Month: March 2016

Good Friday Meals and the Environment

Sustainable fishing has been a huge topic for the past decades. One man, Neville Palmer, makes nets that are specifically designed to capture prawns without harming other aquatic life such as sea turtles or tuna. Making nets that specifically capture prawn can help to restore ecological balance to the food chain, while still having a sustainable food source for a Good Friday meal. To read the full story, follow this link. Watch the video below to get a good picture of what is going on.

Video Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHFMDgTrAO8

Faith Communities on Nigerian Environmental Degradation

Photo Credit: http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/10538/

A research study was conducted on how faith communities view environmental degradation in Northeast Nigeria. 18 congregations throughout the states in the area were interviewed to see how they view these issues. Almost all said that they environmental degradation as an issue, and source the blame to human activity. The human activities that are to be blamed range from corrupt politics to a lack of social responsibility. However, they all agree that through spirituality, these problems can be overcome. To read the full case study, follow this link here.

Muslims and Water Conservation

World Water Day is March 22, according to the United Nations. With water becoming scarcer and scarcer, it is essential that it is not wasted. The Muslim community is taking this message to heart with discussions of water conservation. Citing the Qur’an, it is easy to see how and why the Muslim community values water to such a high degree. There are many times in the Qur’an when it is told specifically not to waste water. To get a more in depth look at this, and why the Muslim community is getting so involved with World Water Day, read the full article here.

Photo Credit: http://www.muslimcharity.org.uk/news/world-water-day-2014-be-part-of-the-cycle-of-change/

Green Deem: What Islam Teaches about Protecting the Planet

Photo Credit: http://www.amazon.com/Green-Deen-Teaches-Protecting-Planet/dp/1605094641

Written by Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, this book goes into the Islamic Faith’s connection with the environment. It discusses Islamic followers’ responsibility to the earth as stewards, as well as some of the ways that Muslim communities are taking action. For a brief summary of this book, follow this link. It is available for purchase on Amazon here.

 

Earth Keeper Day

Photo Credit: http://www.broadviewseattle.org/ 2011/06/01/carkeeks-earthkeepers-summer-day-camp-2011/

Earth Keeper Day is celebrated in Southern Africa by people and parishes from South African countries including Malawi, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, and South Africa. It is a day for people to reflect on the earth and give thanks. The youth of these churches come together to pray, learn about the earth, and participate in activities to clean the environment. Various leaders in the community come and give presentations as well as lead discussions on how to create a positive impact on the environment. To see how this group of people celebrates Earth Keeper Day, as well as get some ideas for how you can celebrate, read the full article here.

 

the Boomerang Alliance’s Use of Good Friday

Photo Credit: https://twitter.com/boomalliance

The Boomerang Alliance in Queensland is calling on the government to implement the use of container deposits. They are doing this with the theme of Good Friday, invoking religious feelings and morals to gain support. This Easter and holiday season, it is always important to think about what we can all do to make a difference. To read the full statement, follow this link.

Easter Shutdown at the University of Leeds

easter shutdown.compressed (1)-page-001

Photo Credit: http://sustainability.leeds.ac.uk/easter-shutdown/

The University of Leeds has been urging students to participate in a shutdown. During Easter as well as Christmas, the University is encouraging all students to turn off anything that is not essential to research or safety as the students leave for break. The energy savings from these shutdowns is incredible. To learn more about this, and possibly get your University to look into this idea, read the full story here.

 

The Effect of Religion on Climate Change

Religion is a powerful thing that can spur social movements. In this case specifically, religion has been the cause of people trying to live in a more environmentally friendly way, regardless of the politics around the issues of climate change. This is due to the fact that people involved in this movement are doing it for moral reasons, which can be extremely effective motivators. To read about how religion is spurring this movement of environmental justice and spurring talks on climate change, check out this article here.

Photo Credit: http://www.breitbart.com/london/2015/06/19/petition-to-silence-climate-change-deniers-gains-over-3000-signatures/

Karenna Gore Speaks on Faith Communities and the Environment

Stephanie Sy and Karenna Gore. CREDIT: Amanda Ghanooni, Carnegie Council

Photo Credit: http://www.carnegiecouncil.org/ en_US/studio/multimedia/20151001/index.html

Karenna Gore, the director of the Center for Earth Ethics at the Union Theology Seminary was recently interviewed on the morning news segment, Ethics Matter. She and Stephanie Sy, the interviewer, discussed everything that is happening with faith communities and the environment. They discuss the bible, what past religious leaders did not do in regards to environmental stewardship, and how things have changed to be what they are today. To read the full transcript of this conversation, follow this link.

 

St. John’s Lutheran Church and Solar Power

Churches have turned to solar power to bring down energy costs for their sanctuaries. St. John’s Lutheran Church in San Antonio has begun to use a large array of solar panels, as well as more energy efficient lights to cut costs. To read more about this story, and get ideas for your own congregations, follow this link.

Detail of a new solar panel array, Wednesday, May 1, 2013, on the roof of St. John's Lutheran Church in Downtown San Antonio. The array, which consists of 240 solar panels, is capable of producing up to 60 kilowatt-hours of electricity per day. (Darren Abate/For the Express-News) Photo: Photo By Darren Abate/Express-News

Photo Credit: http://m.mysanantonio.com/news/religion/article/ Churches-saving-costs-and-the-environment-at-the-4487269.php#photo-4572186