In the Garden

I've been meaning to write a post about Anathoth Community Garden for some time. I found out about this garden during my last year of seminary, and while I have never been there, I know many people who have and have been changed by it. I wanted to tell the story well, but such a marvelous story deserves great attention. Then, the other night in preparing to write about it, I stumbled onto this online article which wonderfully tells the full story of Anathoth.

http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/312

The story about Anathoth displays so much I believe to be necessary for churches and individuals to practice habits of good environmental stewardship. Perhaps foremost is having the imagination of God and attempting to see things the way God does. The name Anathoth refers to a field Jeremiah was told to buy. This act no doubt represented lunacy to everyone around as Israel was being conquered by the Babylonians at the time, and exile was imminent. Sam Wells, dean of Duke Chapel, compared the senselessness of this act (to most at least) to buying property in New Orleans the day before Katrina was to hit. And yet this act was one of prophecy - to bear witness to God's faithfulness to Israel. The exile would not last forever and "houses, fields, and vineyards will again be bought in this land" (Jeremiah 32:15).

So I love the God-given imagination displayed by Scenobia Taylor and Rev. Grace Hackney to turn a fallow plot of land into a garden that shows the reconciling grace of God. Certainly this is a protest against "the way things are" and will be misunderstood by many. But I believe God smiles at the simple holiness of this community garden.

I've thought recently of trying to start a flower garden at one of my churches. The flowers could adorn the sanctuary during worship, but also be given to neighbors or people in assisted living homes. Many people in my churches know agriculture and farming, but I (having lived almost completely in cities) do not. So God could use this as a chance for us to share in the gift of life that happens when a seed is planted.

The Church Bus

Several posts ago I wrote about the obvious environmental impact of driving to church and suggested walking if at all possible, both as a spiritual discipline and a practice of environmental stewardship. Now I'd like to explore the issue of churches using vans or buses.

Oddly enough, it seems that I have often been at a church during a time when it was considering the purchase of a van/bus. Usually churches choose to acquire these vehicles so that different groups (youth, choir, etc.) can take trips. Some churches use buses to pick up members of the congregation that can/should no longer drive and bring them to services. Obviously both of these purposes are unimpeachable. I suppose the only question is whether or not the use of a van/bus actually pollutes less than using carpooling to achieve the same goals.

The virtue of a van/bus is that it holds more people than a car. So even though most of these vehicles get lousy gas mileage, they can conceivably do the work it would take twenty cars to do. It's obviously hard to compare emissions without knowing the condition of the cars, but generally speaking, the more cars taken off the road, the better.

I suppose the "X" factor might be the size and type of van/bus. Are we talking about a fifteen passenger van (which lately have been less popular due to safety concerns) or a much larger bus? The larger the bus, the more cars are off the road. However, most larger buses also run on diesel which, from the resources I have found, pollutes worse than regular gasoline (I welcome any information to the contrary; I simply could not find much comparison).

So, here are a few suggestions (mostly common sense) about vans/buses.

1. If one must be purchased, get one with very strict emission standards.
2. Keep it well maintained.
3. Regular gas seems better than diesel (I think).
4. Make sure the van/bus is always close to full of people - it's pretty wasteful if it's only for two or three people. Carpooling can be arranged for a small number of people.

Does your church have a van/bus? If so, do you think it's adequately used and kept green? How bout sharing between churches?

The (Natural) Light of the World

This past weekend I went to an awesome wedding in Houston (yay Seann and Elizabeth!). While I was there I saw several churches. One took my breath away. It had just been remodeled, and the windows were unbelievable. I don't even know what you'd call this type of design, but there were pieces of brightly colored glass in different shapes and sizes. They were usually arranged in images, but sometimes they were just collage-like. The glass pieces were put into a dark sand looking concrete. The contrast between the bright pieces and the dark setting was gorgeous. I was admittedly a little jealous because one of these windows probably cost more than the yearly budget of my three churches combined. But that's Texas!

Then it occurred to me how little natural light actually comes into that sanctuary. Of course, that's likely part of the plan considering they have HD screens which look best with minimal light. But it really reminded me how much I enjoy churches that barely need lights on Sunday morning. So I think churches that are considering a face-lift should definitely scrap the stained or colored glass in favor of natural light.

Obviously a church would want to capture the maximum light without overheating the sanctuary and maxing out the air conditioner. But using clear glass in strategic places would offer much more light while using much less energy. And if you've got a great seat, maybe you get to look at creation while you worship the Creator of it all.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle?

I remember as a child watching this really awesome Earth Day special on television with Robin Williams and Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser, M.D.). Mother Earth (who I think was played by the mom on "Married with Children") was really sick - in the hospital actually. The show focused on all the things we can do to help Mother Earth recover. Well, that had to have been ten years ago, and sadly I haven't seen another special like that. What's worse is that the planet seems sicker than ever. So I really wonder if "reduce, reuse, recycle" is going to go down as just another doomed (though great) slogan.

Everyone can reduce and reuse things, but I wonder more and more about the availability of recycling opportunities. It seems like plenty of items are recyclable, but are people actually able to recycle them? I've lived several places in the past few years, and I have yet to find a recycling center that accepts everything that's recyclable. There was a good facility in Auburn, AL - but as plastics go it still only took #1 and #2. Why not the rest? I dropped some plastics off in Birmingham one time, but the facility still didn't accept many items. Even in large cities like New York and Chicago I've witnessed recycling discrimination - or even heard stories of recyclables ending up in the same place as trash. In many rural areas recycling is still almost an alien concept.

