More food for thought about food :)
10 Reasons to Eat Local Food
Eating local means more for the local economy. According to a study by the New
Economics Foundation in London, a dollar spent locally generates twice as much income for the
local economy. When businesses are not owned locally, money leaves the community at every
transaction.
Locally grown produce is fresher. While produce that is purchased in the supermarket or a
big-box store has been in transit or cold-stored for days or weeks, produce that you purchase at
your local farmer's market has often been picked within 24 hours of your purchase. This
freshness not only affects the taste of your food, but the nutritional value which declines with
time.
Local food just plain tastes better. Ever tried a tomato that was picked within 24 hours? 'Nuff
said.
Locally grown fruits and vegetables have longer to ripen. Because the produce will be
handled less, locally grown fruit does not have to be "rugged" or to stand up to the rigors of
shipping. This means that you are going to be getting peaches so ripe that they fall apart as
you eat them, figs that would have been smashed to bits if they were sold using traditional
methods, and melons that were allowed to ripen until the last possible minute on the vine.
Eating local is better for air quality and pollution than eating organic.
In a March 2005 study by the journal Food Policy, it was found that the miles that organic food often travels to our plate creates environmental damage that outweighs the benefit of buying organic.
Buying local food keeps us in touch with the seasons. By eating with the seasons, we are
eating foods when they are at their peak taste, are the most abundant, and the least expensive.
Buying locally grown food is fodder for a wonderful story. Whether it's the farmer who
brings apples to market or the baker who makes bread, knowing part of the story about your
food is such a powerful part of enjoying a meal.
Eating local protects us from bioterrorism. Food with less distance to travel from farm to
plate has less susceptibility to harmful contamination.
Local food translates to more variety. When a farmer is producing food that will not travel a
long distance, will have a shorter shelf life, and does not have a high-yield demand, the farmer
is free to try small crops of various fruits and vegetables that would probably never make it to a
large supermarket. Supermarkets are interested in selling "Name brand" fruit: Romaine Lettuce,Red Delicious Apples, Russet Potatoes. Local producers often play with their crops from yearto year, trying out Little Gem Lettuce, Senshu Apples, and Chieftain Potatoes.
Supporting local providers supports responsible land development.
When you buy local, you give those with local open space - farms and pastures - an economic reason to stay open and undeveloped.
courtesy of http://www.eatlocalchallenge.com/
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Christmas Time
So it's the holiday season again. There is so much to be thankful for and with this new focus on being green, it forces me to look at the season with new eyes.
For example - Christmas lights - I LOVE Christmas lights, but they tend to use a lot of extra energy. . . so manufacturers are begining to come out with LED Christmas lights. We got some of those this year - it's pretty exciting! :)
Another thought - wrapping paper. What a waste of paper! And I don't think I've ever seen anyone recycle their wrapping paper. Between Thanksgiving and New Year's day, Americans throw away a million extra tons [900,000 metric tons] of garbage each week, including holiday wrapping and packaging, according to Robert Lilienfeld. Lilienfield, who has published a newsletter on reducing waste since 1996, notes that if every family reused just 2 feet [0.6 meter] of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles [61,000 kilometers] of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the entire planet. Who would notice if you wrapped their present in newspaper or old paper bags and used fun bows to dress it up? For bows, you could use old VHS and cassette tape (both curl nicely on a sharp scissors' edge), old Christmas lights, tape measures, shoelaces—really anything from the junk drawer that's long enough to tie around a box—for a vintage look. Then you're reusing things instead us using bought wrapping paper that only has one purpose!
Something else to be on the lookout for. . . What Would Jesus Buy (www.wwjbmovie.com) it looks to be a super entertaining movie about commerialism in America especially during the holidays. . . check it out!
For example - Christmas lights - I LOVE Christmas lights, but they tend to use a lot of extra energy. . . so manufacturers are begining to come out with LED Christmas lights. We got some of those this year - it's pretty exciting! :)
Another thought - wrapping paper. What a waste of paper! And I don't think I've ever seen anyone recycle their wrapping paper. Between Thanksgiving and New Year's day, Americans throw away a million extra tons [900,000 metric tons] of garbage each week, including holiday wrapping and packaging, according to Robert Lilienfeld. Lilienfield, who has published a newsletter on reducing waste since 1996, notes that if every family reused just 2 feet [0.6 meter] of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles [61,000 kilometers] of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the entire planet. Who would notice if you wrapped their present in newspaper or old paper bags and used fun bows to dress it up? For bows, you could use old VHS and cassette tape (both curl nicely on a sharp scissors' edge), old Christmas lights, tape measures, shoelaces—really anything from the junk drawer that's long enough to tie around a box—for a vintage look. Then you're reusing things instead us using bought wrapping paper that only has one purpose!
Something else to be on the lookout for. . . What Would Jesus Buy (www.wwjbmovie.com) it looks to be a super entertaining movie about commerialism in America especially during the holidays. . . check it out!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Long Time
So it's been awhile since I've posted. . .
Our church got our street adoption approved which is exciting. . . It's exciting to see our visions come to fruition. We're also working on figure out how to tangibly impact our community by feeding the homeless, meeting the food needs of soup kitchen, etc. If you have any ideas, please let me know.
So environmentally, Jason and I have been talking about insulating our house better, here's some more info about that:
- Eco-friendlier materials. Green options include recycled paper, denim, and plant cellulose; the fiberglass stuff is made from petroleum.
- Lowering your power bills. Proper insulation can save the average home $245 per year.
- Lowering your emissions. Heating systems emit 1 bil tons of CO2 per year in the United States; the right insulation can chip away at this amount.
- Upping your home's value. According to the Appraisal Institute, resale value increases by more than $20 for every $1 decrease in your annual energy bills.
- Getting cash back. The feds will rebate 10% of the price of your insulation, plus your state may offer additional tax credits.
- Decreasing noise pollution. Insulation minimizes the sound of the garage band or motorcycle next door
-http://www.biobased.net/homeowners/index.php
-http://www.cocooninsulation.com/
-http://www.bondedlogic.com/ultratouch.htm
-http://www.dsireusa.org/Index.cfm?RE=0&EE=1
-http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11340
OK, I'll try to post more reliably. . . Sorry everyone. . .
Our church got our street adoption approved which is exciting. . . It's exciting to see our visions come to fruition. We're also working on figure out how to tangibly impact our community by feeding the homeless, meeting the food needs of soup kitchen, etc. If you have any ideas, please let me know.
So environmentally, Jason and I have been talking about insulating our house better, here's some more info about that:
- Eco-friendlier materials. Green options include recycled paper, denim, and plant cellulose; the fiberglass stuff is made from petroleum.
- Lowering your power bills. Proper insulation can save the average home $245 per year.
- Lowering your emissions. Heating systems emit 1 bil tons of CO2 per year in the United States; the right insulation can chip away at this amount.
