great increase in seismicity along the margins of the ice sheets in Scandinavia and places like this, and that triggered these huge submarine landsides which generated tsunamis," McGuire said. "So you've got the whole range of geological hazards there that can result from if we see this big catastrophic melting."

Roland Burgmann, a geologist at the University of California, Berkeley, agrees that changes in ice cover can have significant effects on the underlying crust, but says that more research needs to be done to determine the actual scale of the threat and where the effects are most likely to occur.

Water pressure
Ice melt can have an added consequence because all that melted ice has to go somewhere—namely, the ocean.

And ice melt won't be the only factor changing sea levels: as ocean temperatures rise, the water itself expands (a process called thermal expansion).

As all that extra water piles up, it could apply pressure to faults near coastlines.

"The added load of the water bends the crust, and that means that you tend to get tensional conditions in the upper part of the crust and compressional a bit lower down, just as if you bend a plank of wood or something," McGuire explained.

These compressional forces could push out any magma lying around underneath a volcano, triggering an eruption. (This mechanism is actually believed to be the cause of the seasonal eruptions of Alaska's Pavlof volcano, which erupts every winter when sea levels are higher.)
McGuire conducted a study that was published in the journal Nature in 1997 that looked at the connection between the change in the rate of sea level rise and volcanic activity in the Mediterranean for the past 80,000 years and found that when sea level rose quickly, more volcanic eruptions occurred, increasing by a whopping 300 percent.

If today's worst-case global warming scenarios of catastrophic melting of glaciers and ice sheets come to pass, sea levels could rise rapidly, wreaking all sorts of geological havoc "comparable with the most rapid increases in sea level that we've seen in the last 15,000 years," McGuire said.

Burgmann isn't too worried about sea level rise causing more earthquakes or volcanic eruptions though, noting that catastrophic rates of sea level rise in the future are uncertain and that the current rate of rise—about 0.12 inches per year (3 millimeters per year)—isn't enough to destabilize the crust.

"It would take a long time to add up to a significant amount," Burgmann said—so while it's an area of research to keep an eye on, it's unlikely to have any disastrous consequences, at least for now.

Natural Disasters: Top 10 U.S. Threats
Top 10 Surprising Results of Global Warming
Timeline: The Frightening Future of Earth

Green Soap

I had an unexpected visit this morning that made my day. A member of Our Savior's stopped by the church office after returning home from a trip to Arizona and she just had to show me the green treasure had brought back with her.

She and her husband stayed in a fancy, hundred-year-old hotel during their visit to the Grand Canyon. Like so many people and businesses in the area whoare passionate about maintaining and preserving the natural habitats that bring in the tourism which supports their livelihoods, this hotel has taken steps to "go green."

Ever felt guilty about throwing away a "mostly"-used bar of soap? Hey, we've all done it - that little bit of soap left at the end is just too much of a pain to keep using so we toss it and put out a fresh bar. Well this Arizona hotel has found the solution: "Green Natura," waste-reducing exfoliating body cleanser.

I'll let the box speak for itself:
"This innovative, ergonomically-shaped 'waste-reducing' soap has been designed to sliminate the unused center of traditional soap bars. This soap is cruelty free and contains no animal fat or byproducts."

Even the packaging is green - made with natural, recycled materials and printed with soy-based inks.

And it even smells great too - way to go!

Climate Justice, A Lenten Journey of Discovery - Easter Sunday

Climate Change, Faith and Hope - Easter Sunday

After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said."- Matthew 28:1-6

The Good News of Christ's resurrection brings hope for a new beginning to all of creation. It frees us to seek justice for the most vulnerable among us and to be good stewards of God's earth. It establishes a new covenant that transforms our hearts and unites us to God through great forgiveness.

As you contemplate the impacts of a changing climate and the suffering of God's people and creation, let today be a beginning. A new vision of justice. Life that is transformed.

Christ is risen! Alleluiah!

