God is green... but am I?

A lot of talk on the back of last nights channel 4 TV programme 'God is Green'.  If you want to find out some views on the programme, Rupert, Duncan and Marc all have good reflective pieces [Marc has even managed to snag this short interview with the presenter, major HT!].

My observations were:

• the compelling elements in all of the world's religions to care for the planet [and some of the more fatalistic responses  - from end of the world/2nd coming for christians to Karma for Hindus];
• the way that many evengelical christians in the USA are now waking up and beginning to actively campaign - so the decline of dominion theology [that we own the planet] and a replacement of stewardship theology [that we are charged to serve/care for it] - if you're interested in how this falls out of Genesis 1 & 2 check out this earlier post on two key hebrew words 'shamar' and 'abad'
• the ethical case for action which is not so much looking at the lead in someone elses  eye but the lump of carbon in mine - or to put it another way what happens when I believe something as a result of my faith and then start to act on it.

After watching 'An Inconvenient Truth' I went out and brought energy efficient lightbulbs for the house and started turning off my powerpacks for phone and laptop.  After last night I was reminded about what else I have decided to do - switch power provider, continue to walk more rather than drive [good for my fitness too] and look to offset any carbon from flying by schemes like this one from climate care.  We're also looking at replacing our boiler with a more energy efficient one as part of updating our bathroom...

what more?

I'm sure there is much more I could do so please inspire me:

• if you saw the show what are you planning doing as a response?
• what else are you doing regardless to help us a planet wean off our carbon consumption loving/protect the environment etc?

Comments

[Green SAHM]

My family recently went down to one car for financial reasons, but it certainly keeps me walking rather than driving too. It's much more manageable than many people think.

I'm a renter, not a homeowner, so there's little I can do to change my home (changing providers is possible, of course), but I am quite determined to do things like go solar when I can and keep teaching my children to respect the environment.

[Duncan McFadzean]

Paul, thanks for the link. I'm planning on going carbon neutral for all my personal flights. I'm also going to work out ho to recycle plastics. Then I'm going to blog about it more.

[Rupert]

Thanks for the link Paul.

I liked the bit where he said we needed to think small to think big (or something like that if memory serves me!).

We have to start with what we can do, and where we are ... and take small steps in the right direction.

I really agreed with John Gummer, walking the beaches where i was born, who said that we can get so scared by the prospect that we don't do anything. Somehow we need to do one small thing, then another, then another, and before long our carbon footprint is greatly reduced.

[Paul]

Thanks Stephanie - great site you have there - i like the point rupert reminded of from the programme about starting small...

[Paul]

Thanks Duncan, please do post more, i love your ideas/inspiration!

[Paul]

Thanks Rupert - that's a great point which i forgot - definately start small!!

[Alastair]

Currently I am:

- using public transport to get to work

- switching off lights at night in all rooms apart from the one occupied.

- switching OFF telly at night (not stand-by)

- recycling paper, tins, glass

- storing plastics whilst I figure out where I can recycle them

In the future, I'd like to:

- recycle even more (depends on the council!)

- have a compost heap (need a garden first!)

- use more energy efficient lighting (The trouble with CFLs is that the quality of light tends to be quite poor. Also you can't as rule dim them.)

- build my own eco-house which will hopefully have a near-zero carbon footprint, using geothermal heating, solar heating, PV solar if its cheap enough, and tonnes of insulation.

- own a car which has does double the mpg of my current one :-)

[Kamsin]

Have been thinking about the amount or airmiles I notch up recently, and that programme reinforced it. In my defense I don't drive, not really for environmental reasons, although the environment is becoming a reason for not learning to drive. Anyway, maybe need to check out that carbon neutral thing. My Mum's been using the bag for life (I think that's what it's called) at Tesco's, I think you get extra clubcard points for using your own bags. I always refuse plastic bags in shops unless I absolutely need it.
About 10 years ago it used to really bother me that the church didn't have more to say about the environment, but maybe things are changing?

[Paul]

Thanks Alastair - i agree with you on the lighting front, but then maybe as the technology is used it will get improved...

I like your eco house ambition - sounds like the way we all need to be heading!

[Paul]

Hi Kasmin, yes carbon offsetting could be the way to go if you do a lot of air miles - I think as one of the themes of the comments has been that just starting and starting small is a good thing, you are already taking action so its looking to build on it in small steps... :)