- Upping your home's value. According to the Appraisal Institute, resale value increases by more than $20 for every $1 decrease in your annual energy bills.
- Getting cash back. The feds will rebate 10% of the price of your insulation, plus your state may offer additional tax credits.
- Decreasing noise pollution. Insulation minimizes the sound of the garage band or motorcycle next door
-http://www.biobased.net/homeowners/index.php
-http://www.cocooninsulation.com/
-http://www.bondedlogic.com/ultratouch.htm
-http://www.dsireusa.org/Index.cfm?RE=0&EE=1
-http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11340
OK, I'll try to post more reliably. . . Sorry everyone. . .
Thursday, August 30, 2007
11th Hour
I'm pretty excited about this movie:
"The concentration of all this information into an hour and a half makes it more likely to reach a large audience, but it also leaves you wanting more. Hours could be devoted to any one of the film's subjects, and it's easy to imagine it expanded into a much longer television series.
The first third of the film is nearly as terrifying as any science-fiction film as interviewees describe the Earth as behaving like an infected organism. Humanity is a victim of its own collective intelligence as the very skills that abetted our survival against initially long odds have accelerated our possible demise.
According to the filmmakers, at the heart of the problem is our disconnect from nature, the idea that we are somehow removed from our natural environment. This lack of understanding of the Earth's interdependent systems has created a convergence of crises, wherein deforestation, soil degradation, the pollution of the air and the ill health of the oceans all bode poorly.
The middle portion asks why these things are happening and apportions blame in varying degrees to governmental indifference tied to its allegiance to a corporate economy that is addicted to growth at any cost and perhaps, most insinuating of all, to the culture of consumerism. Disposable has trumped sustainable in our society, and we're now paying the price.
Thankfully for audiences, 11th Hour is not without hope. The filmmakers save the most exhilarating portion for last when they ask what's being done about the problems. Experts extol existing technologies and projects as attainable solutions. Progressive designs such as a carbon-neutral city and self-sustaining buildings already offer ideas for a new direction. By mimicking nature's own blueprints, it is possible to create a system of living that heals rather than depletes the Earth. "
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
bottled water?
This one hits home - we drink bottled water. . . maybe it's time for us to re-evaluate. . .
-- 70 million disposable plastic water bottles are consumed in the US each day
-- every year 22 billion bottles either go in the landfill or are incinerated
-- it takes 1000 years for a water bottle to decompose in a landfill
-- at $1.00 a bottle, you are paying $8.00 a gallon which makes gasoline seem pretty cheap
Something else to consider - tap water has fluoride in it which promotes the health of your teeth. Recently my dentist has begun to ask me if I drink bottled water. Reason being, cavities have increased because people use bottled water as their primary source of drinking water.
-- 70 million disposable plastic water bottles are consumed in the US each day
-- every year 22 billion bottles either go in the landfill or are incinerated
-- it takes 1000 years for a water bottle to decompose in a landfill
-- at $1.00 a bottle, you are paying $8.00 a gallon which makes gasoline seem pretty cheap
Something else to consider - tap water has fluoride in it which promotes the health of your teeth. Recently my dentist has begun to ask me if I drink bottled water. Reason being, cavities have increased because people use bottled water as their primary source of drinking water.
Monday, August 20, 2007
How Much Can Difference Can One Person Make?
So I'm working on a handout, or send-out, to give to people at our church that want to begin to change their lives to be greener. I would love feedback from people about what they think about these ideas and what needs to be changed or condensed on this list.
How much of a difference can one person make?
For free?
1. Carpool
a. If you don’t drive for 2 days that you were planning to drive, it reduces 1590 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.
b. Group your errands so you have to drive the least
2. Drive less, bike/walk more.
a. 4.6 million people died last year from air pollution related diseases
b. http://www.austincarshare.org/
3. Maintain your car
a. According to AAA, driving with under inflated tires can reduce your vehicle’s gas mileage and fuel efficiency by up to 2% which, for a $3.00 gallon of gas, causes you to lose $.06 per gallon
b. Proper maintenance will keep your car running properly and increase the life of your car. A poorly tuned car will pollute significantly more than one that is well maintained.
4. Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs when other bulbs burn out
a. If every household changed its five most used bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs, the country could take twenty-one coal-fired power plants off-line tomorrow. This would keep one trillion pounds of poisonous gases and soot out of the air we breathe and would have the same beneficial impact as taking eight million cars off the road. A decrease of soot and greenhouse gases in the air translates into people who will be spared disease and death. Some sixty-four thousand American deaths occur annually as a result of soot in the air.
5. When grocery shopping, reuse your plastic bags or use fabric ones
a. According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. An estimated 12 million barrels of oil is required to make that many plastic bags
6. Eat locally
a. If we were to eat one home grown meal a week, we could save 800 millions barrels of oil (on average our food travels 1200 miles from pasture to plate)
7. Compost kitchen and yard waste
a. http://www.compostguide.com/
b. http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/sws/compostbin.htm
8. Reduce junk mail
a. Each year, 100 million trees are used to produce junk mail; 250,000 homes could be heated with one day's supply of junk mail; and Americans receive almost 4 million tons of junk mail every year
b. http://www.junkbusters.com/junkmail.html
9. Recycle EVERYTHING
a. Only purchase items whose packaging can be recycled
b. We, as Americans, only recycle a tenth of our garbage
c. What can you recycle? http://www.ecology-action.org/what.html
d. AustinRecycles.com
e. Each year, billions of used batteries are disposed into solid waste facilities in the United States. This constitutes 88% of the mercury and 54% of the cadmium deposited into our landfills. Bring your used batteries to church – we’ll recycle them for you
10. Water your lawn less
a. Less frequent, more thorough watering encourages deeper roots, which provide drought protection to plants and grasses. Step on your grass. If it springs back when you lift your foot, it doesn't need water.
b. Make sure the pavement isn’t getting watered; Get your irrigation system tuned up for efficiency.
c. Mulch to prevent evaporation, Set lawn mower blades one notch higher: longer grass means less evaporation; Water in the early morning; don’t use sprinklers that spray in a fine mist, it will reduce evaporation.
d. Water in several short sessions rather than one long one. Three ten-minute sessions spaced 30 minutes to an hour apart, for example, will allow your lawn to better absorb moisture than one straight 30-minute session.
e. Consider capturing rainwater in a rain barrel or finding out how to repurpose gray water, which is water used for showers, dishwashers and other uses that is then recycled.
11. Drive slower
a. When you drive at 75mph, you are burning about 20% more fuel than at 60mph (and even more than 20% if you are in a particularly non-aerodynamic vehicle like a SUV). This could help you save up to 1/5th on gas (along with up to 20% less CO2 and smog-forming emissions in the air). And keep your windows up at high speeds – it’s almost like having a small parachute attached to your car!
