Buying local simply means supporting local business by buying products that are produced right in or around your hometown versus nationally or internationally.

Supporting Local Economy

By buying local, the money that you spend stays where it is.  By spending money in your own town at local businesses, you know that the money spent is directly helping someone who lives nearby and supporting your local economy. It is estimated that by raising local spending by just 10% in a community, nearly 100 additional jobs would be created.

Fresher Produce

The produce comes straight from the garden to the farmer’s market table, where you purchase it and bring it home, buying only the freshest produce available.

Greater Variety

You’ll begin to appreciate more the fruits and vegetables that are only available seasonably – you’ll notice a crisper, fresher taste in the seasonal produce that you can’t find in the off-season stuff.

Connect With the Producer

Maybe you have a food allergy and need to check all of the foods you consume, or you’re living a vegan lifestyle and you can’t wear clothing that contains any animal products.  One of the benefits of buying local produce and locally produced goods is that you can connect personally with the person that created it and is selling it to you. That means you’ll know if the cucumber you are about to buy was harvested with any pesticides that you may be allergic to, or you’ll know exactly what kind of fabric and thread the tailor used when they made the shirt you’re considering purchasing.  You get a connection with the producer that you don’t get when you buy from the big-name stores. The producer of the product you are buying knows more about it than anyone else and buying locally is a great way to find out exactly where your product came from and how it came to the table that you’re buying it from.

Helps the Environment

If you go to a local farmer’s market, you can probably walk there.  The products themselves also don’t have to travel to get to the consumer – they come straight from the farm instead of being shipped from a far away place. Less packaging is required for the products – you can usually buy them fresh, just picked and unpackaged.  Local farmers in particular tend to treat their land very well when they’re harvesting crops, so by supporting local farmers, you’re also helping to ensure that the land around you stays natural and undeveloped, and you’ll know that it’s well cared for.  So the next time you head out to your grocery store or a department store to shop for clothes, first think of whether you can buy the product you’re out to get locally. If you can, take advantage. You really can’t go wrong with locally grown and locally produced items. Pledging for Change http://pledgingforchange.com/articles/the-advantages-of-buying-local.php

Church Teaching

"The great danger in today’s world, pervaded as it is by consumerism, is the desolation and anguish born of a complacent yet covetous heart, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures, and a blunted conscience. Whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God’s voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades."
Pope Francis, Evangelli Gaudium

 

"Just as each of our bodies has several parts and each part has a separate function, so all of us, in union with Christ, form one body, and as parts of it we belong to each other."

Paul's Letter to the Romans

 

"It is impossible to promote the dignity of the person without showing concern for the family, groups, associations, local territorial realities; in short, for that aggregate of economic, social, cultural, sports-oriented, recreational, professional and political expressions to which people spontaneously give life and which make it possible for them to achieve effective social growth"

Pope Pius XI, Quadragesimo Anno

 

Solidarity "is not a feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of so many people, both near and far. On the contrary, it is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say to the good of all and of each individual, because we are all really responsible for all"

Saint John Paul II - Sollicitudo rei socialis

 

The principle of participation, “each one of us has to respond, as best we can, to the Lord’s call to build up his Body, the Church.”[1] Pope Francis reminded us that we are destined to live in community with one another and God to create and organise our communities together.

Pope Francis - Apostolic Visit to Philadelphia (U.S.) in 2015.

 

Ideas for Action:

• 15 Reasons Why You Should Shop At A Local Company https://smallbusiness.co.uk/fifteen-reasons-choose-local-company-2542429/
• UN Good life Goals https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/26434/GLG_Action_Pack.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
• Small Business Saturday https://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/dec/06/shop-locally-small-business-saturday-seven-reasons
• Totally Local – Join the Fiver Fest movement!  https://totallylocally.org/stuff/

 

Liturgical Resources:

CAFOD - Care for creation liturgies and prayers

St Andrew’s & Edinburgh Diocese - Season of Creation liturgy resource

Australian Catholic - Liturgical Resource
Sisters Of Mercy - Laudato Si and Sisters of Mercy's Critical Concerns
Peacemeal - Liturgy ideas for sharing a meal.
Global Catholic Climate Movement - Liturgical, prayer and spiritual resources.

 

 

 

A clean environment is essential for human health and well-being.  Air and water pollution as well as poor management of hazardous chemicals and waste contribute to undermine health.

