eco parish guide: bringing laudato si to life

8/16/2019 Eco Parish Guide: Bringing Laudato Si to Life

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A practical guide for Catholic parishes and communities to reduce emissions and take action on climate change.

Written for Catholic parish priests, pastors and staff,

pastoral councils and Care for Creation Teams

ECO-PARISH

BRINGING LAUDATO SI’ TO LIFEGUIDE


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ECO-PARISH GUIDE B ringing Laudato Si’ to Life

2 1GLOBAL CATHOLIC CLIMATE MOVEMENT www.CatholicClimateMovement.global

PopeFrancis’encyclical Laudato Si’challengesustoCare for Our Common Home bygrowingin faith, hope, and love.To live in healthy

relationshipswith God,neighbor, andall creation.Wearecalled tobe ecological citizens, tomakeprudent decisions, and to take sometimes boldactions.Intheparticularmatterofclimatechange,wearecautionedtoreduceemissionsofpollutantslikecarbondioxidewhenitisinourcontrol.Bydoingsowewillnurtureandsupporthumanlifeinallits

stages,aswellasprotectthegoodnessandbeautyofGod’sgreatgiftofthenaturalenvironment.

Inshort,livingLaudatoSi’ embodiesthecommongood.

UndertheParisAgreement,countrieshaveagreedtolimitwarmingwellbelow2degreesC(3.6degreesF),andstrivefor1.5degreesC (2.7degreesF),abovepre-industriallevelstoavoidsomeoftheworstimpactsofclimatechange.Meetingthisgoalwillrequiretheprayersandhelpofeveryorganizationandperson.Caringforourcommonhomeisoursharedmoralresponsibilityandaradicalshiftbyusalltowardszerocarbonneeded.

“Intheheartofthisworld,theLordoflife,wholovesussomuch,isalwayspresent.Hedoesnotabandonus,hedoesnotleaveusalone,forhehasunitedhimselfdefinitivelytoourearth,andhisloveconstantlyimpelsustofindnewwaysforward.Praisebetohim!” –PopeFrancis,LaudatoSi’ ¶245.

ParisheshaveanimportantroleinreducinggreenhousegasemissionsbecauseasaChurchweoperatemorethan220,000parishesglobally,whichaccountsformanytimesmorechurches,rectories,offices,otherparishbuildings,andvehiclesthat,inusingconventionalfossilfuelsforenergy,contributedirectlytoclimatechange.Energysavingsofasmuchastenpercentcanbeachievedinaparishsimplythroughconsciousandcontinuouseffortstouselessenergy.Withsomemodificationsorupgradestofacilities,parisheshaveenjoyedsavingsoftwentytothirtypercent,andevenmoreinsomecases.Ialsowanttoencourageparishestoembracerenewableenergy,asmanyarealreadydoingallovertheworld.

Oftenthepeoplewhocanhelpaparishwithsucheffortsareinthepews,waitingtobeaskedorgivendirection.FormingaCareforCreationTeam(moregenerallyknownasaGreenTeam)isagoodwaytostart.Towardsthatend,youareencouragedtousethisGuide,whichprovidespracticalstepsandcasestudiesfromparishesaroundtheworldthatare reducingtheirgreenhousegasemissions,andmuch

more.Catholicparishesandparishioners,by taking action toreduceemissions, byinspiringandengagingmembers,byspeakingoutandreachingoutbeyondourboundaries,willmakeallthedifferencein,andfor,theworld.

SincerelyYoursinChrist,,

TOMÁS INSUAGlobalCoordinator,

GlobalCatholicClimateMovement

The GLOBAL CATHOLIC CLIMATE MOVEMEN(GCCM) offers this Climate Action Guide forCatholic Parishes to assist parish leaders andmembers in bringing the Papal encyclical Laudato Si' to life. We welcome all who may fiit useful.

ABOUT THIS GUIDE 2

GETTING STARTED 6

REDUCING PARISH EMISSIONS 7

INSPIRING PARISHIONERS 20

ADVOCACY AND SOLIDARITY 31

BENCHMARKING AND CERTIFICATION 39RECOMMENDED RESOURCES 42

CLIMATE ACTION IDEA CHECKLIST 44

EXEMPLARY WORK FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Africa: CYNESA, Nairobi, Kenya 28 Regina Mundi Church,

Johannesburg, South Africa 28

Turkwel Parish, Turkana, Kenya 41

Asia: Caritas Myanmar and Local Parishes 36

Malate Church, Manila, Philippines 23

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Singapore 30

St. Peter, Bandra, Maharashtra, India 16

Europe: Ballineaspaig Parish, Cork, Ireland 41

Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris, Paris, France 23

St. John Bosco, Woodley, Berkshire UK 30

North America: St. Francis of Assisi, Triangle, VA USA 41

St. Joseph the Worker, Thornhill, Ontario Canada 36 St. Teresa of Avila, San Francisco, CA USA 11

Oceania: Catholic Agencies Working in Fiji 37

Holy Family, Emerton, NSW Australia 32

St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Auckland, New Zealand 38

South America: Our Lady of El Cisne, Tena, Napo, Ecuador 21

São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brasil 24

DEAR PARISH LEADERS AND MEMBERS,

WELCOME

Copyright 2016 Global CatholicClimate Movement (GCCM)Permission is hereby granted totranslate, print, and distribute thisGuide.The GCCM Eco-Parish Guide is notfor commercial sale.

CONTENTS

ECO-PARISH GUIDE


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WHY ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE?

“Human-induced climate change is a scientific reality,

and its decisive mitigation is a moral and religious

imperative for humanity.” 1

Theexperiencesofmanyacrosstheglobewholiveandworkcloselywithnaturespeaktoachangingclimate.Scienceisexplainingwhy.Humanityburnsfossilfuelslike oil,gas,and coalforenergy.Thisemitscarbondioxide,agasthathas beencalled

“a heat trapping blanket” because it helps ouratmosphereretainthesun’senergy,whichkeepsourplanetwarmenoughtosustainlife.Overrecentyears, growing amounts of carbon dioxide fromhumanactivityhave addedto this natural heat-trappingquality.Changesinlanduseandclearingforestsescalatethisprocess.We’realreadyseeingtheeffectsofthisexcessheatinouratmosphere,whichparticularlyimpactthepoor

The Earth’s 2015 surface temperatures were the

1 Declaration of Vatican Meeting on Human Trafficking and Climate Change,

July 2015

warmest since modern record keeping began in 1880.

As science predicts, the intensities of storms,precipitation rates, floods, heat waves, and droughtsare trending upwards around the world. In 2015,for instance, there were severe droughts in India,Thailand, southeastern Brazil, and western USA. Inthe same year, there were record floods in Myanmar,northern England, and the Midwestern region of theUSA.

In many areas, sea level rise is causing higher amountsof coastal flooding both during normal tidal cyclesand storm events. Some island communities are nowbeing faced with a choice of whether or not to stayin their ancestral homes.

The toll of global climate change is rising. The WorldHealth Organization expects that between 2030and 2050 climate change will cause approximately250,000 additional deaths per year from malnutrition,malaria, diarrhea, and heat stress2.

BothoutofrespectforGod’screationandoutofloveforthose whoare sufferingfrom itsdegradation,climatechangeisamoralissueforCatholics.Whilesocialand environmental issuesvarywidelyfrom

placetoplace,globalclimatechangeisaseriousconcernthatunitesus.

WHAT WILL IT TAKE?

InDecember2015,representativesof 196nationsadoptedthehistoricParisagreementatthetwenty-firstsession ofthe Conferenceof Parties (COP21This landmarkclimateagreement isto hold theincrease in global average temperature to wellbelow2ºCandtopursueeffortstolimittheincrease

2 World Health Organization, Climate change and health, Fact sheet N°266,

updated September 2015

TheGCCM ECO-PARISH GUIDE offers guidance on bringing Pope Francis’ encyclical LaudatoSi’ to life. We focus on practical actions that are well within our capabilities and our means—actions that contribute both to stabilizing the global climate and caring for those who are being

harmed by climate change.

to1.5ºCabovepre-industriallevels.AccordingtoarecentreportfromtheWorldResourcesInstitute 3:

“ToachieveGHGneutralitywithalikelychanceoflimitingwarmingtobelow1.5degreesC,weneedtoreduceGHGemissionsaccordingtothefollowingtimeframe:

Carbon dioxide emissions have to drop to net zerobetween 2045 and 2050

Total GHG emission need to decline to net zerobetween 2060 and 2080”

GHG neutrality means a net emissions of zero.It is achieved by reducing emissions as muchas possible, and then offsetting any remainingemissionswithanequivalentamountofremovaland

sequestration, for example, by re-plantingforeststhathadbeencleared.GHGneutralitynecessitates,amongotherthings,aglobalshiftawayfromfossilfuelsanda massiveuptakeof renewableenergyworldwide.

