Author: Judith Russenberger

Environmentalist and theologian, with husband and three grown up children plus one cat, living in London SW14. I enjoy running and drinking coffee - ideally with a friend or a book.

Green Tau: the human component 

How do and how should humans be key parts of the natural environment?

5th August 2026

Humans are part of the Earth’s ecosystems. Ecosystems are environments where participants give and receive such that, when in balance, everyone thrives.

Humans are not passive participants. We can and should be active participants for the common good of ourselves as a species and for the other species with which we are cohabitants.

When as early settlers we cleared land of trees and scrub, and planted hedgerows, we created spaces not just for grow food but spaces where other species could find their niche and thrive. Wheat fields for example  can provide niche spaces for birds such as the yellow hammer, corn bunting and the tree sparrow, animals such harvesting mice, voles and hares, and wild plants such as poppies, corncockles and cornflowers. Using the land in this way, humans gained food and straw (for thatching, making hats, bedding for animals etc) and gave back a habitats for a rich diversity of wildlife.

When as pastoralists we grazed sheep and cattle, our livestock cleared scrub and tough weeds creating niche habitats for other species particularly flowering plants, the insect life that these support and then the bird life that they support, whilst the dung supports other forms of life above and within the soil. Different animals graze in different ways supporting different ecosystems. Humans gained food, wool and leather, and means of transport and pulling power, and gave back habitats for a rich diversity of wildlife. 

To collect water for livestock, we humans created ponds, and to drain roads and fields we created ditches. Each of these features created more and different habitats for a wide diversity of wildlife.

Humans cultivated woodland coppicing hazel, willow and chestnut trees to provide wood for different uses – hurdles, fencing and gates, tools and poles etc. Humans planted orchards for fruit and at the same time provided habitats for another wide variety of wildlife.

All these are examples of ways in which humans have interacted with other species within the various ecosystems. As well as the obvious benefits to humans – food to eat, materials with which to build homes, make clothes etc – there are less obvious but equally important benefits that we gain from the ecosystems within which we live: eg air that is clean because plants have absorbed impurities, water that is clean to drink because rock strata, reed beds etc have filtered out impurities, rainfall because plants (especially trees) have recycled water back into the atmosphere, flood resilience because trees and plants, soils rich in organic matter and windy rivers have absorbed and slowed the flow of water, and a  comfortable climate because the air, oceans, trees and bogs  have absorbed carbon dioxide. 

And then there are yet other benefits – the mental and physical wellbeing that being in a green or blue environment gives us, the inspiration for worship, spaces to meet and spaces to build homes and communities.

These benefits accrued to us because our interactions with the numerous ecosystems was sustainable. Our interactions with these ecosystems were mutually beneficial. However we are increasingly witnessing what happens when humans destabilise and degrade ecosystems, when humans take too much and give back too little. We have crossed seven of the nine planetary boundaries; Earth Overshoot day this year was 30th July. 

An obvious example is the climate. By pushing more and more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, whilst at the same time reducing the capacity of the Earth to absorb carbon dioxide through deforestation, through draining and drying out bogs and wetlands, through compacting soils and reducing the levels of organic material, we have destabilised ecosystem that regulates climate. . Increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere have insulted the Earth, increasing temperatures and increasing the energy within weather systems making them more extreme.

Another example is biodiversity. By increasing usage of fertilisers, by increasing the use of pesticides and herbicides, by clearing forests and replacing them with single crop plantations, by increasing the numbers and the concentration of farm livestock, by destroying local habitat, by draining lakes and  rivers, etc etc, we have seen a steep and rapid decline in biodiversity. To take just one example until 50 years ago any summer time car-trip necessitated regular cleaning of the windscreen to remove dead insects. Now with the increased use of pesticides (and herbicides removing the plants that fed and sheltered many insects) insect populations have dwindled. Indeed the decline is such that there is risk that if this decline continues, it will materially affect the pollination of crops.

The Earth’s ecosystems cannot sustain our current lifestyles. We need to reform and reshape our lifestyles so that they are sustainable, so that they give as well as take from the ecosystems of which we are a part. 

