Across the country, it seems that divisiveness and political turmoil have risen to a fever pitch. Family, friends, and neighbors are often at odds over issues that can cause anger and hurt. With the election behind us, it will take understanding, patience, and determination to heal the country as we move forward. We thank you for joining us in taking a pledge to develop and sustain a personal sense of peace and nonviolence in all aspects of our lives and bring us together.
Each Monday, from November 9 through December 21, we will be sending you a list of resources and suggestions on how to lead a more peaceful, just, and sustainable life. It’s a way of working toward eliminating violence, one step at a time, starting with ourselves.
Peace and all good!
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WEEK FOUR
To Respect Creation: To treat the environment and all living things with respect and care and lead a sustainable lifestyle.
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Pope Francis's encyclical letter on ecology, Laudato Si' says all of the best and truest things that could be said about our place here on Earth, "our common home”. Pope Francis calls us to understand our role among the deeply connected creatures of God's creation. He calls us to lead simpler lives that are more authentic and less driven by consumption. Most of all, he calls us to care for the Earth and its people. Fr. James Martin, S.J., summarizes the ten of the most important things you need to know about Laudato Si’ in this brief video. MORE
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The Paris Agreement is the first truly global commitment to fight the climate crisis. In 2015, 195 countries and the European Union signed on to a single, sweeping agreement that aims to keep global warming to well below 2°C (3.6°F)—and make every effort to go above 1.5°C (2.7°F). President Trump withdrew the United States from the agreement this year. The National Resources Defense Council takes a look at what the Paris Agreement does, how it works, and why it’s so critical to our future. MORE
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From its extraction through sale, use, and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The film exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It’ll teach you something, it’ll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever. MORE
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Across the globe, extreme weather is becoming the new normal. Destructive wildfires, record hurricanes, deadly heatwaves and drought, torrential rains, and flooding. From season to season and year to year, weather events that were once rare occurrences are now increasingly commonplace. Why is this happening? MORE
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Whether you own or rent your home, you have the option to purchase renewable electricity, either directly from your power supplier, from an independent clean power generator, or through renewable energy certificates. In Iowa and Wisconsin, Alliant Energy customers can participate in the "Second Nature" program in which supports electricity generated from renewable resources. Customers elect to have 25, 50 or 100% of their power come from alternative energy that Alliant obtains from a landfill gas facility, an anaerobic digester, solar and wind farms. Programs start at an additional $4 per month. MORE (residents outside of IA/WI can find local info HERE)
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Living a sustainable lifestyle is to live in a way that would meet all the natural human needs to be alive: food, water, and shelter. But without wasting resources or causing additional harm the planet. By adopting a sustainable lifestyle, we stand a chance to ensure that future generations will have not only a place to call home but will have the essential resources that they need to survive. Minimalism made Simple lists 50 small actions that will help you to be more grateful for the world that we all share. MORE
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A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide and methane) that are generated by our actions. The average carbon footprint for a person in the United States is 16 tons, one of the highest rates in the world. Globally, the average is closer to 4 tons. To have the best chance of avoiding a 2℃ rise in global temperatures, the average global carbon footprint per year needs to drop under 2 tons by 2050. This interactive calculator from the Nature Conservatory indicates your personal carbon footprint and shows where you can start to make changes in your lifestyle to cause less harm to the Earth. MORE
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Better World Shopper is a public research project dedicated to making social and environmental data available to consumers who wish to make purchase decisions that align with their values and help build a better world. It is a comprehensive database of over 2000 businesses that enables consumers to hold companies accountable in a practical way, every day. Companies’ track records are evaluated for five major categories: human rights, the environment, animal protection, community involvement, and social justice. MORE
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There is one major area of your life that makes arguably the biggest environmental impact: your food decisions. Most of us grow up not giving a second thought to how our food ended up on our plates, but making a few simple shifts in the way we purchase our foods can have a big impact on the food system and, by extension, the environment. This simple sustainable eating guide, by Registered Dietitian Kristina Todini, shows how simple shifts can mean eating a green, healthy diet that is good for you and the planet. MORE
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The Earth911 Recycling Guide is an indispensable resource in your quest to “reduce, re-use, recycle.” Simply enter the material you are hoping to recycle along with your zip code and click “search.” Find out the closest locations to you where those items are accepted for recycling. You may be surprised to learn that you can recycle a lot more than you thought possible: everything from toothbrushes to clothes hangers, plastic playsets, trophies, and surfboards. MORE
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Inspired by the Pledge of Nonviolence
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