THE GREEN SANCTUARY PROJECT
Imagine for a moment a church community that had a fundamental, bottom-line commitment to living in harmony with the earth.
The program of such a church would be continuously infused with environmental ideas, actions, and spiritual ceremonies. There would be at least one children's religious education curriculum taught each year on the environment. The adults in the church would carry on a Simplicity Circle to help each other take actions in their lives that minimize their footprints on the planet. There would be field trips to sites of environmental concern and to places of great natural beauty. Community meals would emphasize locally-grown sustainable foods, free of biocides, with nothing wasted.
Worship would normally invoke elements of the earth and our human connectedness to it. There would be environmental prayers, music, altar objects, and readings. There would be services outdoors. On a regular basis, the minister and congregational leaders would focus sermons on the community of life and the challenges faced by this ecological community.
Image the building such a church would own. It's location would be accessible by human-powered and public transportation and would enhance rather than detract from wildlife habitat. It would capitalize on solar, wind and water energy to the fullest extent possible. The building would be built with native materials as much as possible, be well-insulated, lighted with natural light, cooled by natural breezes and heated by the sun. Appliances would be energy-efficient at every turn.
Image the grounds of such a church. Recognizing the importance of living well in one's particular place, the plant community would reflect native and well-adapted species for the ecozone of the church. Water levels applied to landscaping would be relatively consistent with those occurring naturally. Chemicals would be avoided, shading for the building would become important and vegetables would be grown for the community with compost produced through community meal preparation.
In such a church, the administration would be mindful of conservation in all its policies. Such policies would include recycled paper products, reusable dishes, cloth diapers, and the use of non-toxic cleaners, soaps, and art supplies. Church programs would include mending bees, swap programs, work parties, and recycling of paper, glass, metal and plastic products used by the church and its members. Church investments would emphasize socially and environmentally responsible funds.
Finally, such a church would embrace an external leadership role in highlighting environmental responsibility in the larger community, especially in relation to issues of eco-justice. The church would recognize that poor people and people of color are the first victims of environmental poisons and natural disasters, that the problems of the ecosystem cannot be solved without facing the problems of inequality. The church would undertake "projects", perhaps on an annual cycle--Impeding irresponsible industry or governmental action, developing appropriate land use planning, protecting critical habitats, cleaning up the environmental atrocities of the past, distributing environmental degradation equitably, reducing unneeded consumption. The church would participate in teaching the community that it exists not only in space but also in time--extending backward through memory and tradition, and forward--seven generations--through vision and legacy.
Green Sanctuary asks a church to engage in 17 actions over a candidacy year, organized into six areas of church life:
- Energy Conservation and Environmental Practices
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
- Church Communication
- Religious Education
- Worship
- Environmental Justice
Anyone interested in participating may contact Ed Arnold.
WHAT DO DO WITH THOSE OLD CELL PHONES?
It's time to get those old cell phones out of drawers and into recycling. If dumped into the trash, they can leak lead, cadmium, and mercury into groundwater and the atmosphere. Several companies/organizations provide easy disposal that will result in re-use or recycling and a possible tax deduction for you. Drop-off any brand of phones and related accessories at retail locations of:
- AT&T Wireless: It's Reuse & Recycle program will also pickup from businesses; click here to fill out a request form.
- Sprint: 100% of the net resale proceeds from its Project Connect benefit Easter Seals and the National Organization on Disability.
- Verizon Wireless: Through its Hopeline Program, Verizon donates wireless phones, airtime, monetary, and other contributions to domestic violence shelters and prevention programs across the country.
- Nextel: Issues a donation certificate (for tax deduction) or a credit on account for returns of its customers' phones only. Proceeds from donated phones support the American Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services program, which provides assistance to the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families around the world. Click here for more information.
- www.collectivegood.com: Recycling resource for mobile phones, pagers, or PDAs. They will send you a pre-paid shipping label and allow you to select among various charitable uses.
- Call to Protect / Donate a Phone: A program of the CTIA Wireless Foundation and ReCellular, the world's largest reseller, refurbisher, and recycler of used cell phones. Mail phones to the Program at 2555 Bishop Circle West, Dexter, MI 48130-1563. Charitable end uses.
- Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corp.: The website lists drop-off sites by zip code for portable rechargeable batteries commonly found in cordless power tools, cellular and cordless phones, laptop computers, camcorders, digital cameras, and remote control toys.
Think about organizing a collection of phones at your business!