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What One Can Do ... Slowing the Effects of Climate Change
Stewardship of God's creation is one of our most sacred trusts. It's also a necessary part of not only making the Millennium Development Goals happen but making them sustainable.
Prayers for Environmental Stewardship
"We thank you, Almighty God, for the gift of water. Over it the Holy Spirit moved in the beginning of creation. Through it you led the children of Israel out of their bondage in Egypt into the land of promise. In it your Son Jesus received the baptism of John and was anointed by the Holy Spirit as the Messiah, the Christ, to lead us, through his death and resurrection, from the bondage of sin into everlasting life." - Thanksgiving over the Water, Book of Common Prayer.
Climate Change and the MDGs
Goal 1 - Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty
Changes in natural systems and infrastructure will:
• Reduce the livelihood assets of poor people
• Alter the path and rate of national economic growth
• Undermine regional food security
Goal 2 - Achieve Universal Primary Education
Climate change could lead to a reduction in the ability of children to participate in full-time education by causing:
• Destruction of infrastructure (such as schools)
• Loss of livelihood assets (increasing the need for children to engage in income-earning activities)
• The displacement and migration of families
Goal 3 - Promote Gender Equality
Depletion of natural resources, reduced agricultural productivity and increased climate-related disasters could:
• Place additional burdens on women’s health
• Limit women’s time to participate in decision-making and income generating activities
• Reduce the livelihood assets of women
Goal 4, 5, & 6 - Reduce child mortality, improve maternal health and combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Increased child mortality, reduced maternal health and the undermining of the nutritional health needed by individuals to combat HIV/AIDS are expected to occurs as a result of climate change-induced:
• Extreme weather events
• Increase in prevalence of certain vector-borne and water-borne diseases
• Heat-related mortality
• Declining food security
• Decreased availability of potable water
Goal 7 - Ensure Environmental Sustainability
Climate change will have a direct impact on environmental sustainability because it:
• Causes fundamental alterations in ecosystem relationships
• Changes the quality & quantity of natural resources
• Reduces ecosystem productivity
Source: UNDP Energy and Environment Group
What One Person Can Do
Water
Find your "water footprint" - The H2O Conserve Water Calculator is an interactive tool designed to help you measure how much water you use, better understand the ways you use water in your daily life, and get you thinking about what you can do to use less.
H2Ouse Water Saver House Tour - Take the tour to investigate your water saving opportunities in each area of your home. Click on each location to show you both the facts and specific advice.
What One Congregation Can Do
Become a "Green Congregation" -- the Diocese of Arizona's Nature & Spirituality Program offers this resource of ways to make your church eco-friendly.
What One Can Read
Curricula for your congregation on environmental stewardship and slowing the effects on climate change
Eco-Justice resources from the National Council of Churches -- bulletin inserts, congregational toolkits, study guides and more.
Books about environmental stewardship and slowing the effects of climate change (click on title for more information and to order).
The Weather Makers: How Man is Changing the Climate and What it Means for Life on Earth -"a straightforward and powerfully written look at the connection between climate change and global warming." (Publishers Weekly)
The Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook: 77 Essential Skills to Stop Climate Change - a fun, compelling, and sly deconstruction of a survival guide (think Boy Scouts of America crossed with WorldChanging atop the Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook) that offers equal parts tongue-in-cheek suggestions, practical advice, factual information, and bluesky dreaming of ways to save the world. Each skill is presented on a spread featuring a bright, full-color instructional illustration, a brief introduction to the skill and its core ideas, a set of instructions, spin-off ideas, and scientific and environmental facts.
It's Easy Being Green: A Handbook for Earth-Friendly Living by Crissy Trask -- a day to day guide with simple, practical suggestions that anyone can put into action.
How to Live a Low-Carbon Life: The Individual's Guide to Stopping Climate Change by Chris Goodall - a comprehensive, one-stop reference guide to calculating individual carbon emissions and it lays out clear plans for how individuals can reduce their emissions. Covering all aspects of modern life from transport to home heating to food sources and the vexing issue of vacations, the book provides easy-to-use tables for conducting a personal lifestyle carbon audit.
Coming Events
Faith, Spirituality, and the Environment: an interfaith conference and Forum -- May 29-31, 2008
Center for the Environment
Catawba College, Salisbury, NC
details at: www.centerfortheenvironment.org
**NOTE: The Rev. Sally Binham, Episcopal priest, Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, and founder of The Regeneration Project/Interfaith Power and Light is a keynote speaker
