The PCUSA Statement of Faith includes the following:
“In sovereign love God created the world good and makes everyone
equally in God’s image, male and female, of every race and people, to
live as one community. But we rebel against God; we hide from our
Creator. Ignoring God’s commandments, we violate the image of God in
others and ourselves, accept lies as truth, exploit neighbor and nature,
and threaten death to the planet entrusted to our care. We deserve
God’s condemnation. Yet God acts with justice and mercy to redeem
creation.”
Today, think about what you have done to protect God's creation. What steps and changes have you made in your life to be a good steward of the environment, and to promote social justice? As you have seen in several of the posts on this site, very often the pursuit of social justice and equality of all people is closely linked to the availability of natural resources. Find ways to conserve resources locally, and to support equality globally.
"The
ultimate test of man's conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice
something today for future generations whose words of thanks will
not be heard."
- Gaylord Nelson, former governor of Wisconsin, founder
of Earth Day
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
World Water Day
This is a repost from the Presbyterian Church Eco-Justice Journey Blog. Please pray today for those around the world who do not have clean water.
Prayer Vigil on March 22, World Water Day
stand with our Peruvian partners
Thursday, March 22nd, religious and community leaders in Lima, Peru are gathering from 6-8 p.m. for a prayer vigil in order to oppose attempts to re-open the controversial multi-metal smelter, Doe Run.
This smelter, currently closed, operated in a small Andean Mountain city where, it is documented, more than 90 percent of the children now have lead poisoning.
In addition to the possible re-opening of this polluting smelter, the lives of several people of faith working to protect the public health and the environment were recently threatened.
Many faith groups across Peru are calling for the government to require the installation of the appropriate pollution controls before re-opening the plant in La Oroya, one of the most polluted sites in the world.
Our partners in Peru are asking U.S. Christians to join our voices with their voices on March 22, World Water Day. For more information on our partners, read about the Joining Hands network in Peru here.
You may pause and say a silent prayer.
Gather church members in a sanctuary.
Write letters of support to the children of La Oroya.
Or, contact the Presbyterian Hunger Program to join with advocacy efforts already under way at 502-569-5828.
To learn more about La Oroya, check out these videos:
Friday, March 16, 2012
One Man's Trash...
In a previous post, we talked about recycling in Anne Arundel County. You have stuff around your house that you want to get rid of and you do not want it to go the landfill, which is good. But maybe you are also thinking that it would be a waste to even recycle those items that you don't want anymore. Remember the saying-- "One man's trash is another man's treasure"? FREECYLING is the embodiment of this phrase. If you have never used or heard of Freecycle- it is a network of local groups across the country that fully believe in the reuse of items for the purposes of keeping stuff out of the landfill. It works much the same way as Craigslist, where people will post things that they do not want anymore and are willing to give away for free, and others respond to the owner that they would like to have that item, and the two parties arrange a pickup. Freecycle items could be anything from leftovers from your last construction project, to kids toys or clothes, to furniture that you just need out of your house.
The Odenton Freecycle group is a very active site of over 1600 members, and is a moderated site. Severna Park and Crofton also have separate freecycle groups. You can join one, or all of them. If you join, keep your eyes open and act fast-- everyone is eager to get free things. The links are below- consider joining today.
As we consider how to lessen our environmental impact, please consider this option as a prime opportunity to reuse-- whether you are reusing or you are offering someone else the opportunity to reuse. Good stewardship is dependent on efficiently using the resources we have been given.
Odenton_Freecycle
Crofton_Freecycle
Severna Park Freecycle
The Odenton Freecycle group is a very active site of over 1600 members, and is a moderated site. Severna Park and Crofton also have separate freecycle groups. You can join one, or all of them. If you join, keep your eyes open and act fast-- everyone is eager to get free things. The links are below- consider joining today.
As we consider how to lessen our environmental impact, please consider this option as a prime opportunity to reuse-- whether you are reusing or you are offering someone else the opportunity to reuse. Good stewardship is dependent on efficiently using the resources we have been given.
Odenton_Freecycle
Crofton_Freecycle
Severna Park Freecycle
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Rain Barrels
Have you ever considered installing rain barrels on your home? Did you know that rain barrels serve a more important purpose than just conserving water?
