Household Toxics, Part II

In my last blog, I took on the thrilling topic of household hazardous waste – what it is, and most importantly, where to take it when you need to dispose of it.

But wouldn’t be great if we didn’t have toxics in our house in the first place? Exposure to toxic chemicals is one of the greatest threats to human health and the entirety of God’s creation. Children, the elderly, and women are particularly at risk. People of color and low-income communities are disproportionately exposed to environmental pollution. As people of faith, we are called to do our part to reduce our contribution to the excess of toxic chemicals in the world today.

The good news is that there are alternatives. Here in Seattle, King County has a comprehensive website with links to healthier household goods and services, alternatives to toxic chemicals, recipes for safer cleaning products, and natural yard techniques.

Washington Toxics Coalition’s website is a great resource for families seeking to find safer children’s products.

Our partners at the National Council of Churches have put out a great resource on environmental health called “Mindful Living: Human Health, Pollution, and Toxics”. This publication gives congregations the tools to maintain the sanctity of our bodily temples and to ensure that the environment remains healthy for generations to come.

And of course, there is always Earth Ministry’s own “Caring for All Creation: In the Home” curriculum that guides congregations in developing healthy home habits that respect God’s beloved creation.

We have an opportunity to choose mercy and justice for all of God’s children by eliminating toxic health threats to those least able to protect themselves and to help restore creation.

In the Northwest, Earth Ministry Outreach Coordinator Beth Anderson is available to lead congregational workshops on toxics, environmental health, and faithful alternatives. Contact her at beth@earthministry.org for more information.

Earth Ministry on Facebook!

Dear friends,

When Earth Ministry started a blog, we knew it would be fun and hoped it would be well received - and indeed it has! But the fun doesn't end there. We have taken our venture into the cyberworld even further and have started an Earth Ministry Group and Cause page on Facebook!

If you have a facebook account, we invite you to join the Earth Ministry group and while you're at it, join our cause! By joining our online community, you make a statement to the world - people of faith care about all of God's creation, human and non-human.

You can even make a donation to support Earth Ministry through our Facebook Cause page! When you donate $35 or more ($20 for students and low-income), you become a member of Earth Ministry. One of the benefits of membership is a one-year subscription to our quarterly journal, Earth Letter.

We hope you will join us in spreading the word about the good work of Earth Ministry using your social networks in Facebook.

The Earth Ministry Staff

Made in America?

Amongst environmentalists, the topic of "buying local" food has been around for some time. Yet, it took the global food crisis to really make a dent in popular culture to think about buying American or shopping locally. That's why I was so intrigued when msn.com, the homepage for my web browser, had a headline asking me to take a quiz, "American or Foreign Brands?" . Needless to say, I was intrigued. Who doesn't like a good competitive quiz?! I mean, I'm no newbie to buying locally; I look to see where my fruits and vegetables were grown from when shopping in the grocery store. I've even found errors between what the sticker on the vegetable says and the sign posted by the grocery store. Not that the workers cared when I noted the discrepency. However, sad to say, I only got about 30% of the questions right. I highly encourage you to take the quiz, see how you fare. But here's a hint...products called America's Choice, not so much made in America.

Maybe we should be asking ourselves, the FDA, and congress why foods aren't labeled to tell us where they're made. Afterall, shouldn't the good ol' US of A care whether or not we "buy American"? The sad truth may just be that like car manufacturing, an "American" brand is only just that, a brand. It's quite likely that the parts came from China and were assembled in Mexico. Ah...globalization.

The quiz was part of a larger series called, "Extreme Consumerism". This is an interesting and informative look at how Americans are spending their money, especially in a global economy. If the topic of slowing down and making more informed and throughtul consumer choices from a faith perspective is appealing to you, you might want to consider reading Earth Ministry's book, Simpler Living, Compassionate Life. This book is also ideal for study groups. Simpler Living, Compassionate Life is available for purchase on Earth Ministry's secure website.

If we each do a little bit, together we can do a lot!

Won't You be my Neighbor

For the first time since getting my driver’s license, I’ve had to live without having easy access to a vehicle. For me, moving out to Seattle last fall meant I would have to be without my car. Until now, I’ve always lived in an area with at best, unreliable public transportation. For the last seven months, I’ve commuted almost entirely by foot, bike, or bus.

At first, I was a little nervous about taking the bus. I have a terrible sense of direction and bus routes were not exactly intuitive for me. However, when it’s the only way to get around, you learn quickly. Right now, I’d hardly call myself even an amateur, but I’ve certainly learned the routes that get me to the main spots.

For the most part, I don’t mind taking the bus. Instead of cursing my way through traffic, I can get on the bus, read a book, listen to music, or watch the scenery. I still get frustrated by longer commutes, late buses, or inconvenient transfers. However, a few weeks ago, I had a bus ride that far outweighed all the cons I’ve stacked up for taking the bus.

