Thousands give up carbon for Lent
Cross-posted from .
For many 海角大神s, the 40-day period of fasting and reflection before Easter known as Lent is a chance to get in mental and spiritual shape.
People give up chocolate; quit drinking or smoking; avoid meat; start reading the Bible regularly; or even give up social media 鈥� 鈥渇asts鈥� intended to discipline and re-direct one鈥檚 mind to the divine. For Catholics, liturgical Protestants, and, increasingly, non-denominational 海角大神s around the country, Lent fasts can often feel like New Year鈥檚 Resolutions 2.0: a second attempt at giving up small indulgences for personal betterment.
But this year, thousands of 海角大神s worldwide are making a bigger statement: giving up carbon to help save the planet. (Of course, it鈥檚 nearly impossible to 鈥済ive up鈥� all carbon. But devoted 海角大神s are doing their best to reduce their carbon footprints during this time.)
Faith groups leading the charge have dubbed this practice a 鈥淐arbon Fast.鈥� From taking on daily ecological-minded actions like walking to work, to engaging in national advocacy and carbon-reduction campaigns, these groups are determined to bring awareness of human involvement in climate change and promote stewardship of the earth throughout the 40 days of Lent.
First started by a bishop in Liverpool in 2007, has been developed and promoted among individuals, Bible study groups, and churches by the UK-based 海角大神 development organization Tearfund since 2008. Its simple message of carbon reduction as a path to environmental and spiritual renewal has taken hold, and this year communities in Canada, the Netherlands, India, Hong Kong, Australia, and Brazil are observing Carbon Fast as well.
鈥淲e have found it to be a great resource for introducing 海角大神s to the issue of climate change and how we can respond,鈥� says Tom Baker at Tearfund UK. 鈥淸It] provides people with ideas about how they can respond to the injustice of climate change. 鈥� It鈥檚 a great way for people to start.鈥�
In the United States, several faith-based groups have created their own Carbon Fast materials. circulated a calendar of daily actions and alterations, ranging from the straightforward (鈥淭urn down your thermostat by one degree鈥�; 鈥淩emember to bring reusable bags to the store鈥�) to the deeply symbolic (鈥淩emember your baptism today, and the power of water. Try to conserve: Leave a bucket in the shower or kitchen sink, and collect 鈥榞rey water鈥� to water the plants.鈥�)
The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington鈥檚 Environmental Outreach Committee produced a similar calendar. And the United Church of Christ鈥檚 Ecumenical Carbon Fast, in which over 6,000 people took part in 2011, mails daily suggestions to reduce carbon and pairs it with a weekly focus for the church.
A major focus of the fast is on poverty and the environmental injustice of climate change, a concept that is appearing more frequently in concerns from both secular and religious green groups. The (EEN), a Carbon Fast partner with Tearfund, has designed weekly devotionals around the idea of relationships and putting things to right, from God and others to Creation.
鈥淲e are charged to 鈥榙o no harm鈥� and climate change is a part of that,鈥� says Alexei Laushkin at EEN. 鈥淲e have to reconnect with our context. Changes in our consumption points to changes in policies that lead to cleaner sources of energy. This effort personalizes it and makes it real.鈥�
Indeed, though the daily actions are limited to personal or family habit, the fast is geared toward community impact and campaigning action to demonstrate public support for climate change.
鈥淲e鈥檙e keen to emphasize that personal lifestyle actions alone won鈥檛 be the solution to global warming,鈥� says Mr. Baker. 鈥淲e need international action.鈥� And though the fast鈥檚 full influence is difficult to measure, Tearfund UK estimates that the actions, if taken throughout an entire year, would save over 7 tons of CO2.
It would be easy to dismiss climate awareness actions like the Carbon Fast as 鈥渟illy religion stuff,鈥� says Mr. Laushkin. 鈥淏ut spirituality at large is increasingly grappling with this. A large spectrum of folks are grappling with this question. For 海角大神s, this relates to our faith. We develop a keen awareness for how [climate stewardship and faithfulness], that are separate in our mind, are connected in God鈥檚 mind.鈥�
Catherine Woodiwiss is a special assistant with the Faith and Progressive Policy Initiative at the .
鈥� is reposted from .
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