How much of a difference can one person make?
For free?
1. Carpool
a. If you don’t drive for 2 days that you were planning to drive, it reduces 1590 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.
b. Group your errands so you have to drive the least
2. Drive less, bike/walk more.
a. 4.6 million people died last year from air pollution related diseases
b. http://www.austincarshare.org/
3. Maintain your car
a. According to AAA, driving with under inflated tires can reduce your vehicle’s gas mileage and fuel efficiency by up to 2% which, for a $3.00 gallon of gas, causes you to lose $.06 per gallon
b. Proper maintenance will keep your car running properly and increase the life of your car. A poorly tuned car will pollute significantly more than one that is well maintained.
4. Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs when other bulbs burn out
a. If every household changed its five most used bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs, the country could take twenty-one coal-fired power plants off-line tomorrow. This would keep one trillion pounds of poisonous gases and soot out of the air we breathe and would have the same beneficial impact as taking eight million cars off the road. A decrease of soot and greenhouse gases in the air translates into people who will be spared disease and death. Some sixty-four thousand American deaths occur annually as a result of soot in the air.
5. When grocery shopping, reuse your plastic bags or use fabric ones
a. According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. An estimated 12 million barrels of oil is required to make that many plastic bags
6. Eat locally
a. If we were to eat one home grown meal a week, we could save 800 millions barrels of oil (on average our food travels 1200 miles from pasture to plate)
7. Compost kitchen and yard waste
a. http://www.compostguide.com/
b. http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/sws/compostbin.htm
8. Reduce junk mail
a. Each year, 100 million trees are used to produce junk mail; 250,000 homes could be heated with one day's supply of junk mail; and Americans receive almost 4 million tons of junk mail every year
b. http://www.junkbusters.com/junkmail.html
9. Recycle EVERYTHING
a. Only purchase items whose packaging can be recycled
b. We, as Americans, only recycle a tenth of our garbage
c. What can you recycle? http://www.ecology-action.org/what.html
d. AustinRecycles.com
e. Each year, billions of used batteries are disposed into solid waste facilities in the United States. This constitutes 88% of the mercury and 54% of the cadmium deposited into our landfills. Bring your used batteries to church – we’ll recycle them for you
10. Water your lawn less
a. Less frequent, more thorough watering encourages deeper roots, which provide drought protection to plants and grasses. Step on your grass. If it springs back when you lift your foot, it doesn't need water.
b. Make sure the pavement isn’t getting watered; Get your irrigation system tuned up for efficiency.
c. Mulch to prevent evaporation, Set lawn mower blades one notch higher: longer grass means less evaporation; Water in the early morning; don’t use sprinklers that spray in a fine mist, it will reduce evaporation.
d. Water in several short sessions rather than one long one. Three ten-minute sessions spaced 30 minutes to an hour apart, for example, will allow your lawn to better absorb moisture than one straight 30-minute session.
e. Consider capturing rainwater in a rain barrel or finding out how to repurpose gray water, which is water used for showers, dishwashers and other uses that is then recycled.
11. Drive slower
a. When you drive at 75mph, you are burning about 20% more fuel than at 60mph (and even more than 20% if you are in a particularly non-aerodynamic vehicle like a SUV). This could help you save up to 1/5th on gas (along with up to 20% less CO2 and smog-forming emissions in the air). And keep your windows up at high speeds – it’s almost like having a small parachute attached to your car!
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
feedback!
“Any error about creation also leads to an error about God.” – Thomas Aquinas
So I'm compiling a list of things that you can do, for free, to begin to educate the church that I go to in living a green life. I want to back up these ideas with statistics on what one person can do to help. If anyone has any ideas, please leave comments! I'll post my works in progress once I start the list.
Also, I'm pretty excited that our church is adopting a street to clean up (www.keepaustinbeautiful.org). We picked a pretty prominent local street near the church and we will be one of two Christian churches in Austin that is adopting a street. Many of the other streets are adopted by schools, UT, St. Ed's, Buddhist Churches, the Atheist Society and the Unitarian Universalists. I think it's important that churches do show concern for their community and help in this area. I also think it's going to be a lot of fun to get out there and clean (only 4 times a year) and show our community that were are going to take the initiative to change. Yay!
Also, the recycling program at our church is going to begin soon. Stay tuned for how that one goes!
I love to see things actually change - this is pretty exciting!
"We must care for creation because God is the Creator and all creation praises him. When we destroy creation we allow the destruction of that which praises God. We need to actively care for the creation for the sake of God and his love for creation, for the sake of the poor, God’s non–human creatures, future generations, and the world. We also need to care for creation for our own sake; it is our God–given human task. When we do not care for the earth, we are depriving ourselves of something we were created for. This should not be a burden but rather a gift. God has given this gift of earth–keeping to all humans, and he is calling the Church to live this out in beautiful and imaginative ways by the power of the risen Christ in us. May we be a people of humility who pray and seek God’s face, and may he heal us and the land." - Matthew Sleeth
So I'm compiling a list of things that you can do, for free, to begin to educate the church that I go to in living a green life. I want to back up these ideas with statistics on what one person can do to help. If anyone has any ideas, please leave comments! I'll post my works in progress once I start the list.
Also, I'm pretty excited that our church is adopting a street to clean up (www.keepaustinbeautiful.org). We picked a pretty prominent local street near the church and we will be one of two Christian churches in Austin that is adopting a street. Many of the other streets are adopted by schools, UT, St. Ed's, Buddhist Churches, the Atheist Society and the Unitarian Universalists. I think it's important that churches do show concern for their community and help in this area. I also think it's going to be a lot of fun to get out there and clean (only 4 times a year) and show our community that were are going to take the initiative to change. Yay!
Also, the recycling program at our church is going to begin soon. Stay tuned for how that one goes!
I love to see things actually change - this is pretty exciting!
"We must care for creation because God is the Creator and all creation praises him. When we destroy creation we allow the destruction of that which praises God. We need to actively care for the creation for the sake of God and his love for creation, for the sake of the poor, God’s non–human creatures, future generations, and the world. We also need to care for creation for our own sake; it is our God–given human task. When we do not care for the earth, we are depriving ourselves of something we were created for. This should not be a burden but rather a gift. God has given this gift of earth–keeping to all humans, and he is calling the Church to live this out in beautiful and imaginative ways by the power of the risen Christ in us. May we be a people of humility who pray and seek God’s face, and may he heal us and the land." - Matthew Sleeth
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
designing without the car in mind
I just think this car is really cool. And fairly inexpensive for what it delivers:
http://www.smartusa.com/ Maybe Jason's car will die when it comes out in 08 and we can get one.
