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  • San Diego Creation Care Team Success Stories

    Catholic Climate Covenant has created two short videos to discuss how different churches in the San Diego diocese in California have worked to be better stewards of God’s creation. The parish of Our Mother of Confidence in San Diego, California, has taken action to reduce water and energy usage while the Saint James Parish and Academy in Solana Beach, California, has implemented environmentally conscious projects and initiatives in their community.

  • Dayton Divests

    In June 2014, the University of Dayton became the first Catholic university in the United States to announce their divestment from coal and fossil fuels. Members of the university staff see this move as part of the university’s commitment to “being a responsible steward of the Earth’s natural resources.” This decision was commended by the president of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities. Their decision was one inspired by faith reflection as well as a commitment to financial stability for the university.

    Beyond divesting from coal and fossil fuels, the university has taken further steps to move their campus toward efficiency and sustainability. The university now has two full time employees who work to improve campus sustainability and offers academic programs in these areas as well. The University of Dayton is also home to the Hanley Sustainability Institute.

  • Pope Tells Oil Executives to Act on Climate: "There Is No Time to Lose’”

    This past Saturday, the pope gathered leaders of the world’s largest oil companies for a closed-door conference at the Vatican. He commended oil and gas companies for progress made in developing more careful approaches to assess of climate risk and adjustments made to their business practices. However, these actions are not enough. Pressure has been building on oil and gas companies to transition to less polluting forms of energy, often coupled with the threat of fossil-fuel divestment.

    The pope reiterated his call for a transition from fossil fuels “to a greater use of energy sources that are highly efficient while producing low levels of pollution.” He emphasized that the poor who would suffer the most from the effects global warming. And that we owe it to the poorer countries and future generations.

  • Justice for Each Generation

    Justice for Each Generation started with the landmark case, Juliana v. U.S. Twenty-one youth had filed a lawsuit against the United States government for its role in causing climate change and violating their right to life, liberty, and property, while also failing to protect essential public resources. They are calling for sermons from youth and adults of all faiths as a collective statement that sends a signal to the rest of society.

  • Divest and Reinvest Central

    GreenFaith has created a list of known religious efforts to divest and reinvest from fossil fuels. The list includes religious groups that have: divested their own funds, committed to never investing in fossil fuels, passed or considered national or local resolutions, focused on reinvestment, or taken divestment or reinvestment on pension funds.

  • 10 Eco-Mission Projects

    Evangelical Environmental Network MOMS has created a list of family oriented service projects that focus on the environment. These ideas not only offer ways to serve the community, but also take care of God’s earth in simple but effective ways.

  • Creation Care Hack: Energy Efficiency at Home and Energy Efficient Kits

    One of the most effective ways to alleviate the impact of carbon emissions on the planet is to reduce individual energy usage. Evangelical Environmental Network has created a resource guide that provides practical tips and suggestions to decrease energy output. It also includes ways to create energy efficient kits that can be distributed at churches or used as part of a mission project.

  • Irish Bishops Announce Divestment from Fossil Fuels Ahead of the Pope's Visit

    The Irish Catholic Bishops Conference announced it would divest from fossil fuels hours before the arrival of Pope Francis. The bishop's move means withdrawing investments in 200 oil and gas companies within five years. The bill was introduced in the Irish Parliament, requiring the country’s sovereign wealth fund to divest from all fossil fuels. If the Irish bill passes, it will make Ireland the first government to divest from fossil fuels.

  • Columbus Catholic School becomes Designated GreenSpot School

    The GreenSpot School designation indicates that a school has taken initiatives to educate their students and staff about sustainability, water issues, conserving energy, reducing waste, and green transportation. St. Mary School Catholic school has become the first in Columbus to earn this designation. They have implemented a recycling program, local garden, and composting, which qualified them to become a GreenSpot School. They have created a short video of students discussing their engagement and staff discussing the impact of becoming a GreenSpot School.

  • Caring for Creation Using LED Lights

    Since the release of Laudato si’, many Catholic churches have made caring for creation a priority. About a year ago, the Catholic Diocese of Columbus started The Creation Care Team to help in their task of caring for creation. Their main role is to promote the church’s teachings on care for creation and in particular how it was articulated in Laudato si’. They assemble groups of people with specific initiatives who work on spreading awareness, educating, and developing practical ways for Catholics to live. While their work has impacts that spread far and wide, one distinct person who has made a difference is Bruce Boylan, the Director of Facilities for the Catholic Diocese of Columbus.

    Around a year ago, Bruce and his team started looking for ways to help Catholic schools in the area reduce their energy costs. They came upon the idea of LED lights and obtained a few samples that were first tried in the cafeteria of St. Mary’s church. An example of the difference between a normal fluorescent bulb and an LED bulb can be seen below. They found that there was a significant improvement in lighting and cost, but the payback time took about nine months. The problem was in that nine months; if a parish or school did not have the money to invest right away, then nine months was too long to wait for saving money. Along with the payback time being delayed, the price of the LED bulbs were about sixteen dollars apiece and they were difficult to install. All these problems were holding them back, until they found a local realtor.

