Tag: climate crisis

Counting On …. day 12

25th November 2021

Black Friday is a curious name. 

Is it black as in the opposite of ‘being in the red’, ie financially overdrawn? Certainly not if you are tempted to spend more than you can afford.

Is it black as in doom and terror? Definitely if you see it as a seductive snare designed to encourage us to buy more than we need and more than the earth’s finite resources can sustain.

And who gains? 

The customer because they can buy things at a discount? Yes but only if they buy now. Customers who buy later  will have to pay more if the producers are to recover their costs over the balance of the year. 

The producers because they will sell more? But will they sell more or will the majority of their sales just be concentrated in this one weekend? (Black Friday has become Black Weekend). Does this frenzy of sales cause a hiccup in the supply chain? Goods will have to be stockpiled ready for this one weekend; delivery operations will be overwhelmed by short term demand for extra delivery vehicles and drivers; and presumably a peak in pressure in recycling services the following week.

At the end of the day, Black Friday is a marketing strategy and we are not obliged to drawn in by it. We can maintain our independence and shop when we want to shop and only buy what we want to buy.

Counting On … day 8

21st November 2021

Rather than a Christmas card (complete with envelope) why not send Christmas postcards? They use half the card and none of the paper for the envelope.

You could make your own, hand drawn or print a design with your home printer (one A4 sheet of thin card can be cut down into four postcards).

You could buy postcards  from a local wildlife centre – Friends of Richmond Park have beautiful cards depicting deer. 

Counting on … day 7

20th November 2021

E.F Schumacher was a philosopher and economist whose book ‘Small is Beautiful: economics as if people mattered’  was a popular read in the 1970s. His vision was able to become a reality in the shape of ‘Practical Action’. This charity  provides practical (and often therefore small scale and local) projects that enable  and support small communities across the globe to raise their living standards. Recently Schumacher daughter was  asked  in an interview what her father’s views would have been in response to the crises we face as a world today. Towards the end she says, “Fritz was often asked what people should do as individuals to support positive change. He recognised that people can feel helpless in the face of such huge challenges and can feel that their own small actions aren’t worthwhile.

His advice was always that we should support the organisations that are taking the right actions. That  we should educate ourselves about the issues and share our knowledge with others. And that we should make small, positive changes in our own lives, which right now might mean reducing our carbon footprint or using less water.”

Schumacher on COP26: A Q&A With the Daughter of Our Founder

Counting On … day 6 

19th November 2021

One straightforward way of reducing our carbon footprint is  choosing the vegan option. When it comes to biscuits this is even easier than you would expect. Many traditional brands of biscuits sold in supermarkets are vegan and in many case have always  been so! Their vegan attributes as a consequence are not always highlighted. Jeni from the Choose Vegan website has complied a lost of all the commonly sold biscuits which are also vegan. 

What Biscuits are Vegan?

Counting On … Day 5

18th November and fifth day since the finale of COP26.

If COP26 marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of the next in the campaign to resolve the climate crisis, are we as individuals and our appointed local and national government leaders do what is necessary to achieve our objectives?

The Climate Coalition invites is to email our MP on this very issue, and provides a template in which we can express for ourselves as individuals what concerns us, what we are doing, and what we would like our leaders to be doing. Follow the link and add your personal plea.

https://www.theclimatecoalition.org/take-action?utm_source=The+Climate+Coalition+Supporter+Email&utm_campaign=e27521cfb1-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2021_11_18_10_33&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5d9d4008a3-e27521cfb1-44038205#emailmp

Skip and Skitter

Now is the sky blue!

Now is it framed 

by a fretwork of branches 

where leaves still linger –

some as big as dinner plates 

some as small as butterflies. 

Jackdaws riddle the earth 

harvesting riches that lay below.

And squirrels skip and skitter 

their autumn dance.

All is now, and now, and now!

But tomorrow, next week, next year? 

Merciful God will they still be there?

Will our apathy, 

our slowness to act, 

our aversion to change 

allowed all this 

to be threatened, 

diminished, and 

evicted from life?

Have mercy.

But not just mercy –

rather prod us, prompt us, 

push us into action.

Renew our hearts and minds,

reverse our expectations

so that we change the future 

and once more 

be restorers of creation.

Amen. 

This prayer or psalm gives a seasonal update to one written in the summer

Resources and support groups for green lifestyles

This is just a selection of possible sources of information and groups you might wish to join.

A  Rocha UK’s Wild Christian scheme is a community of families and individuals exploring the connections between our Christian faith, the natural environment, and how we live.As we journey together, reflecting biblically and acting boldly, we invite you to share your story, ideas and learning so that collectively we can live more joyfully and sustainably with the rest of God’s Creation.

Sign up and each month we’ll send you something to think about and some practical actions that you can take to help you enjoy, nurture and protect nature. You’ll also have the opportunity to share your own stories, if you wish, and to help us generate ideas for future editions.https://arocha.org.uk/wildchristian/ 

Green Christians offers various resources including Nine Ways of living gently in the earth;  using LOAF as a means of eating in an environmentally friendly way; the Seven Rs plus prayer resources etc.

And offers ways to get involved in campaigns about  caring for the environment.

Also  The Way of Life: Many spiritual communities have Rules or Ways of Life involving a set of disciplines to assist believers in living out their faith in a deeper and more structured way.

 The Way of Life is a calling for deeper engagement and shared encouragement. Followers of the Way are called ‘Companions’.

Leaflets

Friends of the Earth offers local groups where you can meet and exchange ideas and take part in action, as well as resources for green your lifestyle: https://friendsoftheearth.uk/take-part/switch-greener-lifestyle

The WWF offers advice on changing lifestyles – including a carbon footprint calculator and app – as well as working to protect and enhance the natural environment. https://www.wwf.org.uk/what-can-i-do

The RSPB, as well as campaigning for and supporting and protecting biodiversity, provides guides about following a greener lifestyle. https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/community-and-advice/green-living/

Counting On …

16th November 2021

Adopting a plant based – ie vegan – is one easy way of reducing our carbon footprint. Here is another vegan cake recipe – vegan baking is straight forward!

Golden Parkin (sorry – no picture as we ate it all up!)

1 tbsp camelina or chia seeds soaked in 3 tbsp of warm water

100g margerine, 6 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp syrup

2 tbsp oatmeal, 8 tbsp flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 2 or 3 tsp of ground spice (I used a mix of cardamon, all spice and cinnamon

150g grated squash

Method: melt the margerine and add sugar and syrup. Add all the other ingredients and mix well. Add oat milk if needed to create a dropping consistency.

Bake: tip into a lined tin, approx 180 x 300mm, and bake for 25 – 30 minutes until form to touch.