I was leaving the Olympic Sculpture Park and heading up the hill to the bus stop. Another woman was right behind me, as we both approached the stop to read the schedule for the next stop. She looked at me and asked if we were looking at the same schedule. We were and she asked me where I was headed. We continued talking and realized that we only lived a block from each other. I’m embarrassed to say, that I hadn’t met that many people in my neighborhood. We continued chatting, and the bus (which was very late after getting caught up with the Mariner’s crowd) showed up in what seemed like no time at all.

Perhaps, it’s an odd way to meet my neighbors, but it makes perfect sense. Taking the bus not only reduces our carbon footprint, but can build community at the same time. My neighbor and I got off at the same stop and continued talking on our walk home from the bus stop. She told me about her children and I told her about Earth Ministry. Not only did I meet one of my neighbors, it was one of the quickest bus trips I’ve ever had.

Bike to Work, Worship, Wherever Month

If you're an avid follower of the Earth Ministry blog, you'll know that I gave up driving to work for Lent and I actually managed to bike to work once during Lent (give me a break, it was February for heaven's sake!). I even managed to bike one more time since Easter (come on, it snowed in April!). I plan to bike a lot more once the weather perks up here in cold and dreary Seattle. In fact, it will be sunny starting today (though proof of this rare occurrence has yet to emerge at 11am). Tomorrow it will be sunny and in the 80s, perfect timing for Bike to Work day.

That's right, May is National Bike to Work Month and that tomorrow is Bike to Work Day. What a great concept and it need not stop there. I recently met David from Bellingham and he is taking the Bike to Work Day concept to his church and is promoting Bike to Worship Day. I propose we have National Bike to Wherever Month!

Since the weather's looking mighty fine, get out there and ride! Dust off that bike, pump up the tires, put on your best fluorescent shirt and pedal yourself to work, worship, or wherever! Your body needs it. Your mental health needs it. The planet needs it!

Now I know some of you are saying, but I'm nervous about biking. I don't know what to do on the road, it's unsafe! Well, a little education can cure you of that. The Seattle Times has a great article in today's paper with lots of juicy information on how to safely bike to work. One of my favorite resources are bike maps. And because I'm a big fan of bike safety, I'm going to borrow from one of their resources, Pedal Power Tips and give you a few pointers on how to ride in traffic.

1. See and Be Seen - use a headlight, wear bright clothes, and always keep your eye out for bad drivers.


2. Don't get Doored - ride far enough to the left of parked cars so you won't get surprised by a sudden door in your face.


3. Shun Sidewalks (I love riding on sidewalks when the street is narrow, oh well) - though riding on sidewalks is genreally legal, cars won't see that you're about to enter traffic at an intersection and may turn right in front of you (ouch). If you insist on using the sidewalk, be sure to walk your bike across intersections.


4. Keep Your Lane - swerving bicyclists are unpredictable and could result in car-bike collissions...be predictable and consistent.


5. Watch for the right hook - cars often turn right without looking for a bicyclist coming up behind them (sadly, I've done this - I'm sorry Mr. Biker!). Make eye contact with the driver next to you at intersections or stop behind cars in line, don't ride pu to the fron tusing the bike lane.


6. Use Care Passing - If you're forced to ride in the traffic lane because there's no room on the side of the road, be bold and assert your right to be there so that cars don't squeeze you out and cause you to lose control or, and this is my personal favorite, find a calmer street (but beware of people not expecting bikes on quiet back roads and zoning out at free-for-all intersections).

Lastly, let me just say that at least in Seattle, there are perks to biking to work beyond the physical and planetary health benefits. Throughout King and Snohomish Counties, vendors have set up stations for bike commuters to pick up t-shirts, water bottles, snacks, maps, and so much more. I'm planning to make a few stops myself. See you on the street!

I Am Ready to Follow You

I am going to Japan this summer to research Japanese environmental organizations that especially focus on Christian view. Then I will come back to Seattle three weeks later. This plan is something that I had never expected to happen a month ago. Let me explain..

I was supposed to go back to Japan after I complete my degree in environmental studies at Seattle University. I really wanted to tell my family about Jesus, so I was kind of in hurry going back and share things about Jesus to my family and friends in Japan.

But, about a month ago, I started thinking of staying another year. I knew it was not good choice for my family because they also want me to come back as soon as possible, so I tried not to

change the first decision I made.

I had been struggling a lot since then. Should I stay here or not. The reason I wanted to stay here is that I felt that I did not complete things that I needed to do in Seattle or in the States. I came to the Unites States to study the relationship between environmental issues and religion. I wanted to know the solution through religiours point of view. As time goes by in Seattle, I became a Christian and realize the way Christian people need to picture nature from Christian point of view from my heart.

