Earth Care – Give of Yourself: Ecology

We consider ecology part of theology. We want to be stewards, protectors, and defenders of all creation.

United Methodists believe all people have basic rights and concerns: the right to live in a community free of toxic and hazardous substances; the right to clean air, the minimization of chemical use, responsible land use, and more. Working together, we look toward a healthy future.

Get involved:

• Recycle Favorite Tee Shirt
• Befriend Canning Garden
• Join Eyeglass Recycling
• Conduct An Energy Audit
• Handle e-Waste Properly
• Recycle Aluminum Cans
• Get Your Carbon Footprint
• Teach Our Children

Ultimately, stewardship of the natural world begins at home with us - our use of resources, the lifestyles we cultivate, and the economies we support.

Read more at: http://www.rethinkchurch.org/article/give-yourself-ecology

Earth Care: Warm Weather Is Upon Us!

The warm weather is finally upon us and our thoughts have turned to gardening. Here are some great ideas that will help you keep your garden green while keeping the local environment green, as well.

The decrease of America’s water resources due to disappearing lakes and reservoirs, population growth, and drought has increased the need for more efficient ways of using water. Outside water use accounts for approximately 80% of water used during the summer months.

Plant Selection - Start with Indigenous Species

One of the best ways to enjoy a green garden is by planting what are known as indigenous species – those that are natural to the area. These types of plants have learned to naturally deal with our climate, soil, and pests, so they thrive without too much help from us. Don’t forget to mulch!

Lawns can be high consumers of water use and maintenance

Consider reducing the lawn area of your yard and selecting grasses that require less moisture. Raise your mower height to ensure survival during drought or extreme heat and do not bag clippings to help retain moisture. Know when to water your lawn. The best time is 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. when evaporation is at a minimum.

Remember it is up to you to take actions to protect God's Creation.

For more hints to reduce you summer footprint, check out the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Kemper Center

Earth Care – Earth Day 2011

“All creation is the Lord’s, and we are responsible for the ways in which we use and abuse it." - UMC Social Principle

For over 40 years, Earth Day (April 22) has inspired and mobilized individuals and organizations worldwide to demonstrate their commitment to environmental protection and sustainability.

How are you being a good steward of creation? What are you going to do today, next month, this year to be a good steward?

It can be simple:

• Change out a light bulb,
• Eat more local food
• Use reusable shopping bags
• Switch to paperless bills
• Pack a waste-free lunch

There are hundreds of simple things you can do to make a difference. Evangelize a little, share the good word; we all need to do more watch out for creation. Make you plan, commit to it. Consider posting you act of green at "A Billion Aces of Green" on the Earth Day Network. Together we can make a difference. www.earthday.org

See you at the Earth Day Festival in Forest Park, Sunday April 17th. www.stlouisearthday.org

Earth Care – The Phase-Out of Incandescent Light Bulbs: What You Need To Know

The incandescent bulb hasn’t changed much since Thomas Edison patented it in 1879. More than one hundred years later, the familiar bulbs still push electricity through a wire filament – and still waste a whole lot of energy.

Ninety percent of the energy pumped through an incandescent light bulb is wasted as heat; that’s why traditional bulbs are so hot to the touch. However, thanks to a piece of 2007 legislation, traditional incandescent bulbs will soon become a thing of the past.

The Bush-era law, called the Energy Independence and Security Act, set energy-efficiency standards for light bulbs that will come fully into effect in 2012. The law will require light bulbs to use 25-30 percent less power than incandescents use today.

It’s a mandate that will quickly slash residential and commercial energy use, lowering the nation’s carbon footprint and utility bills at the same time.
For consumers, the biggest deterrent to choosing CFLs and LEDs “is the initial cost.” Yet although CFLs and LEDs cost more initially, over time they can save you hundreds of dollars in reduced energy costs. This is one case where being good stewards of the environment also makes you a good financial steward.

Earth Care: The Christian Challenge of Caring for the Earth

Throughout our history, some have looked after their environment with great care making sure that they could pass their land on to their children and grandchildren in even better shape than they received it. Others have exploited their environment for their own ends without thinking of the future consequences, or have been polluters of the air, the land or the seas doing damage which in some cases has been irreversible. We are aware of the contaminated land and rivers which remain a legacy of our industrial revolution.

