Link to form
A SUSTAINABLE CHRISTMAS
Christmas is the best time of the year for many, but the worst time of the year from an environmental perspective.
On Christmas Day last year, BBC Radio 4 broadcast a programme, “Christmas Recycled”, which looked at how we could make Christmas more sustainable and less wasteful in the UK.
They looked at the presents we might buy, the wrapping paper we might use to enclose the presents, the trees and decorations we might choose and the sort of food we might enjoy.
They also looked at companies whose Christmas products are designed to be more sustainable. Where the programme has found one company offering a particular innovative scheme or produce, there must be others, perhaps near your locality.
And remember that recycling is not the best answer to tackling waste – reducing consumption is far better.
Clothes
They found that Christmas jumpers, so attractive around Christmas time, usually end up as landfill or are burnt, which is both wasteful and polluting. Some companies, like British Christmas Jumpers, offer Christmas jumpers made from recycled materials.
And there are companies that hire outfits, which is a much more sustainable option.
The Independent has listed its top 8 clothes rental companies.
And of course, we’re encouraged to donate our unwanted clothes to charity.
Presents
Presents come with packaging. 114,000 tonnes of plastic packaging will be binned not recycled at Christmas time, according to Wildlife and Countryside Link.
Each year the UK spends £700 million or more on unwanted presents, according to research done by eBay and Wealthify. Find out what people need before you buy. Offer home-baked treats. Arrange a spending limit with family and friends. Check that the items you buy are green and ethical –workers properly paid, not tested on animals, sustainably sourced. Lists of ethical companies can be found by looking online. Best of all, make reciprocal arrangements with family and friends not to buy each other presents. They may be relieved!
Presents for children are an environmental headache, as they are only needed for a while before being discarded and new toys bought, because children grow out of them very quickly. Yet toys can be reused again and again.
There are companies and schemes that rent out toys. You pay a subscription and get a box of toys every month or so. When you send that box back you get another box.
There are also local schemes that take unwanted toys. And national initiatives like Trash Nothing, which enable you to give away your unwanted goods – and take other people’s offerings.
Cards
The Greeting Card Association tells us that 1 billion Christmas cards are sold each year, a huge proportion of which can’t be recycled because of the glitter and plastic they contain.
Organic waste can be turned into cards, which is what Earthbits in Huddersfield is doing.
Or we can use online greetings in place of actual cards, which more and more people are doing.
Do you really need to buy cards for people you see regularly? If you decide not to, explain that you are trying to reduce consumerism. Home-made cards are a great idea – people like the thought and effort that goes into them. You can use up leftover resources – cards, calendars, things around the house etc… A better idea is to send a Happy Christmas email. If you receive cards, recycle where possible, don’t bin them.
Wrapping Paper
In Britain every Christmas it is generally estimated that we use 227,000 miles of wrapping paper, at the expense of 50,000 trees. Lots of it is single use. There is no need to throw it away. It can be re-used many times. You can buy reusable bags, and you can buy wrapping paper made from recycled paper, or from hemp (organic hemp is one of the most sustainable fibres you can use). Chirpy in Leeds sells cloth wrapping. One company, Wrag Wrap, sells cloth wrapping made from recycled bottles from post-consumer waste.
Or use attractive and re-usable cloth bought from charity shops. Use ribbon instead of tape for sealing, so that the wrapping can more easily be re-used or re-cycled. The ribbon can be re-used as well, as can any bows used.
Trees
Millions of Christmas trees both real and artificial are discarded every year in the UK. To cut down on plastic dependence and to offset carbon emissions, buy a living tree, and keep it in the pot in the house or garden when not being used. It can be re-used year after year. Norfolk pines are suitable, as they don’t grow large.
Many Local Councils will collect and compost your tree when you’ve finished with it. Or you can take it to the local recycling centre, or compost it yourself in your garden. But burning or mulching trees will release CO2 back into the atmosphere, so a rooted tree is best.
You don’t even have to buy one – some companies rent out rooted trees. One company, Rooted Christmas Trees, rents them, then ‘retires’ them at the end of their decorative life, by planting them in land where they are needed to prevent flooding.
Tree decorations
There’s no end to sustainable possibilities for tree decorations. Make your own out of unwanted household materials and waste, and/or out of home-baked treats. Use greenery - we could grow our own mistletoe and holly. And use LED lights, as they use up to 95% less energy than traditional bulbs. You can buy craft kits of pre-used, unwanted things like buttons, material scraps etc to make into tree decorations.
Alcohol.
Toast Ale sells beer made from surplus fresh bread from bakeries, which would otherwise go to landfill. This not only prevents waste, but also reduces the carbon and water footprint of beer compared to malt.
Some companies offer a refill scheme for bottles of alcoholic spirits.
Food
One manufacturer estimates that each Christmas, households bin 270,000 tons of food. The waste figure for producers and supermarkets is much higher – 2 million tons of edible food waste produced each year.