A rain barrel is a water collection system that takes the water from your downspouts and stores it in a large container for future use. 1000 square feet of roof and one inch of rain can give you up to 632 gallons of free water. You can use this water to wash your cars, or water your lawn or your garden,even in times of drought. Arlington Echo Education Center notes that more importantly, the water that is not collected "carries pollutants that are usually directed into groundwater or allowed to flow directly into waterways around the Bay. Water that runs off the land can be loaded with nutrients, bacteria, heavy metals, and toxic chemicals." By dirverting the water from storm drains and slowly releasing it elsewhere, you are filtering those nutrients and preventing the chemicals from reaching the Bay.
Typically the containers are made of 55 gallon food grade drums, and standard plumbing fittings. They are easy to make, and are a fairly inexpensive DIY project. Or, you can do as we recently did and buy pre-made barrels from Arlington Echo. Arlington Echo does all of the fittings for you and all you have to to is to install it under your downspout. We will be using our barrels to water our garden this summer. Check out a couple of photos of our rain barrels, or check out the link to the right to order your own barrels from Arlington Echo. Save water, protect the bay, and be a good steward of Creation.
A rain barrel is a water collection system that takes the water from your downspouts and stores it in a large container for future use. 1000 square feet of roof and one inch of rain can give you up to 632 gallons of free water. You can use this water to wash your cars, or water your lawn or your garden,even in times of drought. Arlington Echo Education Center notes that more importantly, the water that is not collected "carries pollutants that are usually directed into groundwater or allowed to flow directly into waterways around the Bay. Water that runs off the land can be loaded with nutrients, bacteria, heavy metals, and toxic chemicals." By dirverting the water from storm drains and slowly releasing it elsewhere, you are filtering those nutrients and preventing the chemicals from reaching the Bay.
Typically the containers are made of 55 gallon food grade drums, and standard plumbing fittings. They are easy to make, and are a fairly inexpensive DIY project. Or, you can do as we recently did and buy pre-made barrels from Arlington Echo. Arlington Echo does all of the fittings for you and all you have to to is to install it under your downspout. We will be using our barrels to water our garden this summer. Check out a couple of photos of our rain barrels, or check out the link to the right to order your own barrels from Arlington Echo. Save water, protect the bay, and be a good steward of Creation.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Invite Wildlife into Your Backyard
Did you know that Maryland Department of Natural Resources has a program that you can participate in to encourage backyard wildlife habitats? The Maryland's Wild Acres program is a voluntary program that helps homeowners enhance their properties to support various birds, reptiles, and butterflies that are native to Maryland. "Backyard wildlife habitats can increase food and shelter for wildlife, control soil erosion, reduce sediment in waterways, conserve water, improve water quality, inspire stewardship, and beautify the landscape." The DNR website gives numerous fact sheets on native wildlife, and suggestions for landscaping and habitats.
If you wanted to take this idea a step further, you could certify your wildlife habitat with the National Wildlife Federation. By documenting the same practices suggested by Maryland DNR, you can have your property designated as a Certified Wildlife Habitat, along with 140,00 other sites across the country.
As you get ready for spring, please make sure that you consider using native species in you plantings, and that you try to support your local wildlife. Being a good steward starts in your backyard!
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Faith and the Environment
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Annapolis Presbyterian Church are sponsoring a unique lecture and discussion on Faith and the Environment on Sunday evening March 11. They will be "exploring what the Biblical concept of covenant between God, humanity,
and the Earth means for us today as we face issues of climate change,
eroding habitats, and an increasingly "post agricultural" society."
The lecture will be held at the CBF headquarters in Annapolis, and they are asking you to register for the event. More details are at the link below. We encourage you to attend and find out how God is calling you to care for His creation.
Faith and Environment Lecture
The lecture will be held at the CBF headquarters in Annapolis, and they are asking you to register for the event. More details are at the link below. We encourage you to attend and find out how God is calling you to care for His creation.
Faith and Environment Lecture
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Hazardous Chemicals
Do you have hazardous chemicals around your home that you don't know how to get rid of? These chemicals could include oil based paints, solvents, pesticides, oil or items containing mercury that come from any of the standard household products that we usually don't even think about. Did you know that "the average home can accumulate as much as 100 pounds of Hazardous Waste in the basement, garage, and other storage areas"?
Anne Arundel county is offering a Hazardous Waste drop off in Millersville on April 21. You can take any of those hazardous materials to them and they will dispose of it correctly for you. This is a great service, but even as the county points out, there are plenty of alternatives for many of the items that need special disposal. Please consider using an alternative the next time you need to buy cleaners or disinfectants of any kind. Alternatives are good for the environment, and they keep our local taxes going towards more useful things. Check out the pdf attachment, or visit the county DPW website.
