Eco-Act 024: “To every thing there is a season ….” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Planting and tending a garden, and feasting on the harvest, are always satisfying activities, whether the garden is our own yard/patio/windowsill or the gardens that stock farmers’ markets and grocery store bulk food aisles. But this year gardening has offered something more profound: hope—the calming reassurance that at some deep level, the world still works: plant—nurture—say thanks—enjoy.

Garden

+ hope

But now this wonderful season comes to what Mary Oliver, near the end of “Six Recognitions of the Lord,” called the exquisite, necessary diminishing. What might we do now, to keep hope alive? Six thoughts are humbly offered.

1. Gardening is diminished, not done. A variety of gardening books, Food Grown Right, In Your Back Yard, for example, list ways to garden into late fall/winter. Garlic will over-winter and can still be planted outdoors for spring/early summer harvesting. Other hardy plants still have a chance outside too—chard and kale, for example, particularly if you can find starts. (But hurry….) Now is also the time for a last weeding/clearing-out and amending the soil. And consider a bit of indoor winter gardening—herbs in pots, or recycled scallions.

2. Buy vegetables, beans and grains that don’t come in packages. In other words, choose foods available in supermarket organic and bulk-food aisles or, if you’re comfortable shopping there, at farmers’ markets such as Pike Place Market. Think of this as your act of solidarity with other gardeners whose crops travel a shorter distance to your table—and, ideally, use less plastic.

3. Enjoy another kind of “garden.” Make it a point to regularly walk in nature. On your walks, choose specific trees, or hedges, or garden beds, and notice their cadence as they, and we, progress into and then out of winter. Or visit a formal garden such as the Seattle Japanese Garden to enjoy gardening on an entirely different scale.

4. Reflect. If we let them, gardening and food shopping can link us in a tiny way to climate change and global food security. According to Food Forward, “Currently, we produce enough food for the global population, but not everyone has equal access to food, due to income inequality, geopolitical conflicts, and other factors. In fact, we produce (and waste) so much food that if we prevented just 25% of global food waste, which totals at 1.3 billion tons annually, we could feed all 870 million people suffering from chronic undernourishment.” How can we embody this reality in our individual actions?

5. Think, then act.

• We can start with our own behavior: we can waste less food, which includes buying blemished produce along with the perfect specimens and buying only the quantities we need.

• We can include beneficial foods such as oatmeal, shade-grown coffee and seaweed, in meal plans. We’ve talked before about using our purchasing power to encourage farmers and food companies to behave in more eco-friendly ways. Farmers could plant oats or barley, for example, between rows of corn and soybeans—if we incent them to do so. Who would have thought that eating more oatmeal could be an act of eco-care?! According to this same article, “green eating,” which includes eating less meat, would bring affluent nations into closer alignment with their own dietary guidelines and “greenhouse gases from food production would fall by 13 to 25 percent.”

• We can consider garden modifications that take climate change into account. These might include introducing native plants/controlling invasive species; growing plants that support pollinators and birds; retiring gas-powered yard tools; reducing water consumption with mulch, rain barrels, drip irrigation, spot watering and limiting watering to early morning/evening; composting waste; planting trees to absorb CO2; reducing hardscapes; and creating a rain garden.

6. Dream. Recently we started to wonder … next spring, what if everyone in the Union community who gardens, or who could garden, decided to plant extra tomatoes, or lettuce, or spinach, or onions, peppers, melons, squash, potatoes, …. Could we grow enough food to make a difference for someone else? Would you participate in such a project? What other gardening dreams might we turn into reality as purposeful, hopeful acts of caring for the world and each other? We also invite you to attend our first Eco-Faith Virtual Discussion on 10/29 @ 7 pm, more info here.