    Late last year, they found a local realtor who was selling LED bulbs for six dollars apiece and they were much easier to install. With this new price, the payback time was reduced from nine months to only three and a half months. With this lower price and easier installation, these bulbs caused a 73% reduction in an energy bill for lights after just three and a half months. The math done to calculate these figures can be seen below. Now, the idea of LED lights became much more plausible for everyone.

    Bruce placed his first order for 500 LED bulbs to replace the lights in the Catholic Diocese building in Columbus. The cost was 3,000 dollars and they have an expected rebate of 1,500 dollars. Even without the rebate, within three and a half months they will be saving enough money to make the purchase worth it. After the increase of confidence in these bulbs, they started to spread the word to buildings across the area. Schools have the highest interest because they have the most to gain. They have an immense need for lighting and have their lighting in use more often compared to parishes and other buildings. A school in the area has recently placed an order for 100 LED bulbs to sample. They found them to be well worth it and have since placed an order for 400 more bulbs. The success of these LED bulbs is astronomical and with the continued work of Bruce and The Creation Care Team, it will only continue to grow.

  • Earth Day statement from ELCA presiding bishop

    The Reverend Elizabeth A. Eaton, Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), issued an Earth Day statement on behalf of the ELCA. A salient excerpt from the statement is shown below:

    "The effects of the warming climate are felt in nearly every corner of the globe. These include increased migration, food insecurity due to changing agricultural landscapes, national security issues and health problems. As bad as it is for all creation, the most vulnerable people around the world are suffering the most. Yet they have contributed the least and, as noted in the United Nation's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,[iii] are ill equipped to adapt to or mitigate the effects of a changing climate to build resilient communities."

  • Presbyterians and Climate Change

    This article posted on Yale Climate Connections discusses grassroots efforts of Presbyterian organizations, and notes specific time frames of salient Presbyterian accomplishments with regard to climate change. The following excerpt provides a general overview of their goals and mission:

    "Presbyterians are engaged in many activities to combat climate change, from Earth Forums to hunger programs addressing food and climate crises and protests against practices that encourage reliance on coal. Since 2010, the Presbyterian Church has given 80 congregations an Earth Care Congregation Certification for demonstrating a strong commitment to environmental care."

  • Blessed Tomorrow - Caring for Creation Today - Commitment to Act on Climate Change

    The Presbyterian Church acknowledges that burning fossil fuels can cause irreparable damage to the Earth and to humans, with a disproportionate impact on the poor and vulnerable, and advocate instead for cleaner energy sources. They emphasize that care for creation is not a political, economic, or scientific issue, but rather a moral responsibility laid before us by God. For this reason, they are partnering with Blessed Tomorrow, to facilitate the creation of new tools and guides that will help to create a more sustainable future.

  • Solar

    The Presbyterian Church has put forth the following webinar, providing some suggestions for both individuals and congregations to utilize cleaner sources of energy and reduce costs. The introduction is to the webinar is shown below:

    "As the realities of climate change present an ever increasing urgency to our need to act faithfully in our energy consumption, many Presbyterians are exploring ways to support, purchase, and share renewable energy resources as an alternative to fossil fuel energy. From Presbyterian congregations drawing interest from the passers-by that notice solar panels on their rooftops, to a Presbyterian teen purchasing solar panels to charge his electric lawnmower (part of his carbon-neutral lawn-care service), the time is ripe to explore the options of solar energy as part of our Christian discipleship."

  • Climate Change

    The Presbyterian Church has put forth this video on care for creation, emphasizing that Christ has called us to go out into the world to care for creation and our fellow humans, especially the poor. The Union of Concerned Scientists has identified food, transportation, and energy as three key areas of focus to help stem climate change Congregations can help by implementing energy saving techniques, participate in recycling and composting waste, teaching children to grow food, and incorporating salient creation care concepts within educational settings.

  • The Power to Change

    The 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. (PCUSA) has put forth this resolution on energy and climate change as a resource for both individuals and entire congregations. Topics at the forefront of the report include: global warming, eco-justice norms, energy guidelines, non-renewable energy sources, and alternative and renewable energy sources. The final section includes resources for education, action and advocacy.

  • Restoring Creation for Ecology and Justice

    This report was adopted by the 202nd General Assembly (1990) Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Their Committee on Social Witness Policy urges the assembly to adopt specified policies within the document. The report covers of multitude of critical environmental issues, with sound policy recommendations and actions that congregations can take to support the myriad of sustainability issues.

