Posted on 06/26/2021 7:33:23 PM PDT by ebb tide
"So what can ordinary Catholics do about climate change?"
That's a question that pops into the EarthBeat inbox from time to time. Environmental issues, especially climate change, often appear so overwhelming that our own actions seem insignificant.
But they're not. In his 2015 encyclical "Laudato Si', on Care for Our Common Home," Pope Francis made it clear that slowing global warming requires systemic change, but it will also take the efforts of all of us to care for our common home.
When I asked recently what issues our readers would like to see more of on EarthBeat, several of you asked for more coverage of actions that individuals, families, parishes and other faith groups can take.
That's the topic of today's story about three Catholic-run farms that are teaching and inspiring even non-farmers (and non-Catholics) to connect to the earth and make more deliberate choices. Everyday decisions — about the food we eat, the way we travel, how we use water and energy, and many other things — eventually add up.
The Catholic Climate Covenant, which organized the webinar at which people involved in those projects described their work, calls them "sustainability champions." But while that makes it sound as though they have some sort of special powers, in fact they are ordinary Catholics living as faithfully as they can the principles of Laudato Si'.
One thing they have in common is that they're not doing it alone. All of the farms are also faith communities — a reminder of how important it is to have companions on this journey.
The speakers had a couple of specific suggestions. Lorrie Heber, director of the White Violet Center for Eco-Justice, a project of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in Indiana, recommended the practical tips outlined in David Gershon's book Low Carbon Diet: A 30 Day Program to Lose 5000 Pounds, which the sisters have used as a guide for shrinking their carbon footprint.
And Molly Sutter, a caretaker at Bethlehem Farm in southeastern West Virginia, reminded viewers that the recommendations to "reduce, reuse and recycle" are meant to be followed in that order. The best thing is to consume less. Second is to find new uses for things that would otherwise be discarded. Recycling should be a last resort, because many things that bear that triangular symbol actually can't be recycled and end up in the landfill anyway.
As for other individual efforts, reader Ann Cole wrote to thank us for Claire Schaeffer-Duffy's profile of Sharon Lavigne of Louisiana, who won the Goldman Environmental Prize for North America, and my account of the work of Liz Chicaje Churay, who won the award for Central and South America. She hoped we'd say more about the other winners, as well. So here are some brief descriptions; you can read more on the Goldman Prize website.
In Malawi, Gloria Majiga-Kamoto helped launch a grassroots movement that led the national government to ban a type of single-use plastic known as thin plastic. She stood firm despite efforts by the plastics industry to frame the issue as a choice between jobs and the environment, and a court upheld the ban.
Thai Van Nguyen of Vietnam founded an organization that rescued more than 1,500 endangered pangolins from wildlife traffickers between 2014 and 2020. Although the pangolin trade is illegal worldwide, the slow-moving mammals are among the most trafficked because of the high demand for their meat and their supposed medicinal powers. Nguyen also launched his country's first anti-poaching unit to combat the illegal wildlife trade.
In Japan, when the country turned to coal for energy in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Kimiko Hirata spurred a grassroots campaign that led the government to scrap plans for 13 coal-fired power plants. That's the equivalent of "taking 7.5 million passenger cars off the road every year for 40 years," according to the Goldman Prize organizers.
And in Bosnia and Herzegovina, novice environmental activist Maida Bilal organized neighbors in her village to stop plans to dam the Kruščica River, her region's main water source. About 300 people blocked a small bridge around the clock for 503 days to keep construction equipment from reaching the site, withstanding bitter cold and police violence, until the project was canceled in December 2018.
So the answer to the question, "What can I do?" ranges from apparently small things, like eating less red meat, to participating in — or organizing — community action on local environmental issues. What are you, your neighbors or your faith community doing? Tell us in 150 words or less in a Small Earth Story. Help us spread the word.
Here's what else is new on EarthBeat this week:
Here's some of what's new in other climate news:
Closing beat:
When I watched the webinar about "sustainability champions," I asked myself, "Who are the champions I know?" I was a little surprised at how many came to mind. They include a class of 10-year-olds who created a nature trail at their local park, families who are trying to get their plastic waste down to zero (I'm working on that too — it hasn't been easy) and friends who are traveling by bike.
Who are your champions? If you know — or know of — someone whose story might inspire others who are striving faithfully to live out Laudato Si', drop us a line at earthbeat@ncronline.org and tell us about them.
So what can ordinary Catholic do about the murder of unborn human babies, Barbara?
Ping
“...bringing solar energy to affordable housing units managed by Catholic Charities Progress of Peoples Development Corporation.”
Something scary about the name of that organization.
Its a sin to worship the earth.
I drive around the block twice on my way home from Mass.
The entire premise is a direct assault on the Creator and accuses Him of making a mistake in our design.
The so-called pollutant in the ‘climate change’ scam, CO2, is the by-product of breath. By labelling CO2 a plague, a contaminant, the communist watermelons (green/red) declare humanity as an evil sui generis.
Of course as with all Satanic philosophies the ‘solution’ is control, misery, and death — especially death. The cultists are very eager to ‘cure’ the planet of most of humanity, always excepting themselves.