Eco-Act 023: Stories from the fields

As we round out our waste series (for now), we thought we’d highlight a food waste story from our greater region that has local implications. Earlier this summer, Alysun Deckert — studio 3 elder and UWMC nutritionist — sent us an article about a former coworker who started a nonprofit (read: movement!) to redistribute food in our region at the onset of COVID-19. By partnering with farmers in Eastern WA who had surplus produce and community members all over the state, George Ahearn and co. began moving tons of produce, dairy, meat and other foods to create more food security in this time of need.

moving food

with community

Since its inception in late April, EastWest Food Rescue has diverted 8,000,000+ pounds of food and served 1,500,000+ meals. And it all started through serendipitous community connections. You can read more about their story and the heart behind this food movement in this UW Bothell article, or by visiting their website above. As our eco-act for this week, we challenge you to meditate on George’s words from the UW interview:

“It’s really just finding a way to connect the dots. I was amazed to see a potato give people hope and to bring tears to people on both sides — the donors and the recipients. A potato can give people purpose,” he said. “So, figure out what dots you have in your life and try to connect those and make it easier for someone.”

And isn’t that how it happens? We’ve seen the harvest and abundance of opportunity grow as we invest in relationships with those we live with, our neighbors, and community partners during this year. Acts of tending and keeping (our first vocation, according to Genesis) can be as simple as a potato — literally.

So what dots in your life can you connect around food security, waste, care for the earth, and ultimately, justice? Might there be an opportunity to cook an extra meal for a neighbor — on your street or from Compass House? Could you plant your garden this winter and coming warm season, planning to grow some excess produce to be used in Union’s various food ministries? Or maybe you might connect with EastWest Food Rescue by volunteering your time to let nothing go wasted.

Let us know what dots you connect and the ideas you might have that our community can help you grow.

Eco-Act 022: A bit of sacrifice, with purpose, in hope

Imagine “a social and economic order that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts.” In this system, supplies of goods exceed demand, so tools such as planned obsolescence and advertising must be employed to create demand and sustain economic growth. What would you call this system? It’s consumerism, of course, and it’s linked to climate change. Or, as a June 2019 New Republic article title states succinctly: “Climate Change Is the Symptom. Consumer Culture Is the Disease.” And it’s a disease we need to cure if we’re serious about the health of our world.

But how can one person take on consumerism? The answer is complex—but positive, and urgent. It starts by understanding who that “one person” is in the context of economic power. According to James Dyke, writing in inews.co.uk, ”If [your household has a net annual] income of at least £30,000 [$38,700], you are one of the richest 10 percent of the global population and can row back on your consumerism. It’s those households … that are responsible for 52% of the carbon that was emitted into the atmosphere from between 1990 and 2015.”

fight consumerism

one decision at a time

So not only can we do something, we MUST do something, because we are dealing with a global economic/ecologic imbalance, and we’re on the side with influence. The “10%” described above fuels consumerism and enjoys its benefits, driving carbon emissions. The remaining 90% of the world’s population deals with varying degrees of poverty and enjoys less or none of the consumer lifestyle. To achieve quality-of-life gains, they actually need to consume more. As new Oxfam research states, climate change is associated with growing consumption among the “have’s,” not by poor populations rising out of poverty. It’s we who must act. What to do? In posts 016 and 018 we talked about the circular economy as an earth-friendly alternative to the linear “take/make/dispose” model that contributes to climate change and threatens our world. Our contribution to “circularity” includes recycling, but vital as this act is, even consistent, disciplined recycling cannot by itself compensate for the excesses of consumerism and address climate change. So we humbly offer "5 R’s” to prompt some thought about additional actions each of us might take:

1. Refuse/reduce: do I actually need that? Can I delay buying it, or buy less/fewer? Can I rent or borrow or barter for it? Can I take fewer/longer vacations instead of shorter/more frequent trips? Can I substitute a vegetarian meal for a meat-based meal once a day?

2. Reuse/repurpose/reclaim: can worn-out sheets or draperies become rags, towels or rag rugs? Can I build my deck with reclaimed lumber? Am I doing everything I can to stop wasting food? Can I walk or bike more to reduce driving?

3. Repair: can an item’s life be extended through careful repair? Do I know someone who can reweave a tattered wool blanket, for example?

4. Recycle/return: am I doing everything I can to responsibly recycle? Can I return an item, clothing or electronics, for example, to the seller or through a city program?