WHY CATHOLIC PARISHES?

Keeping global temperature r ise below thedangerous1.5°Cthresholdneedseveryone’shelp.Parishes have an important role because, asaChurch:

we operate more than 220,000 parishes globally,which adds up to many more times this in churchbuildings, offices, rectories, and other parish buildings,as well as vehicles that, in using conventional energy,contribute directly to climate change;

we are actively and credibly engaged in the lives ofparishioners whose lifestyle choices impact the globalclimate;

3 COP21 Q&A: What is GHG Emissions Neutrality in the Context of the Paris

Agreement, Kelly Levin et al., World Resources Institute website, December 11,

2015

we have a strong tradition of influencing policy and ofhelping those in need far beyond our parish borders;

we trust in God’s life-giving grace, which makes us a

people of hope

WHO MIGHT USE THE ECO-PARISH GUIDE?

WewelcomealltousetheECO-PARISHGuide.

Inparticular,thisGuidehasbeenwrittenforCatholicparishpriests,pastorsand staff,pastoralcouncilsandCareforCreationTeams,andanyparishionerwhowouldliketohelp.ThisGuidecouldbeusefulforparishesthat:

have held events about Laudato Si’ and would like tonow put it into practice

are just starting to work on care for creation

are working on care for creation, but not specificallyon climate change

are working on climate change and would like moreideas

Most ofthe actions in this Guidecan betakenwithout any budget by volunteerswho havenospecial expertise in climate change.

Nature cannot be regarded as something separatefrom ourselves or as a mere setting in which we live. We are part of nature,

included in it and thus in constant interaction with it.- Pope Francis, Laudato Si’ ¶139

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

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WHERE TO LOOK FOR MORE HELP

There are many good resources on faith andclimate change availablefree online.In additionto international resources available from GCCM,support is available from Catholic organizationsinseveralcountries,includingCAFODinEnglandandWales, Catholic Earthcare Australia,and theCatholicClimateCovenantintheUSA.

In these and many other resources, Catholicparishesworkingonclimatechangewillfindhelpinareassuchas:

resources on Laudato Si’

care for creation prayers, special liturgies, and homilythemes

START WITH THE EASY TASKS

Mostof theideasin theGCCMEco-ParishGuidecanbeimplementedeasilyandwithlittleornocost.

Regular events such as hospitality gatheringscanbemadegreener.Energysavingsandgreenpurchasing can in fact save money. And thosesavingscanthengoto helptheneedy, help theparishwithitsexpenses,orbereinvestedintoevenmorecreationcareefforts.

Theveryconceptof CaringforCreation lendsitselfto special prayer services, homilies, and parishbulletin articles. Because of therole of creationin the sacramental life of the Church—whichuseswater,bread,wine,and plantoils—religiouseducationcanincludethemesonthegoodnessandorderofcreation.Therearemanyideasforprayersanddevotional practicesthat stress theChurch’steachingsoncreation.YoucanfindsuchideasattheGCCMwebsiteorinthoseofmanyoftheotherorganizationsreferencedinthe resourcelistingat

theendofthisGuide.

A few of theideas in theGCCMGuiderequiremore effort. Saving energy through systematicreplacement of inefficient light bulbs, electricaldevices, and appliances can be done withinthe existing parish budget since energyefficientdevicesoftencostnomorethanconventionalones.Thechallengeis havingthe rightperson orteamtofollowthroughon everyreplacementpurchase.Fortunately, many local power uti li ties andgovernmentshaveprogramstohelpwithenergyefficientchoices.

Morerigorousenergysavingprogramsoftenrequire“benchmarking” to gather accurate energy usedata,sosomeexpertiseinenergymaybeneeded.“green certification”programstypicallyrequire anorganized approach, a variety ofactions, and asustainedeffortoveraperiodofmonthsoryears.

Investing in projects for energy savings and/orrenewable energy usually requires funds at the

startof theproject.Here again, local utilitiesandgovernments may offer grants or other fundingprogramstohelp.

Even without such assistance, energy savingprojectsshouldpayforthemselvesovertime. Forrenewableenergyprojects,paybackmaydependonthelocalpoliciesandincentives.

We are faced not with two separate crises,one environmental and the other social, but rather onecomplex crisis which is both social and environmental.

- Pope Francis, Laudato Si’ ¶139

PARISH

ORGANIZATION

PARISH

CONGREGATION

GLOBAL

CATHOLICCOMMUNITY

USING THE GCCM

ECO-PARISH GUIDE

TheactionswithinthisGuidearedesignedaroundthreespheresofinfluence:thefirstistheparishorganization itself, the second is the parish congregation, andthe thirdis the global Catholiccommunityandthepeopleweserve.Ultimately,asCatholics,weareconcernedwithallthree.

Theseactionscanbetakeninanyorderandvirtuallyatanytime.FormingaCareforCreationTeamisanexcellentwaytogetstartedandtosustaintheeffort.Likewise,monitoringenergyuseishelpfulatthestartofanenergyconservationcampaign,butlackofprecisedataneednotstopanyonefromtryingtosave

energy.

area-specific advice and/or calculation tools to helpwith energy conservation and the use of renewableenergy

information on lifestyle choices and their impacts

insights and petitions relating to policy and law (local,national and/or international)

Wedonotattempttoreproducesuchcontenthere,butrathertoguideourreaderstohelpfulandreliableexistingresources,bothreligiousandsecular.SeetheRecommendedResourcessectionattheendofthisGuideforalistofdocumentsandorganizationsthatinspiredusduringthepreparationoftheGCCMEco-ParishGuide.

ECO-PARISH GUIDE


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As noted earlier, global climate change isdue mainlyto theexcessaccumulation intheatmosphereof greenhousegases(also

knownasGHGs),primarilycarbondioxide,butalsootherpotentheat-retaininggasessuchasmethane

and hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants. While thesegases are naturally occurring, human activity iselevatingtheirlevelsintwoways:

the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas

changes in land-use, particularly deforestation

REDUCING GHG EMISSIONS IS A

FUNDAMENTAL STEP TOWARDS STABILIZING

THE GLOBAL CLIMATE

Theparish carbon footprintisameasureofparish

The ecological conversion needed to bring aboutlasting change is also a community conversion.


WHO TAKES THE FIRST STEP?

Fr. Kevin Downey, O.F.M., Pastor of St. Francisof Assisi Parish in Triangle, VA (USA) explained,“Environmental stewardship is part of our DNAas Franciscans. The call by our Province (the

FranciscanFriarsofHolyName)encouragedustostepupthebar.”

Fr. Errol Fernandes, SJ,ParishPriestofSt.Peter’sParish in Bandra, Maharashtra (India), regardingthesolarprojectatStPeter’sChurchanditsparishschool, said“This project was recommended totheparishbyanex-studentofStStanislausHighSchool.”

Fr. Gregory Jacobs, SJ, ParishPriestofHolyFamilyParishinEmerton,NSW(Australia)said“Ithelpstohavethetopjob.”

Fr. Michael Greenwell, O. Carm., Pastor of St.Teresaof AvilaParishinSanFrancisco,CA(USA)aboutwhyhestartedsavingenergyattheparish:“Thisstartedwiththepastorbeingcheap!”

Miss Rita Belletty, co-founder, St. John BoscoLiveSimply Group in Woodley, Berkshire (UK)abouthowthegroupgotstarted;“Theinitiativeto“green” the parish resulted from a conversationwithmy friend PaulDraper.Weboth feltthattheissue of global warming and its impact on thepoorestpeople,whohaddonetheleasttocauseit,wassoimportantandurgentthatitneededwiderdissemination.OurParishPriestagreedandgaveusthego-ahead.”

FORMING A CARE FOR CREATION TEAM

Forming a Care for Creation Team (sometimes

knownasaGreenTeam)isagoodwaytostartworking climate change aspart ofmore generalenvironmental issues. The Episcopal EcologicalNetworkprovidesagood explanationonthe roleandstructureofGreenTeamsthatcanbeusedinCatholicparishes.One common characteristicoftheteamsisthatwithapprovalfromthepastortheytakeactionthemselves—theyarenotjusttheretoprovideadviceandrecommendationstoothers.

WHO IS ON THE CARE FOR CREATION TEAM?

ParishCareforCreationTeamsaremadeupalmost

GETTING STARTED

ForCatholics,climateactionbeginswith people who hear and respond to God’s call to protectcreation and to help their brothers and sisters.

Afirststepisthustoidentifypeopleintheparishwhoareinterestedandwillingtohelp.Often the peoplewho can help are in the pews, waiting to be asked.

