Caring for Creation

STOP THE VIOLENCE IN OUR HOME

Fr. John Dear reflected while writing his book, The Beatitudes of Peace, that Jesus was talking about creation when He said, " Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."  How will the meek inherit the earth? By preserving it!  As Thomas Merton wrote, "Meekness is not passive. It is radical, active, daring public non-violence."  As John Dear continues to point out we can't just talk about catastrophic climate change, we must actively change our priorities and behavior because we are committing violence against the earth itself.  Radical resistance to climate change can lead us to a sacred appreciation of our home--Mother Earth. We can stop the domination approach to the uses of our resources i.e. land, mineral, water, trees. We can view the world not as an object to be used for mere profit, convenience, and pleasure, but as our home, our sanctuary, a place of peace to be loved and respected. Please pick an environmental cause and do your part to stop the violence in our home. You can make a difference.

"May we breathe in the suffering of the planet and the poor
and breathe out solidarity, resiliency and action." EarthBeat
 

Minnesota just experienced one of its hottest and driest summers in recorded history. In a middle-aged person’s lifetime, they have seen growing seasons lengthen, storms become more severe in intensity and moisture content and new invasive species making their home in Minnesota, which have never lived here before. Climate change is undeniable, even based on anecdotal evidence. Instead of accepting an increasingly grim future, we can work towards a more prosperous green future by focusing on three things: 1) How we move ourselves 2) How we heat and power our homes, and 3) How businesses produce, distribute and sell their goods or services. Anything that reduces our use of fossil fuel in these three areas as quickly as possible is essential. Pope Francis has said, “Human beings, while capable of the worst, are also capable of rising above themselves, choosing again what is good, and making a new start”. Let us all resolve to make a new start by committing to restore a more temperate Minnesota.
 

What do methane gas, composting, and social justice have to do with each other? A major source of methane gas is organic waste in landfills. Because this waste gets buried in a landfill where it is lacking in oxygen, it experiences anaerobic decomposition which produces methane gas. It is 25 times more potent a greenhouse gas that CO2 says the U.S. EPA.

Did you know that, historically, low-income and minority communities are more likely to be located near areas such as landfills because of housing availability. Many different toxic gases are emitted from landfills as well as toxic liquids which can potentially reach our ground water. Living near these areas is not healthful.

Composted food waste (exposed to oxygen) does not produce methane gas. It does produce nutrient rich soil that can be used in your garden, or, on a larger scale, in roadside projects. Help reduce lethal methane gas and other toxic elements by participating in any of the following:

Compost your own food waste at home; Take your food waste to a Hennepin County drop-off site; Buy what you will eat; Eat what you cook; Start using or start you own curbside organics pick-up service.

In his Encyclical, Pope Francis talks about the interconnectedness of all things. Trees are an integral piece of that web. Take the example of a rainforest. Leaves in the high canopy of the trees pull water from the roots way below. They then take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and use energy from the sun to create carbohydrates for food for themselves. A byproduct of this process of photosynthesis is oxygen and water vapor! Rainforests can release 20 billion tons of water into the sky each day in the form of clouds. These clouds in the sky are called “aerial rivers” and are larger than the Amazon River itself! These aerial rivers produce rain throughout much of S. America and even affect moisture as far as the Midwest of the U.S. and southern France. There are several rainforests throughout the world, but the Amazon is the largest. When deforestation happens, the balance of carbon dioxide, oxygen and water is disrupted. Climate, health, biodiversity, agriculture, economy, and life are subsequently affected. Explore the research of Nobel Laureate Carlos Nobres, a Brazilian climate scientist working to protect the forests of S. America. And, plant a tree whenever you can!

GRATITUDE AND GENEROSITY  

The best thing that we can do during this pandemic is to consciously be aware of the blessings we have in our lives and then let that lead us to being generous. 

Caring for Creation members love the Earth and want to help heal it and pass on a healthier planet for future generations. 

Here are some ideas for how to show love, kindness and care for people and the Earth. 

Practice acts of social kindness-pick up litter. 

Go out of your way to make contact with a person of another race, nationality, religion or lifestyle. 

Buy fair trade products.  With your purchase you can “vote” for businesses that respect God’s creation and ensure equitable pay for their laborers.  

Plant a tree.  This spring St. Joe’s gave out free trees to parishioners.   We hope to do that again in the future. 

Contribute to organizations in our community working on behalf of social, racial, economic or environmental justice.  When the coronavirus in under control consider volunteering at one of these organizations. 

Caring for Creation is not meeting now but when we can gather again please consider joining us and help to educate others on climate change and learn  how changing our habits can reduce the warming of the Earth.  Contact Steve Kriz at s.kriz@comcast.net.
 

This article is based on Pope Francis' Encyclical Letter--Laudato Si'; Chapter 6 "Ecological Education and Spirituality"

"Since the market tends to promote extreme consumerism in an effort to sell its products, people can easily get caught up in a whirlwind of needless buying and spending."
"The current global situation engenders a feeling of instability and  uncertainty, which in turn becomes a seedbed for collective selfishness."
Considering all that we've been through with COVID19 and the racial unrest in our city and country, now would be a good time to change our lifestyle to reflect spiritual values that create respect for the world we live in. Our own Pope points out the misuse of creation for profit and the inequity of a consumer lifestyle creates imbalance and unrest in humans and in nature.
In the above chapter of his encyclical he states. "Let ours be a time remembered for the awakening of a new reverence for life, the firm resolve to achieve sustainability, the quickening of the struggle for justice and peace, and a joyful celebration of all life."