Restoring biodiversity – and ensuring our existence on Earth is sustainable – is about looking at how we use the land (and seas). It is not necessarily about removing our presence from ecosystems but ensuring that our presence is beneficial. Industrialised agriculture is not beneficial for ecosystems – even if it produces extra food for humans and/or livestock. Less intensive agriculture that works in harmony with ecosystems is beneficial – and will produce food for the long term. However opting for the latter rather than the former does require us to review and change our diets to ones that are compatible with sustainability. 

Restoring biodiversity is also about recognising and valuing the life support systems that its sustains – a comfortable climate, clean air and water, water management etc. Our economic system does not have a ready way of doing this: legislation is likely a more effective route.

Restoring biodiversity should also involve us in reviewing how we use the land and in particular how it supports our physical and mental wellbeing, and how it can support good community life. Do we ensure fair access for everyone? Do we ensure our rural and urban communities are structured so that they provide meaningful employment, comfortable housing, pleasant spaces for relaxation and community building for everyone?

Counting on … day 84

4th August 2026

Resilience is about being able to cope with emergencies. Having a first kit is part of that. Ditto knowing how to administer first aid. The British Red Cross and St John’s Ambulance both run first aid training courses. They also have a downloadable handbook. Not included in a first aid kit, but nevertheless useful are essentials such as paracetamol and other such standard medications depending on why you would normally use.

As well as a first aid kit, it is sensible to have in hand a spare medication if you have some you need to take regularly. 

The British Red Cross has a useful emergency first aid app – https://www.redcross.org.uk/get-help/prepare-for-emergencies/free-emergency-apps

Counting on … day 83

3rd August 2026

As well as knowing where the stopcock is, a bucket could be another useful asset in the case of emergencies.

Another handy item would be at least one torch and some spare batteries – or a rechargeable torch that you do keep fully charged. In the past we would have said have some candles but from a safety point of view a camping style lantern that runs on a battery would be better. 

Equally useful in a different way would be a head torch – handy for washing up or cooking in the dark.

Proper 13, 9th Sunday after Trinity 

2nd August 2026

Reflection with readings below

It is God’s desire to feed and meet the needs of all that lives. That is the recurring message of the prophets and the gospels. It seems so obvious and logical that God, having created such a diversity of life – plants, creatures, humans – would wish to ensure that they all were fed, cared for and nourished. It is certainly true that parents desire the best for their children, that gardeners aim to create the best environment for their plants, that pet owners seek the best for their cats, dogs, goldfish etc.

Why then do governments not do the same for their citizens? Here in the UK and across the world we see many going un- or underfed. We see people inadequately houses, afforded insufficient health care and mediocre education. We see people ill-provided with access to green spaces and recreational facilities. We see people who are marginalised because of inadequate public transport. We even see bus and train drivers lacking access to toilet facilities!!

And yet at the same time we see governments supporting the rich, whether they are individuals or corporations. We see governments creating rules and sustaining systems that perpetuate inequality and injustice. We see governments watching, with complacency, the rich consuming at the expense of the poor, manipulating systems to meet their needs, and polluting the environment with no comeback.

The gospel message, and therefore the Christian calling, is to challenge systems and traditions, governments and vested interests, that fail to care for everyone – including every living thing – fairly. We should be challenging the assumption that the markets will ensure fair play and a fair distribution of resources to meet needs. We should be challenging the focus on profits, on unending growth, on the diversion of resources into the control of a minority. 

This week Shell revealed that their profits for the last quarter have more than doubled to £10billion for the second quarter. Wael Sawan, the CEO, cannot be unaware of the crises facing so many people. Indeed he commented “These are difficult times, undoubtedly, and I think the government, from everything we pick up publicly, is trying to do what it can to be able to support. And [the] UK is our headquarters, is our home, and we will offer any support that we can to the government as they try to navigate these difficult waters” BUT at the same time urging for greater support for drilling in the North Sea – an activity that only fuels extreme temperatures and wildfires – and doing everything to avoid further taxation of their profits.