Theinitiativeforparishactiononclimatechangeoftencomesfromthepastororaparishpriestordeacon.Itmayalsocomefromreligioussistersandbrotherswithintheparish.Oritmaycomefromthelaity,suchasthepastoralcouncil.Wherevertheinitiativecomesfrom,itisimportanttogetothersonboard,particularlytheparishleadership.

entirely of volunteers.Here aresome particularlyhelpfulattributesforteammembers:goodworkingrelationshipwithparishleadership;accesstoparishenergybills;understandingoftheparishbuildings,particularly their heating, cooling, and electricalsystems; knowledge about energy and climatechange;involvementinfaithformationinstruction;adeepsenseofcaringforGod’screation.

WHAT DOES THE CARE FOR CREATION TEAM DO?

TheCareforCreationTeam:

identifies environmental issues of concern in theparish such as climate change, drought, environmental

justice, or parish energy use

shares ideas and recommends projects and activitiesfor approval by the parish leadership

plans and carries out projects and activitiesapproved by the parish leadership

reviews and reports project results to the parishleadership and fellow parishioners

Care for CreationTeams typically meet once ortwiceamonth.Teamprojectsandactivitiestypicallyinc lude prayer and l iturgy ; educat ion and awarenesson environment and climate change;practicalprojectslikerecyclingandsavingenergy;andactionsinrelationtosocialandenvironmental justiceissues.ACareforCreationTeammightt akeonanyoftheprojectsinthisGuide.

TheparishCareforCreationTeammaybenefitfromoutreach to othersimilarlymindedorganizations,including their diocese, Catholic and interfaithgroups, aswell ascity andregionalgovernmententities.Carefor CreationTeamsavoidusingtheChurchtopromotecommercialorpoliticalinterestsand positions not specifically endorsed by theChurch.

There are two key success factors for Care forCreationTeams:tomeetregularlyandtohavethesupport of the pastors andparish priests. Thesetwofactorscreateahighlikelihoodofappropriateactionsintheparishcontext.

A fragile world, entrusted by God to human care,challenges us to devise intelligent ways of directing,

developing and limiting our power.- Pope Francis, Laudato Si' ¶78

GHGemissions.Direct energy use,including fueland conventional electricity, is typically a majorcomponent of the parish carbon footprint. Othercomponentsincludeindirectenergyuse,e.g.energyused in commercial travel and the production,

packaging,transportation, andfinaldispositionofgoodsandsuppliesusedbytheparish.Therearetoolsthat canhelp measure thisfootprint.In theUSA,forinstance,InterfaithPowerandLight’s CoolCongregations programhasanonlinetoolthatcanbeusedtoestimateaparishcarbonfootprint.

EnergyisapreciousresourceandagiftfromGod.Inwhateverformitreachesandservesus,itshouldbe used conservatively. Careless and wastefuluseofenergyandotherpreciousresourcesisanunfortunate characteristic of consumption-driven

GETTING STARTED

REDUCING PARISH EMISSIONS

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The meteorological impacts of climate changeincrease the stress on water supplies in manypartsoftheworld.Risingambientairtemperaturesincreaseratesofevaporation.Italsoincreasesthedemand for water and electric air conditioning.Moreover, production of conventional electricityrequiresaconsiderableamountofwater.Asaresult,risingtemperaturestendtodecreaseavailabilityoffreshwaterwhiledemandincreases.

Insomepartsoftheworld,globalclimatechangeisleadingto recordflooding. Floodingand othersevereweathereventscancausefoulingoffreshwaterreserves andoverwhelm drainagesystemsthatweredesigneddecadesago.Risingsealevels

canlead tointrusionof seawateron freshwatersources.Evenwhenthereis“toomuchwater,”freshwatersuppliescanbethreatened.

WATER, ENERGY, AND CLIMATE CHANGE

throwawaycultures;ithasnoplaceinparishlife.

Most parishes can reduce emissions and savemoney by saving energy. In manyparts of theworld,parishescan benefit fromfree orlow-costgovernmentandutility-basedprogramspromotingenergy efficiency through facility audits, buildinginsulation,lightbulbreplacement,andmanyothers.

Renewableenergysuchassolarpowerisalsoaneffective way to reduce emissions. Unlike fossilfuels, renewable energy use does not diminishtheresource,whichiscontinuallyrenewedbytheforcesofnature.

ENERGY USE IN PARISH BUILDINGS

Buildingsconsumeenergyforheating,ventilation,andairconditioning.Alltheappliancesanddevicesweuse,includinglighting,refrigeration,andcooking,use even more energy. Worldwide, buildingsaccountfor anearly a third of total final energyconsumption1.Muchofthisenergyisderivedfromconventionalfossilfuels.Thusitisimportantforallorganizations,largeorsmall,tohelpreduceuseofenergyinbuildingsbybeingmoreefficient.

Energy-efficient church andparish buildingscanbe welcoming, well lit, well ventilated, beautiful,andcomfortable.Thegoalisenergy efficiency,notsavingenergybyskimpingonbasics.GreenFaith.orgprovidesanexcellentonlineslidepresentationonsavingenergyinparishbuildings.

FUEL USE IN PARISH VEHICLES

Iftheparishownsor operatesdiesel,gasoline,or

4 International Energy Agency, online FAQs, 2015, https://www.iea.org/

aboutus/faqs/energyefficiency/

petrol-powered vehicles, then the fuels used inthesevehiclesalsocontributetotheparishcarbonfootprint. While the parish does not necessarilycontrolthefueleconomyofitsvehicles,theparishdoeshavethechoiceofwhichvehicletouseandwhentouseit.

FOUR KEY STEPS TO ENERGY SAVINGS

Realizingthe benefitsof energysavingshas fourkey steps summarized below and described ingreaterdetailinthefollowingpages.

1. Monitor actual energy use . Keep track of theenergy bills and add up the annual total for eachtype of energy.

Howmuchcanbesaved?Monitoringenergyuse

doesn’tactuallysaveenergy.Butithelpstomotivatepeopleandtoverifyactualsavings.

2. Eliminate energy waste by adopting energysaving habits.

Howmuchcanbesaved? Iflittleefforthasbeenmadetosaveenergybefore,aparishmightsaveasmuch astenpercentoftotal energycostsbyconscientiouslypromotingenergysavinghabits.

3. Lock in energy savings step by step bysystematically replacing worn out items with modernhigh efficiency ones.

Howmuchcanbesaved? Again,iflittlehasbeendonebefore,aparishmightsaveuptotenpercentoftotalenergycostsoveraperiodofonetothreeyears.Moreover,onceinstalledthesesavingsare“lockedin,”theparishwillcontinuetobenefit.

4. Invest in energy saving technologies . Whilethese often have an upfront cost, they typically payfor themselves over time through energy and costsavings.

Howmuchcanbesaved? Everyparishisdifferent.Aprofessionalenergyauditisagoodwaytoidentifypotential energysavingsand to estimate projectcostsand savings.What a parish savesfrom aproject becomes a true savings after the initialinvestmentis paidback.Asa generalrule, manyenergysaving projects offerpayback periods ofthreetosevenyears.

The problem is aggravated by a model of developmentbased on the intensive use of fossil fuels, which is

at the heart of the worldwide energy system. - Pope Francis, Laudato Si' ¶23

MONITOR DIRECT

ENERGY USE

Everydecisiontoturnoffanunnecessarylightoradjust the thermostaton a heateror airconditionerproducesvaluableenergysavings.

However, the greatest benefits are achievedthroughconcertedeffortwhenenergyuseisdirectlymonitoredandreportedtransparentlytotheparishatlarge.Whentheresultsarepublic,morepeopleare likely to engage in delivering the intendedoutcome.Thismayalsoencouragethemtodothesameathome.

Directenergyuseattheparishtypicallyincludes:

direct combustion of fuel for heating, cooking, andtransportation

use of electricity for lighting, refrigeration,communications, computers, and other electricalappliances

Thesetwotypesofenergyuseareusuallyeasytomonitorbecausethecostofenergyhastobepaid.Tothe extentthatthe parishbenefitssignificantlyfrom donations of fuel or electricity,someeffortshouldbemadetoaccountfortheseaswell.

A parish’s energy bills will typically specify theexact amountofenergy usedduringeachbillingcycle.Energyusedbyelectricvehicleswillalsobereflectedintheelectricitybill,andsoaslongastheparishvehiclesarechargedatthe parish,it doesnotneedtobecalculatedseparately.

4

Waterconservationis therefore a keystrategytoaddressclimatechange.Waterconservationandenergyconservationgohandinhand.