So what is a church that wants to be green to do if it exists in an area with few to no recycling opportunities? Should churches try and start their own programs? Should church members pressure local governments to put programs in place and offer the churches as places where people can learn more about recycling? I would love to hear input from anyone who has dealt with this issue as it relates to the church. I'm hoping there are some creative success stories that can teach us all.

Green Book Review

Recently I started reading a book that perfectly addresses the concerns of this blog. The book is A Moral Climate: The Ethics of Global Warming by Michael S. Northcott. In addition to being Professor of Ethics at the University of Edinburgh Northcott is a priest in the Scottish Episcopal Church. The book is impressive in so many areas as it's clearly the product of considerable research in both scientific and religious disciplines. Northcott frequently employs passages from Jeremiah to remind readers that care for the environment is inextricably bound with care for all created things, and injustice to the Earth affects all the Earth's inhabitants.

One of the most striking issues addressed is the considerable ethical violation that takes place when developed nations conduct business in ways that produce more pollution in developing nations who end up suffering for our (people who live in developed nations) luxury. Northcott offers this example:

Most products that are sold in Europe and the United States are no longer made there. Instead they are made thousands of miles away in often miserable working conditions in countries which are prepared to sacrifice air quality, forests, rivers, and oceans to toxic pollution in the quest for rapid economic growth. But ironically Western politicians often point to the increases in CO2 emissions which fuel the factories that now make the products on behalf of Western corporations in countries like China and Brazil as a reason for refusing to reduce their own CO2 emissions (35).

These and other lessons in the book have caused me to question the liberal tendencies I have, especially as they relate to the economy. Or perhaps I should say, reading this book has caused me to reassess ideas such as progress in the realm of economics and technology. Unbounded growth clearly has not brought a better life for all; when any suffer for the lifestyles of some, I find it hard to say we are progressing. So, again the Church must reclaim its prophetic role in a world that usually only asks "Can this be done?" and seldom asks "Should this be done?" I thank Michael Northcott for his work of teaching us some of the right questions to ask.

Greensleeves

T-shirts are pretty much a staple of things "churchy." Whether it's a mission trip, a summer camp, vacation Bible school, or anything to do with a youth group, most churches make and distribute tons of shirts. I even went to a t-ball game tonight to cheer on the team from one of my new churches and said after the game, "I've got to get one of these shirts."

One reason t-shirts are so ubiquitous is because they are fairly cheap. But, as with most cheap things, they have many hidden costs. Fast food is cheap but extraordinarily bad for you if eaten regularly. Plastic dinnerware and disposables are cheap, but they are made in toxic ways and take eons to decompose. We've discovered more and more about cheap clothing (and even some clothing that isn't so cheap) being made in sweatshops in developing countries. Most t-shirts also contain dyes and other chemicals that are quite harmful to the environment.

So, what if all churches and camps and youth groups and t-ball teams committed to having green tees only?! It might cost a few more bucks up front, but all the hidden costs would be eliminated. I received a great gift of a green tee in the mail the other day from my friend The Rev. Cody Schuler. Cody is a UM pastor in the Dakotas Annual Conference, and to raise awareness for environmental stewardship they distributed eco-friendly t-shirts. I've worn the shirt now about four times because it's so comfortable. The label (which looks like a nutrition facts label) guarantees no sweatshop labor, no pesticides, no plastic prints, and no harsh resins. The shirt is made from 100% certified organic cotton and was printed using water based inks. It truly is my new favorite shirt, and I think given the choice people would prefer more shirts like this. Cody's group used www.tsdesigns.com for their shirts. Check them out for your next batch.

Thanks Cody, and here's hoping green tees will catch on with church groups of all sizes!

The Church Bathroom

I have been in quite a few church bathrooms in my life. They have ranged from simple water closets to marbled rooms of luxury that put my last apartment to shame. However, most bathrooms function in the same way, and their primary footprint on the environment concerns water and paper usage.

First, let's look at the water usage from toilets and sinks. Last year there was a severe drought in the South. I doubt this year will be different. But the drought got so bad that at one point I heard about what seemed like an extreme measure to conserve water. At a college football game in Georgia, people were stationed in the bathroom who were responsible solely for judging when a flush was necessary! I remember a slogan from camp that likely came into play. Well, again this does seem extreme, but perhaps they were onto something. I suspect that this practice would be seen as too crude to implement in any way in churches. But I think our manners and daintiness often pose problems in the life of discipleship, and I tend to believe God would rather us be a little more messy if that led to more good.

During my time in seminary, my school opened a new addition and one of the main bathrooms contained "waterless" urinals. Soon after (or possibly even before) it became mandatory to use these in new buildings on campus. I thought they were great (once people learned how to clean and treat them), but likely way too expensive to implement in an average church. I did a quick check minutes ago and found that they are only about $100 more than typical urinals. Once you figure in the water savings, they are likely more economical (as most green products are).

Finally, washing and drying hands is at issue. Well, as much as I hate the "spring-loaded, pain in the ass, Alcatraz style faucets" (as Jerry Seinfeld calls them), I must confess they are probably the way to go when water conservation is key. Granted we would like to think people only turn the faucets on briefly, but we have all been there when people leave the water running for much longer than necessary. Sometimes you have to make good decisions for people by limiting their options. Likewise using small amounts of paper towels probably isn't that bad. But some people act like they are going to clean up the Exxon Valdez. I would say hand dryers are definitely the way to go. I have always been a fan. Even though they take longer, there's something about them I like - and my hands truly feel cleaner.

So we've solved it: waterless urinals, spring-loaded faucets, hand dryers, and guards to rule on flushing. If this isn't ministry, nothing is.