CARBON LITERACY 1 – Pat Tachie-Menson
As reported in the Spring magazine, the participants in the Lent Course on Carbon Literacy – Pat TM, Heather, John, Mary, Alvin, Jenny, Stuart, Rebecca (by zoom) and Sue – found it both inspiring and challenging. What a revelation! to have the opportunity to learn about the changes that our behaviour is contributing to the decline of the world resources.
It gave us an awareness of the carbon costs and impacts of our everyday activities and the ability and motivation to reduce the emissions on individual, community, and organisational bases. It has highlighted the need to create opportunities to engage with other local churches, friends, families and neighbours on environmental issues and how to make a meaningful response to the challenges posed by climate change and the need for a more sustainable lifestyle.
Towards the end, we were encouraged to make pledges towards reducing carbon emissions, as individuals and as a church.
Our Pledges to reduce the carbon footprint in the Wembley Park Church are as follows:
Group action: to produce an Environmental Policy Statement to help us to achieve our aims.
My Individual pledges:
1 Minimise the use of paper in our administration regarding church minutes, agendas, financial reports, order of service & service sheets and magazines. Currently we are using over 2000 sheets per year.
2 Create a carbon literacy notice board to post any relevant information which will be shared by all users of the building.
3 Encourage our tenants to separate their waste materials for recycling: papers, glass, food waste etc.
4 Check up on our waste management company’s environmental policy.
5 Organise a church outing to the Synod Green Day in May (already completed).
CARBON LITERACY 2 – Revd Maggie Hindley
Thank you, dear friends, for giving up Thursday Bible Study this Lent and allowing me to pilot the Carbon Literacy Project’s course for congregations with you.
I think we had fun despite the seriousness of the issues! I did, certainly. And I was so proud of the group for throwing themselves into it. You will be hearing much more from them as the months go by.
Pat mentioned an outing to the Synod Green Day and she, Jenny and Heather were able to go. All sorts of themes related to the climate crisis were dealt with – climate justice (Climate Change is racist), ways we can make our buildings more eco-friendly, worship and song and raising our voices in the outside world; eating sustainably and of course more on carbon literacy. There were many light-hearted moments, including a presentation by the children on their afternoon’s work. AND the Moderator George presented their Carbon Literacy certificates to Heather, Jenny and Pat.
I am offering the course to some other congregations in Thames North; so thank you for allowing me to practise on you all. As one of you said in your form for accreditation:
It’s a small but very necessary step in the right direction.
Let’s keep up those small steps, one by one.