5. Relocate: okay, it’s a stretch, but it’s an “r,” and it’s meant to suggest relocating something I own to someone else via sharing or donating.

You get the idea. My small sacrifices joined with your small sacrifices, made with purpose, in hope, can moderate consumerism and make a difference.

A final thought: businesses, especially profitable ones, may not rush to change what works for them just to benefit the environment. We, as consumers, acting responsibly, intentionally, collectively, have to tell them to do so by what we purchase or decline to purchase. We can do this!

Eco-Act 021: Simplicity

Over the course of the last six months, most of us have had to think about organizing our lives differently.

Whether our calendars have been full or empty on Zoom or in other physically distanced social settings, for the most part we’ve become less busy. Working from home — and really doing everything from home — has made for a slower pace of life in a lot of ways. Less commute time, more time with those we live with (for better or worse…mostly for better we think!!), more time to be present to each moment in the form of a meal without scrolling or a prayerful morning cup of coffee. There’s a certain re-balancing and peace that has been found in this period of reorienting and reframing.

This time at home has also made it evident that we don’t really need all the stuff that we’ve accumulated. Clothes, junk drawers, shoes, and furniture have been cleaned out (for some, multiple times). We’ve down-sized our stuff and passed it on to find a loving home elsewhere. Hopefully, by trying Ridwell, donating to your local Goodwill, or even redistributing your goods to some community organizations (see our current list here), we have also reduced waste. The circular economy does seem to be alive and well as more of us are at home.

emptying

to find life

Though the last six months have been difficult, there have been some bright spots…living simply being one of them! Though somewhat of an inevitable in quarantine, this principle is one thing that has also been held as one of the positives that many of us hope will stick around after COVID is over. And it’s got spiritual significance too. From the desert mothers and fathers, to St. Francis of Assisi, to even the Amish today, there is precedence for Christians to empty of themselves (kenōsis…see Phil. 2:7) of their “own power and desire on behalf of the other” — very Christ-like and incarnational indeed (Introducing Eco-Theology, 194). We would argue too, that we become more ourselves — more of who God calls us to be — when there are less clutter and distractions, and more love for God and our Beloved Community.

Here are some ideas to practice more simplicity:

• Reflect — breathe and contemplate this Richard Rohr reflection on Wendell Berry…also, check out Fr. Rohr’s series on Simplicity here.

• Relationality is key — in this time of physical distance, check in on neighbors, friends, and family that you haven’t connected with in a while. Phone calls and snail mail are encouraged!

• Take a sabbath — including from screens!

• De-clutter — go through your stuff and find items new homes.

• Support your neighborhood — frequent your local school, butcher, coffee shop, gas station, etc…and invest in relationships there.

• Mindful movement — take a walk outside or do some gentle stretches to simply be present to all that is around you.

So what are some ways you’ve been living more simply, especially in these last six months? We’d love to hear in the comments below!

Eco-Act 020: Combatting future fires and smoke, now

Most people see the link between climate change and the dangerous, tragic wildfires that have engulfed the West Coast this season. The King County Strategic Climate Action Plan (SCAP) specifically names the increased potential for wildfires, along with heavier rains, hotter summers, reduced snowpack, increased flooding and rising sea levels, as climate change features that will impact all of us. Denying this or failing to act aggressively now all but guarantees disastrous consequences for our individual and collective futures.

Fortunately, the SCAP deals with climate change reality on three fronts: reducing greenhouse gases; working for equity across diverse neighborhoods; and realistically preparing for climate change impacts. The plan lays out specific government actions for doing so, including policy changes, tighter regulations, community engagement initiatives, and capital investments. But what can we as individuals do? How can we support the larger-scale efforts undertaken by the government, and for that matter, private business?

The Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which is shrouded by thick haze from wildfires in Washington and Oregon. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times).

