Disciple - This Fragile Earth: ZeroWasteChurch.org and SustainIslandHome.org

Moving to Zero Waste and Tracking the Impact

By Carl Sigel and Christine McTaggart

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s these little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”
- Archbishop Desmond Tutu

It’s a rare thing when Easter, Earth Day and Arbor Day fall in the same week, and we couldn’t help but celebrate that 2019 trinity with a look at Creation Care. A priority of the Diocese of North Carolina, there are countless ways to start reconnecting with the land we call home. What the step is, is less important than the fact the step is taken, because it’s up to every one of us to care for this environment of which every one of us is a part.

With the topic of climate change and creation care taking on increasingly urgent tones, the number of resources available to those wishing to take action has also increased to the point it can easily become overwhelming. There are two resources, however, that provide clear information and direction to get started or go deeper, whether as individuals or a congregation.

ZEROWASTECHURCH.ORG

Developing approaches to addressing our ecological challenges, including climate change, can be daunting. We know some of the most needed actions like drastically lowering emissions are beyond what we can do as individuals. Clearly massive reductions need to be addressed by the large corporations and government. That is okay. We can still do our part in lowering emissions, and we can also take many other small steps. These can become big steps when many people take them. A groundswell of individual efforts can have a very significant impact.

Understanding how the world God created works can help us learn how to live in harmony with one another and the rest of creation. One trait found in nature, but not in humankind, is that in nature nothing is wasted— everything is recycled. In contrast, because of the way we live on Earth, humans recycle only 6% of materials. Consequently, we suffer from pollution of our air, water and land. The most straightforward way for us to avoid this problem is to stop being so wasteful.

To reduce our wastefulness life changes are necessary. Humankind has faced difficult challenges before, and we have demonstrated that by working together and by using our ingenuity, we can overcome great adversity. Reversing the current trend of climate change is another one of those challenges. We need to find ways to conserve valuable resources and to reduce or eliminate waste of food, water and energy.

ZeroWasteChurch.org is a resource created as part of the ministry of Nativity, Raleigh, to help churches care for creation. Though built as a tool for congregations, the guidance it provides toward becoming a zero-waste church applies just as well to individuals seeking a path to a more eco-friendly way of life.

At its heart is “A Year of Personal Action,” a step-by-step guidebook intended to replace feelings of hopelessness and being overwhelmed with inspiration, information and ways to take action. Broken down by month, each month is assigned a different topic such as increasing energy efficiency, healthy air, conserving water and zero waste in the home. The pages include an overview of the topic and the potential impact simple changes can make, followed by small steps to implement those changes, a few each week. Finally, participants are provided additional resources to go deeper once the first steps have been taken. The best part is that it can be started at any time—who says a new year’s resolution has to start in January?

“A Year of Personal Action” is only the start of what can be found at ZeroWasteChurch.org. Insightful blog posts, theology, upcoming events and a multitude of resources await you. Whether you and your congregation are looking for your first steps or a deeper challenge in caring for God’s earth, ZeroWasteChurch.org provides a path to follow.

- Carl Sigel and Christine McTaggart

SUSTAINISLANDHOME.ORG

If ZeroWasteChurch.org gives us the way to plan our Creation Care steps, a new tool from The Episcopal Church provides us a way to measure the results and prove that every little bit helps.

SustainIslandHome.org was created in and by the Diocese of California in partnership with Climate Solutions Net. It is a carbon tracker that helps users of the site see the carbon footprint they make, but it doesn’t stop there. Users of the site also see the impact of changes they make, as an individual and as part of a congregation, diocese and the whole Episcopal Church. The idea is to show that every small contribution by a single person, when added to the efforts of others, really does make a significant collective difference.

The site focuses on areas in which everyone can make a difference, like energy efficiency and water usage, for example. It measures your impact on focus areas by looking at your local community, home life, transportation and habits. After setting a baseline based on information entered, estimates on recommended actions are provided to help make decisions about where to start making changes, or about what to leave alone where things are going well. As actions are chosen and begun, users can then begin to see the positive impact even small changes, like turning off the water when brushing your teeth, can make.

Getting started is simple. Users visit SustainIslandHome.org and select their diocese to begin building their profile. Though individuals can participate on their own, congregations and dioceses are part of the profile so participants can see how their efforts become part of the greater whole when added to the efforts of others. As more join the site, results based on individuals, congregations, dioceses and the Church will be seen.

All of the efforts are supported not just by data. The site also includes resources, helpful links and space for online discussion. The goal is to help create the community we need to be in order to build positive momentum in the effort to start reversing the damage done to our environment and embracing a way of life that is much more in partnership with the world around us.

The site is so new that the rollout is only just underway. Because of its work and commitment to Creation Care, the Diocese of North Carolina was chosen as one of five early adopters of the site. The final touches are being put in place throughout Lent with full access expected in time to celebrate Earth Day. As the site continues to roll out, every participating congregation will have its own page to help individuals come together and work as a team.

We encourage every person in the Diocese of North Carolina to explore SustainIslandHome.org, not just now in its early stages, but as it continues to develop and grow. The diocesan Chartered Committee on Environmental Ministry stands ready to help congregations become familiar with and get started on the site, and the Diocese will continue to share out information and updates on the progress of the site’s implementation throughout the rest of the year.

No one person can fix the damage done to our environment, but together, we can. SustainIslandHome.org shows us just how true that is.

- Christine McTaggart

NEXT STEPS

“A Year of Personal Action” can be downloaded today from the ZeroWasteChurch.org. To request an introduction to SustainIslandHome.org for your congregation, contact the communications department.

Carl Sigel is a member of the diocesan Chartered Committee on Environmental Ministry and a parishioner at Nativity, Raleigh. Christine McTaggart is the communications dircetor for the Diocese of North Carolina.