However, there are still many other worldviews that see nature differently. For them, there should have another way to think the solution of environmental issues. I would like to study these things.

Also, I am not ready for reaching my family and friends for Christ. My family do not believe in God. They still think that I should not follow Jesus after I go back to Japan. In Japan, 0.2% of population is Christian. My family think that it will be difficult for me to live as a Christian in Japan. I need more strong faith to be able to stick what I want to do by the time I go back to Japan.

I also do ministry for Japanese people. I believe that many Japanese people need Jesus in thier lives. My faith has been growing through the ministry where I talk about Jesus to non-Christian people. With many friends who support each other I always feel the existence of Jesus.

These are the reasons.

There are some difficulties that I need to overcome in order to stay, but God knows what I need to do and which way I need to go. I am ready to follow Him whereever I go.

Voices of Wisdom

Yesterday I led a hike in Discovery Park to honor mothers and women, our Mother Earth, and the voice of the Wisdom of God through the ages. Due in part to the unpredictable weather, we were a small but jovial group!

We each took some time out of a busy Sunday afternoon to explore our connections to each other, to the whole of Creation, and to our God. In celebration of Pentecost, a day to recognize the many voices of the Spirit, I offered readings from some of our spiritual mothers in the Christian tradition.

I would like to share one of the readings we reflected on as we walked through the glorious grassland and forest to the edge of the bluff overlooking Puget Sound and then back through the fascinating trees and plant life—the following passage is from the writings of Hildegard of Bingen, a 12th century Christian mystic:

“I am Wisdom. Mine is the blast of the resounding Word through which all creation came to be, and I quickened all things with my breath so that not one of them is mortal in its kind; for I am Life. Indeed I am Life, whole and undivided -- not hewn from any stone, or budded from branches, or rooted in virile strength; but all that lives has its root in Me. For Wisdom is the root whose blossom is the resounding Word....

I flame above the beauty of the fields to signify the earth -- the matter from which humanity was made. I shine in the waters to indicate the soul, for, as water suffuses the whole earth, the soul pervades the whole body. I burn in the sun and the moon to denote Wisdom, and the stars are the innumerable words of Wisdom.

I am the Supreme and Fiery Force who kindles every living spark.... As I circled the whirling sphere with my upper wings (that is, with Wisdom), rightly I ordained it. And I am the fiery life of the Divine essence: I flame above the beauty of the fields; I shine in the waters; I burn in the sun, the moon, and the stars. And, with the airy wind, I quicken all things vitally by an unseen, all-sustaining life. For the air is alive in the green plants and the flowers; the waters flow as if they lived; the sun too lives in its light; and when the moon wanes it is rekindled by the light of the sun, as if it lived anew. Even the stars glisten in their light as if alive.”

The Holy Spirit as Caritas, St. Hildegard von Bingen,
translated by B. Newman

Hildegard's illustration of Sophia, Wisdom of God

A Quality Report

This week, my house along with the rest of Seattle residents, received one juicy piece of mail. Some of you I’m sure tossed it directly into your recycling, but I hope many of you, like myself, decided to open the pages of this thrilling little report.

Seattle Public Utilities released its annual drinking water quality report this past week. If you cracked open the pages, I bet you would have found it quite the “quality” reading. Well, I might be exaggerating, but I did find a few details interesting.

First off, pictures always catch my attention quickest. In this case, it was a graph of growth of population and water consumption. Since 1990, the population that Seattle Public Utilities services has grown 15%. Despite predictions of a concurrent increase in water needs, the total amount of water supplied since 1990 has decreased by 17%. Way to conserve water, Seattle!

After my distraction by the pictures and pretty colors, I actually spent a little time reading what the report found. Annually, Seattle tap water is tested for levels of contaminants, metals, and disease-causing micro-organisms. None of these threatening compounds were found, giving what Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels is calling, “…the ‘gold standard’ in water quality,” It is this finding that is leading Mayor Nickels to launch a campaign encouraging residents to drink tap water, instead of buying bottled water. Seattle residents drink about 354,127 pints of bottled water each day, which adds up to 40,719 barrels of oil and 5,439 tons of greenhouse gases each year. Just think about the difference we could make by just always carrying around a reusable water bottle.

It may not be the page turner you're looking to read over your coffee, but as a concerned citizen we ought to know what's coming out of our faucet. You never know what might spark your interest when doing just a little reading.

Don't Throw it in the Garbage!

We all have our dirty little secrets, tucked away in the bowels of our basement, gathering dust in the garage, or sleeping quietly in our garden sheds. You know what I’m talking about. Household toxics.

Household toxics can include old household cleaners (drain and oven cleaners); lawn and garden products (snail bait, pesticides, fertilizer); oil-based paints and stains; automotive products (antifreeze, engine additives, motor oil); pool and spa supplies; mercury-containing fluorescent light bulbs, and batteries of all kinds.

