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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
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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
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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
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March 8 End Oil Aid a workshop with
Kairos slide show at FAUC
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March 28 Earth Hour: Fairlawn's Lights Out
Walk in Alexander Muir Park to support energy reduction
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April 26 Clean up Day excursion with
members of the congregation and the Fairlawn Youth Group
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May 3 Cycle/Walk/Transit to Church Month to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions
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May 7 Earth Angels' Gardening Day to apply
compost and mulch to reduce water consumption at FAUC
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May 24 Wildflower Walk with infamous park explorer,
Ontario Jones, on a "Raiders of the Lost Parks" adventure in a
Toronto
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Sept 19 KAIROS Climate Justice Tom Cullen
introduced Green Awakening Network
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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
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Nov 12-15 Greening and Growing
Congregations promoted and assisted Eglinton St. Georges 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
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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
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Live Green Toronto
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Greening Sacred Spaces
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Kairos
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EcoAction Teams (Earth Day Canada)
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Transition Toronto
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Kyoto Plus
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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
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Slow down on the highway to conserve fuel and
protect the environment
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Bring a coffee mug to work to reduce garbage
of Styrofoam cups
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CO2's enormous impact on the Global Ocean in
Crisis
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Say "no" to bottled water because of the
negative impact of plastic bottles on the environment
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Announcements of green events in the city
Other Activities
of Fairlawn Green Action
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Fairlawn Youth committee worked collaboratively to plan
Youth Green Events for the year
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Advertising and promotion of many city-wide green events
throughout the year on our website and through our Green Tips emails
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Attendance at many city-wide events and rallies such as
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March 24 Geography of Hope with Chris
Turner
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March 30 Climate Crisis Action Forum by
Toronto West CRAG (Carbon Reduction Action Group)
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Apr 22 Climate Justice! Climate Action!
by United Church of Canada
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May 9 Climate Sabbath Initiative by
Kairos
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Oct 24 International Day of Climate
Action by 350.org
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Oct/Nov Live with Respect in Creation
at St. Andrew's United
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Nov 12/14 Darwin, Divinity and the
Dance of the Cosmos and The Emerging Church with Bruce Sanguin at
Eglinton St. Georges United Church
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Nov 22 Eco-Fair at Glebe Road United
Church
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Nov 28 Seminar with George Monbiot,
author of "Heat: How To Stop the Planet from Burning"
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Dec 5 Pachamama Alliance symposium
"Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream"
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Dec 12 Candlelight Rally for Copenhagen
Summit by Toronto Climate Campaign
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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
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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
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See also:
Summary of Activities
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