Climate Justice, A Lenten Journey of Discovery - Good Friday

Climate Change, Faith and Hope - Good Friday

Adapted from "A Tenebrae for the Earth"
by Kim Winchell, Diaconal Minister (2009)

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. - John 3:16-17

A Prayer of Sorrow
*Adapted from UN Environmental Programme's Only One Earth (1990)

L: We have forgotten who we are
R: We have forgotten who we are

L: We have alienated ourselves from the unfolding of the cosmos
We have become estranged from the movements of the Earth
We have turned our backs on the cycles of life.
R: We have forgotten who we are

L: We have sought only our own security
We have exploited simply for our own ends
We have distorted our knowledge
We have abused our power.
R: We have forgotten who we are

L: Now the land is barren
And the waters are poisoned
And the air is polluted
And the climate is changing.
R: We have forgotten who we are

L: Now the forests are dying
And the creatures are disappearing
And the humans are despairing.
R: We have forgotten who we are

L: We ask forgiveness
We ask for the gift of remembering
We ask for the strength to change.
R: We have forgotten who we are

Pause for a moment of silent reflection

Words of Reflection
How we have muddied our lives, the lives of others, and the beauty of God's Earth! This world that God created and loves and pronounced good and very good. This world that our Lord Jesus came to and walked upon, teaching a new way of life: a way of justice, mercy, compassion, and peace.

This world into which Christ came, to restore the fullness of relationships - to reconcile – all things, whether in heaven or on Earth. This world into which Christ came to model the true abundance of life - not accumulation of material goods, but the storing up of love, peace, mercy, and justice in our relationships.

How often have we not loved our neighbors as ourselves?
And do we limit whom we call a neighbor?
How often we have neglected justice!
How often we have lacked compassion!
How often we have not established peace for our fellow brothers and sisters or for all of creation!
How often we have caused broken relationships, with one another and with all of creation!

How often, in our ignorance, apathy, arrogance and greed, we have continued to cause you pain, Lord Jesus, in the way we treat one another and all of creation.

O Lord, forgive us, for too often we DO know what we do.

Help us to change. Move our hearts. Speak to our hearts ... and stir up our spirits, so that we may more faithfully follow you and your call to love and serve God ... and to love and serve our neighbor ... and to love and care for your Earth, out of the deepest gratitude for all that you have done for us, especially as we remember your suffering for us, and for all of creation, upon your cross.

And let all God's people say: Amen.

Climate Change, A Lenten Journey of Discovery - Maundy Thursday

Climate Change, Faith and Hope - Maundy Thursday

"I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."- John 13:34-35

Love for our neighbor is a key aspect of Christian discipleship. That love includes an aspect of service: before the meal on his last night with his disciples, Jesus washed their feet, humbling himself to show that service to others was at the core of his ministry on earth.

As people of faith and followers of Christ, we also see such service as the core of who we are, and our ministries reflect that conviction - we feed the hungry and heal the sick, we educate children, we help to build homes and dig wells, we accompany people in their journeys out of poverty. When we see people suffering, we are moved and called to act.

But as climate change impacts more and more of our neighbors, how do we heed this call to love our neighbors and to serve their needs? How can we serve the Pacific Islander whose land is disappearing in rising seas? How can we serve the African farmer whose crops fail because of years of drought? How can we serve Alaska natives who are suffering from toxic exposure as glaciers melt?

In the coming years, we will have to make hard decisions about how we assist the growing number of individuals and communities who are suffering with the same resources. But more importantly, we will have to love.

As Christians, we are taught to reflect love - reflect the love of Jesus Christ to the whole world. And it is in love that we are truly able to do the work of the Lord and serve the most vulnerable among us. Climate change will challenge us in ways that we cannot imagine if we fail to address it in a meaningful way. And the only way to prepare for this is to learn how to love the way God intended for us to love one another.

Source: ELCA e-Advocacy Network

Climate Justice, A Lenten Journey of Discovery

Climate Change, Faith and Hope - A Prayer

Palm Sunday

Eco-Palms: A Climate-Friendly Alternative

The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord—the King of Israel!”- John 12:12-13

Harvesting palm leaves and palm products is an important source of supplemental income for many indigenous families and communities in Guatemala and Mexico. However, over-harvesting can threaten the livelihood of these communities as well as the forests where the palm trees thrive. On the global level, such deforestation in tropical regions currently accounts for about 20 percent of all climate change emissions.