The relationship between us and the Earth which is often presented is one of stewardship. That we are stewards of creation brings in fundamentally the notion of responsibility, first to God as the one whose stewards we are - we are to look after the Earth, not as we please, but as God wants it looked after. Second, we have responsibility to the rest of creation as ones who stand in the place of God.

Within creation there is enormous potential to assist us in the task; the pursuit of scientific knowledge and the application of technology are an essential part of our stewardship. A clear understanding of the responsibilities we have been given coupled with trust in God’s presence and trustworthiness is the mixture that makes stewardship both exciting and challenging.

Tips for Green Holiday Giving

Is anything more wonderful than finding the perfect gift for someone, or receiving the present that’s just what you needed? How about gift-giving accompanied by the knowledge that your gift is also a gift for the planet? There’s more to green giving than just switching to the stuff with the “green” label. Here are some pointers for finding the right gifts that make everyone happy.

• Be sure your gift will get used. A gift that the receiver does not use is simply wasted.
• Give a consumable gift. The gift will not be left unused in the corner of their closet.
• Share a piece of yourself. Offer your services.
• Make a gift of any service. You will still reduce material consumption.
• Give a gift where it is needed on behalf of someone better off. Improve another family by the gift of a llama or a sheep on their behalf.
• Buy a local gift. A gift made or grown locally you have discovered right here.

Gifts are wonderful expressions of friendship. Just keep in mind the true meaning of Christmas, and that is so much more important than gift giving.

Why do people of Faith care about Creation?

Caring for the Earth is a fundamental part of our Christian faith. We hold a set of core values that speak to the heart of our religious morals and ethics: spirituality, stewardship, sustainability, and justice.

Spirituality - Creation itself inspires us and calls us to care. God created all things of Heaven and Earth and God is our inspiration to care for both wild places and our own cities and backyards.

Stewardship - Psalm 24 states that “the Earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it.” We simply hold the Earth in trust for God. We are tenants here, called to care for the creation on behalf of future generations and all species.

Sustainability - At the heart of sustainability is the goal of meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In a world of finite resources, those among us who have more than enough must address patterns of consumption so that we can provide for all.

Justice - Justice means that in addition to providing aid to our neighbors, we are called to change societal systems that cause poverty, injustice, and environmental damage in the first place. It goes beyond helping to meet physical needs to creating a society with laws and policies that allow the needs of all Earth’s inhabitants to be met. Care and responsibility for the “least of these among us” is a central tenant of Christianity and has a direct connection to environment issues.

The “Earth does not belong to us, we belong to the Earth.” Read more at: http://earthministry.org/

Earth Care: Taking Small Steps

All of us want to help God’s world -- reaching out to the dispossessed and impoverished, fighting to keep the beauty of His creation unsullied -- but the devil is always in the details. We have to work within the constraints of our lifestyle, our relationships and our pocketbooks and begin to ask ourselves, “How radical can I be?”

First, don’t give up. God smiles when we do the right thing. Even if all seems lost, we must fight on the side of what is right. Shifting from a comfortable lifestyle to a life that honors God’s creation isn’t always convenient or comfortable.

Secondly, you will actually make money if you use compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. Just compare the electricity bills! Admittedly, their slow ‘warm-up’ can be strange at first; and some lights can be difficult to replace. But each bulb helps, and that electricity saved means less pollution all around.

Third, cut back on your use of plastics. If you do use them, recycle them at the grocery store. You can recycle every bit of flimsy plastic: plastic bags that held the veggies in my grocery shopping, the plastic bags wrapping my daily newspaper. This garbage is therefore prevented from choking sea turtles and trashing God’s planet. Such efforts cost you nothing.

So, we do small things, and we occasionally gather the courage to do some of the bigger things. And we are blessed. Join us in doing the same.
For more information, check out www.blessedearth.org

How easy is it to reduce consumption?

Here are just a few simple ideas to reduce your oil consumption. You’ll help our environment and save a few dollars.

Walk or ride your bike: Avoid using cars and if you must, always try to carpool. Transportation accounts for 40 percent of our petroleum consumption and is easily one of the biggest areas we need to improve upon.

Enjoy the outdoors: Avoid buying new sporting equipment, since oil makes up nearly 25% of rubber. Used equipment is often just as good and will reduce demand for oil needed to make new rubber.
Use reusable bags: Avoid disposable plastic. Plastic bags are a huge waste for very little benefit. Nearly 10 percent of U.S. oil consumption, approximately 2 million barrels a day, is used to make plastic products alone.

