Sustainability
The small individual choices we each make every day are either part of the solution to environmental degradation, or part of the problem. Well-considered choices add up and can make a big difference!
Sustainability focuses on meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The concept of sustainability is composed of three pillars: economic, environmental, and social—also known informally as profits, planet, and people.
Here is what we are doing at Amazing Grace Spiritual Center to be more sustainable:
-
The paper products we use for brunches at Amazing Grace (paper plates, cups, napkins, paper towels, and wooden coffee stirrers) are compostable. Please dispose of these, as well as food waste, in the green compost bin.
-
To the best of our ability we practice the principles of REFUSE, REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE and COMPOST: to create less garbage in landfills.
-
We reuse or recycle Sunday programs and inserts - please leave on the table by the front door.
-
We have dedicated compost, recycle, and garbage bins - please do your part to dispose of the right items in the right bins.
Here are some things you can do to practice sustainability as a lifestyle:
-
Participate in Economic Activism: use your dollars to support businesses and industries that work for sustainability (renewable energy, fair trade, organic and regenerative agriculture, etc.)
-
"Break up" with businesses/industries/investments/mega banks that produce or support use of fossil fuels, child labor, sweatshop labor, and environmental degradation.
-
Buy fewer disposable products and single-use items, especially plastic items. When possible, consider buying used. Bottled water creates a great deal of plastic waste, and is usually just someone else's tap water. Get a reusable water bottle and consider a water filter if you want purified water.
-
Switch from halogen and incandescent bulbs to LEDs, which use much less energy. Prices are competitive and are more available in a "warmer" white color and can replace practically any style of bulb.
-
Eat less meat and more plant foods. If you eat meat, choose meat that is organically produced and NOT factory farmed (which is less healthy to eat, is highly polluting to our water and our air, as well as being inhumane to the animals.)
-
Buy more organically grown food. Conventionally grown food using chemical fertilizers and pesticides/herbicides pollute our waterways in addition to being unhealthy for the farm workers and the consumers. The most highly sprayed crops are strawberries, spinach, kale, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery, and potatoes. aka: "the dirty dozen"
-
Don't let your car idle for longer than the time of a red light. If you stop to chat or use your phone, turn the engine off. You will save gas, save $ and avoid the extra greenhouse emissions produced by an idling engine. Drive less by consolidating errands.
-
Instead of buying "stuff" for gifts, consider giving gifts of donations to non-profit organizations that your recipient values.
-
Buy Fair Trade chocolate and coffee (child labor and farmer poverty is endemic in these industries).
To learn more, GreenAmerica.org is an excellent resource. Their mission is to "harness economic power--the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace--to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society."
For more information, write to: Pam Kepford