Palm-producing areas in these countries are home to some of the poorer segments of rural populations. These communities rely heavily on the palm harvest for their modest income. But, although purchases of palm leaves in the U.S. may reach as high as $4.5 million each year, the palm harvesters themselves earn very little. Typically, palm harvesters are hired by local contractors, who then sell palms to large floral export firms. Payment is based on volume, motivating harvesters to gather a large number of palms without regard for their quality. This method contributes to rapid depletion of the forest's rich biodiversity, including many bird species that migrate to these regions during the winter.

Eco-Palms are harvested in a more sustainable way, paying the harvesters based on the quality of the palms they harvest rather than the quantity, which helps to limit the amount of palms taken from the forest. These communities have adopted better harvesting practices that minimize impact on the natural forest and helps to protect wild palm species.

In Guatemala the palm harvesters have received SmartWood certification from the Rainforest Alliance. The certification is a “seal of approval” that ensures consumers the wood products they purchase come from forests managed to conserve biodiversity and support local communities. In areas where the waste ratio used to reach 50% or more, the discarded palms now count for only 5-7% of the harvested volume.

And, rather than sending the harvested palms off to a distant warehouse for sorting and packaging, the community members complete those tasks themselves and sell their palms directly to Continental Floral, the floral company, rather than relying on middlemen. This ensures that more of the money paid for the palms actually goes to those who worked the hardest to provide them.

When done in a socially and environmentally just way, palm gathering protects valuable natural forests. Steady markets for these palms prevent the forest from being destroyed for other uses. This program is a great example of climate change mitigation and how communities can preserve natural resources for the future. The importance of forest conservation is passed along to the next generation of palm harvesters, along with the hope of a better and brighter life.

Last year alone, 644,000 palms were sold through the Eco-Palm program. It is a practical and easy way for churches in the United States to be socially conscious and help out the planet. People can collectively stand up in celebration of justice and the environment and share the jubilation of Palm Sunday with the people who harvest the palms they wave.

Lutheran World Relief is in its fifth year supporting Eco-Palms, and is now working with the Presbyterian, Methodist, and Episcopal churches on this project. To find out more about this program and how to order Eco-Palms for your congregation’s Palm Sunday service in 2011, click here.

Climate Justice, A Lenten Journey of Discovery - Week 6

Climate Change and Faith and Hope - A Prayer

As we prepare for Holy Week, here is a prayer from St. Francis of Assisi praising God and his creation:

Canticle of the Creatures
St. Francis of Assisi

Most High, all-powerful, good Lord,
Yours are the praises, the glory and the honor and all blessing,
To You alone, Most High, do they belong,
and no human is worthy to mention Your name.

Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun, Who is the day and
through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor;
and bears a likeness of You, Most High One.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
in heaven You formed them clear and precious and beautiful.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,
and through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather,
through whom You give sustenance to Your creatures.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,
who is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.

Praised be You my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom You light the night,
and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.

Praised be You my Lord, through our Sister Mother Earth,
who sustains and governs us,
and who produces various fruit with colored flowers and herbs.

Praised be You, my Lord, through those who give pardon for Your love,
and bear infirmity and tribulation.
Blessed are those who endure in peace
for by You, Most High, shall they be crowned.

Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death,
From whom no one living can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin.
Blessed are those whom death will find in You most holy will,
for the second death shall do them no harm.

Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks
and serve Him with great humility.

Climate Justice, A Lenten Journey of Discovery - Week 4

Climate Change and Development – An Action

This week has highlighted the ways that climate change is having devastating impacts on those in the world’s less industrialized nations. Yet as we learned in last Wednesday’s reflection, leaders around the world cannot agree on how to address this crisis. This has been the “climate challenge” for more than a decade and will remain the central focus of this issue in the near future – how do we get the world to agree on a unified response to climate change?

There are a number of small steps that each of us can take to help push this process forward. First, the U.S. must engage in the climate conversation in a helpful and meaningful way. Ideally, the U.S. would establish a comprehensive climate system that, over time, reduces our own carbon emissions. You can help make this a reality by signing our letter to the Senate. This letter calls for swift action that protects God’s people and God’s Creation.

