October Creation Tips
How you think of yourself matters. We’ve repeatedly been told we are consumers, but to consume means “to use things up.” Rejecting that label and seeing ourselves as citizens—ones who care for the welfare of the community—makes a difference in our actions. Which one aligns with our faith? Who do you want to be?
Fall is another planting season, this time for perennials. Choose native plants that bloom in the fall, such as asters. They give us a pop of autumn color, and more importantly they provide food and shelter for pollinators during the lean seasons of fall and winter. Feed them, and they will feed us too.
Creation Justice ident
Slay the vampires in your house. Digital clocks, coffee makers, TVs, cable boxes, and other devices aren’t idling, they’re stealing. Even if they are turned off, if they are connected to the power source, they are drawing energy. Use a power strip to plug in your appliances wherever you can. Turn off the strip, and you save the power.
Remodeling? Prioritize energy efficiency. Consider appliances, solar panels, tankless water heater, low-flow water-saving faucets and toilets, replacement windows, additional insulation, LED lights. Upgrade your home to care for your other home: Earth. The Environmental Protection Agency has ideas to help.
A scientist steeped in the data of climate change grieved over the lack of action at the policy level. In the face of something big she couldn’t change, she committed to walking her children to school two days a week and to riding her bike to work. She then put solar panels on her roof. She chose to act where she could. “Little” things add up.
You may not know it, but your money may be funding the fossil fuel industry. Large, well-known banks invest about a trillion dollars every year in the companies that are wreaking havoc on our environment. Move your money to a community development bank or a credit union and contact your former bank to tell them why you changed—and why they should too. Make your money work for the well-being of all.
Every plastic toothbrush ever made worldwide since the 1930’s still exists today. Plastic doesn’t go away, but you can go away from plastic. Switch to bamboo. Learn more at brushwithbamboo.com.
Trees not only produce oxygen and clean and cool the air, but they also absorb carbon dioxide, lessening the effects of burning fossil fuels. Assess your space at home and at church. The air we breathe needs us to plant more trees! Fall and winter are the best seasons for planting. Check with the Arbor Day Foundation.
You already are careful not to let the water flow continuously while you brush your teeth. Transfer that same care to getting dishes ready for the dishwasher. Scrape food off. Compost what you can. Run a mere cup or two of water into a large dish or bowl, shut off the water, start rinsing. You may want to use a long-handled brush. Dishwashers are more water conserving that hand washing, and dishwashers don’t require super-clean dishes to start with. Save water.
Businesses have a greater impact toward a more sustainable future than individuals. And each of us can have an impact on businesses. When you need to make a purchase, shop for the company not just the product. Support businesses that practice sustainability with their products and their production. Purchase from ones that care and give back. Here’s one example: Who Gives a Crap.
When your children ask questions about climate change, be prepared. The Climate Reality Project has a free, 23-page guide for talking with young ones about it. Check out "Beginning the Climate Conversation: A Family's Guide."
For more about the UM Creation Justice Movement, go to umcreationjustice.org.