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10 Things in Your Home Linked to Climate Change
"10 Things in Your Home Linked to Climate Change" is a resource from Catholic Relief Services on simple ways your house could be contributing to climate change. The resource offers facts on 10 simple things, such as fish and coffee, that can have major impacts on the environment. -
Creation at the Crossroads
Creation at the Crossroads is a collaboration between RENEW International, GreenFaith, and Catholic Climate Covenant. They are a small-group faith-sharing resource that responds to Pope Francis’ call to action in the encyclical. -
The Giving Tree: Fighting Climate Change and Strengthening Communities in Nicaragua
The Giving Tree: Fighting Climate Change and Strengthening Communities in Nicaragua is an initiative from Catholic Relief Services (CRS). Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Western hemisphere with one of the worst rates of deforestation in the region. CRS is engaging rural Nicaraguans, who have an average employment income of $3/day, in planting 310,000 indigenous trees in land on or near their small farms. These trees will remove from the atmosphere approximately 67,800 metric tons of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, over their full lives. Farmers will be paid annually for a 10-year period to maintain and nurture these trees, and additional investment will be made in the communities. -
Columbus Diocese 150th Anniversary Tree Planting
In celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Diocese of Columbus, they are encouraging all parishes to plant at least one tree in recognition of the historic milestone. The commitment should be done before April 22nd, Earth Day, when Bishop Cambpell will celebrate Mass to recognize the anniversary. The Diocese is also offering a Blessing of a Tree that can be downloaded. -
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. -
Columbus bonds with Ghana sister city through agriculture project
Roman Catholic Cardinal Peter Turkson spoke at Mershon Auditorium at The Ohio State University in 2015. The proceeds from his talk with OSU President Michael Drake were used as matching funds in a grant from the Initiative for Food and Agricultural Transformation (InFACT) discovery theme program. The proceeds funded an agricultural exchange between Accra, Ghana, and Columbus, Ohio. -
God’s Creation, Our Common Home
The Bishop of Columbus, Bishop Campbell, will be presenting a series of speeches this March titled God’s Creation, Our Common Home. He will reflect on the encyclical, Laudato Si, which speaks of the relationship with God through creation. He will speak about social, environmental, and moral issues facing all creatures of God. He will also discuss the suffering caused by the opiate addiction crisis. -
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. -
GreenSpot and St. Mary School
GreenSpot was founded in 2008 by former Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman as a place where people of the city can go to learn how to live, work, and commit to being green. Becoming certified as A GreenSpot is open to anyone from households, to businesses, to community groups. There are a list of commitments that must be made depending on the type of organization, but once they are met the application process can begin.
Recently, on January 30th, Columbus St. Mary School became a GreenSpot. The conversation first started in October of 2016 with Rebecca Mellino and the GreenSpot program. Between October of 2016 and January of 2017, members of GreenSpot, and Jerry Freewalt, head of the Catholic Creation Care team, came and spoke to the students about the program. Once the students became engaged and excited about the program, the school has had no difficulties keeping up with the responsibilities.
The students recycle and compost after breakfast and lunch. They rotate during recess and walk through the halls collecting the recyclables into bigger recycling bins. It is more than just the students that have gotten involved though. Teachers were given information on how to teach the different grade levels on how being green related to each of the students. Additionally, the staff members take turns delivering the recycled materials from the school to a drop off at Kroger about four times a week. Parents play an essential role as well, as they pitched in to buy small recycling bins for the classrooms and bigger bins for the cafeteria. The school also has plans to start a garden next to their building. Once it is built, they will have Boy Scouts, 4-H groups, and Night to Columbus to help care and maintain for the garden.