Click here to read the letter and add your name.

Another way you can help is by giving your support to relief and development organizations that are helping communities and families around the world cope with the impacts of climate change while continuing to develop economically.

In Uganda, Lutheran World Relief works directly with Rosemary to support her and her community in their efforts to become more productive and successful farmers. This type of support helps people living in poverty around the world who are already dealing with drought, flooding, more severe storms and other climate change impacts.

You can take part in this important work by supporting the ELCA World Hunger program, which works with international partners including Lutheran World Relief and The Lutheran World Federation to address root causes of hunger and poverty, including climate change, through relief, development, education and advocacy. Take part in this important work by supporting ELCA World Hunger.

Climate Justice, A Lenten Journey of Discover - Week 4

Climate Change and Development – A Story
Written by Tyler Edgar
Climate and Energy Program Manager
National Council of Churches

“For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.” - Psalm 22:24

Rosemary Mayiga is a rural Ugandan farmer who has been working to develop sustainable local agriculture in her community for more than a decade. Over the last few years, Rosemary has developed a cooperative group of farmers who support each other. She has worked hard to support the farmers in her community, coordinating seed purchases and trips to the local market to help reduce costs. Until 2007, she had been wildly successful: most families in the community grew enough food to feed their families with a little left over to sell for income. That income allowed them to send their children to school, travel into the nearby town more frequently and raise their standard of living.

Like farmers all around the world, every year is a little bit different for Rosemary and her community. The weather a little warmer or cooler, the rains coming a bit earlier or later, but generally, the climate each year remained the same with only mild variations. Then in 2007 everything started to change. That year, the rains were dramatically different—the fall rains came almost two months late. By that time, most farmers in the community who were unable to water their land had lost all their seeds and with them their opportunity to grow a crop. Families struggled to get by and some left the village temporarily to find other work. Many thought it would all go back to normal the next year.

However in 2008, the rains, again, arrived late. The farmers had used most of their savings the previous year to help their families survive and this year there was little money to buy new seeds or food when the crops died. As a result, this community is investing its time and energy in preparing for erratic rain cycles and life for many in the community has changed. Instead of receiving an education, children are now focused on helping their parents and their communities survive. In addition, Rosemary has turned her attention to ensuring her own crops are productive and doesn’t have as much time to help the community collaborate and grow.

Stories like this are growing more common in Africa, Asia and subsistence farming communities around the world. Even here in the U.S., farmers are struggling to recover from the unusual winter of 2010 – for example, thousands of Florida orange groves were lost to freezing temperatures. If we fail to address climate change, this will only become more and more prevalent, threatening the ability of our farmers to feed their families, their communities and the world while pushing families and communities like Rosemary’s further into poverty and limiting their ability to develop and prosper.

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A Prayer for the Journey
From Episcopal Relief and Development

Let us pray for all nations and people who already enjoy the abundance of creation and the blessings of prosperity, that their hearts may be lifted up to the needs of the poor and afflicted, and partnerships between rich and poor for the reconciliation of the world may flourish and grow.

Almighty God, you created the world and gave it into our care so that, in obedience to you, we might serve all people: Inspire us to use the riches of creation with wisdom, and to ensure that their blessings are shared by all; that, trusting in your bounty, all people may be empowered to seek freedom from poverty, famine, and oppression. Amen.

Climate Justice - A Lenten Journey of Discovery, Week 3

Climate Change and Health - An Action

As climate change continues to unfold, the impacts on communities and creation alike are and will be devastating. The story of the Yupik in Alaska and the indirect impacts that climate change is having on their health and well being is an example of the interconnectedness of all of God’s Creation and an example of the challenging situation that we have created through our patterns of consumption and dependence on fossil fuels.

There are many changes that will need to be made in order to prevent some of the worst impacts of climate change from taking place. One of these changes can protect both God's creation and God's people. We need to shift to renewable, sustainable and clean energy. This includes wind power, solar power, and geothermal power along with new emerging technologies such as tidal power and cellulosic ethanol.