Your parish may also wish to examine how itsproperty handles rainwater. Poorly designed ormaintained “stormwater” systems can not onlypollutenearbywaterbodies,theymayalsocontributetolocalflooding.Aspartofthisstudy,aparishmaywishtoexaminetheuseofstoringrainwaterfromdownspouts and drainage systems. That watercanthenbeusedforlandscapingpurposesduringtimesofdryweather.


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Ifthe parish ownsor regularlyuses conventionalvehicles,suchascars,vansandbuses,thesewilladdtotheparishcarbonfootprint.Vehicleemissionsdonottakeplaceattheparish,butratherenrouteto and from parish activities. Nevertheless, theyarewithinthedirectcontroloftheparish.Ifthefuelforparishvehiclesispurchasedusingafuelcreditcard,thenthenumberof gallons orlitersof fuelpurchasedshouldbeindicatedonthestatements.However,ifcashorothercreditcardsareused,itmaynotbeeasytoconvertexpendituretofuel.Fuelcostcouldbetrackedinsteadoffueluse,butactualsavingsmaybemaskedbychangesinfuelprices.Inthiscase,quantityoffuelusedcanbeestimatedfromthetotalcostfuelandanaveragefuelprice.

Whetherinbuildingsor invehicles, itis oftenthecasethatwewouldhavetopaymoreorlessthis

yeartousethesameamountofenergyaswedidlastyear.Thepriceofenergyvariesfromdaytodayandfromplacetoplace.Whileoilpricesdeclinedin 2014to 2015,electricity prices havetendedtoremainflat or to increase.Parishesthat producetheirownenergyfromrenewableresourcesarenotsubjecttosuchrisingcosts.

Whentrackingenergyuse,itisessentialtorecorditregularlyovertime.Trackingcanbeassimpleusinga spreadsheet to enter monthly energy bill andvehiclefueluse data.Typicallytherearecolumnsfor billing date,billing period, quantity of energyused,andenergycost.Ifthebillingperioddoesnotcoincidewithcalendarmonthoryear,the energyprovidermay providesubtotals forthatportionofthebillthatfallsinthepriorperiodvs.thecurrentperiod.

Month-to-month comparisons may have littlebenefit if energy use depends on the weather,daylight hours, and the liturgical calendar. It isalmostalwayshelpful—infactitisenergyindustrypractice—tocomparearecentfulltwelvemonthstoapriortwelvemonths,whethertheseareacalendaryear,afinancialaccountingyear,or justthemostrecenttwelvemonthlybillingperiods.

Comparingenergyusedthismonthtotheenergyused during the same month a year ago alsoprovidesusefulinformation.Manyenergyutilitybillsincludeinformationaboutenergyusedperdayinthelatestbillingperiodand,forcomparison,forthesameperiod in the previous year.Daily averageenergyuseishelpfulwhenthenumberofdaysinabillingperiodvariesfrommonthtomonthandfromyeartoyear.

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS INVENTORY

Fr. Michael Greenwell, O. Carm.,Pastor at St. Teresa of Avila, said:“Towards the end of 2013, we added

insulation to the priory as a hedge

against future energy costs.” It is anolder building, and the contractorhad to drill holes from the inside, toall the exterior walls the priory, andblow the insulation into the spacesbetween the studs.

The parish also took a number ofother measures to save electricity,including systematic replacement of worn out light bulbs and deviceswith modern efficient ones at boththe church and the priory. At theend of 2014, the parish summed

up its energy use and prepared an

ST. TERESA OF AVILA PARISHSan Francisco, California USA

inventory of GHG emissions forcomparison with the previous year.As a result of energy conservationmeasures, the parish saved 36% onnatural gas, 8% on electricity, and18% on its total energy cost (relativeto what it would have paid in 2014to use as much energy as they didin 2013). The parish energy savingsreduced parish emissions of GHGsby 30% in one year.

As of 2015, the parish monitors itsenergy use through US EPA Energy

Star Portfolio Manager.

Whileit isrelativelystraightforward tokeep trackofenergyuse, itis necessaryfor someone toberesponsibleforit,andfortheresponsiblepersontohaveregularaccesstotheenergybills.Ifpossible,thepersonwho reviewsand/or approvesenergybillsforpaymentwouldbetheidealpersontotrackparishenergyuse.ThispersonwouldbeavaluablememberoftheparishCareforCreationTeam.

Once totalenergy use ofeachtypeisknown, itiseasy to tracktrendsand changes.Sometimesenergyusegoesupdespiteeffortstoconserve.Thiscanhappenbecauseofmoresevereweather,one-timeprojects,oranincreaseinparishactivities.Anincreaseinenergyuseintheserviceofthepastoralmissionis nota failure.It isimportantto staythecourseofenergyconservation,evenifenergyuseincreasesforatime.

Whentotaluseofeachkindofenergyisknown,theresultingGHG emissionscan becalculated1.TheGHGcontentoftypicalfuelssuchasgasoline/petrol,diesel,naturalgas,oil,and othersiswellknown2.Forelectricity,the electricityutilitycompany oftendiscloses the GHG emissions factor. Emissionsfactors and carbon content are used toconvertenergyuseintoGHGemissions.

Different fuels are billed in different units—suchasgallonsforgasoline,litersfor petrol;thermsfornaturalgas;kilowatthoursforelectricity.Moreover,different forms of energy have different carboncontent, hence different GHG emissions factors.Someexpertisemay behelpfulto calculateGHGemissionsfromrawenergyusedata.

Thereis noneed tobe overly concernedaboutdifferentkindsofenergyandtheircarboncontent.Instead, each type of energy can becomparedseparately:e.g.electricityusedthisyearcomparedtoelectricityused forthesameperiodlastyear.Evenifemissionsare nevercalculated,thedirectmonitoring of energy use alone can providesubstantial support to energy conservationmeasuresandhelpparishesreduceemissions.

5 Greenhouse Gas Protocol, World Resources Institute / World Business

Council for Sustainable Development

6 Emissions factors for Greenhouse Gas Inventories, US EnvironmentalProtection Agency, 4 April 2014

If we want to bring about deep change,we need to realize that certain mindsets

really do influence our behaviour.- Pope Francis, Laudato Si' ¶215

ELIMINATE

ENERGY WASTE

Perhapstheleastexpensiveformofenergysavingsisthroughourownactions,suchasturningoffalightwhen leavinga room.Itcostsnothing.Whatis requiredinsteadisan attentionto turningthingsdownoroffwhentheyarenotbeingused.Energysavings of as much as ten percent canbe

achievedsimplythroughconsciousandcontinuouseffortstouselessenergy.

Turn it off. Lights, computers,media equipment,fans, stand-alone heaters, and air conditionersshouldbeturnedoffwhennotinuse.Tobesure

thatpowerisoff,unplugthem(whenitmakessensetodoso).Powerstripsmakethiseasy—andsome

powerstripsprovidethe added benefit ofpowersurgeprotection.

Turn it down. In buildings with heating or airconditioning,thereisprobablyenergytobesavedthroughcarefulcontrolofthe temperaturesetting,both when people are there and, even moreimportant, when they are not. Many countries,suchasJapan,havenationalguidelinesforindoortemperature settings and ask us all to dressappropriatelyfortheweather,soastorelylessonheating and air conditioning for ourcomfort.Aspeople becomemoreawareof theneed tosave

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energy,expectationsonheatingandcoolinghavestartedtochange.

Whena spacewillbeunusedfor afew hoursormore, itis importantto changethe temperaturesetting to theappropriate “setback”temperatureassoonaspeopleleave.Thisisatemperaturethatwill keep thebuilding pipesfromfreezing,moldfromgrowing,orotherkindofdamage,andfromwhichthebuildingcanbereturnedtocomfortableconditions starting anhour or sobefore peoplereturn.

The idealsetbacktemperaturesmay depend ontheweatherandonthebuildingitself.Duringtheheatingseason,55to62°F(13to17°C)isatypicalset backtemperature for overnight andfor daysonwhichabuildingisnotused.Itisimportantto

keepthebuilding above freezing to prevent waterpipes from bursting, and also above the dewpoint temperature to prevent mold growth fromcondensationinside walls and elsewhere.In thecoolingseason,asetbackmightbeashighas78to90°F(26to32°C).

CONSOLIDATE

Whetheritismeetingroomsorrefrigeratorspace,trytomatchthesizetotheneed.Iftherearetworefrigerators,butonesitsnearlyemptyforthirteenoutoffourteendays,itmaybebettertoconsolidateto one refrigerator and turn the other one off(leavingthedooropen)untilseveralhoursbeforeitisneeded.Likewise,iftherearemultipleheatingorairconditioningzonesinabuilding,energycanbesavedbyconsolidatingactivitiesintothefewest

number of zones,leaving theunused zones onthesetbacktemperature.Thesameideaappliestocarpoolingandtriplinking:bettertohavetwotofourpeopleinonevehicle,ratherthanonepersonineachoftwotofourvehicles.Itisalsobettertodoseveralerrandsinonetriptothesamepartoftown,ratherthanmakingseveraltrips.

