Eco-act 029: support local

This week, we’ve been reading this excerpt of Wendell Berry’s article “The Idea of a Local Economy” — and we highly encourage you to read it. Berry articulates so well how and why local economies matter in the big and small scheme of things. We invite you to consider a few quotes, as big corporations and multinational companies continue shaping our world (inequitably for the poor and people of color…and inevitably for all of us who share the land and its resources):

One begins to ask, What is here, what is in me, that can lead to something better?

…So far as I can see, the idea of a local economy rests upon only two principles: neighborhood and subsistence. In a viable neighborhood, neighbors ask themselves what they can do or provide for one another, and they find answers that they and their place can afford. This, and nothing else, is the practice of neighborhood. This practice must be, in part, charitable, but it must also be economic, and the economic part must be equitable; there is a significant charity in just prices.

…The “free trade” which from the standpoint of the corporate economy brings “unprecedented economic growth,” from the standpoint of the land and its local populations, and ultimately from the standpoint of the cities, is destruction and slavery. Without prosperous local economies, the people have no power and the land no voice.

This example of the practice of neighborhood has us wondering in what ways are we operating out of equitable subsistence…out of providing for and receiving from our community (burritos - food security and care, our garden box - hands in the dirt and free food, tutoring - education and connection). The ending of this excerpt highlights the colonial economy that we all find ourselves in, which is poignant (especially as we try to decolonize our lives…see our recent post on accounting truthfully for Thanksgiving). How does this show up in your life and other spheres? What hits you from this article? Let us know in the comments.

shop local

keeping here vibrant✨

So, here’s where our holiday series gets practical. What better way to stand up to climate change than by supporting the hardworking businesses and people in our community?! Reduce shipping and transportation emissions and pick up your items in person (maybe even walk or bike there?). As Black Friday approaches next week, we encourage you to opt-out of the fanatical deals/consumerism that really only benefits “big box” corporations — many of whom have gotten a whole lot richer in this pandemic. And for you online shoppers, we were displeased to find out that many online shopping returns do not in fact get restocked…they often end up in the landfill in the tune of 5 billion pounds!

Anyway, as we head back into greater covid restrictions, our small businesses need our help (and if the federal gov’t won’t help…we will show up for our beloved small biz community!). So, we invite you to shop small and shop local on #SmallBusinessSaturday, 11/28 instead of Black Friday, and in addition to REI’s call to #optoutside (which by the way, they have great ideas about safe outdoor activities to get you reconnected with Creation!).

We especially recommend the Seattle-based company, Intentionalist, whose search tool you can use to find BIPOC-owned, veteran-owned, LGBTQ+-owned, disability-owned, family-owned, and women-owned businesses. You can sign up for some of their games and play bingo by frequenting certain stores — they even have a curated gift list to help your impact go further this holiday season. In the ways of food, may we suggest supporting Seattle Restaurant Week (errr, month), happening until 11/21. Finally, here’s an updated list with covid-updated eateries. You can also refer to previous Eco-faith posts for more local farmers, book stores, etc!

So. Vote with your wallet by re-circulating your money in your local economies and let us know how you are practicing neighborhood in the comments below!

Eco-act 028: thankfulness, and thoughts about two traditions

With mid-November and colder weather, we anticipate Native American Heritage Month & also Thanksgiving. But in 2020, is this just “muscle memory?” After all, this month falls at a dark moment in a dark year. Holiday travel will be curtailed. Family gatherings will be smaller or relegated to zoom—or even canceled. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be a TV-only event, featuring no high school or college marching bands, no live spectators.

In all of this, we must also acknowledge the truth about Thanksgiving — that Native people showed generosity to settlers yet their treaty rights, land, and ways of being have not been honored — they have been decimated. Still, some 400+ years later, we hope that you might learn more about Native American Heritage Month and find ways to practice gratitude to the Indigenous tribes whose land we occupy. (As Kitchen Table Conversations discussed this week, often good meaning “woke” people get things wrong — it is messy. Check out this poignant, satirical play by Larissa FastHorse for more: The Thanksgiving Play).

While our present moment is one of complexity, there are still many reasons to be thankful: our health, for most of us. Our veterans. Our friends and family, resilience, the promise of vaccines, warm memories of better times. Jojo’s release. Our community’s care for food security.

living grateful

decolonizing Thanksgiving, celebrating climate wins

We can also find reasons for gratitude regarding our environment and climate change. Consider …

• Young people everywhere who are setting aside panic, indifference or despair and acting to support climate justice. And not just Greta Thunberg. How about high schooler Tseng I-Ching and her discovery of a Styrofoam-eating bacterium? How about Julia Bennett and Isabella Schaak and their efforts to remove single-use plastic from their Minnesota high school? And how about so many more young people, known and unknown to us, in school and after graduation, working to make the world a better place even before they inherit it?