God has created an amazing world with the capacity to feed and sustain all its inhabitants – but only if we don’t abuse the various ecosystems and seek only our own wellbeing. In today’s gospel we often highlight the amazing generosity that means everyone is fed, but do not so readily focus on the fact that no one is greedy, no one tries to hang onto the excess for their own profit. In the parallel story in Exodus, the generous gift of mana comes with the warning that the people should only gather what they need for that day; greed is punished by mould and maggots. We need take only what we need and only what is sustainable. We need to normalise a culture that expects resources to be shared and used according to need and not gain or greed. 

Last Thursday was Earth Overshoot Day, the day on which we have collectively consumed a whole year’s worth of the Earth’s renewable good and services. We cannot go on burning oil and gas and expecting the Earth to absorb the excess. We cannot go on extracting more and more water from rivers and aquifers and expect them to refill at a faster and faster rate. We cannot going on eating meat whilst expect nature to squeeze into an ever smaller margin of the land. We cannot throw away more and more plastic and expect the oceans to simply absorb the waste. We cannot continue to indulge our consumerist society and expect the poor and vulnerable to simply cope better on less and less. A good life is not measured by how much you earn or how much you spend, but by how you love your neighbour.

Loving our neighbour is not always about baking them a cake or paying their medical bills. More often it is about us changing our lifestyle so that we don’t damage their chance of a healthy, happy life. Loving our neighbour is very much about reducing not just our carbon footprint but our environmental footprint. Loving our neighbour is about flying less, about switching from a gas boiler to a heat pump, about opting for active travel, eating substantially less meat and dairy, making things last rather than frequently upgrading and replacing. Loving our neighbour is also about pressing for system change whether by our local authority – to plant more trees, retrofit homes, improve public transport and cycling infrastructure. Whether by our government  – to phase out fossil fuels, invest in grid infrastructure, mandate prioritisation of nature, promote uptake of and access to healthier diets. Whether by businesses and institutions – do they know what you, the consumer, actually wants as opposed to what they want you to want?

Loving our neighbour – and showing our love for God – is about living within the sustainable limits of the world’s ecosystems, and ensuring a just sharing of and access to resources. Looking again at today’s story of the feeding of the five thousand, we see how team work and cooperation are key in the success of the event.

Isaiah 55:1-5

Thus says the Lord:

“Ho, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters; 

and you that have no money,
come, buy and eat! 

Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy? 

Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food. 

Incline your ear, and come to me;
listen, so that you may live. 

I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David. 

See, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples. 

See, you shall call nations that you do not know,
and nations that do not know you shall run to you, 

because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.” 

Psalm 145: 8-9, 15-22

8 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, *
slow to anger and of great kindness.

9 The Lord is loving to everyone *
and his compassion is over all his works.

15 The Lord upholds all those who fall; *
he lifts up those who are bowed down.

16 The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord, *
and you give them their food in due season.

17 You open wide your hand *
and satisfy the needs of every living creature.

18 The Lord is righteous in all his ways *
and loving in all his works.

19 The Lord is near to those who call upon him, *
to all who call upon him faithfully.

20 He fulfils the desire of those who fear him; *
he hears their cry and helps them.

21 The Lord preserves all those who love him, *
but he destroys all the wicked.

22 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord; *
let all flesh bless his holy Name for ever and ever.

Romans 9:1-5

I am speaking the truth in Christ– I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit– I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

Matthew 14:13-21

Jesus withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Taste and see – God is good!

1st August 2026

O taste and see that the Lord is good Psalm 34:8a

You Lord, are the source of all good things: 

We praise you.

You call us to tend and care for your creation: 

May we strive to do your will.

You have made us as brothers and sisters with all that lives: 

May we live together in peace.

A reading from Isaiah 55:1-3 (The Message translation)

Hey there! All who are thirsty,
    come to the water!
Are you penniless?
    Come anyway—buy and eat!
Come, buy your drinks, buy wine and milk.
    Buy without money—everything’s free!
Why do you spend your money on junk food,
    your hard-earned cash on cotton candy?
Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best,
    fill yourself with only the finest.
Pay attention, come close now,
    listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words.
I’m making a lasting covenant commitment with you,
    the same that I made with David: sure, solid, enduring love.