We can start by carefully reviewing our current efforts to see if we’ve missed any opportunities, and then step up our game wherever and whenever possible. To aid this review, we can think through one or more frameworks:

• Daily/regular routines — methodical recycling, careful water use, and avoiding food waste, for example … is there any room for improvement in these or other areas? How about minimizing the plastic in our lives, and properly disposing of what’s unavoidable?

• Occasional, bigger-ticket expenditures — for upcoming major home improvements, can energy-efficient windows, EnergyStar appliances, and reclaimed wood, or “wood” made from plastic, be used? Can electric or solar power replace fossil fuel in the plan? Might the next vehicle be electric?

• Reduce-reuse-recycle — actually, is that next vehicle necessary at all? Can we drive less by biking, walking, taking public transport (when that’s safer again), and by combining multiple errands into a single trip? How about donating, swapping, or repurposing containers, fabrics, furniture, tools, books, … any opportunities here? Eliminating e-waste is another vital action.

• Avoid, reduce, replace, remove/sequester—this framework appears in the SCAP, and the frameworks above cover most of the same ground. What pops up in the SCAP scheme, however, is reforestation efforts and carbon sequestering, which we might contribute to through volunteer tree-planting projects and composting.

  • Other forestry work includes the movement to learn from Native peoples’ land management practices such as controlled burning, as well as allowing Native folks’ access to their land if it’s been taken away. Here are some WA Native perspectives from a Crosscut article from 2019, otherwise come chat about this with Kitchen Table Conversations on Tuesday nights!

Many or all the actions noted above and more have been covered in other of our Eco-Faith blog posts. What’s a little frustrating about all of them—and human-scale acts in general—is that they all feel so small, so futile, so laughably undersized compared to fires that consume millions of wooded acres, and smoke visible from space, blanketing whole states. How are we supposed to find hope and a sense of purpose in our tiny gestures? One way is to remember that we do not perform these acts alone. We merge them with the acts of a community that includes everyone touched by the fires and smoke, everyone capable of empathy, everyone concerned for our environment, and our neighbors first/most impacted by climate change (people who are unhoused, BIPOC communities, folks incarcerated, farmworkers). Our small individual actions on behalf of the environment become community acts of faith.

small acts

are communal

Collectively, could these actions yield a fire-and-smoke-free 2021? Not likely. But our actions performed intentionally and consistently in community, and in conjunction with government and business, might begin a process of correction and restoration. We need to do what we can, with hope. And really, whoever seriously thought that five loaves and two fish could feed five thousand people?

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Both art collages are by Miriam / @vientoxsol on Instagram (link to post by clicking on the photo). The second collage depicts a CDCR prisoner firefighter, flames, and butterflies. In the wake of the fires in CA, the state has been severely understaffed as a large number of their crews come from CA prisons that are currently battling COVID-19. As these crews are only paid $2-5 per day, many have called for rightful pay. Recently, CA Gov. Gavin Newsom overturned a law that barred prison firefighters from joining CALFIRE, even though they had direct experience in the field.

The top collage depicts the hands of farmworkers surrounded by tomato plants, flames, and butterflies. Farmworkers work throughout the seasons and have continued working even with fires nearby and smoke dampening air quality in CA and the PNW. Learn more from United Farm Workers.

Eco-Act 019: All about e-waste

As we continue our coverage around waste, there’s no way we could go on without breaking down electronic waste (e-waste). Of course alternatives to recycling e-waste include reduced consumption, repair, and reuse, however, we felt electronics are more and more a part of our lives and deserve thoughtful consideration for end of life disposal.

E-waste is created when items with a battery or plug (computers, phones, refrigerators, printers, TVs, etc) become obsolete. Often, e-waste has been collected and exported to overseas countries for disassembly and “recycling” of plastic, metal, and glass components. This work is done in formal or informal markets where regulations can be lacking for workers’ safety and health, as well as the earth’s. Such exposure to heavy metals and other chemicals can disrupt cognition and organ function, as well as leach into water and food systems, impacting already impoverished communities.

Some e-waste facts:

• Americans now own approximately 24 electronic products per household (Natl. Conference of State Legislators).

• Global e-waste has gone up 21% in 5 years according to the Global E-waste Monitor.