  • A Shared Quaker Statement: Facing the Challenge of Climate Change

    This statement calls for leaders to make sound decisions with regard to climate change, and for all people to cherish the Earth for future generations. The following introductory section highlights the sense of urgency:

    "As Quakers, we understand anthropogenic climate change (climate change due to human activities) to be a symptom of a greater challenge: how to live sustainable and justly on this Earth.

    We recognize that the current rise of greenhouse gas emissions is leading to an unprecedented rate of increase in global average surface temperature of extreme detriment to the Earth’s ecosystems and species, including human beings.

    We recognize that catastrophic global climate change is not inevitable if we choose to act urgently."

  • The United Church of Christ and Climate Change

    This article from the United Church of Christ points to specified time periods/salient highlights of their responses to various environmental issues over the past 15 years. The United Church of Christ recognizes climate and energy issues as moral and ethical issues that affect everyone. However they also acknowledge that it most negatively impacts those with the least access to resources.

  • World Council of Churches Endorses Fossil Fuel Divestment

    This message from the World Council of Churches (WCC) discuss their endorsement of fossil fuel divestment (2014 Geneva, Switzerland). WCC is one of a growing number of religious groups to support the fossil fuel divestment movement. The introduction is stated below:

    "The Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC), a fellowship of over 300 churches which represent some 590 million people in 150 countries, endorsed fossil fuel divestment this week, agreeing to phase out its own holdings and encourage its members to do the same."

  • Episcopal Church, Church of Sweden, ELCA commitment: "Sustaining hope in the face of climate change"

    The heads The Episcopal Church, the Church of Sweden, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) signed a joint commitment to climate statement. The following are five salient points from their commitment:

    "1) Advocate for national and international policies and regulations that enable a swift transition from dependence on fossil fuels to clean, safe, renewable energy, and for economic systems that are fair and just.

    2) Sustain an interfaith, international conversation around climate change and social and economic justice while working to keep climate change in the public’s attention.

    3) Encourage our faith communities to deeper theological reflection on the moral and ethical response to climate change, and then to make public witness about climate change through advocacy at the local, national and international levels.

    4) Invite our communities to prayerfully consider how their own actions, lifestyle choices – particularly our energy consumption -- affect the environment.

    5) Offer our communities continued opportunities to learn about climate change and the universal church’s response to this crisis."

  • Engaged Organizations: Springs Dominican motherhouse, Columbus, OH

    The Springs Dominican motherhouse hosts 150 individuals (maintaining 76 beds). Initial green projects included replacing their lights with LED bulbs and replacing seven boilers, which had been there since the 1940s, with just one new one. Recently, Innovative Organic Recycling composting company had been invited to speak with house members, and their composting program took off from there. Jean Sylvester, Motherhouse Administrator, had found it easy to do at her own house and was also aware of Shepherd’s Corner success with it. Both staff and residents adapted quickly and the process is streamlined at this point. Composting is done by the sisters themselves, with administration providing the bags and cans. In addition to composting food, even the bones, all of plates and cups, including coffee cups, can be composted as well.

    For administration, this is a business model that makes practical sense. Management had been quoted at $35 per pick up, so they decided to give it a two-week trial period. Overall, composting has been a "win-win" for them, with its ease of implementation and minimal ongoing efforts. In addition, their dock smells better because the food waste bags are not left open in the dumpster now. There is also less garbage for RUMPKE to take, so the project cost savings of waste management will be reaped over time .

  • Pedal Power Report

    Technology for the Poor, a non-profit charitable organization based in Westerville, Ohio, discuss their design and construction of their dual-purpose bicycle in this excerpt from their manual below:

    "This manual describes the design and construction of a device which, when attached to a standard bicycle, will permit it to be used as a pedal‑power machine. The resulting machine, known as a dual-purpose bicycle, can be used to power numerous small‑scale mechanical devices such as grain threshers, grinders, water pumps, electrical generators, and a variety of small machine tools. When desired, the dual-purpose bicycle can be converted from its transportation mode to its pedal‑power mode, or vice versa within a matter of minutes."

  • Wind Energy for Earthkeepers

    Technology for the Poor, a non-profit charitable organization based in Westerville, Ohio, discuss their design for low cost wind energy in this excerpt from their manual:

    "In recent decades due to the search for renewable energy, many efficient wind generators have been developed and tested. Today, we see enormous wind generators dotting the landscapes of many states. Wind generators, especially the recent ones, are quite sophisticated, costly and needs expertise to maintain and operate. The most appropriate wind machine for use in less income countries was found to be a simple machine invented by a Finnish Engineer, Savonius."

  • Bloomberg Business Posts Infographic to Show “What’s Really Warming the World?”

    Occasionally, an outstanding graphic emerges to help us understand some of the complexities of climate science, such as this recent series of graphs published by Bloomberg Business. If you have wondered how all the various factors and forcings involved in global warming interact, these infographics based on data from NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies are very helpful.