Inspect and Maintain. Tokeep buildingsystemsandvehiclesoperatingwiththeintendedefficiency,itisnecessarytodoroutinemaintenancesuchascleaningorreplacingfilters.

Agoodbuildingservicesmanagercanmakeahugedifferencetoward energyconservation simply byroutinelyandreliablyseeingthatthingsareturnedoff, temperatures are set back or programmed,systemsare servicedregularly,andenergy using

spaces and devices are consolidated wherepossible.Acost-consciousbuildingmanagerisaninvaluablememberontheparishCareforCreationTeam.

Forvehicles,regularserviceandmaintenanceoftheworkingconditionisnecessarytomaintainthevehicle’s fuel economy. Dirty filters, loss of oillubrication,andlowtirepressurealltakeatollonvehiclefueleconomy.

GREEN TRANSIT CHOICES

Walking, cycling, taking the bus, and carpoolinginstead of driving a car allreduceGHGemissions.Singleoccupancyinconventionalvehiclesshouldbethelastchoice.

… removing from the market products which areless energy efficient or more polluting,

... and encouraging the construction and repair ofbuildings aimed at reducing their energy consumption …

- Pope Francis, Laudato Si' ¶180

LOCK IN ENERGY

SAVINGS STEP BY STEP

It canbe a challengeto helpconserveenergybut there are low-cost devices—such asprogrammablethermostatsandlightandmotion

sensors—thatcanhelpwithwhatmightotherwisebe inconvenientor unreliable.Inexpensive items,such as weather stripping and high efficiency

lightbulbs,can alsobeverycosteffective.Thesesimpleitemsmaypayforthemselvesinsavingsinashorttime—sometimeslessthanayear.Andonceinstalled,they“lock in” thesavingsyearafteryear.

Perhapsthebestexampleofanaffordableenergysaving device is a thermostat with seven-dayprogrammable setbacks.Itcanbedifficulttogeteveryonetoreturnthethermostattothesetbacktemperature upon exiting a building and manybuildings,evensmallones,couldbenefitfromsuchaprogrammablethermostat.Becauseliturgiesandmanychurchactivitiesoccurat scheduledtimes,itiseasytoprogramathermostattofollowalong.It isimportant for churchesto use a seven-dayprogram(notafive+two,andnotfive+one+one,whicharealsoavailable)becausethebuildingusecanchangeappreciablyduringtheweekdaysandonthe weekend. Becauseof theMassschedule,building use on Saturdays will be very differentfrombuildinguseonSundays.Anotheradvantageof programmable thermostatsis thatthe systemcanbesettoresumebeforepeoplearrive,andnooneneedstoarriveearlytoturnontheheatorairconditioning.

There is wide variation among buildings andclimates,soitisnotpossibletogiveonesetbackschedulethatwillbeidealforall.Experiencewiththermostatprogrammingwillhelpparishesfindthebestcombinationofsetbacksandschedulesthatsavesenergywhenthebuildingisempty.

Weatherstrippingisanotherworthwhileinvestmentto reduce the demand for hea ting and a ir conditioningandimprovecomfort.Itisnotexpensiveandcantypicallybe installedbynon-professional

volunteerswitha littlehomerepairexperience. Asmallgroupof volunteersmightweatherstripthedoorsandwindowsofanentirechurchbuildinginlessthanaday.

Lighting isessentialforboth function,aesthetics,and safety, indoors and out. In most instances,as light bulbs fail, energy savings are possibleby replacing them with modern high-efficiencylight bulbs, without changing the light fixtures .Older architectural lightingmayhave specializedlightingtypes. Thesemay be difficultto convertto high-efficiency light bulbs. Your power utilityor local environmental agency may have someadviceintheseinstancessothatyoumayreduceenergyuseandmaintainthebeautyofyourchurch.

Incandescentbulbsareinefficient,generatingmoreenergyinheatthaninlight, and can add tothedemand for air conditioning. Thesehave largelybeen replaced in themarket by “Light EmittingDiode” or LED lights that fit exactly where theincandescentbulbwas.

Fortunately, the cost of LED bulbs has comedown considerably since the introduction ofthis technology. Moreover, LED lights outlastconventional lighting technologies. In addition toreducingtheexpenseofenergybills,manyparishesfind that LED lighting provides safety benefits

B ringing Laudato Si’ to Life


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because it reduces thefrequencyof staff havingto climb ladders to replace spent lights in highoverheadfixtures.AdvancesinLEDlightsarenowallowingmore optionsin brightnessandcolorsothatyourparishionerswon’tnoticeanydifferenceinilluminationorbeauty.

Foroverheadfluorescenttubelighting,replacementoftheold“T12”tubes withthenew“T8”tubesiswellworththecostofthenewballaststhatmayberequiredfor theexistingfixturesto accommodatethenewtubes.Staffatlocalhardwarestoresshouldbeabletogiveguidanceastowhatisneededandhowtomaketheswitch.

Motion and light sensors can be used to turnlights onwhenpeopleare presentor when itisdarkandturnthemoffagainwhentheyarenotneeded.Some individuallightfixtures,particularlyexteriorones,havebuilt-insensorsanddoturnonautomatically when detecting motion, providingboth safety benefits and theft deterrence. Insidebuildings,anelectriciancanwiremotionsensorstocontrolbasicoverheadlighting(thoughtypicallynotindividual“task”lighting)incommonareassuchasentriesandhallwaysandinofficeandmeetingrooms.Ifthelightsgooutwhensomeoneissittingquietly,peoplequicklylearnthatawaveofthehandgetsthelightsbackonagain.

Investments have also been made ... in methods of constructionand renovating buildings which improve their energy efficiency.

But these good practices are still far from widespread. - Pope Francis, Laudato Si' ¶26

INVESTING IN ENERGY

SAVING TECHNOLOGIES

Onceaparishhasadoptedfreeandlow-costenergysavingsandseenmeasurableresults,itmaybereadytomakeaninvestmentfor

larger energy savings. A professional buildingenergy audit isgoodwaytoidentifyopportunitiesforadditionalenergysavingsbeyondthebasicsnotedabove. Some energy utilities and environmental

agencieswillperformtheseauditsfreeof charge.Theymayalsohelpwithimplementingsuggestedactions.

Buildings, particularly older ones, typically havemanyopportunitiestosave energybyupgradingbuildingsystems.Inorderofcost,fromlowtohigh,theseincludeupgradesto:

larger light fixtures

water heaters, such as on-demand systems, whichmay be the most efficient for church restrooms andSunday hospitality because there is no hot waterstored when no one is using it

building insulation, including walls, ceilings, waterheaters and hot water pipes

heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems,including separation into zones with differentoccupancy schedules

Itisnotpossibletopredict,sightunseen,theextentof investmentor potentialsavingsfor a building.Manyfactors,includingtheageofthebuilding,itsdesign and construction, the local weather, thehoursofuse,andthe historyof maintenance,willaffect thepotentialfor significant energysavings.Itisbesttoseekprofessionaladviceforsignificantinvestmentsinbuildingenergysavings.

A reliable contractorcan estimate bothcost andsavingsforenergysavingprojects.Theseareoftenexpressedintermsofthe payback period,whichisthetimeafterwhichtheenergycostsavingsexceedthecostoftheenergysavingproject.

Apaybackperiodof sevenyearsis reasonable.Apaybackperiodofthreeyearsorlessisconsideredvery good. Moreover, energy efficiency service

providers(eitherprivateor thosefromyourutility)areusuallyknowledgeableaboutfinancingoptionsaswellas availableincentives, suchas rebates.Contractors typically incorporate incentives intothe calculation of the payback period and theymayeven filloutthe incentiveapplicationon thecustomer’sbehalf.

Oneof thebest opportunities to invest inenergysavingsisduringconstructionofany kindofnewfacility.

Mindfulofthetraditiontoorienttheapse/sanctuaryportion ofa church buildingtowardthe East,theenergybenefits ofsunlightand shadeshouldbeamong the considerations for orientation andplacementofnewparishbuildings.

Retrofitorremodelingofanexistingbuildingisalsoanopportunityforenergysavings.Useofexistingbuildingsavoids production,transport,and wastebuildingofmaterials.Furthermore,obtainingpermitsforsignificantremodelingoftenrequiresachievingnewstandards,includingthoseforenergysavings.

