Thursday, October 29, 2009

Preaching to the choir?

This is an interesting article on the Nature Conservancy's blog discussing how those of us who care about conservation can better reach others who don't. The blog author had just returned from a "Green Festival" in Washington, D.C., where she noticed that -- great as the festival lessons were -- they seemed to be merely preaching to the choir, to use an old church analogy. In this post, she offers suggestions ... some obvious, and some surprising. I particularly liked the last recommendation, to "celebrate the free stuff":

(copied directly from article:)
Many people still think that “being green” is expensive, but there are so many things that people can do that are eco-friendly and low cost that you can shout about:

  • Walking more and driving less. Save on gas and get some exercise at the same time.
  • Replacing your light bulbs with CFL bulbs. CFL bulbs cost a little more than incandescent bulbs, but they last up to 10 times longer while using about one-fourth of the energy, according to the Energy Department.
  • Eating more vegetarian meals. Beef averages $3 per pound in U.S. cities and boneless chicken breasts cost about $3.40 a pound. On the other hand, dried legumes and rice are less than $1 a pound.
  • Shopping (and eating) in season. Steering clear of strawberries and melons in the winter will not only save a lot of dough, you’ll avoid having your fruit shipped around the world.
  • Shopping online. No, not online stores, but on sites such as Craigslist or Freecycle, where you can find secondhand goods — everything from furniture to house wares to baby clothes — for really cheap or often completely free!

Challenge yourself to implement just one new strategy!! Every little bit helps, and you'll be showing others a great example of stewardship!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Welcome!

Welcome to God's Green Gang blog! GGG is a new "green" ministry of Christ United Methodist Church; our goal is to increase awareness of environmental stewardship and service to God through green living. Stay tuned for lots of great information, green tips, book reviews, product recommendations, and more!

Why I recycle

I posted this on my personal blog back in April and thought I'd share it here too.
-LeeAnne

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In all seriousness, I challenge everyone reading this to make one change -- just one small change -- in an effort to becoming more earth-friendly. It might be switching to compact flourescent bulbs. It might be shopping at local farmers' markets instead of big chain stores. It might simply be turning off lights and other electricity-eating devices when you're not using them. It might be a new commitment to recycling (Chattanooga DOES have this, and even if you don't have curbside pickup within the city limits, you CAN still drop items off at any recycling center.) It never fails to amaze me how many Christians don't worry about the environment and don't seem to do anything to take care of God's creation. The way I see it, He gave us this planet -- a planet that, unlike any other in the world, sustains human life so perfectly -- and we're killing it. Every day. Little by little. My personal environmentalism isn't because I'm an animal-loving-tree-hugging-granola-eating-vegetarian weirdo ... it's because I'm a Christian and I want to respect and honor the world I believe God created for us.

I'll step off my soapbox now and leave you with one plea: Don't be Stupid.

Happy Earth Day.