Giving up carbon for lent
Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent -- a 40 day period in which many Christians give up something as a symbolic sacrifice.
Often folks swear off alcohol, cigarettes or some other luxury. How about giving up carbon dioxide as a sacrifice to help save the planet from global warming?
On its face, it sounds absurd...literally impossible. Not only would that mean giving up driving (which burns gasoline to produce CO2), and turning on the lights, but also cooking ...and breathing, for that matter, which would be the ultimate sacrifice.
But two leading bishops in the Church of England are advocating that their parishioners follow a "carbon fast" this Lent. As they explain it in a press release distributed by the nonprofit group Tearfund, they don't mean giving up all activities that produce carbon dioxide. They mean cutting back on emissions. Like giving up the extra serving of ice cream -- not all food.
For example, those taking part in the Carbon Fast will be asked to remove one lightbulb from a prominent place in their home and live without it for 40 days, according to a story in the London newspaper The Telegraph. On the final days of the fast they will be asked to replace it with a low-energy bulb.
That doesn't sound so hard. Here some other things people can do during a "carbon fast": giving the dishwasher a day off; biking to work; insulating your hot water tank; or insulating leaky windows in your home.
What's interesting about this campaign is that it puts conserving energy into not just an environmental realm -- but also a religious one. This is a direction that might seem alien to secular crowd, which tends to see global warming as a problem discovered by scientists that demands pragmatic, utilitarian solutions. It also might seem odd to some politically conservative religious people, who don't believe in global warming. But in fact, there are a growing number of religious groups, here in Maryland and around the world, that are demanding action against climate change, because they believe that God gave humanity a moral responsibility to take good care of His creation. This campaign is the most recent expression of that movement.
Comments
Here is a column written by Bishop John Bryson Chane about the "carbon fast" idea. It was published in the "Washington Window," the newspaper of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, and passed on to the Bay& Environment blog by Doug Siglin of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. (Thanks, Doug!)
-----------------------------------
A few months ago I had the pleasure of hosting a luncheon for the Rt. Rev. James Jones, Bishop of Liverpool, England. Bishop Jones, author of Jesus and the Earth, is one of the most visible, creative and outspoken advocates for environmental stewardship and healing in the Anglican Communion. His book has a wonderful companion text entitled Faith in Conservation: New Approaches to Religion and the Environment written by Martin Palmer and Victoria Finlay and published by the World Bank. I recommend both books to you during this Lenten season as companions for your daily reflection and prayer.
During Lent it has often been the custom to “give something up.” This year during Lent I am suggesting that you and members of your parish community join with me in a “Carbon Fast.” Bishop Jones initiated this project in his diocese with great success. It has increased awareness of what each of us, young and old, can do to make a difference in decreasing our “carbon footprint.” May this Lent be for you a time to reflect on your stewardship of the earth and may your prayers lead you to action and a deeper relationship with God who has given to each of us the awesome responsibility of being the stewards of our fragile planet earth; our island home.
A Carbon Fast for Lent
By the Rt. Rev. James Jones, Bishop of Liverpool
Traditionally people have given up things for Lent. Last year in the Diocese of Liverpool many parishes took part in a Carbon Fast. Through it we were able to focus on God’s Earth and its poorest people in whom, Jesus said, we were to find him. This year, for Lent 2008, we invite as many as can to join us in a Carbon Fast.
Over the years I’ve been able to visit some of the countries most affected by the changing climate. I’ve sat with village elders in Africa, India and Central America and asked the simple question, “Has the weather changed in your lifetime?” With the answer yes has come stories of cyclones, rivers drying up, harvests failing and flooding.
Whatever is happening to the planet there’s no disputing that we’re putting more carbon into the atmosphere than ever before and that this is adding to the blanket that’s trapping the heat around the earth.
On World Environment Day, I was in Tromso in the Arctic Circle for a service in the Ice Cathedral. Desmond Tutu was preaching next to a block of ice that had fallen away from a melting Ice Cap, and reinforcing our responsibility for God’s creation.
St. Paul tells us everything has come into being through and for Christ. This doctrine gives us the ethics of caring for the earth. It is Christ’s environment, not ours. He stands at the centre of all creation - as both creator and redeemer.
As the climate changes and impacts the earth it is clear that the poor are already suffering. The tragedy is that those with the power to do something about it are least affected and those who are most affected are powerless to bring about any change. That’s why there’s a moral imperative on those of use who emit more than our fair share of carbon to rein in our consumption.
It’s estimated that in the U.K. we emit 9.5 tons of carbon per person per year whereas in Ethiopia the average is 0.067 tons and in Bangladesh 0.24. Apparently the earth can sustain 0.8 per person! Reducing our carbon footprint is therefore a matter of justice.
When Jesus fasted in the wilderness he kept company with wild beasts and with angels who ministered to him. He came out of that experience with a clear sense of the Kingdom of God which he preached with passion.
As we pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven, the Carbon Fast will be a practical step towards a fairer world, a sustainable planet, and the earthing of Heaven.
Follow your own Carbon Fast or choose from this pattern of daily actions. Do it on your own or with those you live with or with a group from your church. As you do it, do so with a prayer.
