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Faith in Action
Summary of Activities of Fairlawn Green Action for 2009

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 supports and actively works for an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling and socially just human presence on this planet.

In 2009 Fairlawn Green Action worked in the Fairlawn community and in the Toronto community to promote local action and broader systemic changes by encouraging people to pressure our politicians to work for a sustainable environment. Our focus this year was on networking, and on assisting, promoting and attending the variety of excellent events and seminars in the Toronto community.

We would like to thank our team members, and all those who work with us.

Our efforts in 2009 included the following:

Special Church Services 

  • Earth Day Service – Sun. April 26 with Alanna Mitchell (global science journalist and author of "Sea Sick: The Global Ocean in Crisis") on the impact of CO2 levels on the world's ocean; and Children's Time skit "God's take on grass"
  • Kairos KyotoPlus Week of Action on Poverty and Climate Change – Sun. Oct 18 with Lynn McDonald (Sociology Professor, former MP & environment critic, a founder of Just Earth) “A Time to Speak of Poverty, Climate Change and the Role of the Churches”  

Events and Workshops organized by Fairlawn Green Action

  • March 7 – Getting a green team started at your organization – sharing our experiences at the Conference "A Green Awakening: Workshop on Faith Communities as a Catalyst for Community Action" held at Lawrence Park Community Church
  • March 8 – End Oil Aid – a workshop with Kairos slide show at FAUC
  • March 28 – Earth Hour: Fairlawn's Lights Out Walk in Alexander Muir Park to support energy reduction 
  • April 26 – Clean up Day excursion with members of the congregation and the Fairlawn Youth Group
  • May 3 – Cycle/Walk/Transit to Church Month to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
  • May 7 – Earth Angels' Gardening Day to apply compost and mulch to reduce water consumption at FAUC
  • May 24 – Wildflower Walk with infamous park explorer, Ontario Jones, on a "Raiders of the Lost Parks" adventure in a Toronto
  • Sept 19 – KAIROS Climate Justice Tom Cullen introduced Green Awakening Network
  • Nov, Dec – 350 Petition and online petition to pressure our politicians to take a tough stand on climate change at the Copenhagen Summit, to promote atmospheric CO2 levels no higher than 350 parts per million
  • Nov 12-15 – Greening and Growing Congregations – promoted and assisted Eglinton St. George’s and Green Awakening Network in organizing a seminar about Be the Change Earth Alliance with Bruce Sanguin
  • Nov 25 and Nov 30 – Climate Change 101 and film screening of "Sisters on the Planet" delivered at both Fairlawn and Beach United Church
  • Dec 13 – Ring our church bells for climate justice in solidarity with the World Federation of Churches to send a message to politicians at the Copenhagen Climate Summit

Networking
In keeping with our approach of collaboration, Fairlawn Green Action joined forces with the following climate change groups in Toronto to help organize and promote activities throughout the city

  • Green Awakening Network (sponsored by the Toronto United Church Council & Live Green Toronto), Tom Cullen serves on the Steering Committee
  • Live Green Toronto
  • Greening Sacred Spaces
  • Kairos
  • EcoAction Teams (Earth Day Canada)
  • Transition Toronto
  • Kyoto Plus
  • Toronto Climate Campaign

Fairlawn Green Action in the news

  • Community Life article Summer 2009 regarding Fairlawn Green Action's Earth Hour Lights Out Walk and Candlelight Party, and photo of Earth Day Cleanup with members of the congregation. 

Green tips

The following tips were shared via email and published on the Fairlawn web site in 2009

  • Pesticide reduction / Lawns go natural
  • Slow down on the highway to conserve fuel and protect the environment
  • Bring a coffee mug to work to reduce garbage of Styrofoam cups
  • CO2's enormous impact on the Global Ocean in Crisis
  • Say "no" to bottled water because of the negative impact of plastic bottles on the environment
  • Announcements of green events in the city

Other Activities of Fairlawn Green Action

  • Fairlawn Youth committee – worked collaboratively to plan Youth Green Events for the year
  • Advertising and promotion of many city-wide green events throughout the year on our website and through our Green Tips emails
  • Attendance at many city-wide events and rallies such as 
    • March 24 – Geography of Hope with Chris Turner
    • March 30 – Climate Crisis Action Forum by Toronto West CRAG (Carbon Reduction Action Group) 
    • Apr 22 – Climate Justice! Climate Action! by United Church of Canada
    • May 9 – Climate Sabbath Initiative by Kairos
    • Oct 24 – International Day of Climate Action by 350.org
    • Oct/Nov – Live with Respect in Creation at St. Andrew's United
    • Nov 12/14 – Darwin, Divinity and the Dance of the Cosmos and The Emerging Church with Bruce Sanguin at Eglinton St. George’s United Church
    • Nov 22 – Eco-Fair at Glebe Road United Church
    • Nov 28 – Seminar with George Monbiot, author of "Heat: How To Stop the Planet from Burning"
    • Dec 5 – Pachamama Alliance symposium "Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream"
    • Dec 12 – Candlelight Rally for Copenhagen Summit by Toronto Climate Campaign
  • Web site at www.fairlawnavenueunited.ca/green/  – updated weekly with green tips, events in the city, and links to important videos and news

Facility improvements

  • We would like to thank the Property committee for its work in increasing the efficiency of the rooftop heating & cooling unit installed this past fall and the planning for improving the energy efficiency of our main furnace.

We look forward to another year of activities to raise awareness, educate and promote action to help us become better stewards of the Earth, as part of Faith in Action.  

Respectfully submitted,
Tom Cullen

 

See also
Summary of Activities

 

 

See also:

Summary of Activities


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Last modified: 03/09/10

Fairlawn Avenue United Church
28 Fairlawn Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M5M 1S7 
(5 short blocks up from the Yonge/Lawrence subway
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Phone: 416 481 6848

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