A response:

Listen; attune your ears – what do you hear? 

The excited chatter of children,

and the chatter of jackdaws,

wind rustling the leaves,

and feet tapping the road.

Or the drone of cars – too much!

Or the whine of planes – too many!

Look; focus your vision – what do you see?

a lacework of branches against the sky,

and curvaceous clouds,

tawny shades of fallen leaves,

and the tight curl of a snail shell.

Or traffic crawling bumper to bumper – too much

Or discarded tatters of plastic – too many!

Stretch; bare your skin – what do you feel?

The warm caress of the sun, 

the chilly nip of the breeze,

the prickle of grass,

the textured bark of a tree

Or the rasp of exhaust in your throat – too much!

Or the scratch of particulates in your eyes – too many!

Sniff; breathe deeply – what do you smell?

The aroma of fresh coffee,

and the zest of orange juice,

the fragrance of the last rose,

and the warmth of ground spices.

Or the reek of petrol – too much!

Or the sting of pesticides – too many!

Savour; let it linger on your tongue – what do you taste?

The fresh acidity of an apple, 

and the earthy satisfaction of bread,

the squashy sweetness of banana,

and the melting delight of chocolate.

Or the fake sweetness of green wash – too much!

Or the gall of climate injustice- too many !

Merciful God, 

bring us to  our senses.

Help us rebuild a world 

of right experiences.

Amen.

Counting on … day 82

31st July 2026

Knowing where the stop cock for your water supply and the off switch for your electricity and gas supplies is sensible. In the event of a flood all three should be switched off.

The other sensible thing is to make sure they are working. We recently had a dripping tap. When we tried to turn off the water, we discovered the stopcock was not working. When we tried to turn off the water in the street we found that that too was not working! So first we had to get Thames Water to fix the stopcock in the street, and then a plumber to fit a new stopcock inside before we could tackle the tap!!!

Counting on … day 81

30th July 2026

As well as keeping a supply of water to hand, we also keep a supply of food – against a situation where we can’t get to the shops for 3-7 days (which could have been the situation during COVID, but could cover a situation where say power cuts/ internet outages/ floods might disrupt food supplies).

These supplies include dry goods like beans, flour, cereals; tinned foods; preserves such as bottled fruit, jam, chutneys; non perishables such as sugar etc. Having established enough for 3-5 days minimum, now when we use anything, we replace it so maintaining the supplies.

We also keep a 7 day supply of cat food which Hilda (our cat) says is absolutely essential!

Counting on … day 80

29th July 2026

Saving or conserving water is good at any time – emergency or not. 

Some eco houses have proper grey water systems that collect waste water. We have a basin in each wash basin, and a jug on the floor. Water from hand washing is collected and is used to flush the toilet of poured in the jug for later toilet flushing. The toilet flush is used when a good flush is needed.

Counting on … day 79

28th July 2026

With a few to having a degree of resilience should a crisis cut off our supply of water, we keep stored about 12 -14 litres of water (for a household of three). Rather than opting for a stock of plastic bottled water, we use a mixture of glass bottles and Demi johns, refilling each as we empty them, and rotating them so that they don’t have water more than about a day old. 

We use the water for drinking, cooking and washing up. If the water supply was cut, we would use this bottled water purely for drinking and rely on the water in the header tank in the roof space for washing up etc.

Counting on … day 78

27th July 2026

Collecting washing machine water for the garden.

Over the next few days I plan to share a few ways in which our household is trying to be more resilient in the face of the climate – and other associated -crises.

Last week Thames Water introduced a hosepipe ban which didn’t come as a surprise given a) how hot it has been and b) how little rain we have had these past few months. 

Routinely we try to minimise our use of water – water is a scarce and valuable resource. But now that our several water buts have run dry, we have moved one but so that we can use it to collect the water from the washing machine – 50 litres (5 buckets) per wash. At the same time we switched from us in a laundry liquid to an eco egg which produces less soapy water. This water is then used on plants in the garden – fruit bushes, squash plants, rhubarb etc.