Shifting our dependence to these forms of energy not only reduces air pollution creating healthier communities but it also reduces our impact on God's Creation. The process through which we obtain wind power is much less devastating than the oil and gas exploration that are currently devastating Mountains in Appalachia and Wyoming plains.

In addition, renewable energy and energy efficiency are the key to a successful green jobs future for all of the U.S. A recent study showed that a 25% renewable energy standard by 2025 would create more than 274,000 new jobs just from energy production alone. This does not include many of the indirect jobs that would result from this developing industry.

We have the resources to power our homes and congregations with renewable and sustainable energy forms and we must be willing to make the transition. Please urge your Senators to enact a strong Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) that will prioritize wind and solar over coal and oil.

Click here to send an email to your Senator calling for a strong RES that will protect God's Creation and God's children.

Climate Justice - A Lenten Journey of Discovery, week 3

Climate Change and Health - A Story

Written by Chloe Schwabe
Environmental Health Program Director
National Council of Churches

Vi Waghiyi is from the native Arctic Yupik community of St Lawrence Island in Alaska. The Yupik communities on the island are members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and see their traditional diet of fish, seals, birds, and bird eggs as a form of physical and spiritual sustenance. But climate change and toxic chemicals produced and used in far away places threaten their spiritual and cultural traditions.

Vi and her family are suffering from the impacts of climate change – but not in the way that you might imagine. As temperatures warm and ice melts, indigenous communities are seeing increased exposure to toxic chemicals. Toxic chemicals emitted by industries around the globe are carried to the Artic by wind and water currents and locked away in the ice. As ice melts, these chemicals, known as PBTs - persistent, because they last in the environment for many years, bioaccumulative, because they can be stored in body fat, and toxic, because they are harmful to health - are seeping into Arctic waters and eventually the bodies of Alaska natives.

“The Indigenous Arctic peoples are suffering the most from these chemicals,” says Vi Waghiyi, “because the chemicals – pesticides, perfluorinated compounds and toxic flame retardants—are long lasting, and drift North on wind and water currents from where they are applied in the Southern latitudes. That means these chemicals are also in our traditional foods and affecting our health and the health of our children.”

As ice melts, levels of PBTs are on the rise in Arctic species such as polar bears, eagles, northern fur seals, and green-winged teals. Native peoples consume these species as part of their traditional diet. These chemicals, many linked to health conditions such as infertility, learning and developmental disabilities, and cancer, accumulate in fat and become more toxic as they move up the food chain. For example, Inuit women have higher levels of PBTs in their breast milk than most women, putting their children at risk for chemical contamination if they choose to breast feed.

For the Yupik residents of St. Lawrence, the addition of contaminants adds a greater burden of chemicals to already high exposures due to an abandoned U.S. Cold War military base that has not been cleaned up. Many community members have died from cancer or are fighting cancer. Children are more susceptible to immune deficiency diseases and developmental disabilities. Vi herself has had had three miscarriages.

The story of St. Lawrence reminds us of the interconnectedness of God’s web of creation and reminds us that the choices we make can impact the health of our brothers and sisters here and around the world and the health of all God’s creatures. We are all part of the body of Christ, and as one part of Creation suffers, we all suffer (Romans 12:5). When Arctic communities experience health challenges and other impacts of climate change we share in their suffering. We can respond to the suffering of others through individual choices and stronger climate change and chemical policies.

“The act and ritual of our subsistence food activities encompass who we are and is a vital source of our spirituality. I emphasize these things because I want you to know how much of an impact the threat of contaminants has on these things that are so sacred to us.” - Sally Smith, Chairperson, Alaska Native Health Board

Learn More Listen to a radio program about the Yupik communities in St Lawrence Island.

Read more about the St Lawrence community

Climate Justice - A Lenten Journey of Discovery - Week 3 - Action

Climate Change and Economics – An Action

Small changes in the way we manage our homes, our congregations and our communities can both reduce our contribution to climate change and save us money. These small changes, when taken collectively, can make a huge difference. Over time, they will also help us live in right relationships with God’s Creation and at the same time prevent challenges like those being experienced by the people of Houma, Louisiana, whose story was featured in last Friday’s reflection.