Food waste has the biggest carbon footprint after the USA and China.
FareShare is an organisation that uses food that would otherwise go to landfills, to feed people.
Rotting food creates methane. But it could be used to produce energy and fertiliser instead, if Councils invested in recycling food waste. At least one company in the UK is doing that, Saria Ltd.
There are things you can do at home to reduce waste, such as don’t cook more than you will eat, and freeze leftovers for a future meal/s.
You’ve probably seen headlines like “Tackling the world’s most urgent problem: meat” (United Nations Environment Programme). Growing animals for food involves destruction and pollution of the land, forests, waters and atmosphere, and takes resources from the poorest people. Include some vegan meals over the Xmas* period. Vegan meal recipes can be found online – at Veganuary.com for instance - and there are plenty of vegan ready meals in the shops.
Online
When buying online, add the words "eco-friendly" to whatever you’re looking to buy. You’ll be surprised at the number of sustainable offerings available.
*‘Xmas’
You may have noticed that I used the abbreviation ‘Xmas’, and be getting ready to write to the editor in protest.
Some Christians feel strongly that one should not abbreviate the word 'Christmas' to 'Xmas'. The abbreviation is seen as an unwanted secular downgrading of the religious season. But the origin is the Greek word 'Χριστός', meaning Christ, and Greek was the language of the Christian scriptures.
The first 2 letters of the Greek word for Christ are chi (resembling X) and rho (resembling P), which is why the Easter candle, along with a lot of traditional Catholic art and sacramentals, has the Chi-Rho sign (☧). (No argument about that abbreviation.)
So, whether or not one uses the ‘Xmas’ abbreviation is a matter of personal choice, though some feel that the abbreviation is itself a sacred tradition which should not be lost.
Let’s use Christmas time to move closer to God by thinking about how we can care for His creation. Have a healthy, holy, wholesome green Christmas!
VB, Laudato Si’ Animators 2023 1369 Words
This article takes much of its information from the BBC Radio 4 programme “Christmas Recycled” https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001ghwd
https://www.wwf.org.uk/top-tips-sustainable-christmas
https://support.wwf.org.uk/gifts
Christmas is the best time of the year for many, but the worst time of the year from an environmental perspective.
On Christmas Day last year, BBC Radio 4 broadcast a programme, “Christmas Recycled”, which looked at how we could make Christmas more sustainable and less wasteful in the UK.
They looked at the presents we might buy, the wrapping paper we might use to enclose the presents, the trees and decorations we might choose and the sort of food we might enjoy.
They also looked at companies whose Christmas products are designed to be more sustainable. Where the programme has found one company offering a particular innovative scheme or produce, there must be others, perhaps near your locality.
And remember that recycling is not the best answer to tackling waste – reducing consumption is far better.
Clothes
They found that Christmas jumpers, so attractive around Christmas time, usually end up as landfill or are burnt, which is both wasteful and polluting. Some companies, like British Christmas Jumpers, offer Christmas jumpers made from recycled materials.
And there are companies that hire outfits, which is a much more sustainable option.
The Independent has listed its top 8 clothes rental companies.
And of course, we’re encouraged to donate our unwanted clothes to charity.
Presents
Presents come with packaging. 114,000 tonnes of plastic packaging will be binned not recycled at Christmas time, according to Wildlife and Countryside Link.
Each year the UK spends £700 million or more on unwanted presents, according to research done by eBay and Wealthify. Find out what people need before you buy. Offer home-baked treats. Arrange a spending limit with family and friends. Check that the items you buy are green and ethical –workers properly paid, not tested on animals, sustainably sourced. Lists of ethical companies can be found by looking online. Best of all, make reciprocal arrangements with family and friends not to buy each other presents. They may be relieved!
Presents for children are an environmental headache, as they are only needed for a while before being discarded and new toys bought, because children grow out of them very quickly. Yet toys can be reused again and again.
There are companies and schemes that rent out toys. You pay a subscription and get a box of toys every month or so. When you send that box back you get another box.
There are also local schemes that take unwanted toys. And national initiatives like Trash Nothing, which enable you to give away your unwanted goods – and take other people’s offerings.
Cards
The Greeting Card Association tells us that 1 billion Christmas cards are sold each year, a huge proportion of which can’t be recycled because of the glitter and plastic they contain.
Organic waste can be turned into cards, which is what Earthbits in Huddersfield is doing.
Or we can use online greetings in place of actual cards, which more and more people are doing.
Do you really need to buy cards for people you see regularly? If you decide not to, explain that you are trying to reduce consumerism. Home-made cards are a great idea – people like the thought and effort that goes into them. You can use up leftover resources – cards, calendars, things around the house etc… A better idea is to send a Happy Christmas email. If you receive cards, recycle where possible, don’t bin them.