I know, I know, some of these date from the previous home owner or were needed for a specific project. But now they’re sitting there, nearly but not quite empty, and you’d really like to do a spring cleaning. Whatever you do, don’t throw it in the garbage!

These household toxics must be disposed of properly, for the health of our communities and the Earth. The good news is that in Seattle/King County, there are lots of options for safe disposal.

Households Hazards Line: 1-888-869-4233

South Household Hazardous Waste Facility: 8105 5^th Ave S, Seattle
Open Thurs-Sat, 10am-4pm. No appointment needed.

North Facility: make appointment through Household Hazards Line.

Bellevue/Factoria Facility: 13800 SE 32^nd St, Bellevue
Open Thurs-Sun, 9am-5pm. No appointment needed.

In the next few weeks, the mobile Household Hazardous Wastemobile will be collecting waste free of charge in these two communities:

May 9-11 – Shoreline Aurora Square Sears
1577 11 Aurora Ave N, 98177

May 16-18 – Renton Fred Meyer
365 Renton Center Way, 98055

Nationally, you can look up toxic waste disposal locations through your city or county government, or by going to Earth 911’s website and entering in the item you need to dispose of and your zip code in the search box at the top of the page.

Stay tuned for future blog postings on what happens to your items once you drop them off at the Hazardous Waste Facility, alternative products that are available, and other exciting information about household toxics!

Three Months, 300 Miles

Don’t tell the boys yet!

As the spring grows redolent with late cherry and apple blossoms, and the tulips fade while irises appear I think about the bountiful blessing of our local agriculture: the wonderful asparagus already in our kitchens, the fabulous tomatoes we will soon see at the farmer’s markets. I’m tired of food from Peru and China, or some processing plant in the Rust Belt. I’m longing for fresh; my spirit needs the sustenance and my body needs the anti-oxidants.

Because I do everything Sustainable Ballard tells me to do, last year in August I took the 100-mile challenge and for one whole month ate only foods grown within the Northwest region. Here’s what happened:

• My food budget dropped by 25%; I don’t know why but local was cheaper for my pocketbook.
  
  
• I lost five pounds, not that you’d notice.
  
  
• The two EarthCorps internationals living with me (both from South America) hardly paid attention because it turns out that this is how they had eaten their entire lives.
  
  
• My then 17 year-old son hated it: local food means no processed food, no pizza, and no chips. He complained every day. Tough!
  

This year, we have a young man from Namibia living with us, and he likes meat and pizza and food more to Brian’s taste. Also, like most young people from the south, he’s an avocado-a-day man. So this year, I’m going to have a hard time telling the both boys my plan: three months, 300 miles.

That’s right. Sustainable Ballard got me going. Then we at Earth Ministry worked on the Local Farms/Healthy Kids legislation this year and I learned all over again why local food is better for so many reasons. If it was only that local food is cheaper, healthier, and good for the local economy and the environment and is more fair and just to local workers, I might not be so in love with it. It’s the beauty and delight and fun and neighborliness of local food, it’s the thrill of twenty versions of lettuces or cucumbers that you would never see in a big store. It’s the flower ladies from Southeast Asia; the buskers signing their hearts out while you select oysters from Shelton or cheese from Linden. It is knowing your producer is also a concert cellist or has a kid at Oxford. It’s full-catastrophe living and it makes me happy.

So I’m initiating our own private regional foods 3-month challenge this summer: July, August, and September (take that, Sustainable Ballard!). We at 1806 are going to eat regional, not local food, because it is more honest. It lets us have wheat and bread and veggies from Yakima, salmon from BC and shrimp from Oregon. That’s why we extended the jurisdiction to the whole region, which still keeps our foodprint pretty darn small. It still means no bananas, rice, and processed food besides ice cream from Tillamook Oregon. Iggy won’t get his avocadoes, and my poor Brian will have forgo his pizza-a-day habit and eat, God help him, a vegetable.

We will all be healthier, closer to the source of food and of life. I will take in less fat and the boys will take in more nutrients. Our wonderful local producers will get our business and chat with us about their lives. We will eat what the seasons offer and no more. You, cherished reader, will hear stories about local farms, good meals, major rebellions in the household, and the dogs’ waist measurements.

We’ll do this in July, August, and September. Ask your own household about it. Join us! Make comments on the blog. Decrease your food-print and your waistlines while connecting with the beauty of our region and God’s gifts from Creation. I must be getting old, because this is my idea of a really good time.

Tis the Season! (For Gardening)

Like Kaitlin, I have farming in my blood, but it's much farther removed. My paternal grandfather did some farming in Minnesota, but passed away in 1954 - "long before I was a twinkle in my father's eye." My maternal grandfather attempted farming in Indiana, but soon left for a brighter future in California where he spent more time operating heavy machinery for construction than farming. But his last years were spent tending a beautiful garden at his home in Northern California. It is his example more than any other that drives me today to grow my own vegetables.