• Walmart's on-track project with its partners to remove 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases from its supply chain by 2030 — hopefully not just a move of corporate green-washing but of genuine commitment to our collective future.

• Apple's commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030; and since the company’s own electricity requirements are already being met 100% through renewable sources, further progress will be accomplished through its suppliers.

• The growing role of wind and solar in meeting global electricity requirements

• Lyft's plan to operate a 100% electric vehicle fleet by 2030

• The efforts of Seattle/King County and other government bodies to tackle recycling and climate change more broadly

By themselves, of course, these and similar efforts will not be enough to stop or reverse climate change. Much more needs to be done — especially at the policy/institutional levels. But these developments point to a broader understanding of and response to climate change. They do give us reason to hope and call us to gratitude this month (and always).

As we plan our Thanksgiving dinners, perhaps we can also take a moment to reflect on the story of the first Thanksgiving—specifically, the fact that two groups attended. Our traditions are likely built around grandma’s cranberry sauce or Aunt Jane’s pumpkin pie, or …. But does any part of the feast honor the Native people whose food and traditions were shared — might we decolonize our Thanksgiving meals? In addition to the tips listed, note that Three Sisters Salad uses ingredients demonstrating companion planting, an earth-wise technique employed by Native American planters for perhaps 10,000 years. Food, land, history, sustenance. Something to think about as we plan our gardens for next growing season!

And here’s one final thought as we approach Thanksgiving: the following day is Black Friday, the unofficial “tradition” that kicks off the Christmas shopping season. Before we jump into it, perhaps we can take a deep breath and think about how to tailor our gift-giving (and gift requests!) with climate change in mind. How can we reduce the greenhouse gas emissions generated by our own shopping trips, and by the UPS/FedEx/Amazon vehicles that will deliver our gifts—and handle our returns? Can we reduce the wrapping materials that would normally clutter landfills in the holiday aftermath? Can we repair/repurpose/re-gift a piece of furniture or clothing to avoid recycling or disposing of it? Can we think of recycling as the last resort? (The best case is having nothing to recycle in the first place!)

We have reasons for gratitude this Thanksgiving, personally, and with respect to climate change. Governments and corporations have begun to act in, larger, more responsible ways. A host of individuals are rising to the occasion, and each of us can contribute in a variety of ways. In fact, maybe this is the biggest thing we can be thankful for: our ability to act. What a blessing! The game isn’t over … it’s still on. Happy Thanksgiving!

Eco-Act 027: Gifts that Ripple

It’s the day after the election, with many of the results still pending. What is clear, is that regardless of the outcome, we need to continue acting with hope, purpose, and solidarity to care for the most vulnerable parts of Creation — human and non-human. Chances are high that thinking about eco-faith holiday gifts is probably low on your list of priorities, or even what you have the attention for right now. So let’s keep this short!

Green Gifts

of the Spirit

As we continue with our segment on planet/people-conscious gift-giving this holiday season, we invite you to think creatively about what kind of gifts you might give. Specifically, could you support organizations or creatives stewarding right relations with our (BIPOC, LGBTQ+, poor) communities, God, and all of Creation on behalf of your loved ones? As a reminder, climate change most and first impacts Black, Indigenous people of color, LGBTQ+, poor, and other underserved communities. Supporting individuals and orgs that seek to center these groups is part of practicing eco-faith and ensuring that all human and non-human relations flourish.

Beyond limiting consumerism, how cool to think that our generosity and giving to our loved ones could go farther and positively ripple out to other parts of our communities this season. Consider planning with your gift receiver (or make it a surprise!) and support some hardworking orgs or folks with a one-time or ongoing gift. Here are a few ideas to get your creativity moving:

• Sunrise Movement: “Sunrise is a youth movement to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process. [They’re] building an army of young people to make climate change an urgent priority across America, end the corrupting influence of fossil fuel executives on our politics, and elect leaders who stand up for the health and wellbeing of all people.”

• Community Alliance for Global Justice: This Seattle-based education and advocacy group focuses on food justice, agriculture justice, and trade justice, in order to “support…the movements for healthy local food economies here and everywhere.” Their program specifically works with many BIPOC farmworkers to ensure better working, living, and market conditions for the communities who grow so much of our food.