Bergoglio is not pope. He has excommunicated himself latae sententiae.
I have no doubt that this will be one of the ways that a national (world-wide) Sunday law will be brought into effect, which the Catholic church has been pushing, for quite some time. Read section 237 of Laudato Si’.
Phil, hate to break the news to you, but we don’t care what day of the week you go to church. A Protestant who wordhips on Sunday is still a Protestant. I know you want to believe that Ellen Gould White is some sort of oracle that explains all of reality, but the truth remains that she’s a crackpot and a false prophet.
Phil, hate to break the news to you.... A Protestant who worships on Sunday is still a Protestant.
Not according to the Catholic church. The Catholic Church claims to have changed the Seventh-day-Sabbath day of worship to Sunday, by their own power (accord), having nothing to do with a biblical command by Christ or anyone else. If you break the 4th commandment and then worship on Sunday instead, YOU ARE OBEYING THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. A Protestant is bowing to their authority. God’s hallowed Sabbath is on the 7th day.
I know you want to believe that Ellen Gould White is some sort of oracle that explains all of reality, but the truth remains that she’s a crackpot and a false prophet.
Here’s a newsflash, I follow the bible and pray to God the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ my savior. Do I believe that the writings of EGW were inspired by God? Yes I do. Oracle? You must have been talking to Cronos.
You as an Adventist consider Ellen’s writings as scripture.
You as an Adventist consider Jesus to be the angel Michael.
No wonder even the Evangelicals consider you Seventh day Adventists as non Christian.
You as an Adventist consider Ellen’s writings as scripture.
Only an idiot would believe that statement. Is that what you believe?
You as an Adventist consider Jesus to be the angel Michael.
Here’s what I believe:
As this study shows, according to scriptures, Jesus is the angel of the LORD, the angel of God, the angel of the covenant, the Archangel Michael, who appeared time and again in the Old Testament to speak directly to His people. Michael is just another title for the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who is God in the flesh, the principle messenger of the gospel (archangel) to humanity, but He is not a created being.
http://aloha.net/~mikesch/michael.htm
It’s also what St. Melito of Sardis, A SAINT FROM YOUR OWN CATHOLIC CHURCH, believed as well:
Bishop Melito of Sardis:
The Lord Jesus Christ is acknowledged as the perfect Reason, the Word of God; who was begotten before the light; who was Creator with the Father; who was the Fashioner of man; who was all things in all; Patriarch among the patriarchs, Law in the law, Chief Priest among the priests, King among the kings, Prophet among the prophets, Archangel among the angels;
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/hcc2.v.xv.xix.html
Your stupidity is monumental.
No wonder even the Evangelicals consider you Seventh day Adventists as non Christian.
Most of them say the same thing about Catholics too. You are a Catholic, right? Right.
St Melito of Sardis wrote those with superlatives. Or do you consider Jesus as a Patriarch?
Furthermore, as is typical, your Adventist cult lied to you. The true text is
“He who is all in all; He who among the patriarchs is Patriarch; He who in the law is the Law; among the priests, Chief Priest; among kings, the Ruler; among prophets, the Prophet; among the angels, Archangel; in the voice of the preacher, the Word; among spirits, the Spirit; in the Father, the Son; in God, God;”
This is apparent as few sentences later where he writes
“He who was glorified by the angels;”
And the text uses angel as the word for messenger, as seen in the very same writing where Melito calls himself “the angel of Sardis “
Your stupidity is monumental as you see that your Adventist cult keeps lying to you.
And the text uses angel as the word for messenger, as seen in the very same writing where Melito calls himself “the angel of Sardis “
No kidding, sherlock. Jesus is the chief messenger, AS IS CLEARLY OUTLINED IN THE BIBLE. I’m glad you finally realized that.
You believe that Ellen’s writings are scripture.
So that means you as an Adventist believe
“Let the colored people work chiefly for those of their own race. ...The best thing will be to provide the colored people who accept the truth, with places of worship of their own, in which they can carry on their services by themselves... Schools and sanitariums for colored people should be established.”[Ref: 1]
“Let white and colored people be labored for in separate, distinct lines.”[Ref 2]
“Since the flood there has been amalgamation of man and beast, as may be seen in certain races of men.”because she believed that sinful men and women have interbred with animals, and that’s why we see so much diversity in “races” of people.
St Melito of Sardis wrote those with superlatives.
There’s nothing superlative about it. It’s an EXACT QUOTE and 100% accurate. Here it is again:
Bishop Melito of Sardis:
The Lord Jesus Christ is acknowledged as the perfect Reason, the Word of God; who was begotten before the light; who was Creator with the Father; who was the Fashioner of man; who was all things in all; Patriarch among the patriarchs, Law in the law, Chief Priest among the priests, King among the kings, Prophet among the prophets, Archangel among the angels;
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/hcc2.v.xv.xix.html
Your own Saint said it. ARCHANGEL AMONG THE ANGELS (Chief angel among the angels....i.e. CHIEF MESSENGER AMONG THE MESSENGERS)
Thank you Saint Melito of Sardis for proving Cronos doesn’t know what he is talking about.
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