• The excessive amount of lead in e-waste, if released into the environment, could cause severe damage to human blood and kidneys, as well as central and peripheral nervous systems (Phys.org’s coverage of a study done by the Institute of Physics).

• Producing a computer along with its monitor takes at least 1.5 tons of water, 48 pounds of chemicals, and 530 pounds of fossil fuels (Francis O. Adeola).

• Recycling 1 million laptop computers can save enough energy to run 3,500 U.S. homes for a year (EPA).

e-waste

learning more & reducing our impact

We encourage you this week to read up and act on the state of e-waste today globally:

• You can check out The Global E-waste Monitor 2020 which provides up-to-date data on global e-waste, and how international progress fits into the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

• You might also watch “Manufactured Landscapes” as “photographer Edward Burtynsky travels the world observing changes in landscapes due to industrial work and manufacturing” (IMDb).

And locally:

• WA State Department of Ecology is doing a great job of providing free and accessible e-waste collection and recycling services. Click here for more info on what is accepted by the E-Cycle Washington program.

• Recyclers must meet performance standard guidelines and most recycling is done in the state, reducing the risk of exporting e-waste to less regulated countries.

• Only ~2% of e-waste in WA goes to the landfill (“mostly particle board from cabinet TVs”) according to their FAQ section.

• So far, WA has recycled 419,962,778 lbs of e-waste.

In being good local/global neighbors and living as people of the Way, we hope these resources are helpful for future education and action. Happy e-waste recycling!

Eco-Act 018: plans to give us hope and a future

Here’s some hopeful news: King County rolled out its 2020 Strategic Climate Action Plan (SCAP) in August. This ambitious and extensive (329 pages) document sets out a broad range of urgent work to be completed, acknowledging the inevitability of some amount of climate change but identifying ways to work for a sustainable future for all of us. To be clear, the plan’s goals and performance measures apply countywide: reaching them requires countywide participation. We are interconnected, all of us.

SCAP Section I concentrates on six specific areas: 1) greenhouse gas emissions—targeting reductions of 50% by 2025 and 80% by 2050; 2) transportation and land use; 3) building and facilities energy—reducing energy use 25% and fossil fuel use 20% by 2030; 4) green building; 5) consumption of goods and materials; and 6) forests and agriculture. This week we’ll look at specific aspects of item 5.

Waste

& the county’s plan to reduce it

To address countywide consumption of goods and materials, the Strategic Climate Action Plan calls for a circular economy, discussed in our post 016. The specific goal: “Achieve a circular economy, whereby waste is minimized through prevention, reuse, and recycling, and materials stay in use longer through improved product design and shared responsibilities for end-of-use material management” [emphasis added to highlight the points where we can play a role].

SCAP writers identify food waste as a significant contributor to climate change. They estimate King County food waste from all sources at 136,000 tons in 2019 (a 20% reduction from 2015). They also note that when food is wasted, all the energy and water used to produce, package and transport it is also wasted. The net result? Only personal transportation accounts for more greenhouse gas emissions than the total attributable to food waste. Thus, plan writers see food waste as a key target and the SCAP pledges increased education, outreach, and other efforts across the county to reduce it.

Specific SCAP goals include zero edible food waste by 2030, to be achieved through food waste reduction strategies such as:

• Increased food donation—individual donations and collaborations with local food banks

• More mindful food shopping and meal planning

• Increased composting efforts—both at-home and municipal

So how might we react to King County’s Strategic Climate Action Plan? We could choose to be skeptical, observing that the County will fall short of 2020 goals stated in its 2015 plan…. We could note that achieving the goals in this plan will require buy-in from businesses and private individuals—players beyond the County’s direct control….

Or we could choose to be positive, noting that the consequences of failure are more clearly recognized today, that the tools required for success are continually improving, that perhaps we are in a moment when our need to cooperate and collaborate to get something important done is appreciated—and that we all can play a role. Who can know, until we try, if SCAP will work?

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

— Jeremiah 29:11

Let’s choose to be hopeful and get to work.