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Faith in Action
Summary of Activities of Fairlawn Green Action for 2010
Our Vision:
Fairlawn is a green
community that leads by example, is a voice to educate ourselves and others to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions at church, at home, in the community and in our
workplaces.
Fairlawn Green Action
strives for an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling and socially
just human presence on this planet.
In
2010, Fairlawn Green Action continued working in the Fairlawn community and in
the Toronto communities of faith to promote awareness and action on the climate
crisis.
We would like to thank our
team members, and all those who work with us. We highlight a few of our
activities below; a complete list is on our webpage.
Award:
We were very pleased to have our greening efforts recognized by Greening Sacred
Spaces in receiving their Green Sacred Space Award 2010, on behalf of
Fairlawn Avenue United Church based upon our activities of 2009.
Facility Improvements:
The “Light Brigade”
efforts of 2007 continue to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions indirectly and
save $2500 or more annually. We look forward to the further GHG reductions due
to the new heating system. Property is also investigating solar. Kudos to them.
Activities
- Feb 2010 - Foodland Ontario calendars with recipes for local foods were shared
with the Sunday School families
- March 27, 2010 - Earth Hour
celebrations.
- April 18, 2010 - Earth
Day celebrations at Fairlawn with a hike by the Youth group and families
- May 6, 2010 - Earth Angels
gardening night to spruce up the Fairlawn gardens
- May 29, 2010 - "Yonge
Street Green Walk": talk at Fairlawn focused on energy
- June 12, 2010
and Nov./Dec. - On sale: Carolyn Clark's Fruit and Vegetable "Eco-Baggies"
- Oct 10, 2010 - "10-10-10"
Day to raise awareness for environmental progtection: Kathryn submitted an entry
to
www.350.org for low maintenance gardening, wood chips to retain moisture,
native plants, perennials, etc.
- Nov./Dec. - Letter writing
campaign to politicians to stop subsidies to the fossil fuel sector
Letter Writing Campaign
- Nov./Dec. Members & adherents sign letter demanding an end to fossil fuel
subsidies: 264 letters mailed MPs & PM.
- Nov./Dec. Mail-in postcards
were distributed on the campaign to stop nuclear expansion. Tell our
politicians.
Conference presentations
made
- March 7 - Second Annual
Green Awakening Leaders Conference: Tom co-presented the workshop "Getting
Started Greening your Sacred Space"
- April 10 - Climate,
Culture, Change panel discussion hosted by Kairos, held at St. James United
Church, Tom Cullen was one of three panelists with Tim Leduc, author of
Climate, Culture, Change and Lauryn Drainie, youth delegate to 2008 Poznan
and 2009 Copenhagen international conferences on climate change
- April 19 - Planet Matters,
monthly green meeting of Humbercrest United Church: Tom Cullen led discussion on
using the "Eco-Calculator" from EcoAction
Networking
- Green Awakening Network: Tom serves on the Steering Committee and helped plan,
organize and deliver the 2nd Annual Leaders Conference in March
- As part of his work with
GAN, Tom helped 25 churches measure their carbon emissions as a first step
towards reduction
- Dewi Sant Welsh United
Church: Tom and Kathryn worked with Dewi Sant representative discussing ideas
to help her raise awareness about environmental sustainment in her church
members
Education
- Feb 26-28 - Tom took facilitator course for Pachamama's "Awakening the
Dreamer/Changing the Dream"
- Jan/Feb - Tom and Will
Cullen taught the Sunday School module involving cooking gingerbread cookies,
songs and prayer to demonstrate that we are what we eat, we are part of the
environment, we must treasure the Earth
- Nov/Dec – provided
materials to promote Presence, Not Presents as part of the Preparing for Advent
Adult Ed. Series by Rev. Christopher White
Worship services
- September and October 2010, Rev. Kathy Edmison mentioned the importance of
environmental protection in every worship service
Online petitions
- Emails to politicians in spring 2010 contributed to the success of Parliament
passing the Climate Change Accountability Act (Bill C-311)
Website additions
- Greening your business; How we got started on our Fairlawn Green Action
program; Networking with other churches to share our process and succeses
- Bottled-Water Factsheets on
the environmental, economic, social and health impacts
- Reduce and Reuse was
emphasized on the Fairlawn home page -- "Donations of household items to the
CRC"
Fairlawn in the News
- Summer 2010: Article on
our continuing efforts for green action, and the GSS Award given to Fairlawn for
outstanding greening efforts in 2009
Advertising
We advertised and shared information on green seminars and events in Toronto
throughout the year.
New Leadership at Fairlawn
We welcome Christopher,
Eleanor, and Naomi at FNC and seek to raise our efforts and our impact in
addressing the climate crisis at the level it demands, and to help us become
better stewards of the Earth, as part of our Faith in Action.
“Disease not disasters account
for the vast majority of human deaths due to climate change. Higher temperatures
and stress on water and food supplies do have serious impacts on human health,
but changes in climate also enable some of the world’s biggest killers –
malnutrition, diarrhea, and malaria – to take a heavy toll. Mothers and children
are worst hit by these illnesses.
An estimated 350,000 people die each year due to major diseases and health
disorders related to climate change. Unless measures are taken, by 2030
climate change will increase its toll to more than 800,000 deaths per year.
Around 90% of the health impacts
of climate change involve just three disorders – malnutrition, diarrhea and
malaria – and are concentrated in children under the age of five, predominantly
in Sub-Saharan African regions and in South Asia.” So reports DARA in their
Climate Vulnerability Monitor
http://daraint.org/climate-vulnerability-monitor/climate-vulnerability-monitor-2010/health-impact/
Although the facts of the crisis are ever more dire, the deepening and
broadening of awareness is beginning to raise a movement of enlightenment and
action by the people of the world, especially the indigenous peoples of all
countries. We must “live with respect in creation” and join the effort to
save the earth and its gifts on which we depend.
Respectfully submitted
Tom Cullen
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