Wrapping Paper
In Britain every Christmas it is generally estimated that we use 227,000 miles of wrapping paper, at the expense of 50,000 trees. Lots of it is single use. There is no need to throw it away. It can be re-used many times. You can buy reusable bags, and you can buy wrapping paper made from recycled paper, or from hemp (organic hemp is one of the most sustainable fibres you can use). Chirpy in Leeds sells cloth wrapping. One company, Wrag Wrap, sells cloth wrapping made from recycled bottles from post-consumer waste.
Or use attractive and re-usable cloth bought from charity shops. Use ribbon instead of tape for sealing, so that the wrapping can more easily be re-used or re-cycled. The ribbon can be re-used as well, as can any bows used.
Trees
Millions of Christmas trees both real and artificial are discarded every year in the UK. To cut down on plastic dependence and to offset carbon emissions, buy a living tree, and keep it in the pot in the house or garden when not being used. It can be re-used year after year. Norfolk pines are suitable, as they don’t grow large.
Many Local Councils will collect and compost your tree when you’ve finished with it. Or you can take it to the local recycling centre, or compost it yourself in your garden. But burning or mulching trees will release CO2 back into the atmosphere, so a rooted tree is best.
You don’t even have to buy one – some companies rent out rooted trees. One company, Rooted Christmas Trees, rents them, then ‘retires’ them at the end of their decorative life, by planting them in land where they are needed to prevent flooding.
Tree decorations
There’s no end to sustainable possibilities for tree decorations. Make your own out of unwanted household materials and waste, and/or out of home-baked treats. Use greenery - we could grow our own mistletoe and holly. And use LED lights, as they use up to 95% less energy than traditional bulbs. You can buy craft kits of pre-used, unwanted things like buttons, material scraps etc to make into tree decorations.
Alcohol.
Toast Ale sells beer made from surplus fresh bread from bakeries, which would otherwise go to landfill. This not only prevents waste, but also reduces the carbon and water footprint of beer compared to malt.
Some companies offer a refill scheme for bottles of alcoholic spirits.
Food
One manufacturer estimates that each Christmas, households bin 270,000 tons of food. The waste figure for producers and supermarkets is much higher – 2 million tons of edible food waste produced each year.
Food waste has the biggest carbon footprint after the USA and China.
FareShare is an organisation that uses food that would otherwise go to landfills, to feed people.
Rotting food creates methane. But it could be used to produce energy and fertiliser instead, if Councils invested in recycling food waste. At least one company in the UK is doing that, Saria Ltd.
There are things you can do at home to reduce waste, such as don’t cook more than you will eat, and freeze leftovers for a future meal/s.
You’ve probably seen headlines like “Tackling the world’s most urgent problem: meat” (United Nations Environment Programme). Growing animals for food involves destruction and pollution of the land, forests, waters and atmosphere, and takes resources from the poorest people. Include some vegan meals over the Xmas* period. Vegan meal recipes can be found online – at Veganuary.com for instance - and there are plenty of vegan ready meals in the shops.
Online
When buying online, add the words "eco-friendly" to whatever you’re looking to buy. You’ll be surprised at the number of sustainable offerings available.
*‘Xmas’
You may have noticed that I used the abbreviation ‘Xmas’, and be getting ready to write to the editor in protest.
Some Christians feel strongly that one should not abbreviate the word 'Christmas' to 'Xmas'. The abbreviation is seen as an unwanted secular downgrading of the religious season. But the origin is the Greek word 'Χριστός', meaning Christ, and Greek was the language of the Christian scriptures.
The first 2 letters of the Greek word for Christ are chi (resembling X) and rho (resembling P), which is why the Easter candle, along with a lot of traditional Catholic art and sacramentals, has the Chi-Rho sign (☧). (No argument about that abbreviation.)
So, whether or not one uses the ‘Xmas’ abbreviation is a matter of personal choice, though some feel that the abbreviation is itself a sacred tradition which should not be lost.
Let’s use Christmas time to move closer to God by thinking about how we can care for His creation. Have a healthy, holy, wholesome green Christmas!
VB, Laudato Si’ Animators 2023 1369 Words
This article takes much of its information from the BBC Radio 4 programme “Christmas Recycled” https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001ghwd
https://www.wwf.org.uk/top-tips-sustainable-christmas
https://support.wwf.org.uk/gifts
The Vatican released the new Apostolic Exhortation by Pope Francis, Laudate Deum, to all people of good will on the climate crisis, on 4 October 2023. It is a document intended to follow up on his 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si’, On Care for Our Common Home.
Click on image to follow link to read more (added 02/10/2023)
Season of Creation 2023
This year's Season of Creation is fast approaching (1st September - 4th October) and will be here before you know it! The Season of Creation is a time to renew our relationship with our Creator and all creation through celebration, conversion, and commitment together. During the Season of Creation, we join our sisters and brothers in the ecumenical family in prayer and action for our common home.