After I was married, I guess the nesting instinct kicked in and I was suddenly determined to grow vegetables in my front yard. We were renting at the time so the best I could do was to plant three plots measuring 3'x6'. I was so proud of my brocolli - an easy 8" in diameter - and an overabundance of cherry tomatoes! It was so easy and created an impressive bounty for the quality of the soil. When we bought our first house, a sizable yard was a must to accomodate my thirst for gardening. Once my husband and I decided where to put the garden , I killed off an 8'x24' section of our lawn - about three times the size of our first plot - and prepared the soil. That first year, I packed it full of vegetables!

There is something undecidedly fulfilling about growing your own vegetables. Gardening keeps me sane. It melts away most of my stress in an hour or two and I feel ready to conquer the world again. Tilling the soil and eating of the bounty keeps me more connected to the earth in an age where most of our food comes in boxes and plastic wrappers. And the vegetables just taste so much better straight from the garden.

I think we need a revolution of home vegetable gardening. We'd save money on food and kids would learn about nature and feel more connected to the earth and their food. It just makes sense, so get out there and start a garden today! Even if you can't grow your own vegetables because you don't have the space, at least consider supporting small, family-owned farms by shopping at farmer's markets or by joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). You can find one here: http://www.localharvest.org/

Lessons from my Grandfather

Some of my earliest childhood memories revolve around time spent with my grandparents. With each tight hug from Grandpa Al, I was reminded of the countless conversations and visits I had with him. Last week, I had the honor of remembering those stories with friends and family as we celebrated the life of my grandfather.

I returned to my home in Minnesota last week for my grandfather’s funeral. During the prayer service, I listened to numerous stories that gave testimony to this man of great character. Grandpa Al loved to talk about anything, but in particular he loved talking about farming, his time spent serving in Panama during World War II, and the years he working for a farmer’s cooperative. These conversations which tended to bore me a bit while I was younger, I found to be instrumental when forming the values I still hold today.

As the son of Norwegian farmers, Al loved to talk with my dad about his farming business. It was through these conversations I learned the passion one must have for the earth to be a good farmer. My grandfather would talk about growing much of their own food and explain the careful art of growing crops. His love of the outdoors influenced me to spend as many waking hours outside or to eat every lunch I could with my dad in the wheel-well of a John Deere tractor.

The stories he would tell of his time in the service or working for the co-op always held a theme of caring for your neighbor. Every story ended with, “Well, all you need to do is treat people with respect and serve those around you.” It seems like an obvious statement, but one that many of us often forget. As a man baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran tradition, and long-time member of Zion Lutheran Church, he had lived with this mentality his whole life. Today, I know serving those around me includes all of creation. With energy conservation, I am doing my part to fight climate change to protect my neighbors across the world. In buying organically grown foods, I am protecting wildlife from dangerous chemicals.

Even though I’m sure my grandfather would not have considered himself an environmentalist, it is with these lessons on farming, faith, and fellowship with one another that has led me to my current work. With the passing of one generation, I sat with my father last week to discuss the farm bill, organic farming, genetically modified crops, and being a servant to the land and our neighbor.

Even though my family jokes that I am the Seattle hippie who will work for tofu, it’s this same family that has taught me the life lessons to lead me where I am now. Tusen tak, Bestefar.

Why We Do This Work

This past Saturday I attended the birthday party of my dear friend Ellie, who just turned two. That’s right, two years old – she’s a big girl now and we had a party to celebrate! Lots of friends and family attended, and there were tons of kids running around in the sunshine that deigned to make an appearance during this otherwise dreary spring.

There was home-made macaroni and cheese, cake and ice cream, and more love to go around than any toddler knew what to do with. Ellie was surrounded by people who care about her and want the very best for her future. Parents, grandparents, friends and neighbors, all enveloping her in a protective and loving network that will support her for years to come. It reminded me of another party I went to last month, for my three-year-old goddaughter, Hannah.

At Hannah’s birthday party, it was also all about the food (pizza and ice cream…I’m going to have to go on a diet), and also all about the love – for Hannah, her baby sister, and all the kids who came to wind themselves up on sugar until they collapsed in a sticky heap. There’s just something about the wide-eyed innocence of a small child to break your heart open and want to shield him or her from all the problems of the world.

Unfortunately, many of the problems of the world today are due to our making. Climate change, destruction of habitat, food shortages, and other environmental ills can be laid directly at our generation’s doorstep. It’s time to ask ourselves the hard questions. What kind of Earth will we leave for Ellie and Hannah’s generation? I have four nieces – Vanessa, Stephanie, Danielle (who also just had a birthday!) and Camila – what environmental legacy will they inherit? My godson Angus will be 15 in June…what will the world be like for him when he’s my age?