I saw them all over the place when I was in Italy. Oh Italy. I want to go back so badly. To be in a country that was built when we were not autocentric. So this relates back to when I was in school and we were studying city planning. It seems that since America is a young nation in compasion to what's across the 'pond' we designed a good majority of our cities based on reliances of the automobile. Now, there are some, like NY City, that were not designed around the automobile, and the result is a dense, subway riding, walking population. It's also ranked at the #1 place for young professionals to live. Could you imagine living somewhere where you didn't own a car, and the majority of your friends didn't own cars? My parents are from NY. My mom didn't learn how to drive until she was 28 and moved with my dad to Houston.
Anyways, it's interesting how the way we've created our country has lead to a dependance on cars. Walking anywhere in America is harder than it is in Europe because of the lack of public transportation and destinations nearby our houses. Sprawl.
Thankfully there's a new method of thought on this planning called 'New Urbanism'. As with anything, it can be taken to an unhealthy extreme, but I think some of the basic concepts are fabulous. Some of the main points of this practice are:
- connectivity
- mixed use and diversity
- mixed housing
- quality architecture and urban design
- traditional neighborhood structure
- increased density
- smart transportation
- sustainability
- quality of life
It makes me feel pretty good that my discipline supports and encourages these ideas. Finally, I feel proud of what I do.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Mars Hill, God is Green
I’m am going to apologize ahead of time for the disjointed nature of this post. It’s from a million different pieces and I put it together in between working on things at work. . . Also, I would love to hear from anyone reading this about their thoughts or good ideas to be green, so please leave me a comment if you have one!
So while I'm at work I listen to sermons and Bible readings and music. Lately I have been listening to a series by Rob Bell from Mars Hill Bible Church called God is Green. The last sermon was on practical ways we can make changes to our lives to begin living green. As always, this is a journey. . . But here's my notes from listening to the talk:
Energy
- an estimated 25% energy bill comes from phantom power which is any electronic that has a light on (TV) or a time clock (VCR) when the device is not active etc. The power it takes to keep a tiny light on even if you're not using the item is called Phantom Power (solution: power strip, turn off and on)
- if everyone used energy star appliances in their homes and offices it would be the energy equivalent to taking 3 million cars off the road
- if every house switched one incandescent bulb to a eco friendly bulb it would be the energy equivalent to taking 1 million cars off the road
- Using aluminum that has been recycled takes 95% less energy to produce a can (solution: recycle your cans!)
- 1 ton recycled paper saves 17 trees; making one single sheet of copy paper can use 13 oz of water (more than a soda can); the US pulp and paper industry is the second largest consumer of energy and uses more water to produce a ton of product than any other industry; production of 1 ton of copy paper uses enough energy used by an average household for 10 months (solution: recycle your paper!! use a program like http://www.printgreener.com/ to reduce waste of paper, use recycled paper, print double sided and use soy based inks)
-A single mature tree can release enough oxygen back into the atmosphere to support 2 human beings. Each person in the U.S. generates approximately 2.3 tons of CO2 each year. -If every American family planted just one tree, the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere would be reduced by one billion lbs annually. This is almost 5% of the amount that human activity pumps into the atmosphere each year. - According to the USDA Forest Service, a tree generates $31,250 worth of oxygen, provides $62,000 worth of air pollution control, recycles $37,500 worth of water, and controls $31,250 worth of soil erosion, over a 50-year life span. (Plant a tree - grow it from an acorn, pull saplings and replant them, those are all free ways to plant trees!)
Food
- localharvest.com can tell you where to buy locally
- The Average meal travels 1200 miles from pastures to plate (that's a lot of CO2 produced to get you that food!) buy locally!
- Even my BEER is local (Live Oak people!)
- 1 acre of land produces 250 lbs of beef which isn't very much! It's a good idea for both health reasons and environmental reasons to reduce the amount of beef that you eat!
- another example of how wasteful meat can be: it takes 2500 gallons of water to produce 1 lb meat and only 25 gallons of water to produce 1 lb wheat
Transportation
- If everyone keep their tires properly inflated it would save 4 million gallons of gas a day
- drive less: bike, run, walk, scooter, whatever - not only is this good for the environment, it's good for your health!
- drive slower: you get an average of 5 mpg better fuel economy just by going slower
- be aware of new fuel sources and what you may be sacrificing to use them, for example: corn can be used to make ethanol gas = corn is a staple food for the poor (1 tank of corn ethanol to last a week in an SUV = enough calories to feed a person for a year), corn contributes to soil erosion and pollution (nitrogen runoff = dead zone in ocean); to make corn into ethanol requires coal burning so it doesn't actually save on emissions- gas = heat for homes, alternative heat: wood burning stove, wood pellet stove (from saw dust),
- Habitat for Humanity Re-Store: http://www.habitat.org/env/restores.aspx - If you have paints that you need to get rid of - they will take them and use them = much better than throwing the paint aware to pollute our landfills
- Recycling creates 6 times more jobs than caring for landfills = good for our economy!
Websites:
Resources for your offices: http://www.thegreenoffice.com/ or http://www.rateitgreen.com/
General Green information: http://www.treehugger.com/
Don't know what to do with something and don't want to throw it away? http://www.lime.com/
Earth Friendly Cleaning supplies: http://eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm
Earth friendly diapers (that are not cloth - you can flush them, throw them away or compost them!): http://www.gdiapers.com/
Theology of Ecology: by Matthew Sleeth: http://www.marshill.org/pdf/theologyOfEcology.pdf
Once recognized, this becomes a sanctity of life issue; what if followers of Jesus lead the way instead of being reactive; what if they were the ones who understood how deeply God cares for the earth, living simple lives with less consumption, and more in tune rhythms of nature?. . .
Seat beat Analogy: This all changed in less than a generation: It went from no one does it, to some people do it (even though the seatbelt is uncomfortable), to everyone does it, to finally the point where you feel naked when you don't wear it and it's illegal to not wear it: click it or ticket. Seatbelts were a life or death issue and deaths have been reduced in less than one generation. The way that we are treating the earth is causing death all over making this a life or death issue as well. I think we should change it in less than a generation . . . it can be done. . .
And hey, let's face it! Once our energy bills are down, we can give more money to people in need!
So while I'm at work I listen to sermons and Bible readings and music. Lately I have been listening to a series by Rob Bell from Mars Hill Bible Church called God is Green. The last sermon was on practical ways we can make changes to our lives to begin living green. As always, this is a journey. . . But here's my notes from listening to the talk:
Energy
- an estimated 25% energy bill comes from phantom power which is any electronic that has a light on (TV) or a time clock (VCR) when the device is not active etc. The power it takes to keep a tiny light on even if you're not using the item is called Phantom Power (solution: power strip, turn off and on)
- if everyone used energy star appliances in their homes and offices it would be the energy equivalent to taking 3 million cars off the road
- if every house switched one incandescent bulb to a eco friendly bulb it would be the energy equivalent to taking 1 million cars off the road
- Using aluminum that has been recycled takes 95% less energy to produce a can (solution: recycle your cans!)