Drink tap water: Avoid beverages bottled in disposable plastic, they make up nearly 1.5 million tons of plastic waste per year, so get a reusable bottle and fill it up.

Go to the movies or stream them on Hulu: Avoid buying new DVDs/Blu-Rays, as oil is a key ingredient in their production, packaging and shipping.

Head to your local library or read online: Avoid using a printer and buying printed material including daily newspapers. Printing doesn't just waste paper, nearly 100,000 gallons of ink each day is used on daily newspapers alone.

Read more at www.weekendwithoutoil.org

Earth Care: Gulf Coast Prayer and Action

July 2010

“All Creation is the Lord’s, and we are responsible for the ways in which we use and abuse it.”

United Methodist Church Social Principles ¶160 – The Natural World

The ongoing disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is a visible testament to our failure to serve as caretakers of God’s good creation. For many of us, the daily images of devastation to both the ecosystems and economies in the region leave us wondering what we can do.

We must reduce our use of the planet’s resources. Here are some simple facts:

• U.S. petroleum consumption: 19.5 million barrels/day (Source: Energy Information Administration (EIA))
• Annual consumption of bottled water in the U.S. requires the equivalent of between 32 and 54 million barrels of oil. (Source: Pacific Institute)
• 100 billion single-use bags — using 12 million barrels of oil — are used each year in the U.S (Source: Worldwatch Institute)

We all must consider ways to reduce our consumption. It could be driving less, eating less meat or eating more products grown or produced locally. It all will make a difference.

If you are on the web, check out “Looking in the mirror for fuel gluttony” from United Methodist News Service. Read more at www.umc-gbcs.org/gulfcoast

Earth Care: Prayers For the Gulf

The slow-motion tragedy of the gulf oil spill lays bare our collective failure as caretakers of God’s good creation. While unknown thousands of barrels of oil leak into the rich and diverse ecosystem of the Gulf of Mexico, how are we as Christians called to respond? While it is easy to express anger and cast blame at the companies who owned, operated and profited from the deep sea exploration, we must also reflect on our own complicity through our endless demand for cheap oil.

So much remains unknown: How long will the oil flow into the gulf? How far will the oil slick spread? How damaging will the spill be to fragile wetlands and the flora and fauna in the region? How will the spreading oil slick jeopardize the future of thousands of watermen and those who depend on the Gulf for their livelihoods?

In the face of these uncertainties, we turn to the One who is certain – the One whose creative and recreating power is stronger than any of our human folly. May we heed the call of the Scriptures, humble ourselves and pray that God will forgive our sins and heal the land.

Please keep the Gulf of Mexico, the spill, the Gulf Coast, and all of God’s creation in your prayers as we deal with what some are calling the worst environmental disaster of our time.
Read more at www.umc-gbcs.org/gulfcoast

Earth Day 40 Years Later

With the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day behind us, here are a few quick tips to help you in the months ahead.

Give Up Plastic (and Paper) Bags - Cost: $1
Neither paper nor plastic is a good choice. Twelve million barrels of oil were used to make the 88.5 billion plastic bags consumed in the United States last year. And it takes four times more energy to make paper bags. The best choice is reusable shopping bags.

Give Up Hot Water (At Least in the Clothes Washer) - Cost: $0
Did you know that only 10% of the energy used by a typical washing machine powers the motor? About 90% of the energy is used to heat the water, and most clothes will come clean in cold water. So switch your washing machine's temperature setting. For heavily soiled clothing, change it from hot to warm, but otherwise try to wash and rinse most of your clothing in cold water.

Give Up Paper Towels - Cost: $7
No matter how you look at it, paper towels create waste. Try some reusable microfiber towels, which grip dirt and dust like a magnet, even when they get wet. When you are finished with them, wash and reuse them again and again. When you absolutely must have use disposable towels, look for recycled products. If every household in the US replaced just one roll of virgin fiber paper towels with 100 percent recycled ones, we could save 544,000 trees.

You don’t need to give it all up at once. Just reduce and make progress in the right direction.

Optimize Computer Energy Settings and Save 50%

Think of All The Money You'll Save! Did you know that 90% of desktop computers are not optimized for energy efficiency?

It's simple to utilize the power management settings on your machine, and according to Intel, it can save you over 400-kilowatt hours annually. That's a savings of about $40 - $80 each year.