When I look into their faces I know in my heart why I do this work. Why I strive to help Christians and other spiritual people make the connection between faith and our call to protect the Earth for future generations. Why it matters so very much what we do today, tomorrow and next week. Because the choices we make now will affect these kids’ future, and the future of children around the world.

In the next few days, make or renew your pledge to leave the world a better place for those coming after you. Hug a child you love. And remember why we do this work.

Stories From the Field

Earth Month may be winding to a close, but the work of creating environmentally sustainable communities is picking up speed!

Over the past two Sundays I was privileged to visit St. James Cathedral and Wedgwood Community Church, both vibrant congregations in Seattle. On both occasions, I was struck by the incredible energy that seems to be moving people to create dialogue and action in the realm of faith and environment.

In the case of St. James, their Environmental Justice Group teamed up with the Health and Healing Ministry to host a very well attended Environmental Health Fair. The parish has held a health-specific fair for several years now, but this year they were able to raise awareness around the connections between the health of the environment and the wellbeing of all God’s creatures.

Yesterday I was able to contribute to the month-long “Sustainable Living as a Spiritual Practice” discussion happening at Wedgwood Community Church. Each of the four sermons during the month of April dealt with different perspectives on why Christians should care for the Earth. There have also been various congregation-wide discussions about Creation care during fellowship hour, including my presentation yesterday about ideas for individual, congregational, and systemic action. Finally, to bring it all together, next Sunday church members will gather for an Environmental Summit to create a plan for their community practice of sustainable living!

My stories are of just two among the many communities Earth Ministry staff have reached out to during the month of April—there are many other exciting stories of faithful people honoring the Earth and asking, “What can I do to help? How can I act to protect the goodness of God’s Creation?”

Go! Ask the questions! Create a new story in your faith community!

Try to Act Like a Holy Man

In this world of excess that we inhabit, I believe that taking steps towards simplicity, sustainability, and environmental stewardship does not have to be depressing or depriving. In fact, the exact opposite is true: It’s more fun, hilarious, ridiculous, life-giving and open-hearted than compulsive shopping could ever be. Two main men of world peace give us an insight as to how this actually works.

The Dalai Llama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu shared a stage in Seattle recently at the wonderful Seeds of Compassion event, and seemed to enjoy each second of each other’s company. These men are not light- weights in the realm of injustice and travail and have seen more than their share of suffering. Desmond Tutu stared down the guns of Afrikaners (white South Africans) in his own cathedral in Johannesburg during the struggle against apartheid in the 70’s and 80’s, put his life on the line more than once, and proclaimed the Gospel and the love of God joyfully during very dark times. The Dalai Llama, chosen as a child to be the spiritual and political leader of Tibetan Buddhism, saw his country invaded and occupied by the Chinese in the 1950’s; he sought refuge and political asylum in India as a teen-ager and has never been able to return. His followers are persecuted in their own country and their religion is reviled. Still he has spent his life teaching open-hearted compassion while living in exile.

The two of them are hilarious together. Really. They laugh like mischievous boys who are pulling off a big one on the adults of the world. Though it’s not always easy to understand the Dalai Llama (Desmond Tutu: “It is a wonderful thing that Seattle filled up a 60,000 seat arena for His Holiness, especially since, let’s face it, his English is not that good!), the aura of fun and holiness that surrounds them is as palpable as a halo. Fun and holiness as a twin set; who knew? As they preached forgiveness and love, they high- fived and played like puppies from the same litter.

Desmond Tutu explained it like this: “The Dalai Llama is here to teach compassion, and yet when he saw me he said "‘Desmond, I see you are putting on some weight'. Me, weight! I ask you, is this a man who is practicing compassion?”

From seeing these two great men on stage together my take-away message is that joy and holiness comes from seeking what matters in life: intimacy with ourselves, with others and with God. No wealth or power or second homes can substitute for the sacred center of our lives.

This gets us back to environmental stewardship. Changing light bulbs, walking rather than driving, and calking windows aren’t necessarily a laugh riot, but they are life-giving and save money. Shopping at farmer’s markets, getting to know your neighbors by carpooling to church and volunteering at local restoration events are delightful, rewarding, vibrant and vigorous activities. Holy discipleship of Creation Care is actually a good time.

At one point, after laughing uproariously together on stage, Archbishop Tutu turned to His Holiness and said “The cameras are rolling; try to act like a holy man!”

You, too. Recycle! Buy less! Walk more! Try to act like a holy person!

11 Consumer Choices, 52 Sundays, 365 Days a Year

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), there are three areas of consumer behavior that, if changed, can make the most positive impact on environmental problems. Those three areas are transportation, food, and household operations (source: "The Consumer's Guide to Effective Environmental Choices"). The consumer choices the UCS recommends for each area are:

TRANSPORTATION
1.) Choose a place to live that reduces the need to drive.
2.) Think twice before purchasing another car.
3.) Choose a fuel-efficient, low-polluting car.
4.) Set concrete goals for reducing your travel.
5.) Whenever practical, walk, bicycle, or take public transportation.