Christina Hickey is an art teacher at the school who is also in charge of marketing. She spearheaded the GreenSpot program and got staff members and students involved. The school’s student council is comprised of 4th through 8th graders that meet once or twice a month to talk and help out with recycling. Stepheny and Stephen are 6th grade student council members at St.Mary school who both recycle and compost at home. When interviewed, they both stated that they’re excited about the garden that is going to planted next to their school. Rose, a 4th grade student council member, was asked what it means to care for God’s creation and responded by saying “It’s really important. He made this for us. I don’t think we should trash it. I think we should cherish it.” Along with making the school a greener place, this program has made lasting impacts on students as well. Eayual, an 8th grade student council member that helps out every day stated that everyone should “think of the Earth as your life, take care of our life and don’t slowly destroy it.” He plans on attending Bishop Hartley high school where he aims to get students involved in recycling and caring for the Earth there as well.
Additionally, Christina Hickey who lead the GreenSpot initiative at St.Mary School can be reached at chickey@cdeducation.org for information on how to implement this program. To keep updated on St.Mary School and GreenSpot, follow their Twitter accounts at @stmaryschoolgv and @greenspotcbus. -
The Diocese of Southern Ohio: Earth Day Video
Reverend Thomas Breidenthal, Bishop of The Diocese of Southern Ohio gave an Earth Day message from a butterfly garden by St. Johns Town street in Columbus. He reminds the audience of the privilege and responsibility that comes with caring for the earth, noting also that Earth Day is the only secular holiday that is observed around the world. -
Speaker: Jason Cervenec
Jason Cervenec is the Education and Outreach Director for the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center at The Ohio State University. The diverse outreach portfolio of the Center reaches approximately 12,000 individuals annually and includes programs in cutting edge science, science education, history, and the arts. The most common request for information that Jason receives from the public is on climate change. Jason currently has two NSF-funded projects, one to develop an engaging and interactive educational tool to explore Earth’s polar regions, atmospheric phenomena, and oceanographic conditions and a second to create an immersive web application to visualize and explore Earth’s diverse glacial systems. Jason also leads the Columbus Climate Change Action Plan Task Force.
Jason earned a B.S. in Biology and M.Ed. in Secondary Science Education from The Ohio State University and began his career as a high school science teacher where he taught for more than a decade. In 2010, Jason took part in a Fulbright Teacher Exchange in Mumbai, India where he witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by most of the world’s population. Jason and his wife have a two-year-old daughter, enjoy hiking, and recently rehabilitated a 1908 house in the Franklin Park area. He is a parishioner of Christ the King Catholic Church in Columbus and volunteers with Franklin County’s Restorative Justice Circles.
Speaking Topics: climate change preparedness and resiliency, climate change education, climate change impacts, and carbon reduction at home and in communities. -
DSO Connections
The Diocese of Southern Ohio utilizes an online platform, Connections, to maintain open channels of communication throughout their community. Their articles on Creation Care are complied in a single page which includes updates from individual congregations that have made steps toward creation care in energy efficiency and more. They also provide resources to connect one’s faith with civic action. They shared an article outlining 2019 attempts to end Ohio’s renewable energy standards and included ways that individuals could contact their legislators. -
Anthony’s Garden
St Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Powell, Ohio created Anthony’s Garden to memorialize the son of family in their congregation. The garden is tended by parishioners, and each week produce from their garden is donated to their local food pantry Help My Neighbor. -
Kentucky Nuns
The Sisters of Loretto have been involved in social movements and justice for a long time. It’s not surprising to hear that in recent history, they were involved in stopping a Kentucky pipeline. The construction of the pipeline, as well as the route it took, would have caused potentially massive amounts of pollution and damage to the earth. As stewards of the earth, they saw it as their job to protect the planet. -
Pope Francis on the Dakota Access Pipeline
Pope Francis has released a statement on the issue of developing land that is spiritually significant to native people. There have been many incidents in recent years where land was taken from natives in order to further economic development of a country at the cost of the rights of native people in regards to practicing their religion. Although it was never officially stated, this statement was in regards to the approved completion of the Dakota Access Pipeline, which will interfere with sacred land of different Native American tribes. -