Within Windows head on down to the "start" menu, from there, you'll want to click on "settings" and then "control panel." It's now time to double click on "power management." Oh-la-la. Now, under where it says "power schemes," choose "always on" from the drop-down list. Below the "settings for always on power scheme" tab, look for two drop-down lists, labeled "turn off monitor" and "turn off hard disks," respectively. From each list select the amount of time you want your computer to wait before entering energy savings mode.

Here's another hot tip. Did you know that, in addition to looking groovy and taking up way less desk space, the new LCD monitors are good for about 100 KWH/year of electricity savings? OK, so that's not going to save the whales, but if you need a new monitor, it's a good excuse to upgrade.

Oh yeah: Some of you are on Macs. It's even easier (of course) to implement these settings. Just go to the Apple pull-down menu, select "system preferences" and then "energy saver." It's all in there. You're on a Mac; you can figure it out.

Read more at: www.thedailygreen.com

Earth Care – Save a Buck, Save the World

You don’t need to go broke to go green. In fact, you can help the planet and your budget at the same time.

Unplug - When you leave a microwave, a television or any other appliance with standby power plugged in, it's draining electricity. Combined those things can consume as much as 10% of the electricity in your home. Grouping things into a power strip by room so that when you go to bed or leave town, you can flip the strip off, cutting power completely.

Make the switch - Replacing standard light bulbs with those squiggly compact fluorescent ones will cut consumption by 75% and last up to 10 times longer. A six pack will save you $200 over their lifetime.

Get off the bottle – If you don't like the taste of tap water, or maybe you don't trust it, install a filter for your drinking water. Filters will cost you less than 20 cents for a gallon of water. You’ll save $1 a bottle or about $4 per case.

Making a few changes in the way you household runs is easy and can save you money. It can also help save our planet.

Read more at Money Magazine . . .

Tips for Green Holiday Giving

Is anything more wonderful than finding the perfect gift for someone, or receiving the present that’s just what you needed? How about gift-giving accompanied by the knowledge that your gift is also a gift for the planet? There’s more to green giving than just switching to the stuff with the “green” label. Here are some pointers for finding the right gifts that make everyone happy.

• Be sure your gift will get used. A gift that the receiver does not use is simply wasted.
• Give a consumable gift. The gift will not be left unused in the corner of their closet.
• Share a piece of yourself. Offer your services.
• Make a gift of any service. You will still reduce material consumption.
• Give a gift where it is needed on behalf of someone better off. Improve another family by the gift of a llama or a sheep on their behalf.
• Buy a local gift. A gift made or grown locally you have discovered right here.

Gifts are wonderful expressions of friendship. Just keep in mind the true meaning of Christmas, and that is so much more important than gift giving.

For more ideas>>

Plastic Bags!

In various places all over this country, people are waking up to the problem of plastics bags—namely that they are ubiquitous, end up in trees and water ways, and just about never break down. News of taxes or bans on plastic bags is spreading, and some people, who are trying to be more earth friendly or who want to prepare for the inevitable in their communities, are attempting to go plastic bag-less. That means you have to remember to bring your own reusable bags to the grocery store and actually use them.

Why are plastic bags so bad? Four to five trillion plastic bags are manufactured each year. Americans use over 380 billion polyethylene bags per year. Americans throw away approximately 100 billion polyethylene bags per year. Of those 100 trillion plastic bags, 1% is recycled. It takes 1000 years for polyethylene bags to break down.

So what can you do?

• Consider carrying your own reusable shopping bags. Just in time for the holidays, Target will give customers a 5 cent discount for every reusable bag they use to pack their purchases.
  
• If you do take home plastic bags from the store, be sure to recycle it! Every major grocery store has a bin up front for you to drop off your plastic bags, no matter where you received them.

Please remember, “All creation is the Lord’s, and we are responsible for the ways in which we use and abuse it.” - Excerpted from the current UMC Social Principle, “The Natural World.”

Easy Recycling Tips

The average U.S citizen generates 5 pounds of waste per day or 1,825 pounds per year. According to the Environmental Protection Agency approximately 30% of our waste is containers and packaging. So 600 pounds are headed for the trash! That cardboard box can be recycled and the plastic bag can be recycled. Close The Loop. Recycle it and keep it out of the Landfill.

Newspaper—Recycling a four foot high stack of newspapers saves one tree from being harvested! Although these trees are grown for paper production, recycling paper consumes fewer resources (water and electricity) and produces less air pollution. Just drop off your newspapers in the bin on the church parking lot.