This year's theme is "Let Justice and Peace Flow" - as announced by Pope Francis earlier this year - highlighting the links between war, injustice, and environmental degradation.
There are loads of fantastic information and resources on the Season of Creation website.
This year's Season of Creation is fast approaching (1st September - 4th October) and will be here before you know it! The Season of Creation is a time to renew our relationship with our Creator and all creation through celebration, conversion, and commitment together. During the Season of Creation, we join our sisters and brothers in the ecumenical family in prayer and action for our common home.
This year's theme is "Let Justice and Peace Flow" - as announced by Pope Francis earlier this year - highlighting the links between war, injustice, and environmental degradation.
There are loads of fantastic information and resources on the Season of Creation website.
Laudato Si’ Animators UK at The Big One
25th April 2023
People from many groups and movements gathered at the Houses of Parliament for ‘The Big One’ four-day rally, from the 21st to the 24th of April 2023, to demand Government action to tackle the environmental crises.
Over 100 groups took part, including Laudato Si’ Movement (LSM).
We are demanding that the Government faces the reality of the climate crisis. We need to bring an end to the fossil fuel era, an end to pollution and an end to loss of biodiversity.
Laudato Si’ Animators UK Network members met on each of the four days and joined in with other Christian and Faith organisations for prayers.
We were very pleased that Magda Noszczyk, the LSM European Coordinator, and Joseph D'Halluin, LSM divestment, were with us.
The Animators are people, mainly Catholics, who have been trained by the Vatican-backed Laudato Si’ Movement, to inform and inspire others to engage in dialogue and action on the current environmental crises.
Each of the four days had been designated to reflect concerns.
Friday 21st was Unite to Survive - Westminster is filled with flags, banners and people.
Saturday 22nd was Earth Day – a celebration and a family-friendly march for biodiversity.
Sunday 23rd was Running Out of Time (The Big One coexisted with the London Marathon!).
And Monday 24th was Choose Your Future - Parliament returns, the demand was delivered.
Animators who were unable to attend prayed for the success of the Rally.
Laudato Si’ Movement Website:
https://laudatosimovement.org/?fbclid=IwAR0O0tcQLFbBeRsp-j4SXN6RBEasbLOXZrlZ22PAnns_qmbPVcBeaKukf2A
Contact for Animators UK:
johnwoodhousecat@gmail.com
Laudato Si' Movement prayerbook:
https://mail.laudatosimovement.org/landing/prayerbook
REFLECTIONS OF THE DAY FROM ONE ANIMATOR
How did it feel at 76 to be going on my first real demo and march? A bit daunting, but the two days I spent were fantastic and fun! We started at St John’s Waterloo with a service of praise and lament and then we walked to the Shell building where Magda who leads the European Laudato Si’ animators and had travelled from Poland read the prayer of Pope Francis from Laudato Si’. Led on by the Salvation Army band we reached Parliament Square to find 1000s more protestors. The second day I settled at the Faith hub (I had walked 6.2 km with my stick the day before at the rally!) and Fr Joe Ryan celebrated Mass. This was very special. Fr Joe said he had waited 52 years for this day and he produced a copy of Laudato Si’. The Gospel was about the road to Emmaus and it was noticeable how the congregation grew during the Mass. This was a fantastic opportunity to meet 20 animators from around the country whom we had known on zoom for two years, and in fact I met lots of Catholic and Anglican friends as well. The variety of protestors was just staggering and all was well organised and stewarded. It was good to see families taking a full part. The reason I am so committed to this cause is that I want a better world for my 3 grandsons. We must all do what we can!
John Woodhouse, Contact for Laudato Si’ Animators UK
25th April 2023
People from many groups and movements gathered at the Houses of Parliament for ‘The Big One’ four-day rally, from the 21st to the 24th of April 2023, to demand Government action to tackle the environmental crises.
Over 100 groups took part, including Laudato Si’ Movement (LSM).
We are demanding that the Government faces the reality of the climate crisis. We need to bring an end to the fossil fuel era, an end to pollution and an end to loss of biodiversity.
Laudato Si’ Animators UK Network members met on each of the four days and joined in with other Christian and Faith organisations for prayers.
We were very pleased that Magda Noszczyk, the LSM European Coordinator, and Joseph D'Halluin, LSM divestment, were with us.
The Animators are people, mainly Catholics, who have been trained by the Vatican-backed Laudato Si’ Movement, to inform and inspire others to engage in dialogue and action on the current environmental crises.
Each of the four days had been designated to reflect concerns.
Friday 21st was Unite to Survive - Westminster is filled with flags, banners and people.
Saturday 22nd was Earth Day – a celebration and a family-friendly march for biodiversity.
Sunday 23rd was Running Out of Time (The Big One coexisted with the London Marathon!).