The Vocation of Agriculture: to Till and Keep God’s Creation
The Vocation of Agriculture: to Till and Keep God’s Creation is a discussion on the calling of agriculture on Saturday March 25th at St. Joseph Church in Plain City. The challenges of rural workers, rural parishes, and rural communities will be explored. There will be many speakers through the day including Sr. Christine Pratt and Dr. Hitzhusen both of OSU. Participants are encouraged to read Laudato Si and the Vocation to Agriculture by Cardinal Peter K.A. Turkson before attending. -
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: Environment Justice Program
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops considers Environmental Justice to be a core issue that requires the action of all Catholics. Their response to this issue has been the Environment Justice Program. This is a program of the Department of Justice, Peace, and Human Development that educates and motivates Catholics to a deeper reverence and respect for God’s creation. They encourages Catholics to address environmental problems, especially as they affect poor and vulnerable people. -
Engaged Organizations: Catholic Rural Life
Catholic Rural Life is a national, Catholic nonprofit organization dedicated to the importance of rural America. Their mission is to apply the teachings of Jesus Christ for the social, economic, and spiritual development of rural America while strengthening and sustaining the Church. They advance their mission through three distinct areas of impact: ethical food and agriculture, rural outreach and ministry, and stewardship of creation. -
Engaged Organizations: Catholic Relief Services
Catholic Relief Services strives to carry out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. They promote human development by responding to major emergencies, fighting disease and poverty, and nurturing peaceful and just societies. A major initiative includes fighting the effects of climate change on the poor. -
St. Francis Pledge
The St. Francis Pledge is a commitment to respond to the moral call for action on climate change. The commitment includes praying, acting, and advocating to solve climate change. There have been over 10,000 individuals and 75 institutions that have taken the St. Francis Pledge. They have committed to living out the Catholic values through deep reflection, concrete action, and advocacy. -
The Vocation of Agriculture: to Till and Keep God’s Creation Postponed
This event has been postponed to a later date. When a new date is decided upon this blog will be updated. The Vocation of Agriculture: to Till and Keep God’s Creation is a discussion on the calling of agriculture. The challenges of rural workers, rural parishes, and rural communities will be explored. There will be many speakers throughout the day including Sr. Christine Pratt and Dr. Hitzhusen both from OSU. Participants are encouraged to read Laudato Si and the Vocation to Agriculture by Cardinal Peter K.A. Turkson before attending. -
Cal DeWitt on Laudato Si’
Earth Stewardship and Laudato Si is an article written by Cal DeWitt, a professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin- Madison. His article was first presented at a session on religion and ecology at a meeting of the Ecological Society of America. It was then published in the Quarterly Review of Biology and has been one of the top five most read articles in the past five months. Dewitt discusses his response on the Pope’s encyclical Laudato Si pulling from his scientific background in environmental studies and scriptures from the Bible. -
Earth Day 2017: Know the Creator through Creation
The Catholic Climate Covenant has produced Know the Creator through Creation, an educational program to help celebrate Earth Day. This is the second year they have offered this resource that includes prayers, scripture readings, videos, discussion questions, and suggested activities to help teach about climate change. Their goal is to increase climate literacy and assist Catholics in embracing their call to care for creation. There are three different age specific programs between 30 minutes to an hour long. -
Shepherd’s Corner Event
Shepherd’s Corner offers a public walk through there spiritual labyrinth once a month. It is a space for peace, insight, comfort, healing, energy, connection, and letting go. The next walk is offered April 27th from 7-8:30 pm and you must register by April 25. The event is free but a $5 donation is suggested. -
Stations of the Cross: Climate Change
Stations of the Cross is a project created by artist Mary Button to engage viewers in a greater understanding of social injustices through Jesus’s execution. In 2016, the topic was Climate Change seeking to explore the torments of the Earth and also act as a call to action. The work is comprised of fourteen drawings that illustrate deforestation, desertification, and ocean acidification using hands to tell the story of Passion through gestures. These drawings have been made into a coloring book which can be purchased as a whole or as individual pages.