• Black Farmers Collective/Yes Farm: We’ve already covered this Seattle-based, Black-led farm collective (and other Black farmers!). Support their efforts toward a more “sustainable, equitable future for communities of color [by] eliminating food scarcity and undoing the commoditization of the food industry.”

• Art: Creative expression through various art mediums is a critical, imaginative part of our collective liberation! Consider donating to cultivate the arts in our region. Read more about Acts on Stage’s upcoming screening of 12 Angry Men. Also, check out the important work that Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery is doing in Burien to center Latinx artists and community events. Finally, consider supporting the Wing Luke Museum for Asian American Pacific Islander histories, especially in the Seattle area.

And remember, support doesn’t always have to look like pure donations. You can purchase produce, craft goods, services, and other experiences from these communities to sustain their businesses and creatively liberative offerings.

Do you have any particular artisans or companies that you like to donate to or purchase from? Share your favorites in the comments!

Eco-Act 026: Eco-faith in the holiday season

Before we begin, we remind you to vote! You’ve likely heard enough about this but we want to recognize the importance of voting (especially for initiatives/candidates who will fight for environmental justice!), as this is our last post before next Tuesday, 11/3. Also, feel free to join us 10/29 for our first ever eco-faith discussion on gardening. Now, to continue with our regular programming:

Today we begin exploring ideas for living into our eco-faith, purposefully and hopefully, as we prepare for and enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas. Welcome!

Let’s start by acknowledging three hard realities that co-exist with the holiday season:

Christmas icons and climate change: Many of our holiday traditions are rooted in the notion of a cold, snowy northern hemisphere. Meanwhile, a Smithsonian Magazine article identifies several important seasonal symbols under climate attack:

• Northward-receding habitats have put reindeer populations at risk.

• Drought, heat, and flooding have made Christmas trees more difficult to grow—and more expensive.

• Global warming threatens to make white Christmases a quaint memory.

• Extreme weather conditions challenge cocoa and maple syrup production and increase their price.

• Santa’s North Pole home base and workshop will sink or face relocation as the polar icecap disappears.

Holiday feasting and food insecurity: According to the National Turkey Federation and the University of Illinois, U.S. turkey consumption has almost doubled since 1970, with nearly 90% of Americans surveyed eating turkey on Thanksgiving; roughly 46 million turkeys are downed that day, followed by 22 million more at Christmas. But in this pandemic year, turkey farmers worry about reduced demand, even as a “new study from the University of Washington estimates statewide food insecurity is at 30%.” Hmmm …. Too much and yet not enough.

Christmas gifts, greenhouse gas emissions, and landfills: Gallup data suggests a COVID-driven decline in Christmas spending this year. But the pandemic makes online shopping more appealing—with negative consequences for the environment. Most delivery trucks generate exhaust fumes, after all. And a less obvious factor is the ease and convenience of gift returns: those items require transportation too—and The Guardian reports that much of what is returned “ends up in landfills. Each year Americans return about 3.5 billion products, and five billion pounds of returned goods ended up in US landfills.” The article continues “… data shows that 88% of consumers think that returns go right back on the shelf and are resold to the next consumer…. But in reality, the majority of returned items cannot be resold as new. …the landfill waste from returns alone contributes 15 million metric tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere…. Clothing sales have a particularly high return rate, between 40 and 50%. That’s because, as one market research firm puts it, ‘the bedroom is the new fitting room.’”

Wow. So how might we respond to these realities? We could let them diminish our holidays. We could settle for less comfort and joy. We could just plow ahead and allow some guilt or resignation to dampen our spirits.

Eco-Faith

& the season before us

Or we could mindfully, intentionally seek ways to adapt our holiday traditions to today’s environmental realities. We could enjoy all that’s good and important and meaningful about the holidays at the same time that we care for our environment. For example …

• We might buy a live Christmas tree or, if we choose a cut or artificial tree, plant a live tree as well.

• We could make it a point to donate food as a way of sharing our blessings and reducing food insecurity.

• We could think long and carefully about the gifts we give—and ask for—this year. Are they really needed? Must the gift be purchased new, or could it be a used item? Could something be repaired or repurposed and thus transformed into a welcome gift? Could our pre-loved items be donated to those who would appreciate them? Could we give experiences instead of things? Could we shop with a view to minimizing packaging and same-day deliveries? Could we re-gift items instead of returning them?

Together, let’s choose this much more purposeful, hopeful second path! Let’s set aside our eco-anxieties and take one—or a few—earth-friendly actions that might just add to the warmth and joy of the season. Our goal over the next few weeks will be to offer some ideas for you to consider as we all look for ways to care for the earth as we care for each other.