Natural disasters and environmental shocks can have substantial impact on health, including deaths, injuries, diseases, disabilities, psychosocial problems.  SDG3 https://www.unenvironment.org/explore-topics/sustainable-development-goals/why-do-sustainable-development-goals-matter/goal-3

Higher temperatures pose major health risks to older people and raise the likelihood that those who work outside – such as farmers and builders – will suffer from heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Many killer diseases, including malaria and cholera, increase as temperature and rainfall increase. The mosquitos that carry the malaria virus, for example, thrive in hot and humid conditions – weather which climate change is likely to make more common.  Big Picture https://bigpictureeducation.com/how-does-climate-change-affect-human-health

 

Air pollution kills more than 6 million people every year, is the biggest environmental health risk of our time.  Airborne pollutants are responsible for about one third of deaths from stroke, chronic respiratory disease, and lung cancer, as well as one quarter of deaths from heart attack.

Air pollution comes from many sources – from cookstoves and kerosene lamps to coal-fired power plants, vehicle emissions, industrial furnaces, wildfires, and sand and dust storms. The problem is most acute in urban areas, particularly in Africa and Asia. In low- and middle-income countries, 98 per cent of cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants fail to meet the World Health Organization’s air quality guidelines.  UN Environment https://www.unenvironment.org/why-does-air-matter

Although the development and causes of all cancers are not completely understood, pathogens, environmental contaminants, age, and genetics are all factors in its development as are increased exposure to toxic chemicals, known or suspected to cause cancer, that are released into the environment following heavy rainfall or flooding and by increased volatilization of chemicals under conditions of increased temperature.

Depletion of stratospheric ozone leads to an increase in UV exposure and temperature, increasing the risk of skin cancer and cataracts.  Alternatively, an increase in exposure to UV radiation can lead to elevated levels of Vitamin D, which has been associated with a decreased risk of some types of cancer. National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/programs/geh/climatechange/health_impacts/cancer/index.cfm

In the developing world, malnutrition is rising because crops are failing, and that’s happening because of extreme weather. Cycles of drought and flood in West Africa are making it harder and harder for subsistence farmers to grow enough food to feed their families. And when the rain does come, it washes the topsoil away, degrading the land, so it becomes even more difficult to cultivate crops in the future. As a result, people go hungry and children in particular suffer from malnourishment.

The impact of climate change on mental health is a relatively new field of enquiry, but it should not be underestimated. People who have survived droughts, floods, tropical storms and similar extreme weather events often lose their homes and their families. As a result, they can experience post-traumatic stress disorder, severe depression and other mental health problems. In developing countries, where the impacts of climate change are at their most severe, there is less access to mental health services, so symptoms go untreated and unchecked.  Big Picture https://bigpictureeducation.com/how-does-climate-change-affect-human-health

 

• Composting at Home: A Complete Beginner's Guide

 

• Australian Catholic - Liturgical Resource
• Sisters Of Mercy - Laudato Si and Sisters of Mercy's Critical Concerns
• Peacemeal - Liturgy ideas for sharing a meal.
• Global Catholic Climate Movement - Liturgical, prayer and spiritual resources.

Torrential hurricanes, devastating droughts, crippling ice storms, and raging heat waves—all are extreme weather phenomena that can claim lives and cause untold damage. Climate change influences severe weather by causing longer droughts and higher temperatures in some regions and more intense deluges in others, say climate experts. Among the most vulnerable are communities in exposed mountain and coastal regions. In those settings worldwide, citizens are adjusting to new weather realities by strengthening warning, shelter, and protection systems.

 

CATASTROPHES ON THE RISE
Meteorological records show a rise in weather-related disasters since 1980. Climate change affects some weather, but experts caution against blaming it for every extreme event.

RISING SEAS, RISING CONCERNS
Climate change may not cause a particular storm, but rising sea levels can worsen its impact. In 2012 a nine-foot storm surge from Hurricane Sandy hit New York City at high tide, making the water 14 feet higher than normal at the tip of Manhattan.

SUCCUMBING TO HEAT
The global average temperature in May 2015 was the highest on record. In India some 2,200 people perished during a ten-day heat wave when reported highs hit 113°F (45°C).  National Geographic 

The UK is feeling the impacts of the climate crisis and is taking action to stop it.

“We are seeing a trend towards warmer winters and hotter summers, sea levels around our coast are rising by around 3mm a year, and there is emerging evidence of changing rainfall patterns,” the UK government said in a 2017 report to Parliament.  