And Monday 24th was Choose Your Future - Parliament returns, the demand was delivered.
Animators who were unable to attend prayed for the success of the Rally.
Laudato Si’ Movement Website:
https://laudatosimovement.org/?fbclid=IwAR0O0tcQLFbBeRsp-j4SXN6RBEasbLOXZrlZ22PAnns_qmbPVcBeaKukf2A
Contact for Animators UK:
johnwoodhousecat@gmail.com
Laudato Si' Movement prayerbook:
https://mail.laudatosimovement.org/landing/prayerbook
REFLECTIONS OF THE DAY FROM ONE ANIMATOR
How did it feel at 76 to be going on my first real demo and march? A bit daunting, but the two days I spent were fantastic and fun! We started at St John’s Waterloo with a service of praise and lament and then we walked to the Shell building where Magda who leads the European Laudato Si’ animators and had travelled from Poland read the prayer of Pope Francis from Laudato Si’. Led on by the Salvation Army band we reached Parliament Square to find 1000s more protestors. The second day I settled at the Faith hub (I had walked 6.2 km with my stick the day before at the rally!) and Fr Joe Ryan celebrated Mass. This was very special. Fr Joe said he had waited 52 years for this day and he produced a copy of Laudato Si’. The Gospel was about the road to Emmaus and it was noticeable how the congregation grew during the Mass. This was a fantastic opportunity to meet 20 animators from around the country whom we had known on zoom for two years, and in fact I met lots of Catholic and Anglican friends as well. The variety of protestors was just staggering and all was well organised and stewarded. It was good to see families taking a full part. The reason I am so committed to this cause is that I want a better world for my 3 grandsons. We must all do what we can!
John Woodhouse, Contact for Laudato Si’ Animators UK
|
|
Happy Easter from Journey to 2030!
The old has gone, the new is here! We wish you all a very happy Easter and continue to thank you for your support and participation in The Journey to 2030.
We've been busy getting out and meeting you all at our Deanery Days (see update below); we're so excited by the zeal we're seeing and can't wait to here from you all about your successes in your parishes.
As usual, we're sharing lots of things for you to get involved with so do take a look at the information below. And please do get in touch if you have any questions or stories to share!
In Christ,
John Paul, Ellie & Edd
(added 14/04/2023)
We are very happy to announce that today we are launching the 2023 Season of Creation. We would like to invite you, once again, to join with your community in this ecumenical Season of Creation that begins with the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation on September 1st and culminates on October 4th, celebrating the feast of St. Francis of Assisi.
We begin the "Preparation" of the Season of Creation in March to reach out to local leaders and call our communities to actively participate by raising awareness on the theme, and on how to respond to the cry of creation wherever the Lord calls us in our respective contexts. This stage of "Preparation" is key to creating bonds and relationships as the People of God caring for our common home.
This year the theme that will guide our path is "Let justice and peace flow", guided by the prophet Amos who cries out, “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (5: 24). We want to take up climate and ecological justice, and to speak out with and for communities most impacted by climate injustice and biodiversity loss.
"A mighty river" is the symbol chosen to go with this theme, representing biodiversity at risk. The urgency grows and we must make visible peace with Earth and on Earth, at the same time that justice calls us to repentance and a change of attitude and actions. When we join the river of justice and peace together with others, it creates hope instead of despair.
https://seasonofcreation.org/
We begin the "Preparation" of the Season of Creation in March to reach out to local leaders and call our communities to actively participate by raising awareness on the theme, and on how to respond to the cry of creation wherever the Lord calls us in our respective contexts. This stage of "Preparation" is key to creating bonds and relationships as the People of God caring for our common home.
This year the theme that will guide our path is "Let justice and peace flow", guided by the prophet Amos who cries out, “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (5: 24). We want to take up climate and ecological justice, and to speak out with and for communities most impacted by climate injustice and biodiversity loss.
"A mighty river" is the symbol chosen to go with this theme, representing biodiversity at risk. The urgency grows and we must make visible peace with Earth and on Earth, at the same time that justice calls us to repentance and a change of attitude and actions. When we join the river of justice and peace together with others, it creates hope instead of despair.
https://seasonofcreation.org/
2023 Season of Creation theme, "Let Justice and Peace Flow," which helps us to tune in to the cry of creation on the loss of biodiversity, being called to a change of attitude and actions.
This joint UN Climate Change - UNSSC online course offers a holistic and integrated approach to climate change and demonstrates the interlinkages and interdependencies between sustainable development and climate change to make informed policy choices towards carbon-neutral and climate-resilient sustainable development.