- 1 ton recycled paper saves 17 trees; making one single sheet of copy paper can use 13 oz of water (more than a soda can); the US pulp and paper industry is the second largest consumer of energy and uses more water to produce a ton of product than any other industry; production of 1 ton of copy paper uses enough energy used by an average household for 10 months (solution: recycle your paper!! use a program like http://www.printgreener.com/ to reduce waste of paper, use recycled paper, print double sided and use soy based inks)
-A single mature tree can release enough oxygen back into the atmosphere to support 2 human beings. Each person in the U.S. generates approximately 2.3 tons of CO2 each year. -If every American family planted just one tree, the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere would be reduced by one billion lbs annually. This is almost 5% of the amount that human activity pumps into the atmosphere each year. - According to the USDA Forest Service, a tree generates $31,250 worth of oxygen, provides $62,000 worth of air pollution control, recycles $37,500 worth of water, and controls $31,250 worth of soil erosion, over a 50-year life span. (Plant a tree - grow it from an acorn, pull saplings and replant them, those are all free ways to plant trees!)
Food
- localharvest.com can tell you where to buy locally
- The Average meal travels 1200 miles from pastures to plate (that's a lot of CO2 produced to get you that food!) buy locally!
- Even my BEER is local (Live Oak people!)
- 1 acre of land produces 250 lbs of beef which isn't very much! It's a good idea for both health reasons and environmental reasons to reduce the amount of beef that you eat!
- another example of how wasteful meat can be: it takes 2500 gallons of water to produce 1 lb meat and only 25 gallons of water to produce 1 lb wheat
Transportation
- If everyone keep their tires properly inflated it would save 4 million gallons of gas a day
- drive less: bike, run, walk, scooter, whatever - not only is this good for the environment, it's good for your health!
- drive slower: you get an average of 5 mpg better fuel economy just by going slower
- be aware of new fuel sources and what you may be sacrificing to use them, for example: corn can be used to make ethanol gas = corn is a staple food for the poor (1 tank of corn ethanol to last a week in an SUV = enough calories to feed a person for a year), corn contributes to soil erosion and pollution (nitrogen runoff = dead zone in ocean); to make corn into ethanol requires coal burning so it doesn't actually save on emissions- gas = heat for homes, alternative heat: wood burning stove, wood pellet stove (from saw dust),
- Habitat for Humanity Re-Store: http://www.habitat.org/env/restores.aspx - If you have paints that you need to get rid of - they will take them and use them = much better than throwing the paint aware to pollute our landfills
- Recycling creates 6 times more jobs than caring for landfills = good for our economy!
Websites:
Resources for your offices: http://www.thegreenoffice.com/ or http://www.rateitgreen.com/
General Green information: http://www.treehugger.com/
Don't know what to do with something and don't want to throw it away? http://www.lime.com/
Earth Friendly Cleaning supplies: http://eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm
Earth friendly diapers (that are not cloth - you can flush them, throw them away or compost them!): http://www.gdiapers.com/
Theology of Ecology: by Matthew Sleeth: http://www.marshill.org/pdf/theologyOfEcology.pdf
Once recognized, this becomes a sanctity of life issue; what if followers of Jesus lead the way instead of being reactive; what if they were the ones who understood how deeply God cares for the earth, living simple lives with less consumption, and more in tune rhythms of nature?. . .
Seat beat Analogy: This all changed in less than a generation: It went from no one does it, to some people do it (even though the seatbelt is uncomfortable), to everyone does it, to finally the point where you feel naked when you don't wear it and it's illegal to not wear it: click it or ticket. Seatbelts were a life or death issue and deaths have been reduced in less than one generation. The way that we are treating the earth is causing death all over making this a life or death issue as well. I think we should change it in less than a generation . . . it can be done. . .
And hey, let's face it! Once our energy bills are down, we can give more money to people in need!
Monday, July 30, 2007
painful shift of thinking
"Whenever I am faced with any decision - should I buy this thing, or see this movie, or go to this place, I ask, "Will this bring me closer to God?" "
That's a quote from Matthew Sleeth. It is a hard thing to recognize.
So I've been wrestling with all of this over the weekend. It seems that much of the problems that I'm talking about boil down to materialism. This was a hard realization for me because I am materialistic. Maybe not blatantly so but I subtly find myself yearning after nicer things, more things, bigger things, more comfortable things. This attitude that I find so intertwined with who I am is somewhat a result of our consumerism culture and somewhat a result that I am a sinful human being. I will never find 'enough' in what I already have unless I look to Christ to fill that desire. And beyond that, more stuff typically equals to more harm to our earth.
"Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle." Proverbs 23:4-5
Our 'things' are not ours to begin with, just like our money. It is not ours. God has provided us with everything that we have, from money, to the water we drink, to the air we breath, the food we eat, etc.
There is a painful shift of focus when you starting looking at your life through a 'green' lens. All of a sudden, the things that I have been striving after and the things that I'm proud of don't seem that boast-worthy anymore. And I look at the changes that we would have to make to live a more green lifestyle and some are easy. We can carpool, compost, recycle batteries, change lightbulbs, recycle (what you can recycle here in Austin: http://www.ecology-action.org/what.html) and raise awareness. Some of the things that we would have to do, I don't really WANT to be a part of. I like my washer and dryer, I like my dishwasher, my garbage disposal, I like my house, my car. . . and to really submit to a green lifestyle, my diet would have to change and my comfort as far as air conditioning and so many other things I am 'accustomed' and feel 'entitled' to. And it seems there is always more to do and that there is never enough that you can do, the problem is so large and that's a hard thing to stomach too.
I guess though, the conclusion that I've come to thus far, is that we can make a difference by starting with the things that are easy and as these small changes are made and my 'green' lens is focuses a little clearer, then maybe my heart will align with the changes that hit a bit closer to home, the changes that make me work a little harder. I am encouraged by this quote, again by Matthew Sleeth:
"We now live in a house the exact size of our old garage. We use less than one-third of the fossil fuels and one-quarter of the electricity we once used. We’ve gone from leaving two barrels of trash by the curb each week to leaving one bag every few weeks. We no longer own a clothes dryer, garbage disposal, dishwasher, or lawn mower. Our “yard” is planted with native wildflowers and a large vegetable garden. Half of our possessions have found new homes. We are a poster family for the downwardly mobile.
What my family and I have gained in exchange is a life richer in meaning than I could have imagined. Because of these changes, we have more time for God. Spiritual concerns have filled the void left by material ones. Owning fewer things has resulted in things no longer owning us. We have put God to the test, and we have found his Word to be true. He has poured blessings and opportunities upon us. When we stopped living a life dedicated to consumerism, our cup began to run over. "
I want that. I believe that changing our lives to be more green will ultimately bring us closer to Christ.
