Ecospirituality: FSPA continue to reduce carbon footprint

by Paulynn Instenes, FSPA
In the northern Midwest one can feel spring coming. The air is beginning to warm, buds are swollen ready to burst, and tulips are one to two inches high. All of this warm weather is welcomed after a long winter. We pronounce the warm weather “good,” and begin to make plans for our gardens, lawn and flowers.

Globally, we are also experiencing a warming. This year the Wilkins Ice Shelf, which connects to Charcot Island in the Antarctic, has a deep split—ice the size of the state of Connecticut is breaking apart. Last year an entire bay of ice broke apart and melted exposing the first beach in the Antarctic. We pronounce global warming “bad.”

Many groups are now leading the campaign to reduce global warming. Pope Benedict XVI spoke of it at the United Kingdom’s April 27, 2008, Climate Change Conference. “The pope’s message follows a series of increasingly strong statements about climate change and the environment, including a warning that “disregard for the environment always harms human coexistence and vice versa.”

The U.S. Catholic Bishops have put together a Catholic Coalition on Climate Change. Dioceses are asked to take the St. Francis Pledge to preserve the environment. In Wisconsin the Green Bay Diocese has actively promoted the program and commits to take the pledge. They created a Stewardship of Creation Resource to share with pastors, parish directors, staff and parish committees. Blessed Are You, Lord, God of All Creation was created to honor Earth Day on April 22, and to empower parishes to consider getting involved in our national Catholic initiative, The Catholic Climate Covenant: the Pledge of St Francis to protect Creation and the Poor. For more information e-mail info@catholicsandclimatechange.org or visit www.usccb.org/sdwp/ejp/climate.

Franciscan Action Network, a coalition of Franciscan religious communities including FSPA, is also launching the first stage of its Campaign on Climate Change. This group works with Franciscan brothers, sisters and lay members to move for change that will have a positive impact on all of creation. See www.franciscanaction.org for more information.

Both the Conference of Major Superiors and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious are proposing a resolution on climate change at their 2009 summer assemblies. The resolution for LCWR reads as follows: “Faithful to our calling to foster the interconnectedness of all creation and building on the strength of past resolutions and actions, we, the members of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, resolve to take measurable steps to reduce our carbon footprint.”

All of the committees, task forces, bishops and religious leaders are recommending that each individual become involved with some action that will reduce or limit his or her carbon footprint. Possible
actions to reduce your carbon footprint:

1. Know what your carbon footprint is by visiting www.carbonfootprint.com.
   
2. Set a goal to reduce your carbon footprint.
   
3. Create ways to reduce/reuse/recycle products.
   
4. Use cloth instead of paper; towels, napkins, shopping bags.
   
5. Reduce mailings–catalogs, ads–call to have your name removed from lists.
   
6. Use energy efficient lights, appliances, cars; use solar, wind power if possible.
   
7. Evaluate your goals and progress.
   

As Archbishop Celestino Migiore said, “Our faith calls us to good stewardship and a voluntary simplicity to reduce the impact each of us has on the environment.” What will you do?