Serving Christ in All Creation: What Can I Do?
Appendix # 1 to the Pastoral Letter from the Episcopal Bishops of New England
“ To Serve Christ in all Creation”

• Take time to enjoy nature. Get to know God by deepening your relationship with all of God’s creation. Visit a bird sanctuary. Hike in the woods. Walk along the beach. Encountering God in nature empowers and motivates us to live more lightly on the earth.

• Treat fossil fuels – coal, oil, gasoline, natural gas, and peat – as precious resources. Consuming fossil fuels contributes to global warming and damages both human and international security. Reduce consumption of fossil fuels and invest in clean energy.

• In every aspect of the church’s life, from worship services and sermons to Christian education and retreats, develop the themes of interdependence with nature, responsibility for earth stewardship, and thankfulness for God’s abundant creation.

• Contact your local Interfaith organization to learn how your faith community can become a good steward of creation through energy conservation and efficiency and the use of renewable sources of energy.
In Connecticut: Andrea Cohen Keiner, Director, Inter-religious Eco-justice Network for “You Have the Power” panel presentations. (andrea@irejncom).
In Maine: Fred Wilson Horch, Project Coordinator, Maine Interfaith Power and Light ( ; Web: http://www.meipl.org/).
In Massachusetts: Steve MacAusland, Massachusetts Interfaith Power and Light (781/329-7335; ; Web: http://www.MIPandL.org).
Regardless of where you live, contact The USEPA Energy Star for Congregations Program at (888) STAR YES and http://www.epa.gov/congregations.

• Get a home energy audit. Increase the energy efficiency of your home (seal drafts around windows and doors, insulate the attic, wrap your water heater in an insulation jacket). Buy energy-efficient appliances.
For information on Energy Star products, go to http://www.betterwaytosave.com/.

• Replace your light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Although fluorescent bulbs cost more than incandescent, they use 1/4 the electricity, last ten times longer, and can save $40-60 over their lifetimes. Turn off lights, televisions, radios, and computers when not in use.

• Buy and use cars with high fuel efficiency. Using a more efficient car is one of the most important ways to prevent global warming. Drive as little as possible – combine several errands into one trip, carpool, walk, bicycle, or use public transportation.

• Work with a group in your parish to use 100% recycled paper, to provide ceramic mugs for coffee, and to avoid polystyrene cups and plates. Photocopy both sides of paper. Begin or increase recycling (office paper, newspaper, cans, glass).

• Adopt an organic land care program in your parish. Eliminate pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Begin composting leaves and grass clippings.

• Hold a “hunger banquet” program in your parish. Consult Oxfam at http://www.oxfamamerica.org.

• Try to follow the nine actions of “Turn the Tide: Nine Actions for the Planet” (http://www.newdream.org/turnthetide).

• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Americans number 5% of the world’s population, but consume 20% of its resources. Consider your purchases carefully. Can you borrow or rent the item, or buy one that is used? Can you do without it? Whenever possible, buy recycled products. Producing new products from recycled materials saves 70-90% of the energy and pollution that would result from using virgin materials. Recycling a 4-foot stack of newspapers saves a good-sized tree.

• Get informed. Subscribe to a free news service such as Environmental News Network, which sends daily or weekly updates on environmental issues from around the world (http://enn.com/index.asp). Join an environmental organization and read its literature. Visit Web sites on global warming, such as New England Regional Assessment Group (http://www.necci.sr.unh.edu/) or U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (http://www.epa/gov/globalwarming/).

• Make your voice heard. Call or write your local, state and federal representatives to emphasize renewable energy, efficiency and conservation, and to improve gas mileage by increasing corporate average fuel efficiency standards (CAFÉ).

• Use the Earth Charter as a basis for reflection and study in your parish and/or in your community. Write to local, state and national elected officials asking that they act and vote in accordance with the principles of the Earth Charter.

• Contact the people working on faith and environment issues in your diocese for help with identifying local programs and resources and with developing a group in your parish.
Diocese of Connecticut: Lynn B. Fulkerson, Chair, Committee on the Environment ( ; http://www.ctdiocese.org)
Diocese of Maine: 143 State Street, Portland, ME 04101, 207-772-1953
Diocese of New Hampshire: 63 Green Street, Concord, NH 03301, 603-224-1914
Diocese of Massachusetts: Susan Youmans, Chair, Faith & Environment Committee ( )
Diocese of Rhode Island: 275 North Main Street, Providence, RI 02903, 401-274-4500
Diocese of Vermont: The Rev. Nancy Bloomer, Convener, Environmental Stewardship Ministry Team ( )
Diocese of Western Massachusetts: 37 Chestnut Street, Springfield, MA 01103,
413-737-4786

Last updated: 11/02 - To make corrections, please contact your diocesan contact person

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