Choosingorreplacingparishvehiclespresentsyetanother opportunity to save energy and reduceemissions.Whetherthevehiclesareowned,leased,rented,orevenborrowed,fueleconomyshouldbeasignificantfactorinthechoiceofvehicle.Choosing

asmallervehicle,whenthereareonlyoneortwopeople,isonewaytogetbetterfueleconomy.All-electric vehiclesareanotheroption,particularlyifthe electricityis sourced fromon-site renewableenergy. The gas and maintenance savings withsuchelectricvehiclesquicklyaddupandcanmaketheseaneconomicalchoiceinmanyplaces.

Parishesmayalsowishtoinvestigatetheinstallationofelectricvehiclechargingstationsfor theirownuseor forthat of theirparishioners.Again,thesecanuseelectricityfromthepowergridor,betteryet,

In some places, cooperatives are being developed toexploit renewable sources of energy which ensure local

self-sufficiency and even the sale of surplus energy. - Pope Francis, Laudato Si' ¶179

TRANSITION TO

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Inordertolimittheglobaltemperaturerisebelowthethresholdof1.5°C,thetransitionawayfromfossilfuelsshouldbenearlycompleteworldwide

by2050.Catholic parishes can lead by exampleby switching partly or fully to renewable energyas soon as possible before 2050.

Renewable energy—solar, wind, geothermal,hydroelectric, and others—is the ultimate low-

carbon energy source. Renewable energy offersmany other advantages, such as local jobs, ahedgeagainstrisingcostsofconventionalenergy,potential independence from the grid (and gridinterruptions),andavisibledisplayofcommitmenttocaringforcreationasanelementoftheparishidentity.

Theuseofrenewableshasbeenlimitedinpartdue


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tohistoricallyhighercostsrelativeto conventionalenergy.Butthat ischangingbecausethe costofrenewables has decreased substantially. Utilitiesworldwideare increasingtheir useof renewableenergyandrenewablesareincreasinglyaccessibletocustomerswhogeneratetheirownelectricityonsiteaswell.

RENEWABLE ENERGY AT THE PARISH

Solar electric panels and solar water heatingare common choices for renewable energy atCatholicparishes.Acrosstheworld, indevelopedanddeveloping countries,solarpanelsare beinginstalledontheroofsof Catholicparishchurches,schoolsandotherbuildings,andinparkingareas.

Often the biggest challenge to solar and other

renewableenergyattheparishisthe initial cost.Thereareoftenavarietyoflocalfinancingoptionsto help meet this challenge, including loans,grants, anddonor campaigns.In manycountriesand regions, governments provide incentives forinstallingrenewableenergy,thoughthesearebeingphasedoutasthecostofrenewablesapproachesthatofconventionalenergy.Still,itisworthcheckingwithyourlocalpowerutilityand stateorregionalenergyoffice.A reliable contractor mayoftenbe

abletohelpidentifycurrentincentivesandfinancingoptions,inadditiontoinstallingandmaintainingtheactualrenewableenergysystems.

Whereavailable, solar performance contractingcan be a good option for parishes because itallows someone elseto build andmaintainsolarenergyontheparish’srooftops.Insuchcasestheparishoftengainsthebenefitsoftaxincentivesnotapplicable to untaxed charities.In thiscase, theparishpaysonlyforthemonthlyenergythattheyuse.Forsmallerparishes,thiscanalsohelprelievepossibleconcernsaboutoperatingandmaintainingunfamiliarequipment.

In August 2015, St. Peter's parishbegan installation of 165 solarpanels (52 kW total) on the churchand terrace. They will supply powerto the church, school, and other

parish buildings.

"St. Peter’s Parish and St. StanislausHigh School have a reputation ofbeing in the forefront of educationfor over a century and a half in

Mumbai. The management felt thenecessity of targeting a zero carbonendeavor to showcase to thestudents and society at large thenecessity, economic viability andthe responsibility of institutions tocontribute to energy conservation,”said Fr. Errol Fernandes, SJ, ParishPriest. “We hope that within the

ST. PETER'S PARISHBandra, Maharashtra India

SOLAR POWER

next few months we will run all ourneeds largely by solar power."

While the initial cost is significant,the project is expected to payfor itself over time. “St. Peters

has worked out an economicfunding strategy, involving donors,institution funding and financialbanking loan to fund the projectwith a target of breaking evenwithin seven years due to energysaving on electricity consumptionfrom grid supply.”

We know that technology based on the use ofhighly polluting fossil fuels – especially coal,

but also oil and, to a lesser degree, gas – needsto be progressively replaced without delay.

Pope Francis, Laudato Si’ ¶165

RENEWABLE ENERGYVIA THE GRID

Insomeregionsandcountries(Australia,Europe,andtheUSA),utilitiesofferrenewable electricitythrough the grid. Account holders, whether

they be individual parishes or entire dioceses(as in UK) can purchase up to 100% renewable

electricity without installing anything on their ownpremises. Evenwhenthereisacostpremiumtopurchasesuchenergy,thegridmaybethequickest,easiest and most affordable meansfor a parishto choose renewable energy. Other advantagesincludepredictablecost,“payasyougo”programsfortheexactamountofenergyneeded,andabilitytoterminatetheserviceatanytimeifabetteroptioncomesalong.Moreover,retailrenewablecustomersplayacriticalroleinencouragingmunicipalitiesandutilitiesto shiftto renewablepowermorequicklythanthey are required to do—“withoutdelay”asPopeFrancissaid.

HOW IS OUR PARISH BILLED FOR ENERGY?

Traditionally, gas and electricity customers werebilledbyutilitiesforamonthlyfeeandaflatpriceperunitofenergyused.Themonthlyfeerepresentsthecostofhavingenergyavailabletothecustomer,evenifitnoneisused.

Withtheopeningofelectricitymarketstocompetitioninmanypartsoftheworld,andtheadventofsmart

metertechnology,many energycompanies nowusenewpricingschemes.

The most common energy pricing schemesare “tiered” pricing and “time-of-use” pricing for

electricity.

Tiered pricing meansthatthereisacertainpriceperunitenergyforthefirstblock(ortier)ofenergyusedpermonth,and higherpricesfor additionalenergyusedinthe higher tiers. Theremaybe asmanyas fourtierswithfour differentprices.In atieredpricingscheme,theenergysavedcomesoutofthe highest pricetier.Tiered pricingstructuresthereforerewardcustomerswhoseusageremainsinthelowerorlowesttier.

In time-of-use pricing schemes, power usedduringthe"peak"timesispricedhigherthanpowerusedat"offpeak"times.Thereasonisthatitcostsmoreperunitenergyfortheenergyprovidertogettheextraenergytomeeteveryone’speakdemand.Timeofusepricingschemesrewardcustomersforshiftingenergyuseto"offpeak"hours.

Besidesthe newpricingschemes,energy pricescan change often, e.g. seasonally or monthly,dependingonthecostoffuelorenergypurchasedbythe service provider. Energy prices may alsoinclude taxes, transmission charges, and other

chargesthatcanchangeovertime.

Givenachoice,electricityforchurchbuildingsmaycostlessinatieredpricingschemebecausemostMassesandother activitiestakeplaceduringthedaywhenthepriceishighinatime-of-usepricingscheme.

Modernenergy providerswant tokeep customershappy.Theyalsowant tohelpcities andcountriesachievetheirenergysavingtargets. Do not hesitateto call the energy company and ask for advice on

courtesy of St. Peter Parish, India


“In October 2015, it was announced that La Seu Cathedral (commonly called“The Cathedral of Light”) in Mallorca, Spain, would be illuminated by 100%renewable electricity purchased from an electricity service provider.” Photo byVagabond Quest


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saving energy and saving money, and which ofthe available billing schemes is best for your parishfacilities.

NET METERING

Netmeteringallowscustomerswhogeneratetheirownpowertosendsurplusenergytothegrid,andmakeupdeficitsfromthegrid.Thecustomerisonlybilledforthenetdifferencebetweenwhattheytake

fromthe gridandwhattheyprovideto thegrid.However,ifthecustomerprovidesanetinputtothegridduringthebillingperiod,thecredit,ifany,maybemodest.

Therulesregardingnetmeteringforgrid-connectedcustomerpowergenerationvaryfromplacetoplace.Overtime,changesintheserulestendtoreducepotentialbarrierstocustomer-ownedrenewables.

"Purchasing is always a moral— and not simply economic—act.”