 

• The heavens declare the glory of God, The vault of heaven proclaims his handiwork’
Psalm 19.1

• ‘God asks us to look at our lifestyles and to live simply, sustainably and in solidarity with those in poverty  Populorum Progressio  http://w2.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_26031967_populorum.html

• “I would like us all to make a serious commitment to respect and protect creation, to be attentive to every person, to counter the culture of waste and disposable, to promote a culture of solidarity and of encounter." Pope Francis. General Audience June 5th, 2013.  http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/audiences/2013/documents/papa-francesco_20130605_udienza-generale.html

 

 

 

CAFOD - Care for creation liturgies and prayers 

St Andrew’s & Edinburgh Diocese - Season of Creation liturgy resource
Australian Catholic - Liturgical Resource
Sisters Of Mercy - Laudato Si and Sisters of Mercy's Critical Concerns
Peacemeal - Liturgy ideas for sharing a meal.
Global Catholic Climate Movement - Liturgical, prayer and spiritual resources.

Throwing away things wastes resources. It wastes the raw materials and energy used in making the items and it wastes money.

Disposing of waste has huge environmental impacts and can cause serious problems. In the UK much is buried in landfill sites –  Some waste will eventually rot, but not all, and in the process it may smell, or generate methane gas, which is explosive and contributes to the greenhouse effect.

Incinerating waste also causes problems, because plastics tend to produce toxic substances, such as dioxins, when they are burnt. Gases from incineration may cause air pollution and contribute to acid rain, while the ash from incinerators may contain heavy metals and other toxins.  Green Choices https://www.greenchoices.org/green-living/waste-recycling/environmental-impacts

Wastewatch https://www.wastedataflow.org/ estimates that at least half of the contents of our dustbins could potentially be recycled. In addition, we could compost the 20% of vegetable peelings and other organic waste that we throw away. Despite this potential to recycle or compost around 60% – 70% of our waste, we are only recycling or composting 12%. A total of 80% of municipal waste is landfilled and 8% is incinerated to produce energy.

Biofuel

Scientists are exploring other materials that have the potential to serve as fuel without the accompanying concerns about food supply and environmental impact. Cellulosic ethanol, for example, uses corn stover, wood waste, or other plant material that would not be used otherwise. Other potential biofuel feedstocks include grasses, algae, animal waste, cooking grease, and wastewater sludge, but research continues to find the most efficient and cost-effective ways to transform them into usable fuel.

The Swedish city of Kristianstad uses biogas to generate electricity and heat and to fuel cars, garbage trucks and buses. Its two refineries produce enough biofuel to replace 1.1 million gallons of gasoline each year.  National Geographic https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/biofuel/

 

• “Throwing away food is like stealing from the table of the poor and the hungry,”  Pope Francis address at St Peter’s Square for UN World Environment Day 5th June 2013. http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/audiences/2013/documents/papa-francesco_20130605_udienza-generale.html

• In our homes, how much we waste, how much we waste without wanting to! This is the throw-away culture, the culture of waste. I speak of austerity in that sense, in the Christian sense. Let us stop for a moment and live a little more austerely.  in-flight press conference of his holiness pope francis from lesvos to rome  Saturday, 16 April 2016 http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2016/april/documents/papa-francesco_20160416_lesvos-volo-ritorno.html

• The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth.  A serious consideration of this issue would be one way of counteracting the throwaway culture which affects the entire planet, Laudato Si Chapter 1 http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html

Ideas for Action

• Waste recycling product by product guide 
• 15 easy ways to reduce landfill waste 
• Waste Minimization Techniques 

 

• St Andrew’s & Edinburgh Diocese - Season of Creation liturgy resource 

 

Caring for ecosystems demands far-sightedness, since no one looking for quick and easy profit is truly interested in their preservation.  Laudato Si, Chapter III, Paragraph 36 

The Church has a responsibility towards creation and she must assert this responsibility in the public sphere. In so doing, she must defend not only earth, water and air as gifts of creation that belong to everyone. She must above all protect mankind from self-destruction.  Caritas In Veritate.  Chapter Four para 51.

We must recognize our grave duty to hand the earth on to future generations in such a condition that they too can worthily inhabit it and continue to cultivate it. Caritas In Veritate. Chapter Four, para 50.