FOOD
6.) Eat less meat.
7.) Buy certified organic produce.

[We'd like to add, Shop at Local Farmer's Markets]

HOUSEHOLD OPERATIONS
8.) Choose your home carefully.
9.) Reduce the environmental costs of heating and hot water.
10.) Install efficient lighting and appliances.
11.) Chose an electricity supplier offering renewable energy.

Several years ago, Earth Ministry developed a curriculum for congregations based on these suggestions. That curriculum is called "Caring for All Creation" and has four modules, On the Road, At the Table, In the Home, and By the Waters. Each module provides the resources necessary for churches to organize a worship service for each of these areas with a congregational action to be a part of or to follow the service. Read more about the curriculum and order today!

Earth Month doesn't have to happen once a year. Why not incorporate creation-honoring worship into our churches 52 Sundays a year and make personal changes in our homes 365 days a year?

A Perfect Eco-Car?

By Maiko Minami, Earth Ministry Intern

Do you know Cherry Blossom festival? There is an annual Japanese cultural festival at Seattle Center in April. This is my third year in Seattle, but it was my first time going to the festival. I went there as a volunteer. I wanted to do volunteer work to let visitors know Japanese culture, but there was another (main) purpose for me to go this festival this year. There was a lecture by a Japanese scientist in the field of renewable energy. So, after the volunteer work, I went to a room for the lecture to listen how a Japaese scientist has contributed to the environement in Seattle.

His main topic was about a Biodiesel car. He makes biodiesal oil by himself at home. Do you want to know how he collects bio-oil in order to make it? He asks Japanese restaurants in Seattle to share some used oil after they cook with it. Like tempura, some Japanese food uses a lot of vegetable oil, but they throw it away after they use. So, he decided to recycle the oil and convert it to oil for biodiesel.

What is Biodiesel? This is renewable energy while gasoline is fossil fuel which is non-renewable. Biodiesel energy is made of vegetable oil. Even though vegetable oil does expel carbon dioxide when it is burned and when it is produced, it is much less than in the case of fossil fuel such as natural gas, gasoline, and coal. Moreover, when cooking oil is used, there is much less carbon dioxide emission through the production of biodiesel oil.

Then, a man asked a question 'How about Hybrid car? Isn't it better than biodiesel?' He answered, 'You know what? We can combine two, making hybrid-biodiesel car.' It is a perfect feasible eco-car!

I do not drive now, but in the future, if I need to drive, I will buy the perfect car for the environement.

I ♥ Earth Day

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Especially today, April 22 – Earth Day.

All across the country – all across the world – people are joining together to care for the Earth. There are educational events, green-living fairs, speeches, rallies, and hands-on ways to take action to protect God’s good gift of creation. It’s a veritable love-fest for the Earth, and it’s great.

I have a secret though. A deep, dark secret, kind of like “True Confessions”. I used to hate Earth Day.

As someone who worked in the environmental field 24/7 for over 15 years, I became frustrated that just one day a year, people would recycle a pop can or buy an organic vegetable and think they had done their part for the Earth. Then Earth Day would pass, and everyone would go back to their old habits. But as I’ve grown older, I find myself having more compassion for nascent environmentalists, and appreciating the attention that Earth Day focuses on changing our behavior – especially as it gains more momentum and exposure.

It’s said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and Earth Day opens the door. We start by just making one good decision today – to take the bus to work, to buy organic, or to not buy at all. And then we make another good decision tomorrow. And the next day. And soon what began as an Earth Day activity becomes a lifestyle choice, supported by the ongoing awareness that Earth Day brings to the environment.

More and more churches are hosting creation care services during Earth Month, and the media keeps the environment in the news for almost the whole month of April. Earth Day is a time to celebrate the bounty and the beauty God has given us and commit to be good stewards of it. I hope that you find a new way to celebrate, reconnect to, and honor God’s creation this year. And remember that EVERY DAY is Earth Day!

Everything Must Change

Over this last weekend, I attended Brian McLaren's Everything Must Change book tour to speak on a panel about how Earth Ministry is living out Jesus' mission in this world of global crises. The event was amazing and truly inspiring.

You may be wondering, who is Brian McLaren? I think the title of one of his earlier books paints the best picture of this man: "A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I Am A Missional, Evangelical, Post/Protestant, Liberal/Conservative, Mystical/Poetic, Biblical, Charismatic/Contemplative, Fundamentalist/Calvinist, Anabaptist/Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Green, Incarnational, Depressed-Yet-Hopeful, Emergent, Unfinished CHRISTIAN". And I think he has a message that we should all hear!