Studies have shown that the 300,000 houses of worship in the U.S. spend more than $2 billion on energy each year and consume 2 percent of all energy used in the United States.

This year for Earth Day, the National Council of Churches is focused on honoring our sacred worship spaces with practical solutions that will make congregations better stewards and more faithful and sustainable examples in our walk with God.

Here are some ways that you can reduce your congregation’s greenhouse gas emissions, save money and live out God’s call to be stewards of Creation and seek justice for all.

• Install programmable thermostats
  
• Weatherize church buildings to limit the loss of heat in the winter and cool air in the summer
  
• Lower the temperature of your hot water heater
  
• Replace broken and old appliances with energy efficient models

These simple changes will help save money while reducing carbon dioxide emissions, helping your congregation to live out God’s call to be good stewards of all Creation and our obligation to be good stewards of our financial resources.

Click here for more examples of how your congregation can improve your stewardship of God’s creation with the 2010 Earth Day resource on Sacred Spaces.

Climate Justice - a Lenten Journey of Discovery, Week 3

Climate Change and Economics - A Story

By Cory Sparks

Pastor of Faith Community United Methodist Church, Youngsville, LouisianaChair, Commission on Stewardship of the Environment, Louisiana Interchurch Conference

Happy are those whom you choose and bring near to live in your courts. You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water, you provide the people with grain, for so you have prepared it. You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers and blessing its growth. - Psalm 65:4, 9-10

South Louisiana is vanishing. An area the size of Rhode Island has disappeared since the mid-1950s. That’s a football field of land every thirty-eight minutes, but it’s hard to comprehend statistics on that scale. It’s easier to see the change with your own eyes as people point to pastures that have become fishing holes and fishing holes that have turned into open water. These stories used to come only from the older generation. Since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, even children can tell you about change they’ve seen in their lifetimes.

The coast can no longer rebuild itself like it has over the centuries. Sediment that would restore the wetlands is channeled straight into the Gulf of Mexico by levees. Canals dug for navigation and oil and gas exploration break up the land and bring saltwater deep into coastal marsh, killing grasses that prevent erosion. And hurricanes have battered barrier islands and low, wooded ridges called cheniers. Now scientists are concerned that sea levels may rise a foot or more over the next fifty years because of global climate change. That increases the risk to the land and to the people and their vibrant culture. It also threatens the economy of the region and of the nation. South Louisiana ports host a 3.5 billion dollar seafood industry and vital thriving ports.

Because so much is at stake, major players from government, industry, and the environmental movement have mobilized to find solutions. But one significant response is coming from an unlikely source—a little white church on the bayou. Bayou Blue Presbyterian Church is located just inland, close to the city of Houma, Louisiana. Since Hurricane Rita, Bayou Blue’s members and their pastor, Rev. Kris Peterson, have hosted Presbyterian Disaster Assistance teams that have come to rebuild homes destroyed by the hurricane. The church members want volunteers to understand the story behind the hurricane, the story of their community. They give teams a taste of life on the bayou, throwing potluck dinners with home cooked Cajun food. After the meal, the members talk from the heart about how much their way of life means to them and about the threat that wetlands loss poses. Although they share the latest research gathered by scientists, they speak about what coastal erosion and climate change mean to their lives and to their livelihood, which have always been tied to the land.

In addition to educating visitors, Bayou Blue is addressing wetlands loss and climate change in another innovative way—by developing their own pilot project to fight erosion. Bayou Blue has partnered with Heifer Project International and the Jewish Fund for Justice to protect the coast by building artificial cheniers as storm protection. The cheniers offer sites for gardens and even oysters, not only protecting the coast but promoting the area’s traditional way of living with the land. It’s a model for a sustainable future that builds from the strength of the past.

Climate Justice - A Lenten Journey of Discovery, Week 3

Climate Change, Disaster and Migration - An Action

The reflection and story from this week have highlighted the impact that climate change is already having on cultures and communities around the world, impacts that are forcing people to leave their homes and communities. There are two ways that we can help those who are already suffering.