 

 

 

 

In 2015, the global textiles and clothing industry was responsible for the consumption of 79 billion cubic metres of water, 715 million tons of CO2 emissions and 92 million tons of waste. This impact is often felt in third countries, as most production takes place abroad. The production of raw materials, spinning them into fibres, weaving fabrics and dyeing require enormous amounts of water and chemicals, including pesticides for growing raw materials such as cotton. European Parliament briefing 

EU citizens bought 6.4 million tonnes of new clothing (12.66 kg per person) in 2015.  Between 1996 and 2012, the amount of clothes bought per person in the EU increased by 40 %. At the same time, more than 30 % of clothes in Europeans' wardrobes have not been used for at least a year. Once discarded, over half the garments are not recycled, but end up in mixed household waste and are subsequently sent to incinerators or landfill where they release methane.  European Environment Agency (EEA) 

Raw Materials

Cotton, which accounts for more than 43 % of all fibres used for clothes is considered especially problematic because it requires huge quantities of land, water, fertilisers and pesticides.  Silk has an especially detrimental effect regarding depletion of natural resources and global warming and wool contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.  European Clothing Action Plan (ECAP) report.  Polyester is made of fossil fuels and is non-biodegradable.  Unlike cotton, it has a lower water footprint, has to be washed at lower temperatures, dries quickly and hardly needs ironing. However, one load of laundry of polyester clothes (also nylon and acrylic) can discharge 700 000 microplastic fibres, which release toxins into the environment and can end up in the human food chain. Estimates show that every year approximately half a million tonnes of plastic microfibres from washing clothes end up in the ocean.  Pulse of the Fashion Industry report  

Fast Fashion

Epitomised by the multinational retail chains, fast fashion relies on mass production, low prices and large volumes of sales. Fast fashion constantly offers new styles to buy, as the average number of collections released by European apparel companies per year has gone from two in 2000 to five in 2011, with, for instance, Zara offering 24 new clothing collections each year, and H&M between 12 and 16. This has led consumers to see cheap clothing items increasingly as perishable goods that are 'nearly disposable', and that are thrown away after wearing them only seven or eight times.  European Clothing Action Plan 

• Small behavioural changes, such as reducing washing temperature, washing a full load, avoiding tumble-drying, purchasing eco-friendly fibres and donating clothes that are no longer used should be adopted. We can also lower the environmental impact of our garments by washing our clothes less frequently (and airing them instead) and avoiding unnecessary ironing.

• 10 Ways to reduce your fashion footprint 
• Learn how to shop ethically
• A 5 step guide to a sustainable wardrobe 
• How to recycle clothing and accessories with Earth911
• Swap shop for clothes

 

Transport drives economic activity and is fundamental to human welfare, but the sector is also a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and other forms of pollution, with significant impacts on the environment and human health.

Transport activity is increasing around the world as economies grow, which means that the sector’s emissions are also on the rise. That’s largely because 95 per cent of the world's transport energy still comes from fossil fuels.

In towns and cities, the main source of air pollution is road transport. Diesel and petrol vehicles create pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter. The friction of brakes and tyres on the road also creates particulate matter. Most diesel vehicles create much higher levels of these pollutants than petrol vehicles.  British Lung Foundation

 

Globally, transport accounted for one quarter of total emissions in 2016 at around 8 GtCO2, a level 71% higher than what was seen in 1990.
The highest absolute increase was in road transport. Overall, the share of road transport emissions increased by two percentage points to 74%, while air and water transport remained unchanged. International Energy Agency

 

 

 

Care for creation:  The relationship between human activity and global warming must be constantly monitored for “the climate is a good that must be protected”.
Vatican’s Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, para 470 

Climate As A Common Good:   The climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all. Humanity is called to recognize the need for changes of lifestyle, production and consumption, in order to combat this warming or at least the human causes which produce or aggravate it Laudato Si para 23Soctrine of the Church, para 470

 

Global Inequality:  We have to realize that a true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.  Laudato Si para 49

 

 

• Sisters of Mercy   Laudato Si and Sisters of Mercy's Critical Concerns
• Peacemeal. Liturgy ideas for sharing a meal
• Season of Creation. An excellent booklet containing liturgies on the environment, including biodiversity
• Caring for God's Creation. A downloadable booklet produced by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops with suggestions for liturgies
• Greening Worship. A web page from EcoCongregation with lots of useful suggestions for worship.
• Liturgical, Prayer and Spiritual Resources. Splendid resources page from the Global Catholic Climate Movement

A Carbon offset is a way to compensate for your emissions by funding an equivalent carbon dioxide saving elsewhere. Our everyday actions, at home and at work, consume energy and produce carbon emissions, such as driving, flying and heating buildings. Carbon offsetting is used to balance out these emissions by helping to pay for emission savings in other parts of the world.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions:  13% of the global population still lacks access to modern electricity.   3 billion people rely on wood, coal, charcoal or animal waste for cooking and heating.  Energy is the dominant contributor to climate change, accounting for around 60 per cent of total global greenhouse gas emissions. The world needs to triple its investment in sustainable energy infrastructure per year, from around $400 billion now to $1.25 trillion by 2030.   UN Sustainable Goal 7