7

BEYOND DIRECT

ENERGY SAVINGS

Theparishisdirectlyresponsibleforemissionsfrom its energy use in its buildings andvehicles.The parish canalso influencethe

energyandemissionsoutsidetheparishthroughitsplanningandpurchasingdecisionsandthroughitsoperationsandwasteminimization.Areasthatarelikelytoprovidemeasurableemissionsreductionsinclude:

travel to and from parish activities by members ofthe congregation

food, supplies, and goods purchased by the parish

waste reduction, recycling, and composting

sustainable gardening and grounds maintenance

TRAVEL TO AND FROM THE PARISH

Catholic parish churches are typically located inthecommunityofthepeopletheyserve.Intermsoftransportationtoandfromthechurch,Catholicparisheshavetheadvantageofbeingclose.Evenso,peoplehavethesametransitchoicesasclergyandparishstaffofhowtotraveltoandfromchurchandparish activities. Parishioners canchoose towalk,cycle,takepublictransit,catcha liftwithaneighbor,ordriveapersonalvehicletochurch.The

parish canhelp reduce energy usedfor travel toandfromservicesandotherparisheventsby:

publicizing public transit routes on parish websitesand Sunday bulletins

installing bike racks in a good location

scheduling some meetings immediately afterservices so as to reduce the number of trips

holding some meetings by conference call or online,avoiding trips to and from the parish

GREEN PURCHASING

Green purchasing is another way that parishescan save money and reduce emissions outsidetheparish.Theveryfirstruleof greenpurchasingistobuy only what is needed. Consolidation ofsuppliesalsoreducesunnecessarypurchasingbyeliminatingunnecessarystorageof paper,etc., inmultiplelocations.

When something is needed, the “green” choiceisnot onlythesmartchoice,butoftenthe lowesttotal cost option aswell. Properly implemented,greenpurchasingsavesmaterialsandenergyandreduceswasteofbothpackagingandusedgoods.Greenpurchasing alsocontributes to themarketdemand for low-carbon products. In additionto energy efficient products mentioned earlier,

commongreenpurchaseoptionsinclude:

environmentally friendly cleaning supplies

refills for existing containers (rather than buyingnew containers every time)

goods with recycled content, particularly paper, butalso some furniture, flooring materials, etc.

reusable, recyclable, or compostable items insteadof disposable items

all natural materials for art supplies

locally produced food and goods, which avoidsenergy use for transportation

WASTE REDUCTION

Wastereductionisanaturalcomplementto“greenpurchasing”becauseavoidanceoffuturewasteisafactorindecisionstopurchasewhatwedoneed.

Thegreenpurchasingprincipleofbuyingonlywhatyouneedalsoappliestoproductuse.Forexample,printonlywhatisneeded,usecolorinksonlywhenneeded forclear communication, and use both

sides of the paper—for example, print in-housedocumentsandincomingfaxesonthereversesideof previouslyprintedpaper.Electronicmediaaredisplacingagreatdealofprintingandparishesaremakinggooduseofwebsitesandemailratherthanrelying exclusively on printed communications.Distributionofcalendarsanddirectoriesisnolongernecessaryinmanypartsoftheworld.

Evenwhenthingscannolonger beused,manycanbe recycledrather thangoing completelytowaste.Whereavailable,compostingalsoreduces

waste and carbon emissions. Several Catholicparishes are doing their own composting, forexample inMumbai, Maharashtra(India). To getfullbenefitsofpurchasingreusable,recyclable,andcompostableitems,theymustbereused,recycledandcomposted.Clearsignageandlabelinghelpshelpsstaff,parishionersandguestsputthingsinthecorrectbins.

SUSTAINABLE GARDENING AND

GROUNDS MAINTENANCE

Gardensand well-tendedgroundsaddbeauty toparishlife,andplantgrowthtakesupcarbondioxidefromtheair.Gardensshouldgrowinharmonywiththe surrounding natural environment and avoidtheintroductionof invasiveplantspeciesortoxicmaterials.Indrought-proneregions,parishgardens

and grounds should be drought-tolerant. Drivesandwalkwaysshouldbesweptratherthanhosedwithwater.

Sustainable gardening and ground maintenancepracticesmayincorporate:

drought tolerant native plants

permeable ground cover

rainwater collection and drip irrigation

planting trees to provide shade and/or let in thesunlight, reducing building energy demand forheating and air conditioning

areas devoted to production of fresh fruit andvegetables for people

natural alternatives to pesticides and chemicalfertilizers

habitat to support local species

Here are two parishesthat have done just this:CathédraleNotre Damede Paris installeda beehiveon theroof ofthe sacristyfor Brother Adam

bees, known for their gentleness. St. Francis ofAssisiChurchinTriangleVAUSAwasdesignatedasaCertifiedWildlifeHabitatbytheNationalWildlifeFederation.

7 Laudato Si’ quote is from Pope Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in

Veritate (29 June 2009)


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Our relationship with the environment can never be isolatedfrom our relationship with others and with God.


ThenotionthatwemustcareforGod’screationhasinspiredCatholicsformillennia.FromtheaccountsofcreationintheBookofGenesis

totheprofoundrespectfornaturesignifiedbytheIncarnation,aswellasinthesacramentallifeoftheChurch—fromthewritingsoftheearliestChristiansto thelife ofSt. Francisof Assisi andto Catholicwriterstoday,includingtheBishopsofRome—thenaturalworldinspireswonder,liturgy,prayer,chant,song,andart.

In LaudatoSi’, PopeFrancis remindsus oftheserealities. He also spoke of the urgent need toaddress the combined crises of environmentaldegradationand poverty. Laudato Si’is a calltoreflectionandaction,toencourageorrenewacare

forourcommonhome,toabandontheemptinessof throwawaycultures andconsumerist lifestylesthat are harming theEarth and its peoples,andtocareforallofGod’screatures,mostparticularlyeachother.

THE ROLE OF THE PARISHIONER

Laudato Si’ creates an opportunity to start orcontinue conversations in our parishes and toprayerfully bringLaudatoSi' to life through newandrenewedprojectsandactivities dedicatedtorespectingGod'screation.

Father Victor Toapanta, Pastorof Our Lady of El Cisne in Tena,emphasized the study of theencyclical Laudato Si' in pastoralplanning for 2015-2016. "Living theyear of Mercy by being mercifultowards nature, is something to be

encouraged in the entire Christiancommunity. Catechists, catechized,and Catholic youth movements

of the parish are studying theencyclical" said the Pastor.

The Pastor has also made somechanges to the infrastructure ofthe parish, for example, electricalinstallations were upgraded toconserve energy and likewisethe church lights remain off atnight. Water use is controlled andmonitored monthly to preventwater leakage.

In June 2015, after the catastrophiclandslides in the Oyacachi area

(where the indigenous Kichwapeople have lived for more than500 years), the youth group and

the Catholic charity Caritas Ecuadorattended and cared for refugees,especially children. Parishionerswere encouraged to help supplyfood to send to the victims of thisnatural disaster, and they continueto send food and economicresources to those families.

"To transform the lives of peopleliving in the privileged places likethe Amazon, an appreciation for thecare of nature, rivers, trees andanimals is necessary," said Fr.Toapanta.

OUR LADY OF EL CISNE PARISHTena, Napo Ecuador

INSPIRING PARISHIONERS WITH LAUDATO SI’Parishes can engage their congregations inecologicalcitizenshipby:

celebrating creation through special liturgies,devotions, prayer services, and other activities andevents

educating members on the themes of Laudato Si'

promoting lifestyle choices that are respectful ofcreation and compatible with a stable global climate

working towards social and environmental justice insolidarity with the poor

fostering personal conversion and holiness,especially through the virtues of temperance andprudence

The natural environment and climate changearetopicsofinteresttomany,particularly amongyoungpeople.Engagementoftheseissues,ifdonewell,cangiveparishionersaheightenedsenseofconnectiontotheparish,toGod'screation,andtheglobal community. Thus such engagement canalsobecomea profoundmeansofevangelizationandcatechesis.Parishesthataremakinganeffortontheirownpremisestoreduceemissionsthroughenergysavings,wastereduction,greenpurchasing,etc.,willbecredibleadvocateswhenspeakingtoitsmembersaboutwhattheycandoathomeandatwork.SuchparishesgivewitnesstothecareshownbytheChurchfortheworld.

PARISHIONERS’ VIEWS ON

CLIMATE CHANGE TODAY

Chancesare thatparishmembers haveheard agreatdealaboutclimatechange.Manyarelikelytoacceptitsbasisinfactandthatpeople—especiallythepoor—arebeingharmedbyit.Theymayhaveheardthatthere isa relationship between globalclimatechangeandtheirownlifestylechoices.Yetmanyofusmaynotyethaveappliedthatthinkingtoourownconsumptionpatterns.Itisnotnecessarily

INSPIRING PARISHIONERS

ECO-PARISH GUIDE

indifference or lack of information that preventspeople from choosing low-carbon lifestyles. Itmayoftenbethatattentionandmotivationarenotsufficienttocompensateforthelackofconvenientandaffordablelow-carbonoptions,especiallygiventhemanydemandsoflife.Yettoday,bothpersonalmotivationandlow-carbonoptionsareontheriseinmuchoftheworld.

