Environment e-news
God's Green Fingers
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Welcome to an extra addition of God's Green Fingers. We may be physically isolated, but we can stay connected. So please do sign up for our Facebook page
and join the Environment Community on the Digital Learning Platform.
Now may be a time when you have a little more time to find out more about climate change and nature depletion, so the Resource section below is a bursting with items for you. There is an Outdoor Worship Resources to help you worship in and with the rest of creation, which includes outdoor Easter prayer suggestions.
Living through one emergency can help us to reflect on how to tackle another: the creation crisis. While this may not be at the forefront of our minds, the pandemic may help many of us reconsider what our priorities are, give us time to reconnect with nature and remember our dependence on Christ's creation.
As we celebrate Easter in new ways this year, let's rejoice in the hope of renewal for all creation through Jesus's death and resurrection.
Jemima Parker,
Diocesan Environment Officer
[email protected]
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New Online Environmental Discussion Forum
The Environment Community on the Diocesan Learning Platform is a new space for discussion and resource sharing. For many of us "talking" online is a new experience, but it offers the opportunity to learn from others and share our experiences.
Join in with topics such as how Covid-19 will effect your church's environmental impact or how to become an Eco Church.
Simply sign up to the Diocesan Learning Platform here, and then join the Environment Community here.
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Self-Isolation: Home Energy Tips
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With most of us following government guidance, working from home and staying in, how is this effecting our home energy use? What are the knock on effects on our energy bills and our carbon emissions. What can we do to keep our CO2 down even in a these difficult times? Here are some
top tips.
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Leeds Ash Wednesday Pilgrimage
Judith Allinson charts in words and pictures her pilgrimage style walk in Leeds with five outdoor stopping points/reflection areas, organised by a recently formed Leeds Christian Climate Action group.
Read here.
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Closed Churches: Check for Energy Waste
The Church of England have published guidance on "Securing and caring for your church buildings during the Covid-19 pandemic". The guidance encourages switching the heating off, allowing a wild area to grow in the churchyard and encouraging the congregation to enjoy personal outdoor worship.
Read here.
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Get Your Voice Heard: Write a Letter for Creation
A new Church of England initiative, Letters for Creation, invites children and young people under 30 to write letters (or videos, photographs, poems, songs, posters etc.) reflecting on what caring for creation means to them and how they want their voice to be heard in the climate justice conversation. The submissions will be exhibited ahead of the COP26 climate change talks.
More.
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National Trust Launches #BlossomWatch
The National Trust is asking people to celebrate the blossom season - emulating Hanami, the ancient Japanese tradition of viewing and celebrating blossom as the first sign of spring. Join in the joy of God's creation. More.
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Green Christian Zoom On
Members of Green Christian have been using the video conferencing service, Zoom to connect, worship and help in various ways. Anyone can join in.
Read more.
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The once-a-decade gathering of the bishops of the Anglican Communion, which was to be held in Canterbury, in July and August this year, has been rescheduled for 2021 in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. In his video announcement, Archbishop Justin speaks of the conference focus and how our mission to the world is being changed by the pandemic.
Watch here.
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Iceland has been asking what is really important for their society and economy. They are going to be using 39 wellbeing factors to measure national progress, not just GDP as most nations have historically relied on.
More.
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John Daniels, of Green Christians' Joy in Enough movement, reflects on the Coronavirus and the connections between the environment and the economy.
Read more.
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Together with the World Council of Churches, the Global Catholic Climate Movement and Green Anglicans, Operation Noah has been planning a global divestment announcement for faith organisations. Operation Noah and their partners have decided to reschedule the announcement to 18 May 2020.
Read more.
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A corner of the Amazon that had been cleared and used as farmland has been restored to rainforest. The man who owns it, Omar Tello, gave up his job as an accountant and spent 40 years recreating a patch of pristine forest in Ecuador, stretching just a few hundred metres in each direction.
Watch here.
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The reduced impact of humanity on creation is an extraordinary window into a low carbon world. Being able to hear the birds sing, tasting clean air rather than roadside pollution and clear silent nights. One photographer commented, "The extraordinary nature of this situation is giving us a unique opportunity to enjoy the incredible beauty that is all around us." In pictures
here.
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Creation Care at My Church
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We are considering running a series of one hour webinars/discussion groups during this time of restrictions. What training or support would you find most helpful to equip you to be more effective in caring for creation in your parish?
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The 2020 We Don't
Have Time Climate Conference:
Earth Day Week, April 20-25
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An international, public, free, online, no-fly climate conference. The program features the brightest minds to discuss solutions to the most daring challenge humanity has ever faced, the climate crisis. View the programme and register for free here
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A ready to print magazine article for your Parish Magazine!
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Where to Worship?
In this time with the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic when church services have been put on hold, where should we go to worship?
Jemima Parker explores how we can worship God in nature.
Magazine Article
here
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Eco Top Tips
Find a weekly top tip here for your Parish Newsletter:
Year 1
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All of nature is always worshiping Christ, its creator and redeemer. As humanity, we get to choose to join in!
Here are a range of resources that you may like to try out in your local park, churchyard, or if you are fortunate enough to be able to go for a walk in the countryside. However, you may be able to find joy and wonder from your armchair looking out the window, viewing nature photos or videos or in your garden.
Here
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The Carbon Literacy Project offer 10 things you can do to stay busy while self-isolating, whilst keeping your carbon emission low!
Read here.
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Free monthly email of ideas for outdoor activities, biblical reflection and action for nature-loving, climate-caring Christians to support and inspire each other to take effective action together.
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BBC Radio 4. Rob Newman tells the stories of five of God's creatures once thriving now wiped from the planet. We may often think of extinction as a rare occurrence, wiping out the dinosaurs and such, but as Newman's show demonstrates, extinction happens with alarming regularity. Listen on BBC Sounds
here
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BBC Radio 4. Keep your eco knowledge up to date with these informative 30 minute radio programmes. Topics from local new build housing to burning plastic and the impacts of veganism in the UK.
Listen here.
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Week by week Biblical reflections and sermon hints for the Lectionary reading, with an environmental theme.
Click here.
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If you have not already had the opportunity to read Saying Yes to Life The Archbishop of Canterbury's 2020 Lent Book it comes highly recommended and with complementary with youth resources and videos to accompany the book.
Read more.
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Are you concerned about climate change, but not sure how to pray? Use these monthly prayer resources for personal prayer, small groups and for intercessors. Monthly prayer points published just ahead of 1st of each month. Other service resources also available.
Click here.
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Funding for a Fuel Poverty Project?
Try the
Energy Redress Fund which takes money from fines applied to big energy companies and redistributes it to charities who offer energy advice/energy saving projects for vulnerable people.
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Environmental Preachers
To meet the need for sermon requests on caring for creation across the Diocese of Leeds. Are you a Reader or Retired Clergy person? Would you be able to offer occasional Sundays in your area? Contact
Jemima Parker.
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Parish Environment Reps
Are you the environmental enthusiast in your church or do you know the person who is? We are seeking a Rep in each parish to receive information and take up training opportunities.
More.
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Become a Carbon Conversations Facilitator
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Would you like to help your church and community reduce their personal carbon footprint? Take the
Carbon Conversations Course and Facilitator's Training course. If interested, please email
Jemima Parker.
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Please join our discussion group on Facebook by following the below link!
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Church House
17-19 York Place
Leeds, LS1 2EX
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