What can we as caretakers of our earth and caregivers of the poor do to affect our environment? Christians have a sacred responsibility to the earth and to the creatures within it. God put man and woman on the earth to work it and to take care of it.

There are common themes across all faith traditions that we are called to be stewards of the earth and we are to preserve life for future generations. To love, serve, manage and protect what God has given to us and to care for one another is a form of worshipping the Creator. The biblical command to care and love other persons must include caring for the environment in which we live.

As Christians, we need to understand our responsibility to respond to the environmental challenges and to be in right relationship with creation. The movement to heal our earth should begin with us.

We, as Christians, have been called to this vocation. Doing nothing is an action. Is it the right action? Please think about our earth and some of the things you can do to help.

What is a Carbon Footprint?

Your “carbon footprint” is the amount of greenhouse gases you and all of your activities produce over a year, measured in tons of CO2. Because we rely on so many goods and services to support our power-hungry lifestyles, our footprint includes emissions from industry, agriculture, transportation, forestry, power generation and buildings. The weight builds up pretty quickly: The Average American’s footprint is 26.5 tons. Think of pounds of CO2 as inflated balloons: One pound of CO2 would fill a balloon about 2 ½ feet wide, and the energy each of us use each day, just to power our homes and drive our cars would fill 47 of them.

Reducing your Carbon Footprint!

• Start with something easy. Washing machines produce over 500 pounds of CO2 a year when run on hot water. Your clothes will be just as clean and may last longer when laundered in cold water. Dryers produce about 1,450 pounds of CO2 per year and the high heat damages fabric. Get more life out of your clothes, lower your electric bill and spare the planet by drying at least half of your clothes on a rack or line. Sunlight is the most effective stain-remover around.
• In the summer, sealing your home will ensure you don’t lose the cool air. Weather-stripping and caulking doors, windows and crack or openings in walls will save about 224 pounds of CO2 per season as you run your AC. In the winter when you need to trap the heat, you save 640 pounds of CO2 if you have gas heating and 470 pounds if you have electric heat.
• Insulating your home is a bit more demanding and best handled professionally. There are a number of options better than the common choice of fiberglass which presents a breathing hazard from airborne glass particles and formaldehyde released during installation. Some specialists say that spray foam is the most efficient and cost effective type of insulations. If you choose spray foam, consider a blend that includes soybean oil, such as BioBase501, to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
• Even while idling in “standby” mode, your home entertainment center and computer consume energy. Plug them into a power strip and turn it off after you shut down your electronics.
• Take a look at what’s on top of your fridge – clutter? Clear it off! Those piled up plastic containers and cereal boxes can prevent your fridge from venting heat effectively. Then go for the more demanding project: Remove the grill at the base of the fridge to clean the coils.
• Compost your food scraps. Food waste stored in airless landfills is eaten by bacteria that release massive amounts of methane, a gas 21 times more heat-trapping than CO2. Composting ten pounds of food a week will reduce your footprint. As a bonus, you get nutrient-rich soil to grow tomatoes, herbs and other garden favorites.
• The average 12 mile commute to work produces roughly 12 pounds of CO2. Even diesel buses are greener than cars when you factor in the number of passenger on board. Give the bus a shot once a week for a year. Or give your legs and heart a workout by commuting on a bike and save even more.

Reminder: Bring your newspapers and magazines to our recycle container on the north side of the church.

Watch the "Stewardship Green Moments" section in our publications for more information and opportunities to be a good steward of all God has given us.