Dear wonderful people from Laudato Si Movement,
Trainings in January:
Last evening, Joseph, our divestment officer, joined us to promote the training and other actions related to divestment. We will have a training on the 10th of January on Advocacy & Divestment activities at LSM 5 PM GMT / 6PM CET. Here's the link to register:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMkf-6hqTIjHN3x9jc_mGRDb6-U81Utcv7y
I warmly invite you to join us then, because very soon after we will have a global day of action that we initially planned for Ash Wednesday (February 22) - I will provide more information in January at our monthly meeting.
Another meeting that will be very helpful in order to organize your local communities is Community Building & Organizing - 4 PM GMT / 5 PM CET on the 26th of January. Link to register is here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUqf--vqDIsEtS41V0z0e_Z_mxoPBBJh19R
Laudato Si' Advent retreat:
If you haven't checked this yet, it is high time to join LSM on Hozana platform a global prayer community online space. Each week we shared another piece to reflect and pray on. Please, browse our resources and prayers and join us there in these last days before Christmas! https://hozana.org/en/community/11261-advent-with-pope-francis-and-laudato-si
Monthly meetings in 2023:
I have already created a Zoom link to all meetings in 2023 and they will always be on the second Wednesday of the month (if there are any holidays, I will move the meeting with a notification). You can register here for 2023 meetings: bit.ly/LSAinEuropeMonthlyCalls2023
Brainstorming for LSM activities in Europe in 2023:
In November I shared with you one link to Google Form and I asked you to fill out - it is needed in the whole planning process for 2023. As I received a few, I would like to repeat my question once again as it is extremely crucial to get feedback from individuals all around the world to see what is important, meaningful in LSM, what would you like to change and which activities are the most popular and you would like to continue organizing them.
Action item: Please, please, please, fill it out until the end of 2022 - it will help us to plan our activities better! It is short, it has only 8 questions and 4 of them are with choice options and it is here: https://forms.gle/Kk5MPot5pbeLYHCF7Magdalena Noszczyk 22 Dec 2022, 13:52 (12 days ago)
to bcc: me
Premier of The Letter: Laudato Si film
click on image to watch this event
For the first time, Pope Francis has published in advance his message for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, which is celebrated every September 1. It marks the beginning of the Season of Creation, an ecumenical period that unites Christians to pray and take action for our common home.
Countdown to the Season of Creation (added 04/08/2022)
The Season of Creation is the annual Christian celebration to listen and respond
together to the cry of Creation: the ecumenical family around the world unites to pray and protect our common home, the Oikos of God. (added 07/07/2022)
Laudato Si' and Environmental Impact Investing (added 17/06/2022)
Our vision is to create kind, confident and connected communities through the power of food.
Link to newsletter
prayer courtesy of William Blake, adapted
And did those feet in ancient time Urge us to wealth or grateful thanks And was the Holy Lamb of God Seen to invest in England's Banks? And did the countenance divine Smile on our frightened refugees And was all God's created life Seen in our dark and dirty streets? Bring me my bow of burning hope Bring me my arrows of desire Bring me my shield! O clouds unfold! Bring me to change a world on fire! I shall not cease from mental fight Nor shall my pen sleep in my hand Till we have built a healthier world In what were green and pleasant lands |
Environment Bishop: It’s time to sprint towards climate action
Climate Justice Fellowship: A Letter to the Lambeth Conference (added 04/08/2022)
Journey to 2030 launches two new resources at NJPN conference (added 02/08/2022)
Massive divestment from fossil fuels by faith organizations
After various calls by the Vatican for divestment from fossil fuels, thirty-five faith institutions with more than $1.25 billion in combined assets, including some Catholic organizations, announce they are divesting from fossil fuel companies . (added 20/07/2022)
Recap of what happened in Laudato Si' Week (added 17/06/2022)
Climate Action Network West Midlands (added 16/05/2022)
Link to Laudato Si Action Platform
|
Our Common Home
Pope Francis doesn't hold back:
'The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth.'
This is God's creation, given to be our home.
What are we doing to look after it?
A Prayer for our Earth By Pope Francis*
All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love, that we may protect life and beauty.
Fill us with peace, that we may live as brothers and sisters, harming no one.
O God of the poor,help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth, so precious in your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives, that we may protect the world and not prey on it, that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.
Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain at the expense of the poor and the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth of each thing, to be filled with awe and contemplation, to recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature as we journey towards your infinite light.
We thank you for being with us each day.
Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle for justice, love and peace.
* Pope Francis published this prayer in his Laudato Si’ encyclical, and is meant for sharing with all who believe in a God who is the all-powerful Creator.
'The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth.'
This is God's creation, given to be our home.
What are we doing to look after it?
A Prayer for our Earth By Pope Francis*
All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love, that we may protect life and beauty.
Fill us with peace, that we may live as brothers and sisters, harming no one.
O God of the poor,help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth, so precious in your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives, that we may protect the world and not prey on it, that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.
Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain at the expense of the poor and the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth of each thing, to be filled with awe and contemplation, to recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature as we journey towards your infinite light.