First, we can provide the funding and support to help communities adapt to the floods, droughts, intense storms, and other climate impacts that are changing the way they live and threatening livelihoods. This type of international aid, known as international adaptation assistance, can help to keep families and communities from having to make the difficult choice to move or migrate, and is usually targeted at the most vulnerable economically developing nations and small island nations around the world.

Click here for more information on adaptation assistance from Church World Service.
Second, we can provide support to those families who must leave their homes. There are many ways we can do this - through agencies that help climate migrants find new homes and new opportunities here in the US or other countries. Both of these will be vital as more and more communities are forced to migrate as a result of climate impacts.

Click here to read this statement by Pacific Church Leaders on resettlement that is caused by climate change.

An immediate action you can take is to advocate for international adaptation assistance to help those who are already suffering the impacts of climate change. President Obama's proposed 2011 budget for the federal government includes more than $330 million dollars in new funding for adaptation programs abroad. However, Congress will need to approve his budget request this spring.

Click here to send an email to Senator Conrad and Representative Spratt, the chairmen of the Senate and House budget committees and ask them to maintain the international climate budget proposed by the President.

Article provided by the ELCA e-Advocacy Network. Click here to sign up for their mailing list.

Climate Justice - A Lenten Journey of Discovery, Week 2

Climate Change, Disasters and Migration – A Story

By Tyler EdgarAssociate Director, Climate and Energy CampaignNational Council of Churches USA

Then they also will answer Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you? Then he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you just as you did not do it to one of the least of these you did not do it to me.'- Matthew 25:44-45

In August 2008, I traveled to Ghana to attend the United Nations Climate Change negotiations taking place in Accra. While there, I met with local farmers and activists who were working to help families and communities adapt to the impacts of climate change. While diplomats gathered to talk about predicted and future climate changes, Ghanaians around the country were already suffering from the devastation of climate change that was taking place in their backyard.

While in Ghana, I was taken on a tour of the greater Accra area. During this tour, I discovered that dozens of new communities have sprung up around the city over the past five years. These communities are primarily composed of families who have migrated south to the capital city from the northern region of Ghana, which is located at just below the Sahel region of Africa.

The Sahel region of Africa is where the Sahara Desert begins to transition into Africa’s southern savannas, and has been an area of agricultural prosperity for thousands of years. Most of the inhabitants are semi-nomadic and historically, the northern area of Ghana has supported thousands of farmers who live off the land.

However in recent years, northern Ghana has become more and more like the northern part of the Sahel, experiencing little and inconsistent rain, warmer temperatures, and more violent storms. Crops no longer grow the way they used to and families can no longer survive on the abundance of the land, and while this has always been a fragile ecosystem, farmers have lived here for thousands of years in a sustainable manner that has nurtured one family after another. As a result of the environmental changes, hundreds of families are fleeing the north and moving south to Accra and the coast. They are hopeful that they can find work, feed their families and benefit from the tremendous infrastructure that Accra and the larger more historic coastal towns have to offer.

But Accra is not prepared to deal with this influx of people and many of the families migrating to Accra are forced to live in slums, often near the coast. As our tour guide pointed out, while families now have some support from Accra and the government, they are relocating right next to the sea, and with the impending sea level rise and increased number of severe storms, these communities are now vulnerable to a whole other set of climate impacts.

Ghana is just one of literally hundreds of examples of families and communities fleeing their homes and their cultures to escape the impacts of climate change. If climate change continues unaddressed, these stories will impact every part of God’s world and community.

How will we respond to the needs of the climate migrant who has the least among us?

Prayer for Migrants

Lord, when you multiplied the loaves and fishes, you provided more than food for the body, you offered us the gift of yourself, the gift which satisfies every hunger and quenches every thirst. Your disciples were filled with fear and doubt, but you poured out your love and compassion on the migrant crowd, welcoming them as brothers and sisters.

Lord, today you call us to welcome the members of God's family who come to our land to escape the ravages of climate change. Like your disciples, we too are filled with fear and doubt, and even suspicion. We build barriers in our hearts and in our minds.

Lord, help us by your grace, to banish fear from our hearts, that we may embrace each of your children as our own brother and sister; to realize that you call all people to your holy mountain to learn the ways of peace and justice; to share of our abundance as you spread a banquet before us; and to respond to the crisis that has forced them from their home.