A couple quick statistics and easy changes that you can implement and I'm done for today:
If every household changed its five most used bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs, the country could take twenty-one coal-fired power plants off-line tomorrow. This would keep one trillion pounds of poisonous gases and soot out of the air we breathe and would have the same beneficial impact as taking eight million cars off the road. A decrease of soot and greenhouse gases in the air translates into people who will be spared disease and death. Some sixty-four thousand American deaths occur annually as a result of soot in the air.
That's a quote from Matthew Sleeth. It is a hard thing to recognize.
So I've been wrestling with all of this over the weekend. It seems that much of the problems that I'm talking about boil down to materialism. This was a hard realization for me because I am materialistic. Maybe not blatantly so but I subtly find myself yearning after nicer things, more things, bigger things, more comfortable things. This attitude that I find so intertwined with who I am is somewhat a result of our consumerism culture and somewhat a result that I am a sinful human being. I will never find 'enough' in what I already have unless I look to Christ to fill that desire. And beyond that, more stuff typically equals to more harm to our earth.
"Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle." Proverbs 23:4-5
Our 'things' are not ours to begin with, just like our money. It is not ours. God has provided us with everything that we have, from money, to the water we drink, to the air we breath, the food we eat, etc.
There is a painful shift of focus when you starting looking at your life through a 'green' lens. All of a sudden, the things that I have been striving after and the things that I'm proud of don't seem that boast-worthy anymore. And I look at the changes that we would have to make to live a more green lifestyle and some are easy. We can carpool, compost, recycle batteries, change lightbulbs, recycle (what you can recycle here in Austin: http://www.ecology-action.org/what.html) and raise awareness. Some of the things that we would have to do, I don't really WANT to be a part of. I like my washer and dryer, I like my dishwasher, my garbage disposal, I like my house, my car. . . and to really submit to a green lifestyle, my diet would have to change and my comfort as far as air conditioning and so many other things I am 'accustomed' and feel 'entitled' to. And it seems there is always more to do and that there is never enough that you can do, the problem is so large and that's a hard thing to stomach too.
I guess though, the conclusion that I've come to thus far, is that we can make a difference by starting with the things that are easy and as these small changes are made and my 'green' lens is focuses a little clearer, then maybe my heart will align with the changes that hit a bit closer to home, the changes that make me work a little harder. I am encouraged by this quote, again by Matthew Sleeth:
"We now live in a house the exact size of our old garage. We use less than one-third of the fossil fuels and one-quarter of the electricity we once used. We’ve gone from leaving two barrels of trash by the curb each week to leaving one bag every few weeks. We no longer own a clothes dryer, garbage disposal, dishwasher, or lawn mower. Our “yard” is planted with native wildflowers and a large vegetable garden. Half of our possessions have found new homes. We are a poster family for the downwardly mobile.
What my family and I have gained in exchange is a life richer in meaning than I could have imagined. Because of these changes, we have more time for God. Spiritual concerns have filled the void left by material ones. Owning fewer things has resulted in things no longer owning us. We have put God to the test, and we have found his Word to be true. He has poured blessings and opportunities upon us. When we stopped living a life dedicated to consumerism, our cup began to run over. "
I want that. I believe that changing our lives to be more green will ultimately bring us closer to Christ.
A couple quick statistics and easy changes that you can implement and I'm done for today:
If every household changed its five most used bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs, the country could take twenty-one coal-fired power plants off-line tomorrow. This would keep one trillion pounds of poisonous gases and soot out of the air we breathe and would have the same beneficial impact as taking eight million cars off the road. A decrease of soot and greenhouse gases in the air translates into people who will be spared disease and death. Some sixty-four thousand American deaths occur annually as a result of soot in the air.
Each year, billions of used batteries are disposed into solid waste facilities in the United States. This constitutes 88% of the mercury and 54% of the cadmium deposited into our landfills. Since the use of batteries is necessary in our daily operations, the system that is used to manage these batteries should promote source reduction and recycling. These are the essential keys to preventing pollution and reducing your liabilities and costs. Either use rechargeable batteries and recycle those once their lifespan is up or recycle your used batteries: http://www.earth911.org/master.asp?s=ls&serviceid=126 tells you where you can recycle batteries near you. http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/sws/batteries.htm here in Austin. . .
According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. An estimated 12 million barrels of oil is required to make that many plastic bags. Reuse as many times as possible, then recycle these bags (currently, only 1-3% of these bags end up getting recycled), or even better, don't use bags at all! http://www.reusablebags.com/ for more information.
I think we should seek to live simply beautiful lives, simple being the key word. Seeking after the fleeting things of this world will never be fulfilling, but seeking after the things of God will provide the ultimate enjoyment.
"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment." 1 Timothy 6:17
Friday, July 27, 2007
cars and stats
“The Earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it; the world, and all that lives upon it.” Psalm 24:1
Tailpipe emissions from cars and trucks account for almost a third of the air pollution in the US. So not all of us can afford hybrid cars, (although I do sometimes feel myself longing after the 60 mpg of the Prius as well as the ridiculous low emissions. . . ) so what can we do to make our current car more environmentally friendly (check out these websites for more: http://www.dailyfueleconomytip.com/ and http://www.gas-mileage-tips.com/)?
- Well, first of all, keep your tires properly inflated. According to AAA, driving with under inflated tires can reduce your vehicle’s gas mileage and fuel efficiency by up to 2% which, for a $3.00 gallon of gas, causes you to lose $.06 per gallon. This is especially important when it gets cold. . .
- Care for your car, proper maintenance will keep your car running properly and increase the life of your car. A poorly tuned car will pollute significantly more than one that is well maintained.
- Drive less! Walk, bike, carpool, combine activities into one trip, take public transportation. Not only is this good for the environment, it's good for your health and who knows who you will meet or what you will see being out of your car and more capable of interaction with neighbors.
- Don't own two cars, use http://www.austincarshare.org/
- Convert your diesel vehicle into a biofuel vehicle. It's fairly inexpensive for the long term benefits your receive: free or cheaper gas, higher gas milege, no more stinky car emissions (mmm fried chicken); check out http://www.vegpoweredsystems.com/ and http://www.drivingethanol.org/
So Rob Bell, from http://www.marshill.org/ is doing a series on 'God is Green' and here are some scary stats of the destruction that humans are causing:
- We, as Americans, only recycle a tenth of our garbage (you can begin to make this change, http://www.trirecycling.com/ is a recycling service that will give you containers and pick up at commercial locations for a small fee; if you don't work *students* begin to pay attention in your house to things that can be recycled, Austin offers curbside pick up!).