We thank you for being with us each day.
Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle for justice, love and peace.
* Pope Francis published this prayer in his Laudato Si’ encyclical, and is meant for sharing with all who believe in a God who is the all-powerful Creator.
Laudato Si’ Week is being celebrated during 22nd – 29th May. It reminds us of our duty towards and celebration of creation. To learn more and to get involved, check out the links.
The Laudato Si’ Encyclical, which was published in 2015, is a letter to the world from Pope Francis. in it he calls for dialogue and action concerning the care of what he calls “our common home”, and he urges all of us to take our duty to the natural environment, to animals and to poor people seriously.
http://visnews-en.blogspot.com/2015/06/overview-of-encyclical-laudato-si.html
The Laudato Si’ Movement (LSM) was formed as a result of the Encyclical. Under the umbrella of the Encyclical, it aims to activate the world's 1.2 billion Catholics to tackle the climate and environmental crises. To educate about and enable participation in this undertaking, LSM initiated an online Course.
https://laudatosimovement.org/
The Laudato Si’ Animators Course was first opened in July 2020 to a world-wide audience of potential activists. The Course teaches how the Laudato Si’ (LS) Encyclical fits into Catholic Social Teaching, describes the causes and consequences of climate change and encourages a personal ecological conversion. Participants are encouraged to be environmentally active in their parishes and in the wider community.
https://laudatosianimators.org/?utm_source=laudato&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign&utm_content=What%20is%20the%20Laudato%20Si%27%20Animators%20program%3F%20Join%20now
Laudato Si’ Animators are people who completed the Course and then got together for mutual support, discussions, ideas and actions. We have a Network of around 90 Animators and green activists, covering the 22 Dioceses of England and Wales. Our aim? Simply to spread the message of the Encyclical throughout the Catholic Church, in an effort to educate about the environmental crisis and to inspire action which will help to combat the dire situation.
https://www.facebook.com/LSIUK
The Laudato Si’ Action Platform has been established by the Vatican's Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, in response to the Encyclical. It is designed to run for 7 years, encompasses 7 Sectors and has 7 general goals. We will all fit into one or another of the Sectors. The 7 Goals are designed to guide our actions. Under each general goal heading, actions are suggested for us to consider which will reduce our environmental footprint.
https://laudatosiactionplatform.org/
The Laudato Si’ Encyclical, which was published in 2015, is a letter to the world from Pope Francis. in it he calls for dialogue and action concerning the care of what he calls “our common home”, and he urges all of us to take our duty to the natural environment, to animals and to poor people seriously.
http://visnews-en.blogspot.com/2015/06/overview-of-encyclical-laudato-si.html
The Laudato Si’ Movement (LSM) was formed as a result of the Encyclical. Under the umbrella of the Encyclical, it aims to activate the world's 1.2 billion Catholics to tackle the climate and environmental crises. To educate about and enable participation in this undertaking, LSM initiated an online Course.
https://laudatosimovement.org/
The Laudato Si’ Animators Course was first opened in July 2020 to a world-wide audience of potential activists. The Course teaches how the Laudato Si’ (LS) Encyclical fits into Catholic Social Teaching, describes the causes and consequences of climate change and encourages a personal ecological conversion. Participants are encouraged to be environmentally active in their parishes and in the wider community.
https://laudatosianimators.org/?utm_source=laudato&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign&utm_content=What%20is%20the%20Laudato%20Si%27%20Animators%20program%3F%20Join%20now
Laudato Si’ Animators are people who completed the Course and then got together for mutual support, discussions, ideas and actions. We have a Network of around 90 Animators and green activists, covering the 22 Dioceses of England and Wales. Our aim? Simply to spread the message of the Encyclical throughout the Catholic Church, in an effort to educate about the environmental crisis and to inspire action which will help to combat the dire situation.
https://www.facebook.com/LSIUK
The Laudato Si’ Action Platform has been established by the Vatican's Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, in response to the Encyclical. It is designed to run for 7 years, encompasses 7 Sectors and has 7 general goals. We will all fit into one or another of the Sectors. The 7 Goals are designed to guide our actions. Under each general goal heading, actions are suggested for us to consider which will reduce our environmental footprint.
https://laudatosiactionplatform.org/
What does our faith say? Laudato Si and Catholic Social Teaching Bishop of Bombay Allwyn
A commitment to Ecological Conversion Amy Achieverra
A commitment to Ecological Conversion Amy Achieverra
The Great Big Green Week is back! From 24 September to 2 October, people across the UK will come together again to celebrate community action to tackle climate change and protect nature.
Get involved by hosting a local Green Week or event in your area. By stepping up for the planet with your friends, family and neighbours you can show our Government and local decision makers that we want them to deliver on their promises to protect the planet for now and future generations.