We praise you and give you thanks for the family you have called together from so many people. Amen.

Climate Justice - A Lenten Journey of Discovery

Climate Change and Food Security – An Action

You shall eat your fill and bless the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you.- Deuteronomy 8:10

Food security is an issue that millions of people around the world deal with every day. Thankfully churches and faith-based relief and development agencies are working to address the needs of families around the world and the challenges that climate change will present if left unchecked.

During this time of Lent, reflect upon your own food security.

When was the last time you went to bed hungry? Do you know people in your community who are food insecure? Have you visited places where food is scarce?

To remind ourselves of the relationship between our food and God's creation, and to remember those who go to bed hungry and do not share in God's abundance, we are asking you to join us in Meatless Mondays this Lenten season. (really any meatless day you choose is fine!)

Many people around the world rarely eat meat because of its cost, getting their protein from plants, such as beans. As standards of living rise, people tend to include more meat and fish in their diets; for example, as income levels rise in countries like China and India, their meat consumption also is rising. But meat production comes at a cost to God's creation:

• The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that the meat industry produces one fifth of the greenhouse gases that are contributing to global climate change.


• Studies show that an estimated 1800 gallons of water are needed to produce one pound of meat (compared with only 250 gallons of water for a pound of soybeans). With global climate change, water, like food, is becoming a scarce commodity.


• Less meat also means fewer fossil fuel used. The production of protein from grain-fed animals requires eight times as much fossil-fuel energy as the production of plant protein, as fuel is used to plant, fertilize, harvest and ship the grain that feeds livestock as well as to transport the livestock to slaughter and meat to market.

Eating less meat means you are using fewer resources for your personal diet and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, while making a commitment to global food security.

Click here to tell us your story and share your thoughts on Meatless Mondays.

Climate Justice - A Lenten Journey of Discovery

Climate Change and Food Security – A Story

Written by Mary Minette, Director of Environmental Education and Advocacy, andDavid Creech, Director for Hunger EducationEvangelical Lutheran Church in America

He will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and grain, the produce of the ground, which will be rich and plenteous.- Isaiah 30:23

In the small community of Las Jolotas, Nicaragua, subsistence farmers like Felicita and her son Ariel are already facing the impacts of climate change. Ever since Hurricane Mitch devastated western Nicaragua in 1998, rainfall patterns have grown increasingly unpredictable. Some years the rains fall late; other years the rains fall too hard, and there is no way to predict what type of year it will be. If the rains arrive late, seeds die without producing any harvest. If the rains cause flooding, seeds are swept away.

Farmers in Las Jolotas traditionally save just enough seeds from the previous harvest to plant during the next rainy season. If those seeds are lost, the results are devastating. Farmers may have to borrow money at high rates to purchase more seeds for planting, and may have to take on additional work to pay the loans back. Some farmers have stopped planting during the rainy season, choosing instead to migrate to El Salvador, Costa Rica, or even the United States to look for work. Family members left behind struggle to keep food on the table and children in school while their land lies fallow.

To support Felicita and her family as they try to adapt to the effects of climate change, The Lutheran World Federation - working with the Faith and Hope Lutheran Church of Nicaragua - helped them dig a shallow well. The water from the well is gravity-fed to irrigate crops during the dry season. Thanks to the well and Felicita's hard work, her lush garden - full of beans, corn, squash, tomatoes, and yucca - thrives in the middle of the dry summer months. Felicita will use the garden to feed her family and small farm animals. If there are leftover vegetables, she will sell them for added income.

The well protects Felicita and her family from uncertain weather patterns. In turn, the increased food security ensures that they will have enough to eat and will not have to migrate to faraway places, disrupting and perhaps ending Ariel's schooling and leaving their culture and community behind.

Solutions like this will need to be joined with other, much larger efforts, if subsistence farmers around the world are to adjust to the impacts of climate change that are already occurring. International development agencies are working hard to adapt to and address this new reality, but significant aid from governments and international agencies will be needed to ensure that families like Felicita's are able to survive and thrive as the earth's climate continues to change.