Carbon Budget:  The world technically has only one-fifth of its "carbon budget"—the total is 2.8 trillion metric tons—remaining in order to avoid warming the Earth more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. Halting the trends in motion will require more than just phasing out fossil fuels. In fact, the paths to halting global temperature increases of 1.5 or 2 degrees C, the two goals outlined by the IPCC, rely in some way on adopting methods of sucking CO2 from the sky. Those include planting trees, conserving existing forests and grasslands, and capturing CO2 from power plants and factories. National Geographic

Deforestation:  Forests also play a critical role in mitigating climate change because they act as a carbon sink—soaking up carbon dioxide. Deforestation is a particular concern in tropical rain forests because these forests are home to much of the world’s biodiversity.  In the Amazon around 17% of the forest has been lost in the last 50 years, mostly due to forest conversion for cattle ranching.  WWF

 

Care for creation:  The relationship between human activity and global warming must be constantly monitored for “the climate is a good that must be protected”.
Vatican’s Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, para 470 

Climate As A Common Good:   The climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all. Humanity is called to recognize the need for changes of lifestyle, production and consumption, in order to combat this warming or at least the human causes which produce or aggravate it Laudato Si para 23Soctrine of the Church, para 470

 

Global Inequality:  We have to realize that a true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.  Laudato Si para 49

 

• Trees for life - help restore the Caledonian Forest in the Scottish Highlands, transform bare hillsides into healthy young woodland.
• World Land Trust - By planting trees with World Land Trust (WLT), you are helping to restore forests that have been lost to deforestation across the world. 
• 25 Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint  - tips on driving, air travel, home energy and more.
• Calculate and compensate for your emissions – Work out the financial compensation for the flights, car journeys, holidays, day to day living etc you do.

 

• Sisters of Mercy   Laudato Si and Sisters of Mercy's Critical Concerns
• Peacemeal. Liturgy ideas for sharing a meal
• Season of Creation. An excellent booklet containing liturgies on the environment, including biodiversity
• Caring for God's Creation. A downloadable booklet produced by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops with suggestions for liturgies
• Greening Worship. A web page from EcoCongregation with lots of useful suggestions for worship.
• Liturgical, Prayer and Spiritual Resources. Splendid resources page from the Global Catholic Climate Movement

 

• 100 practical ways to reverse climate change. 
• Ecosystems solutions
• Sciaf guide to caring for our common home
• Sign the petition - Tell the UK Government to act now on climate change - Friends of the Earth

• Australian Catholic Liturgical Resources
•  Sisters of Mercy   Laudato Si and Sisters of Mercy's Critical Concerns 
• Peacemeal. Liturgy ideas for sharing a meal 
• Season of Creation. An excellent booklet containing liturgies on the environment, including biodiversity 
• Caring for God's Creation. A downloadable booklet produced by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops with suggestions for liturgies 
• Greening Worship. A web page from EcoCongregation with lots of useful suggestions for worship. 
• Liturgical, Prayer and Spiritual Resources. Splendid resources page from the Global Catholic Climate Movement 

 

Food production. Over the last two decades, approximately 20% of land has become less productive due to chemicals and other forms of pollution. A third of fishing areas are being overharvested.

Meat and dairy products. Meat and dairy provide just 18% of calories and 37% of protein for the world’s population. But  it uses the vast majority – 83% – of farmland and produces 60% of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions. The vast majority of rainforest destruction in the Amazon has been connected with the meat industry. Avoiding meat and dairy products is the single biggest way to reduce environmental impact on the planet. http://science.sciencemag.org/content/360/6392/987.full?ijkey=ffyeW1F0oSl6k&keytype=ref&siteid=sci.

Food chain. 63% of plants, 11% of birds, and 5% of fish and are in decline. Pollinators, which provide essential services to three-quarters of the world’s crops, are under threat, as well as the decline of bees and other insects.

 

 

Enough for all. The earth, abused and exploited, continues in many parts of the world to yield its fruits, offering us the best of itself. The faces of the starving remind us that we have foiled its purposes. We have turned a gift with a universal destination into a privilege enjoyed by a select few. We have made the fruits of the earth – a gift to humanity – commodities for a few. Pope Francis, Address to United Nations World Food Programme, June 13, 2016.