Young people demand change.  They wonder how anyone can claim to be building a better future with the outthinking of the environmental crisis and the suffering of the excluded.
Pope Francis
 

How Minnesota students are combating climate change
“From eliminating single-use plastic items to pressing school boards to commit to 100 percent clean energy, Minnesota students are changing how schools respond to climate change. 

Jason Rodney, a youth program coordinator for Climate Generation — a Minneapolis-based nonprofit founded by Will Steger in 2006 that’s focused on supporting climate change education and youth-led climate change solutions — says he supports students who are involved in projects at the school or city level. 
His organization is one of many that are helping youth think about how to take action against climate change, through policy changes at both the state and local levels. In schools, he says some of the other most common initiatives include things like integrating climate change education into classrooms, providing more training and job opportunities in green careers — like sustainable agriculture practices, especially in rural districts — and improving composting and recycling services at schools”. 

-adapted by an article by Erin Hinrichs, MinnPost’s education reporter
 

Next Phase of Recycling: Lab Gloves and Apparel 
More labs and cleanrooms are aiming for zero waste by diverting gloves and apparel from landfills and turning the items into totes, shelving, and lawn furniture. Just to name a few uses. 
Lab workers use several pairs of gloves a day which creates a big environmental waste in landfills. One university estimated that nearly 30 percent of its waste comes from research buildings.  A waste audit from University of Washington found that 22 percent of its waste consisted of nitrile gloves. Many labs and cleanrooms are now shipping used gloves and apparel
to recycling facilities where they are turned into plastic pellets which are then reprocessed into durable consumer goods. Universities are also assisting other schools and laboratories to reduce their waste in the same way.

TWO SIMPLE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO REDUCE PLASTIC WASTE
1. Do not use plastic bags when you shop. Always use reusable bags. They are inexpensive and can be purchased at many stores. They last for years and do not add to plastic pollution. People are still using 10-15 plastic grocery bags when they shop at places like Cub. This is unnecessary and adds to the huge amount of plastic pollution in our cities, state, country and world. If you forget your reusable bags, use paper grocery bags, and reuse them. They can be used several times before you recycle them.

Also, ask to talk to store managers and ask them to stop using plastic bags.

2. Refuse plastic straws when eating in restaurants and tell the server why. Say something like “I don’t want a plastic straw. They are a huge source of pollution”. If you must use a straw purchase a reusable one made from bamboo, metal or paper. Some sources where you can find these optional straws: Buluh for bamboo straws, Simply Straws for glass straws, Final Straws for silicone/stainless steel straws or Koffie for silicone straws.

These actions may seem insignificant but if all of us take time to consider our use of plastics and find options that are healthier for our planet the effect can be VERY significant.

If you would like to join Caring for Creation here at St. Joe’s contact Steve Kriz at s.kriz@comcast .net. The group meets once a month from 7:00 to8:30 PM in the library except in June, July and August.

DO YOU KNOW ALL THE ACTIONS CARING FOR CREATION HAS TAKEN IN 10 YEARS? 

The Caring for Creation team was started in 2008 as an off-shoot of our Social Justice Group, with support and encouragement from Roxanne Smith.   The group’s purpose is to educate about how we can help care for God’s beautiful creation, Earth.  The members of the group also educate ourselves on climate change and how we can implement changes in our personal lives to become more thoughtful in the ways we live, to become more energy efficient and dispose of our trash in the least damaging ways.  It is now a group of 7 people and hopes to continue to grow. 

These are some of the actions the group has taken in ten years. 

1.  Hosted Will Steger to speak at St. Joe’s, followed by a Q&A session.  He spoke on climate changes in Arctic.  

2. Hosted author Jack Nelson-Palmyer presentation who spoke to us about his book, “Authentic Hope-It’s the end of the world as we know it but soft landings are possible” and we had a Q&A with him as well. 

3. Hosted a discussion with J. Drake Hamilton who is science policy director at Fresh Energy, an independent, Minnesota –based nonprofit organization working to speed the transition to a clean energy economy. 

4. Screened the documentary, Days of Living Dangerously, an American television series, followed by Q&A. 

5. Hosted 4 Green Fairs in 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2018 at St. Joe’s. 

6. Did a letter-writing campaign to local restaurants regarding use of paper vs. Styrofoam for take-out. 

7. Partner with faith formation classes to provide information on caring for creation topics or to work on projects together. 

8. Partnered with the Garden Ministry to clean up outside compost and dumping area in 2014. 

9. Created and maintain the Caring for Creation bulletin board inside entrance 2, since 2014. 

10.   Caring for Creation Group read and discussed two books:  “On Care for our Common Home”  by Pope Francis and “Caring for Creation”by Mitch Hescox and Paul Douglas. 

11.  Applied for and won a grant from Hennepin County to begin an organic recycling program at St. Joe’s in 2015. 

If these activities sound interesting to you and you are concerned about climate change and caring for our planet we invite you to join our group which meets once a month, except over the summer, at 7:00 PM in the church library.