HOST AN EVENT OR LOCAL GREEN WEEK
From beach cleans and bike days to nature trails and repair workshops, there is a way for everyone to get involved and take positive local action in your community. We have a whole host of resources to help you every step of the way.
Do you have an event or activity planned already? Let us and others know about your event by uploading it to the new and improved events section of our website!
Get involved by hosting a local Green Week or event in your area. By stepping up for the planet with your friends, family and neighbours you can show our Government and local decision makers that we want them to deliver on their promises to protect the planet for now and future generations.
HOST AN EVENT OR LOCAL GREEN WEEK
From beach cleans and bike days to nature trails and repair workshops, there is a way for everyone to get involved and take positive local action in your community. We have a whole host of resources to help you every step of the way.
Do you have an event or activity planned already? Let us and others know about your event by uploading it to the new and improved events section of our website!
"Understanding Laudato Si," with Fr. Daniel P. Horan, OFM even though these recording on YouTube are 5 years old they can be a useful way of helping us understand Laudato Si.
Episode 01: "Models of Creation" https://youtu.be/TzyYPJLhZjc
Episode 02: "Situating Laudato Si" https://youtu.be/xXJTzM2VbSc
Episode 03: "What is Happening to our Common Home?" https://youtu.be/ZmHQMaBbsXw
Episode 04: "Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor" https://youtu.be/8LloARnNUPE
Episode 05: "Back to the 'Beginning'" https://youtu.be/UVT9enSMMrU
Episode 06: "A Universal Communion" https://youtu.be/H50S8P3JSzk
Episode 07: "The 'Technocratic Paradigm'" https://youtu.be/k_jM16npWhM
Episode 08: "Human Responsibility" https://youtu.be/wFLaTShJNMM
Episode 09: "Integral Ecology'" https://youtu.be/uok8odEsOhE
Episode 10: "Inter generational Solidarity" https://youtu.be/VmZcCjorWnk
Episode 11: "Dialogue in Moving Forward" https://youtu.be/UuZSeDuLDYg
Episode 12: "Politics, Economy, and Science" https://youtu.be/ahzzh_a63o8
Episode 13: "Things Must Change" https://youtu.be/fj-a5qVj3nY
Episode 14: "Conclusion: In Union with all Creation" https://youtu.be/oAAgQr6hpbI
Another YouTube video that you may like to look at is:
Connecting Voices, Connecting Laudato Si’: Action 2021 https://youtu.be/cZPcQ3HRYao
Why Care for the Environment? (Laudato Si Explained) https://youtu.be/DNU8fn_ap_U
Praise be to you my Lord
Episode 01: "Models of Creation" https://youtu.be/TzyYPJLhZjc
Episode 02: "Situating Laudato Si" https://youtu.be/xXJTzM2VbSc
Episode 03: "What is Happening to our Common Home?" https://youtu.be/ZmHQMaBbsXw
Episode 04: "Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor" https://youtu.be/8LloARnNUPE
Episode 05: "Back to the 'Beginning'" https://youtu.be/UVT9enSMMrU
Episode 06: "A Universal Communion" https://youtu.be/H50S8P3JSzk
Episode 07: "The 'Technocratic Paradigm'" https://youtu.be/k_jM16npWhM
Episode 08: "Human Responsibility" https://youtu.be/wFLaTShJNMM
Episode 09: "Integral Ecology'" https://youtu.be/uok8odEsOhE
Episode 10: "Inter generational Solidarity" https://youtu.be/VmZcCjorWnk
Episode 11: "Dialogue in Moving Forward" https://youtu.be/UuZSeDuLDYg
Episode 12: "Politics, Economy, and Science" https://youtu.be/ahzzh_a63o8
Episode 13: "Things Must Change" https://youtu.be/fj-a5qVj3nY
Episode 14: "Conclusion: In Union with all Creation" https://youtu.be/oAAgQr6hpbI
Another YouTube video that you may like to look at is:
Connecting Voices, Connecting Laudato Si’: Action 2021 https://youtu.be/cZPcQ3HRYao
Why Care for the Environment? (Laudato Si Explained) https://youtu.be/DNU8fn_ap_U
Praise be to you my Lord
Addressing plastic waste:
letters received from retailers
letters received from retailers
Thank you to the Inner Wheel Club of Coventry for these letters
Letter from Aldi
|
Letter from the Co-op
|
Letter from Costco
|
Letter from M&S
|
 Letter from Royal Mail
|
First letter from Sainsbury's
We also offer our customers the opportunity to bring back plastic bottles, pots, tubs , trays along with polyethylene film and carrier bags to facilities in our stores for recycling .
Letter from Tesco
|
Second letter from Sainsbury's We do not currently offer recycling .....
Letter from Waitrose
|
|
|
|
The Birmingham Diocesan Justice and Peace Commission is funded by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham and the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) and is a member of the Caritas - Archdiocese of Birmingham Network