Are We Living in Tune with the Bible and the Environment?

the question is more important than the answer

Sunday 13 September 2015 How Green Is My Faith? Are we living in tune with the Bible and the Environment? If we are to live in a sustainable way within and as part of creation, then the impact of our living should be at least neutral. It follows that every Christian should be a ‘Green’ Christian, rather than this being an opt-in choice. The wider aspects of environmental damage (pollution, fossil fuel use, non-sustainable use of natural and mineral resources) should not be ignored just because they don’t appear to affect us directly, as we have a duty of care for our world and all its peoples. In the West, we are often protected from them because of our relative wealth, so the environment is inextricably linked to social justice. The politics of the issues needs to be faced, balances found and then we should be challenged to actively work for change, at personal, local, national and international levels. We should not pretend that it will just ‘go away’. Balances are complex: you may choose to replace your car with a ‘cleaner’ one, but there is an environmental ‘cost’ in it’s production, along with economic impacts - finding the balance is near impossible without good quality, accurate and unbiased information, often difficult to find . . . Campaigning groups (such as Friends Of The Earth or Greenpeace) could be supported by becoming a member. Inevitably, there is a personal ‘cost’ involved – either money or time or convenience / effort, or more likely all three – and we should be prepared to find the balance that suits our situation. We looked at some of the ideas we either already ‘do’ or could explore further under six headings (although we ran out of time on the fifth!), in no particular order; this is by no means an exhaustive list, but rather a starting point. Transport / Travel  Reduce personal car use by utilising alternatives  Cycle more – issues around cycle lanes and safety  Be aware of Sustrans  Use public transport  Walk  Use a cleaner car  Carbon offset for CO2 emissions  Consider joining The Woodland Trust  Take a position over Heathrow Runway 3  Take a position over HS2

Energy  Reduce consumption through usage and efficiency  Heat your property a little less Steve Amos www.christchurchilkley.org.uk MP 14 – 13/09/2015  Insulate your property  Consider solar panels on your roof  Campaign on building regulations  Be aware of subsidies to energy companies  Switch energy provider to a ‘Green’ provider

Food  Eat seasonally  Choose products to reduce ‘food miles’  Buy Fairtrade goods from overseas  Source ‘Fair Price’ goods in the UK (eg milk)  Look at organic foods  Be aware of pesticide use  Reduce or avoid processed foods  Be aware of the environmental cost of meat  Consider having some days each week which are ‘meat free’  Be aware of the impact on bees of neonicotinoids  Be aware of what the impact of our demand for ‘cheap’ food has on the producers and the environment

Consumerism  Be aware of the economic system within which we live, and the impact of Capitalism and ‘growth’ have on our environment  Be aware of the travel miles involved in the products you buy  Consider the ethics of the businesses you support  Support local business and the local community  Join a co-operative and buy from Suma  Buy second hand  Share  The impact of toiletries on the environment  Cheap clothing  Look at ‘Lifestyle choices’ and decide between need and want – how much is enough?

Finance  Do you know what your savings and pension funds are supporting – perhaps the arms trade, pornography, child slave labour, . . .  Switch to ‘ethical’ providers to reduce this  Is your bank ‘ethical’ and clear about its environmental responsibilities

Waste  Reduce > Reuse > Recycle

We recognise that this is all connected to Lifestyle Choices. We cannot avoid the fact that this is all political; we may have to challenge the systems. Be aware and be active.

Steve Amos www.christchurchilkley.org.uk MP 14 – 13/09/2015