- 1.5 acres of rainforest are destroyed every second
- 70% of rivers in China are polluted (unfit for human contact)
-4.6 million people died last year from air pollution diseases (shouldn't the fact that people are dying be enough to spur us to action??)
- 50,000 species go extinct a year (plants, insects, animals)
- Americans produce 63,000 dump trucks full of trash a day (if you lined the trucks up they would go halfway to the moon); recycling could help
- During the holidays we dump 5 million tons of trash and 4 million tons of it is shopping bags and wrapping paper *there have go to be better ways to 'wrap' our presents!!!
- 14 billion pounds of waste went in the ocean last year
"And God said, "Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it..." Genesis 1:28
If God called us to replenish the earth, what are we doing? Our sense of entitlement, selfishness, ignorance has taken over. WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS DESTRUCTION. This includes the people of the church especially since we know the charge that God has given us to care for our world. Let's own up to this responsibility and head up the movement to live simpler, greener and more sustainable lives!
Tailpipe emissions from cars and trucks account for almost a third of the air pollution in the US. So not all of us can afford hybrid cars, (although I do sometimes feel myself longing after the 60 mpg of the Prius as well as the ridiculous low emissions. . . ) so what can we do to make our current car more environmentally friendly (check out these websites for more: http://www.dailyfueleconomytip.com/ and http://www.gas-mileage-tips.com/)?
- Well, first of all, keep your tires properly inflated. According to AAA, driving with under inflated tires can reduce your vehicle’s gas mileage and fuel efficiency by up to 2% which, for a $3.00 gallon of gas, causes you to lose $.06 per gallon. This is especially important when it gets cold. . .
- Care for your car, proper maintenance will keep your car running properly and increase the life of your car. A poorly tuned car will pollute significantly more than one that is well maintained.
- Drive less! Walk, bike, carpool, combine activities into one trip, take public transportation. Not only is this good for the environment, it's good for your health and who knows who you will meet or what you will see being out of your car and more capable of interaction with neighbors.
- Don't own two cars, use http://www.austincarshare.org/
- Convert your diesel vehicle into a biofuel vehicle. It's fairly inexpensive for the long term benefits your receive: free or cheaper gas, higher gas milege, no more stinky car emissions (mmm fried chicken); check out http://www.vegpoweredsystems.com/ and http://www.drivingethanol.org/
So Rob Bell, from http://www.marshill.org/ is doing a series on 'God is Green' and here are some scary stats of the destruction that humans are causing:
- We, as Americans, only recycle a tenth of our garbage (you can begin to make this change, http://www.trirecycling.com/ is a recycling service that will give you containers and pick up at commercial locations for a small fee; if you don't work *students* begin to pay attention in your house to things that can be recycled, Austin offers curbside pick up!).
- 1.5 acres of rainforest are destroyed every second
- 70% of rivers in China are polluted (unfit for human contact)
-4.6 million people died last year from air pollution diseases (shouldn't the fact that people are dying be enough to spur us to action??)
- 50,000 species go extinct a year (plants, insects, animals)
- Americans produce 63,000 dump trucks full of trash a day (if you lined the trucks up they would go halfway to the moon); recycling could help
- During the holidays we dump 5 million tons of trash and 4 million tons of it is shopping bags and wrapping paper *there have go to be better ways to 'wrap' our presents!!!
- 14 billion pounds of waste went in the ocean last year
"And God said, "Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it..." Genesis 1:28
If God called us to replenish the earth, what are we doing? Our sense of entitlement, selfishness, ignorance has taken over. WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS DESTRUCTION. This includes the people of the church especially since we know the charge that God has given us to care for our world. Let's own up to this responsibility and head up the movement to live simpler, greener and more sustainable lives!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
a pile of trash?
God cares about his creation. If we are the pursue the heart of God, then we should care about the same things he cares about. "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:26
And that says to me that God cares about us and our health. In 2005 (a Roger Gottlieb study), umbilical cord blood of ten randomly chosen newborn in the US were tested for toxic chemicals. Can you guess what they found? A total of 287 toxic chemicals, the average being about 200 per baby. 3/4 of the chemicals were known carcinogens (cancer causing) and the rest were threats to the nervous, endocrine and immune systems. As babies the environment that we are charged to take care of has already compromised our ability to live a clean, healthy life. Scary, right? Shouldn't we be trying to reduce the amount of chemicals that can attack our bodies since God considers us all valuable? Back to walking/biking more and driving less? That could be a start. Maybe we should consider owning more efficient cars, or not even owning one at all. Check out the carshare program: http://www.austincarshare.org/ with research at: http://www.utexas.edu/research/ctr/about/news_items/carshare.html It might be possible for you to not even spend money on a car, insurance, registrations, inspections. . . how great would that be to simplify our lives in that way! Less errands to run, less carbon dioxide emitted into the air, less money to spend! Yes!
Here's another quote: "God did not design the air to make us short of breath. It was meant to sustain us. The Harvard School of Health looked at the impact of one power plant in Massachusetts and found that it caused 1,200 ER visits, 3,000 asthma attacks, and 110 deaths annually. Nationally, the soot from power plants will precipitate more than six hundred thousand asthma attacks."
Now I'm not saying that we go to the power plants and demand them to shut down. I just feel that we can take small steps in our own lives not only to begin to reduce our personal impact on the environment (seriously http://www.myfootprint.org/, go there) and inspire other people around us to do the same.
So Jason and I carpooled again today. Yay. And we have been discussing starting a compost pile in our back yard. Not only does this provide you with FREE fertilizer for your yard, it reduces the amount of trash that is sent to landfills and diverting trash from landfills = good for our environment. http://www.compostguide.com/ to check out more information. Maybe once we get our compost started, I'll post a picture or something.
So speaking of diverting trash from the landfill: Each year, 100 million trees are used to produce junk mail; 250,000 homes could be heated with one day's supply of junk mail; and Americans receive almost 4 million tons of junk mail every year. Are you tired of junk mail? I sure am. Check this out:
http://www.junkbusters.com/junkmail.html
It will help you figure out how to get rid of the junk mail that is being sent to you. Good stuff. If we take care of the earth we live on, it's one more thing we can be focusing on to align our hearts with God's. He cares for every animal and plant, he created it all, and it was very good. Let's consider it very good along with Him.
"Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?" Job 38:41
And that says to me that God cares about us and our health. In 2005 (a Roger Gottlieb study), umbilical cord blood of ten randomly chosen newborn in the US were tested for toxic chemicals. Can you guess what they found? A total of 287 toxic chemicals, the average being about 200 per baby. 3/4 of the chemicals were known carcinogens (cancer causing) and the rest were threats to the nervous, endocrine and immune systems. As babies the environment that we are charged to take care of has already compromised our ability to live a clean, healthy life. Scary, right? Shouldn't we be trying to reduce the amount of chemicals that can attack our bodies since God considers us all valuable? Back to walking/biking more and driving less? That could be a start. Maybe we should consider owning more efficient cars, or not even owning one at all. Check out the carshare program: http://www.austincarshare.org/ with research at: http://www.utexas.edu/research/ctr/about/news_items/carshare.html It might be possible for you to not even spend money on a car, insurance, registrations, inspections. . . how great would that be to simplify our lives in that way! Less errands to run, less carbon dioxide emitted into the air, less money to spend! Yes!