So for today's blog post, I'd like to give you a quick synopsis of Brian McLaren's book, "Everything Must Change". But this is no replacement for reading it. There is a lot of good stuff in there!

Here we go:

McLaren started on this journey years ago when he found himself struggling with the questions that Christians asked. He told a story about working with youth in the 70s and asking them what issues their churches were fighting about. "Whether or not to play guitars in worship...Whether or not to build a new building....Should we be speaking in tongues...." He put that list on the wall to the right. He then asked them what things kept them awake at night worrying. "Nuclear war...Poverty...Disease...Nuclear winter..." He put that list on the wall to the left. He looked back and forth. There was not an issue in common between the two lists.

“When I was a pastor, people often asked my opinion on hot-button issues like evolution, abortion, and homosexuality. The problem was that after discussing those issues in all of their importance and intensity, I couldn’t help asking other questions: Why do we need to have singular and firm opinions on the protection of the unborn, but not about how to help poor people and how to avoid killing people labeled enemies who are already born? Or why are we so concerned about the legitimacy of homosexual marriage but not about the legitimacy of fossil fuels or the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (and in particular, our weapons as opposed to theirs)? Or why are so many religious people arguing about the origin of species but so few concerned about the extinction of species?”
~ Brian McLaren, from Everything Must Change

So, McLaren set out to discover what were the most important global problems. He concluded that we're suffering from four crises - prosperity, equity, security, and religious. He then built a model where prosperity, equity, and security are three interdependent cogs driving the "machine" that is our society. This machine is then situated inside of the environment where the only input is sunlight and the only output is heat. This machine would work fine if everything stayed in balance, but as we all know, it's not in balance. Prosperity has grown to the point that the gap between rich and poor is out of balance, the equity system is not able to keep prosperity in balance, which leads to rich people feeling unsafe since they know the poor outnumber the rich. And the whole system has grown too large for the capacity of the environment to support it.

McLaren suggests that the reason for these crises is the central cog, which drives the three wheels. That central cog is our framing story. There are four framing stories in society today: domination, revolution, scapegoating, and withdrawal. Domination says, "if only we were in charge"; revolution says, "if only they weren't in charge"; scapegoating says, "our problem is X" (i.e. illegal immigrants); withdrawal says, "let's get outta here!". The answer to these global crises is to reclaim Jesus' framing story which says, "Don't dominate, serve! Don't get revenge, reconcile! Don't scapegoat, embrace! Don't isolate, draw near and heal!"

The reality is that climate change affects all of us...there's no "us" and "them", we're all in this together.

I have an example to make this more concrete. Someone asked about capitalism versus communism. McLaren's response was that the question is not about one versus the other, they are just two different responses to the same issue. Capitalism isn't inherently bad. The problem is that capitalism, as it is currently used, has the goal of maximizing profit. What we need to do is change the goal of capitalism to maximizing empolyment while also making a profit. This is how we can change our framing story and make our society more equitable.

Hearing Brian McLaren helped me to see that our global problems are not insurmountable. I came away with a renewed sense of hope and excitement. We just need to be asking the right questions and holding less tightly to our preconceived ideas of Christianity and of Jesus Christ.

Bishop Envy

You wouldn’t really describe the bishops in my denomination as cool. They are often good men, kind and wise and caring for their flock. Occasionally they are saints in the line of Thomas More, Raymond Hunthausen, or Desmond Tutu. Once in a while they are despotic jerks. But by and large, no one would identify a sea of bishops in my tradition as all that.

Not so, apparently, in the Episcopal Church in the United States and Western Washington. This weekend, at a national Episcopal conference on faith and environment called Healing Our Planet Earth (HOPE) four of most awesome episcopates you ever met walked in the door of the gracious St. Margaret Parish in Bellevue and stayed for the day. As a collective, they were good-looking, charming, accessible, funny, egalitarian, articulate, capable, brilliant and visionary spiritual leaders. Damn!

Two of them are national. Katherine Jefferts Schori is a tall, elegant woman with perfect posture and a Ph. D in oceanography before entering the priesthood. Since being elected to the Presiding Bishopric of the National Episcopal Church she retains her pilot’s license and works hard for the UN’s Millennium Development Goals as her denomination’s top mission priority. Given that I am a one-trick pony (faith and environment) she entered my heart though her professional and pastoral understanding that life on Earth is in the balance.

Bishop Steven Charleston

is the visionary center of this conference. The Dean of the National Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, former Episcopal Bishop of Alaska and a Choctaw Indian from Oklahoma, Bishop Charleston is the best speaker I have ever heard in my life, bar none.

A year ago in Seattle, Charleston was a keynote speaker at the righteous Interfaith Creation Festival. In a moment that he called out as an anointing by the Holy Spirit he announced the Genesis Covenant. This is an agreement, offered to all national denominatio