Ash Wednesday: Remove one light bulb (without inviting danger.)
Thursday: Check your house for drafts with a ribbon or feather. If it flutters, buy a draft excluder.
Friday: Whatever mode of transport you usually use, try to make at least one of your journeys more environmentally friendly.
Saturday: Consider whether or not you’re using all available avenues for recycling (don’t forget that charity shops play a valuable role.)
Week 2
Sunday: Find the most environmentally friendly way to get to church today (e.g. bike, walk, car share.)
Monday: Turn your central thermostat down by one degree. If you have separate thermostats on radiators, adjust them to suit the use of the room.
Tuesday: Check that all electrical equipment is switched off rather than on standby when not in use. Screen savers do not save electricity.
Wednesday: As chocolate is still on the menu this Lent, be sure to reward yourself with Fair Trade chocolate.
Thursday: Ensure that your phone charger is unplugged when not in use.
Friday: Plan your menu for next week and buy only enough food to avoid waste.
Saturday: When shopping employ the LOAF principle - buy Locally produced, Organic, Animal friendly, and Fairly Traded goods.
Week 3
Sunday: “Receive the world God has given. Go for a walk. Get wet. Dig the earth” (the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams).
Monday: Fill a liter plastic bottle with water, replace the lid and place it carefully into your toilet cistern. Water and energy will be saved with every flush.
Tuesday: Take a shower instead of a bath.
Wednesday: Say No to Unwanted Plastic Bags (SNUB). Carry a couple with you and refuse the ones you don’t really need.
Thursday: Make a point of switching off all the lights as you leave a room.
Friday: Only fill you kettle with as much water as you need.
Saturday: Begin the gardening year by going organic. Hand weed or hoe rather than spraying and don’t be overly tidy. You, your garden, and its wildlife will benefit from a more relaxed regime.
Week 4
Sunday: Thank about the environment Jesus lived in and how it affected his ministry. Reflect on examples of Jesus drawing on his environment for illustrations and inspiration.
Monday: Pick up at least one piece of litter and put it in the bin.
Tuesday: Re-wear clothes which aren’t dirty and only run your washing machine when you have a full load.
Wednesday: Find ways to save paper. Do you really need to check your e-mail today? If so, don’t print them off.
Thursday: Check your tire pressure. Low tire pressure means high energy/fuel consumption.
Friday: Put out some bird food. Birds will almost certainly find it wherever the location.
Saturday: Utilize local shops or farmers markets if available instead of driving to the supermarket.
Week 5
Sunday: Think prayerfully about how we are using up our resources at an unsustainable rate and what this means for future generations. Reflect on the fact that the richest 20 percent of the world’s population consumes 80 percent of its resources while the remaining 80 percent of people have to make do with the remaining 20 percent.
Monday: Pray for wisdom to know how to live in the light of so much inequality.
Tuesday: Go meat free for the day and reflect on the killing of animals for food.
Wednesday: Turn the tap off while brushing your teeth and put the plug in when you wash your face.
Thursday: Lay aside time to explore in more depth the environmental challenges we face and their consequences (e.g. on the Internet or other media sources).
Friday: See what chemicals you have stored up in your cupboards. Dispose of those which are harmful to the environment appropriately and replace them with eco-friendly products if necessary.
Saturday: Use “gray” water from a water butt to wash your car. If there’s none available then use a bucket rather than a hose.
Week 6
Sunday: The Earth was made through and for Jesus. How do you think he would judge the way we live in it today? Take time to reflect on this both globally and personally.
Monday: Stop unwanted junk mail by registering at www.thedma.org/consumers/offmailinglist.html
Tuesday: Replenish the bird food you put out and put up a bird box if possible.
Wednesday When dusting, avoid using polishes. Just a cloth or duster will often do.
Thursday: Put lids on pans when cooking and use a kettle rather than a pan to boil water.
Friday: Consider joining an environmental organization like Friends of the Earth, WWF, Greenpeace, Christian Ecology Link or A Rocha. Christian Aid and Tearfund are also focusing increasingly on environmental issues.
Saturday: Invest in at least one energy saving light bulb. You could also consider investing in some rechargeable batteries.
Week 7
Sunday: Think about the role of your church within its local environment. Is there anything that could be done to make it more environmentally friendly?
Monday: Are you sure you are recycling everything possible? Have another check.
Tuesday: If you’re planning to go on holiday this year, begin to explore how you can make it “greener.”
Wednesday: Take time to write to a public official on an issue of justice about which you feel strongly.
Maundy Thursday: Replace the light bulb you removed on Ash Wednesday with a low energy bulb. While doing this, take the time to make a personal pledge to serve others by pursuing a more sustainable way of life.
Good Friday: Darkness covered the earth on the first Good Friday. Switching off all the lights, sit yourself in darkness for a while. Meditate in and on the darkness. “We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies” Romans 8:22-23
Posted by: Doug Siglin | February 7, 2008 3:40 PM
I just found some cheap LED light bulbs at www.shop.donsgreenstore.com , I'm replacing a couple small spot lights and a small reading light, not necessaraly for lent, but I'll certainly keep them after Easter.
Posted by: Allan | February 8, 2008 11:28 PM