Productive use of land. In some countries a redistribution of land as part of sound policies of agrarian reform is indispensable, in order to overcome the obstacles that an unproductive system of latifundium — condemned by the Church's social doctrine — places on the path of genuine economic development.  Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, parag.300.

Environmental degradation. As long as production is increased, little concern is given to whether it is at the cost of future resources or the health of the environment; as long as the clearing of a forest increases production, no one calculates the losses entailed in the desertification of the land, the harm done to biodiversity or the increased pollution. In a word, businesses profit by calculating and paying only a fraction of the costs involved. Yet only when “the economic and social costs of using up shared environmental resources are recognized with transparency and fully borne by those who incur them, not by other peoples or future generations”  can those actions be considered ethical. Pope Francis, Laudato Si. parag 195.

 

 

• 11 Things You Can Do To Protect Biodiversity - With a few simple habit changes and pro-active actions, you can encourage local biodiversity

• 5 Easy Ways to Cut Down on Your Meat Consumption - By keeping some pointers in mind you can easily reduce your meat consumption.

• 20 Simple Gardening Tips To Help Bees - It's actually surprisingly easy to help bees and pollinators.
• Reduce what goes to landfill and compost at home - Home composting can take some of our leftovers, waste and unwanted extras and turn them into fertile soil
• Bring back the forest - By donating, you will help return this land to the forest and wildlife to whom it once belonged.

 

Peacemeal. Liturgy ideas for sharing a meal

Season of Creation. An excellent booklet containing liturgies on the environment, including biodiversity

Caring for God's Creation. A downloadable booklet produced by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops with suggestions for liturgies

Greening Worship. A web page from EcoCongregation with lots of useful suggestions for worship.

Liturgical, Prayer and Spiritual Resources. Splendid resources page from the Global Catholic Climate Movement.

Our consumption of products and services impacts the environment in many different ways. The things we buy have often been made through processes which may affect climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss and depletion of natural resources.

Overconsumption is therefore a problem and an increasing one. A survey commissioned by Greenpeace, of the shopping habits of people in Europe and Asia finds that regularly buying too many clothes, shoes, bags and accessories has become an international phenomenon.

Today the cost of repairing faulty appliances, power tools, and high-tech devices often exceeds the price of buying new. Planned obsolescence - the strategy whereby the current version of a given product will become out of date or useless within a known time period – contributes to growing demand and more production. The used items are disposed of, very often in landfill. However, in Scotland initiatives are underway to reverse this trend. The total amount of waste disposed of to landfill has generally decreased steadily between 2005 and 2017. (SEPA).

 

Stewardship of Creation.

Because creation was entrusted to human stewardship, the natural world is not just a resource to be exploited but also a reality to be respected and even reverenced as a gift and trust from God. It is the task of human beings to care for, preserve and cultivate the treasures of creation (John Paul II, The Church in Oceania, 2001, n.31).

Throwaway Culture.

...our industrial system, at the end of its cycle of production and consumption, has not developed the capacity to absorb and reuse waste and by-products. We have not yet managed to adopt a circular model of production capable of preserving resources for present and future generations, while limiting as much as possible the use of non-renewable resources, moderating their consumption, maximizing their efficient use, reusing and recycling them. A serious consideration of this issue would be one way of counteracting the throwaway culture which affects the entire planet. (Pope Francis, Laudato Si, parag. 22)

 

Humanity is called to recognize the need for changes of lifestyle, production and consumption, in order to combat global warming or at least the human causes which produce or aggravate it. (Pope Francis, Laudato Si, parag. 23)
 

The Issue 

The Church’s View

A Human Right.

Not a commodity.

Pollution. 

Ideas for Action

• 13 best ways to save water - ways to save water which could also save you money. 
• Water-saving products -Saving water can reduce your energy use, bills and reduce the impact on your local environment.
• Great British Beach Clean - get involved in cleaning up our seas.
• 20 Ways to Conserve Water at Home - share the following tips, and do your part to help reduce our overall water consumption!

Liturgy Resources

• Centre for Earth Ethics: Liturgy Resources on Water.
• Water Justice: a liturgy for the season of creation: 
• Caring for God's Creation .  A downloadable booklet produced by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops with suggestions for liturgies
• Greening Worship. A web page from EcoCongregation with lots of useful suggestions for worship
• Liturgical, Prayer and Spiritual Resources. Splendid resources page from the Global Catholic Climate Movement