AA County Hazardous Waste PDF
AA County Department of Public Works
Anne Arundel county is offering a Hazardous Waste drop off in Millersville on April 21. You can take any of those hazardous materials to them and they will dispose of it correctly for you. This is a great service, but even as the county points out, there are plenty of alternatives for many of the items that need special disposal. Please consider using an alternative the next time you need to buy cleaners or disinfectants of any kind. Alternatives are good for the environment, and they keep our local taxes going towards more useful things. Check out the pdf attachment, or visit the county DPW website.
AA County Hazardous Waste PDF
AA County Department of Public Works
Friday, March 2, 2012
Limestone Presbyterian Church
Check out what others are doing! Limestone Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, Delaware, inspired by the PCUSA Book of Order, felt called to " use the earth's resources responsibly without plundering, polluting, or destroying" by installing solar panels on the roof of the church. While it was an expensive venture (about $250K), half of that was paid through incentives from the state of Delaware, and the other half was obtained by a loan through the Presbyterian Investment Loan Program (PILP). They expect to have a return on their investment in 10-12 years, at which point the solar panels will be a source of income for the church-- to the tune of about $40,000 over the life of the project.
If you are invested in PILP, this is one type of project that your money is used for. If you are not invested in PILP, consider doing so as it helps churches around the country-- including Ark and Dove-- to provide outstanding resources for Presbyterian church building projects.
Check out the link below to for Limestone. They have an excellent explanation of why they chose to do this, and what they expect to gain in return. I especially think it is cool that they have a "Daily Solar Report" on their site which shows all kinds of data about the real time performance of their solar panels.
We also ask you to click the link for PILP and consider investing some of you money with them. Ark and Dove gets rebates from PILP based on the amount of money Ark and Dove members have invested in the program. These rebates enable us to pay down our mortgages quicker, and invest more in missions. Feel free to leave a comment here if you have any questions about the program.
We are excited to see others in pursuit of environmental stewardship and hope that this inspires you to take action in your lives.
Limestone Presbyterian
Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program
If you are invested in PILP, this is one type of project that your money is used for. If you are not invested in PILP, consider doing so as it helps churches around the country-- including Ark and Dove-- to provide outstanding resources for Presbyterian church building projects.
Check out the link below to for Limestone. They have an excellent explanation of why they chose to do this, and what they expect to gain in return. I especially think it is cool that they have a "Daily Solar Report" on their site which shows all kinds of data about the real time performance of their solar panels.
We also ask you to click the link for PILP and consider investing some of you money with them. Ark and Dove gets rebates from PILP based on the amount of money Ark and Dove members have invested in the program. These rebates enable us to pay down our mortgages quicker, and invest more in missions. Feel free to leave a comment here if you have any questions about the program.
We are excited to see others in pursuit of environmental stewardship and hope that this inspires you to take action in your lives.
Limestone Presbyterian
Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program
Thursday, March 1, 2012
God's Green Earth
Hopefully by now, you have started hearing about our spring Stewardship campaign called- God's Green Earth. We are challenging you to care for God's creation by making changes in your lifestyle, or finding ways to change your community. You will be hearing about many opportunities over the next few weeks of concrete actions you can take to help the environment, while at the same time being good stewards of you money and/ or enacting social justice.
Concurrent with our earth stewardship campaign, is a campaign that is being run by the Ecumenical Water Network. The EWN campaign will attempt to engage Christians in the "reflection and action on the 'economy of water'". This seven week project will look at the scarcity of water and what Christians can do to create an economy of conservation and giving. We encourage you to visit the link below and follow their progress each week as they reflect each week on how this environmental cause can aid others.
This is just one example of the many things you can adopt during the God's Green Earth stewardship campaign. On Sunday, you will be given more ideas of how you can care for creation. We will be exploring those opportunities and presenting others here over the next several weeks. We invite you to stay tuned in, learn what you can do, and take action!
Seven Weeks for Water
Concurrent with our earth stewardship campaign, is a campaign that is being run by the Ecumenical Water Network. The EWN campaign will attempt to engage Christians in the "reflection and action on the 'economy of water'". This seven week project will look at the scarcity of water and what Christians can do to create an economy of conservation and giving. We encourage you to visit the link below and follow their progress each week as they reflect each week on how this environmental cause can aid others.
This is just one example of the many things you can adopt during the God's Green Earth stewardship campaign. On Sunday, you will be given more ideas of how you can care for creation. We will be exploring those opportunities and presenting others here over the next several weeks. We invite you to stay tuned in, learn what you can do, and take action!
Seven Weeks for Water
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