Wendy GraceSome basic changes to our everyday life can have a positive impact on our planet, writes Wendy Grace
Last month, Pope Francis released Laudato Si, an encyclical on caring for our home and the environment. In the papal letter Pope Francis encourages us towards a new lifestyle and reminds us of our responsibility as Catholics to care for the planet and one another.
He highlights how challenging ourselves to reduce our impact on the planet is deeply rooted and connected to our faith. Sometimes the problem seems too large and we can let it overwhelm us to the point of doing nothing rather than something. We must remind ourselves that collectively small actions will make a huge difference. So how can we practically live out a life that cares better for the world and one another?
Looking after the environment is really about our relationship with the planet that God gave us. We are not separate from nature, we are a part of it. How we respond to this is connected to our relationship with Jesus. Something which is a core part of our faith, and indeed this document, is the idea of the common good.
In a consumerist society this can be an unpopular idea, that of putting aside your needs for a greater good or benefit to all. The key to living this challenge out stems from the commandment to love one another.
Commitments
Praying together as a family will underpin and strengthen our commitments. Pope Francis gives us two prayers, ‘A Prayer for Our Earth’ and ‘A Christian Prayer in Union with Creation’. Why not integrate one or both of these prayers into your family prayer time? Another simple prayer is the Grace before meals. Pope Francis asks us to pray this as a reminder to be thankful for the food that we have.
When climate change becomes about more than emissions, when it becomes about cultivating people, caring for others and wanting to be less selfish, then Mother Teresa’s words to do all the little things with great love holds especially true. You can take many simple and practical steps to make changes in your everyday life that will have a positive impact on our planet. For example most of your washing can be done at 30 degrees – this uses around 40% less electricity than washing at 40 degrees. Let your clothes dry naturally, as a tumble dryer uses a lot of electricity.
Now is a great time to get yourself a water butt, they are relatively inexpensive and can save a lot on your water consumption. They can cost as little as €40 and are widely available in garden stores. Take steps to conserve water like taking showers instead of baths, turning the tap off while brushing your teeth and fixing any leaky taps or toilets.
Composting is relatively easy and with pay-by-weight charges to come in next year not only will it benefit the environment but it will save you money, and then you can use your own home-grown compost without the nasty pesticides.
One of the core themes of the encyclical is that of excessive consumerism where we can get caught up in an extreme of buying goods that we don’t even need. The key phrase that jumps out is Pope Francis making the connection between the emptiness of heart and the need to fill that void with ‘things’.
He says: “The external deserts in the world are growing, because the internal deserts have become so vast.” If we are in a relationship with Jesus Christ, then the ecology of conversion that Pope Francis asks of us will flow from that relationship.
When we forget God and the rules he gave us to live by, we end up worshipping and needing worldly things, trying to fill a void that can only be filled with God’s love. So much of our focus can be on instant gratification. Wanting happiness now, but filling this never ending void with consumable goods for us and our children ultimately will have long term consequences. Our Christian faith can give us the strength to rally against a culture of individualism and needless consumerism.
How many of us have an iPod, iPhone, laptop and a mobile phone? Do we really need that number of gadgets and gizmos? We need to actively try and give ourselves a reality check on wasteful and often impulsive consumption. How many pairs of shoes do you own or how many items in your wardrobe still has the label on? Do you ask yourself when buying anything, do I really need this? Take a note through a spending app of all the things that you have bought, try this for a month and then see what you could have done without.
Average spend
Why not start getting second hand toys, books or DVDs? The average spend on toys at Christmas in Ireland is €620. That is one of the highest spends in Europe. It is time to go back to basics, get outside into nature, take picnics, walks, do arts and crafts and keep it simple.
Maybe you have two cars in your household, but do you need them? My husband and I share a car, at first I thought it would be really difficult having had my own for 10 years, but soon it became the norm.
We have to change our habits daily. Many of these changes we can do as a family. What about giving each of your children something they can grow and look after? You could also try cycling somewhere you need to be or walking together rather than taking the car. Try to use recycled materials and ditch the plastic bags and make sure to have your own recycling bin.
How about trying to use eco-friendly products in your house? You can try making it yourself – lemon, vinegar and bicarbonate of soda will clean absolutely anything and everything. If you’re not quite ready to do it yourself, why not try a home grown eco-product such as Lilly’s Eco Clean products, made in Cork. Not only are the chemicals in a lot of cleaning products bad for us they are bad for the environment. Eco products use recycled materials, you can even refill your bottles when they run out.
Of course, not everyone is called to be a crusader against government policy or to run an environmental NGO, but what can you do in the area around you? Can you get involved with planting trees in your area or doing a community clean-up?
The consumption of the developed world is having a drastic and disproportionate effect on the poorest of the poor. But it is easy to get caught up in our own worlds and problems. Spending time volunteering, learning about or giving in some way to those less fortunate is a good way of reminding ourselves of the problems many face and could give you the push and the constant reminder you need to make those little changes in your and your family’s lives that will have an impact.
We also need to remind ourselves of what kind of a world we wish to leave for future generations. Many of the habits we need to form might feel like a sacrifice, but the habits we form now will affect our children’s futures.
When we neglect our relationship with God it is easy to forget the true purpose and beauty of life. We easily end up being part of a culture that is knowingly neglecting one another and our planet. So once we cultivate our faith, all those little acts of love and sacrifice and changes to our habits will become not only easier but a joy.
Simple tips for making a difference…
- Wash clothes at 30 degrees and dry naturally.
- Take showers instead of baths.
- Buy a water butt.
- Compost food waste.
- Buy second-hand.
- Cycle or walk instead of driving.
- Use eco-friendly cleaning products.
- Reduce, reuse and recycle.