Here's another quote: "God did not design the air to make us short of breath. It was meant to sustain us. The Harvard School of Health looked at the impact of one power plant in Massachusetts and found that it caused 1,200 ER visits, 3,000 asthma attacks, and 110 deaths annually. Nationally, the soot from power plants will precipitate more than six hundred thousand asthma attacks."
Now I'm not saying that we go to the power plants and demand them to shut down. I just feel that we can take small steps in our own lives not only to begin to reduce our personal impact on the environment (seriously http://www.myfootprint.org/, go there) and inspire other people around us to do the same.
So Jason and I carpooled again today. Yay. And we have been discussing starting a compost pile in our back yard. Not only does this provide you with FREE fertilizer for your yard, it reduces the amount of trash that is sent to landfills and diverting trash from landfills = good for our environment. http://www.compostguide.com/ to check out more information. Maybe once we get our compost started, I'll post a picture or something.
So speaking of diverting trash from the landfill: Each year, 100 million trees are used to produce junk mail; 250,000 homes could be heated with one day's supply of junk mail; and Americans receive almost 4 million tons of junk mail every year. Are you tired of junk mail? I sure am. Check this out:
http://www.junkbusters.com/junkmail.html
It will help you figure out how to get rid of the junk mail that is being sent to you. Good stuff. If we take care of the earth we live on, it's one more thing we can be focusing on to align our hearts with God's. He cares for every animal and plant, he created it all, and it was very good. Let's consider it very good along with Him.
"Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?" Job 38:41
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
work commute and home cooked meals
"And God saw everything thing he had made, and behold, it was very good." Genesis 1:31
So Kristin inspired me to share with others what I've been learning and challenged with in my pursuit of what it means to be a follower of Christ and a steward of our world.
I have been so convicted recently about this, a lot of it comes from my job being very environmentally conscious and realizing that I have never heard the church preach on being a steward of our environment. So I thought I would begin sharing what I learn and my quest in this matter.
There is also a bit of a motivation to begin to overturn the sterotype that Christians have no concern with the environment (although God created our world to be 'good' and we have not been the best to seek to maintain it's goodness). Let's challenge the world's sterotype. Let's change the sterotype. In Austin, I think that this would impact so many people to see a church begin to take steps to take responsibilty of what God has given us. To move beyond the selfishness of serving ourselves and begin to serve the environment and our future. Let's be relevant to our culture and make changes that will benefit generations far beyond our own. I like this quote: "The earth was designed to sustain every generation’s needs, not to be plundered in an attempt to meet one generation’s wants." It inspires me to change.
So today, Jason and I carpooled to work. Now, this is not something revolutionary. Not by any means. But not driving for 2 days that you were planning to drive reduces 1590 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. OK. So that puts it into a bit of perspective. How easy is it for Jason to drop me off on his way to work and pick me up on his way back. It saves us money on gas, lets us spend more times together in the morning, talking and praying. To me, that's an all around good deal. Why haven't we done this before? Granted, it won't work everyday, but maybe 3-4 days a week we can ride together, reduce our carbon footprint (check this out: http://www.myfootprint.org/, it's humbling; it said if everyone lived like me, we would need 4 earths, oh God, please change me) and begin to live a life that is concerned with our environment. Imagine how much could be reduced if more people began to do this. Not only environmentally benefited, but taking cars off the road, and we all know that Austin's traffic sucks. Let's make the traffic better by carpooling!
Another thing I have been challenged by yesterday: if we were to eat one home grown meal a week, we could save 800 millions barrels of oil (on average our food travels 1200 miles from pasture to plate). Austin Farmer's Market anyone? We have lost touch with the real cost of things. Did you know your food caused that much environmental damage? What about that tomato in February? Where did that come from, and at who's expense do we eat at tomato at? What else are we unaware of because we are out of touch?
Let's give God glory and pleasure by taking care of His creation. I think that we can do this, and I think it starts with little steps and awareness. I desperately want to do this for Him.
"Thou are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for though hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Relevation 4:11
So Kristin inspired me to share with others what I've been learning and challenged with in my pursuit of what it means to be a follower of Christ and a steward of our world.
I have been so convicted recently about this, a lot of it comes from my job being very environmentally conscious and realizing that I have never heard the church preach on being a steward of our environment. So I thought I would begin sharing what I learn and my quest in this matter.
There is also a bit of a motivation to begin to overturn the sterotype that Christians have no concern with the environment (although God created our world to be 'good' and we have not been the best to seek to maintain it's goodness). Let's challenge the world's sterotype. Let's change the sterotype. In Austin, I think that this would impact so many people to see a church begin to take steps to take responsibilty of what God has given us. To move beyond the selfishness of serving ourselves and begin to serve the environment and our future. Let's be relevant to our culture and make changes that will benefit generations far beyond our own. I like this quote: "The earth was designed to sustain every generation’s needs, not to be plundered in an attempt to meet one generation’s wants." It inspires me to change.
So today, Jason and I carpooled to work. Now, this is not something revolutionary. Not by any means. But not driving for 2 days that you were planning to drive reduces 1590 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. OK. So that puts it into a bit of perspective. How easy is it for Jason to drop me off on his way to work and pick me up on his way back. It saves us money on gas, lets us spend more times together in the morning, talking and praying. To me, that's an all around good deal. Why haven't we done this before? Granted, it won't work everyday, but maybe 3-4 days a week we can ride together, reduce our carbon footprint (check this out: http://www.myfootprint.org/, it's humbling; it said if everyone lived like me, we would need 4 earths, oh God, please change me) and begin to live a life that is concerned with our environment. Imagine how much could be reduced if more people began to do this. Not only environmentally benefited, but taking cars off the road, and we all know that Austin's traffic sucks. Let's make the traffic better by carpooling!
Another thing I have been challenged by yesterday: if we were to eat one home grown meal a week, we could save 800 millions barrels of oil (on average our food travels 1200 miles from pasture to plate). Austin Farmer's Market anyone? We have lost touch with the real cost of things. Did you know your food caused that much environmental damage? What about that tomato in February? Where did that come from, and at who's expense do we eat at tomato at? What else are we unaware of because we are out of touch?
Let's give God glory and pleasure by taking care of His creation. I think that we can do this, and I think it starts with little steps and awareness. I desperately want to do this for Him.
"Thou are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for though hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Relevation 4:11
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)