Aluminum—Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours — or the equivalent of a half gallon of gasoline. An aluminum can that is thrown away will still be a can 500 years from now! Just drop off your cans in the bin on the church parking lot.

Light Bulbs– An ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) will save about $30 over its lifetime and pay for itself in about 6 months. It uses 75 percent less energy and lasts about 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb. To keep the mercury out of the landfill, you can drop off your old CFL bulbs at Home Depot and Lowes.

It is so easy to be a good steward of our environment!

Cutting your energy costs nearly in half

There is nothing that say’s being good stewards of the earth can’t benefit you personally!
These are some simple things that any individual can do to realize huge savings on long-term energy costs:

1. Save 10% or more on your energy costs simply by plugging any air leaks around your windows and doors. With Fall coming up now is the perfect time to check all windows, doors and cracks. Add or replace caulk and weather-strip cold air outside.
2. Replace your air filters. Dirty air filters will cause your furnace to work harder than necessary, which can increase your energy bills. A clean furnace filter can cut your heating bill by 5% to 15%. It will also improve the air quality in your home.
3. Install a programmable thermostat and you can save up to 15% on your energy. to save up to $180 a year in energy costs.
4. Choose ENERGY STAR appliances and electronics. Products save 20% to 30% less energy than their conventional counterparts to earn an Energy Star label.
5. Upgrade your water heater to save energy. Reducing the use of hot water will help save energy. Depending on your budget for upgrades, you may consider replacing a water heater with a more efficient one, or adding a low cost water heater jacket to help retain heat within the tank for longer periods of time. Depending on the hot water heater, you may have to unhook your unit, drain it and reinstall it, but you'll save 4% to 9% on your water heating bill with the jacket alone.

If you need help with any of these items please contact one of our pastors. Members of the Men’s Group and the Green Team will be glad to help.

5 Simple Steps to Cut Your Energy Costs Nearly in Half

There is nothing that say’s being good stewards of the earth can’t benefit you personally!

These are some simple things that any individual can do to realize huge savings on long-term energy costs:

1. Save 10% or more on your energy costs simply by plugging any air leaks around your windows and doors. With Fall coming up now is the perfect time to check all windows, doors and cracks. Add or replace caulk and weather-strip cold air outside.
2. Replace your air filters. Dirty air filters will cause your furnace to work harder than necessary, which can increase your energy bills. A clean furnace filter can cut your heating bill by 5% to 15%. It will also improve the air quality in your home.
3. Install a programmable thermostat and you can save up to 15% on your energy. to save up to $180 a year in energy costs.
4. Choose ENERGY STAR appliances and electronics. Products save 20% to 30% less energy than their conventional counterparts to earn an Energy Star label.
5. Upgrade your water heater to save energy. Reducing the use of hot water will help save energy. Depending on your budget for upgrades, you may consider replacing a water heater with a more efficient one, or adding a low cost water heater jacket to help retain heat within the tank for longer periods of time. Depending on the hot water heater, you may have to unhook your unit, drain it and reinstall it, but you'll save 4% to 9% on your water heating bill with the jacket alone.

If you need help with any of these items please contact one of our pastors. Members of the Men’s Group and the Green Team will be glad to help.

What is Stewardship?

In ancient times, a steward was a servant who managed the resources of a household. Stewardship today means wisely managing the bounty of God’s Earth household. Modern English reflects this ancient Greek understanding of stewardship.

The word ecology at its root refers to the reasoning or logic of the household—the Earth household. Economy refers to the rule of the household.

Today, we are the stewards of God’s Earth household. The Christian tradition teaches that the land belongs to God, and we are called to care for it. To do so, our economies must reflect our
understanding of the rules of nature revealed through our knowledge of ecology. Healthy stewardship integrates knowledge of the natural world with economic and social systems that ensure the long-term sustainability of the whole of Creation, including the people within it.

Everyday Stewardship
Individual Actions
• Use CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs) to reduce energy use
• Bike or use public transportation to go to work once a week
• Use water-saving devices in sinks, showers and toilets
• Use reusable shopping bags
• Unplug appliances when not in use
• Slow down, it's more fuel efficient to drive at slower speeds
• Write, call or visit your elected officials to ask them to strengthen environmental laws

For more information check out The Eco-Justice Program office of the National Council of churches website: www.nccecojustice.org