Fromtheperspectiveofmostparishioners,LaudatoSi’inspiresustorenewourcareforGod’screation,tore-examinelifestylechoicesinlightofourfaith,andtofeelagreatersenseofurgencyforenvironmental justice.

courtesy of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Triangle USA

Photo courtesy of Our Lady of Cisne Parish


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Malate Parish, situated on ManilaBay, is one of the oldest churchesin the Philippines (1588). Centrallylocated, it has witnessed all themajor historical events in thePhilippines. The most recent andnotorious was the Battle for Manilain Feb. 1945. Over 100,000 peopleperished in the space of threeweeks.

The parish is now mostly composedof urban poor with 16,000 residentsand 16,000 coming to work and

school every day. Run by theColumban missionaries, it has astrong social justice orientation towhich was added a similarly strongCare for the Earth componentaround 20 years ago.

The Care for the Earth Ministrystarted with an annual blessing ofanimals on the Sunday nearest toOct 4, the feast of St. Francis. Atthis time the parish was promotingthe New Cosmology or New Storyof Creation as a framework forunderstanding and responding tothe current ecological crisis. This

led to the opening of the JubileeMission Exhibition which includes atelling of the New Story from a faithperspective. The parish wasalso involved in opening anenvironmental spirituality centercalled CELL (Center for EcozoicLiving and Learning), one houraway. Groups from the parish haveregularly gone there and are part ofthe estimated 50,000 people whohave visited the place. There is alsoa strong advocacy program againstthe plan to reclaim large portions(11,000 hectares) of Manila Bay.

Eventually a Care for the Earthministry was established and forover 11 years has now liturgicallycelebrated Creation Time from Sept1 to Oct 4. A wide range of programshave been developed: Earth Hour;a Lenten detox program, CosmicRosary and Ecological Stations of theCross; Safe celebration of Christmasand New Year - an alternative tooften harmful fire crackers; generaleducation in greening and recentlythe installation of passive ventilationas well as 60 solar panels on theroof of the church.

The parish has always beenencouraged by the ColumbanMissionary Society, the Archdioceseof Manila and the Catholic BishopsConference of the Philippines.However with Laudato Si’ andthe arrival of GCCM, ‘we havebecome’ in the words of Fr. JohnLeydon, (former parish priest andnow assigned as assistant, also aconvener for GCCM Philippines)‘mainstream and cutting edge, andno longer regarded as quaint andexotic’.

CARE FOR THE EARTHMINISTRYMALATE CHURCH(OUR LADY OF REMEDIES)Manila, Philippines

Coinciding with the city of Paris’hosting of COP21 in November-December 2015, Cathédrale NotreDame de Paris exhibited the workof Benedictine monk, Dom Robert(1907-1997), entitled “L’ODE À LACRÉATION.” This work inspirescontemplation of creation that ismagnified, radiant and entirely

respected.

During this same time there were aseries of lectures on Laudato Si’ atseveral churches in the Archdioceseof Paris. The archdiocese’s websitealso features a section called

Laudato Si’ et moi that providesquotes from the encyclical togetherwith reflection and practicaladvice on food, consumption,transportation, homes, education,and professional and social life.

Music is another wonderful sourceof inspiration to care for God’screation. Many of the hymns

ART EXHIBITION ANDEDUCATION ON LAUDATOSI’ AND LIFESTYLE CHOICESCATHÉDRALENOTRE DAME DE PARISParis, France

frequently sung in Catholic parishesecho the theme of experiencingGod’s love through the beauty ofnature.Likewise, artwork can helpkeep nature present to us whenindoors.

Living our vocation to be protectors ofGod's handiwork is essential to a life of virtue;

it is not an option or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience. - Pope Francis, Laudato Si' ¶217

INSPIRING CARE FOR

GOD'S CREATION

Allthe conventional meansof inspiringandengaging parishioners are applicable tocaring for God’s creation: special liturgies

andhomilies; devotionssuchas HolyHoursandtheRosary;soundcatechesis;musicandartwork;bulletinandnewsletterarticles;discussiongroups;

special events, etc.There areideas andsampletexts available free online from many Catholicandother faithgroupsthatcan beadaptedto aparticularparishanditslocalcontext.

Hereit should benoted thatthe titleof LaudatoSi ’comes fromtheopeningwordsof St.Francis’famous Canticleof the Sun. Thus rootedin thespiritualityof St.Francis,theencyclicalincludesauniversalprayerforourearth andanecumenicalonetorouseanduniteChristiansaroundaproperrelationshipwithnature.

Tohelp appreciatethe spirituality ofLaudatoSi’,thefollowingresourcesgivesomeindicationofthebreadthandvarietyofresourcesthatcanbefoundonline:

Caring for God's Creation, Resources for Liturgy,Preaching and Taking Action, US Conferenceof Catholic Bishops (2015)

Catholic Season of Creation, from the ColumbanMission Institute (Australia), which includes detailedguidance, commentary and prayers for Sundays in

September through to Feast of St. Francis of Assisiin October.

Guided Rosary on Caring for Creation, from theFranciscan Action Network

Stations of the Cross with John Paul II, On the Pathof Ecological Conversion, also from the FranciscanAction Network

PowerPoint reflection on Laudato Si’ and theClimate Reflections, including short video clips fromtheologians discussing climate-related topics, fromCAFOD

Prayers of the Faithful, from the Franciscans forEcology

Earth Day (April 22nd), World Environment Day(June5th),andWorld Dayof PrayerforCreation(September1)aregoodoccasionsto incorporateenvironmental themes into liturgies and cancounteranoverlysecularviewofcaringforGod’screation.LentandAdventareidealtimestopromotesacrificial,climatefriendlylifestyles.DuringLent,theparishcansuggesttakingpartina“CarbonFast.”ParishescancelebrateaSeasonofCreationfromSeptember1toOctober4theachyear.InAdventtheparishcandiscussresponsiblegiftgivingandeliminating worldly excess from our Christmascelebrations.

ParticularlyduringtheChristmas"shoppingseason"parishes can help counteractmarket advertisingthatpromotesexcessiveconsumerism.

ECO-PARISH GUIDE

courtesy of Cathedrale Notre Dame de Paris

Photo courtesy of Malate Church, Philippines


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Today, in a word, “the i ssue of environmentaldegradation challenges us to examine our lifestyle.”[147] - Pope Francis, Laudato Si' ¶206

INFORMAL EDUCATION ON

CLIMATE-FRIENDLY LIFESTYLES

L audatoSi’ specificallycallsonustoreconsiderourlifestylesandtheirimpactsontheEarthandon thepoor. Fightingglobal climate change

particularly depends on eliminating excessiveconsumptionandtheemissionsassociatedwithit.

The potential for greenhouse gas emissionsreductionsisevengreateramongparishionersthanitisfortheparishitself.Hundredsoffamilies,withhundredsofhomesandvehicles,consumefarmore

resourcesthan asingleparishwhere occupancyisgovernedlargelybythenumberofMassesandmeetingsperweek.Climate-friendly parishes have the leverage toinfluencetheemissionsof overabillionCatholicsaround theworld—oneoutof everysevenof the

Earth'sinhabitantstoday.

Parishioners,particularlystudents,havelikelybeenexposedtoalotofinformationaboutgreenlifestylechoices.Mostofit comesfroma purelysecularperspective.To addaCatholicperspective,manyCatholic aid and development agencies havecreatedresourcesto helppeopleunderstandtheconnectionsamongfaith,careforcreation,lifestylechoices,andenvironmentaljustice.

Catholic dioceses, such as the Archdiocese ofAtlanta,GAintheUSA,theArchdioceseofOttawa,Canada,andtheDiocesedeSãoJosédosCamposinSãoPaulo,Brasil,havealsocreatedresourcesforparishestousewiththeircongregations.

The Diocese de São José dosCampos in São Paulo formed theComissão Socioambiental andcreates educational materials tohelp parishes teach responsibilityfor our common home.

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION RESOURCESDIOCESE DE SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOSSão Paulo, Brasil

Waste contributes to climate changebecause energy is used to produce,package, transport, store, collectand dispose of whatever is wasted.

Food waste is a problem in manyparts of the world, and Laudato Si'specifically advises us to cook onlywhat can reasonably be consumed.“Whenever food is thrown out it isas if it were stolen from the table of the poor”.

Recycling of paper, glass, aluminum,plastic, and other materials savesmaterials and reduces the netenergy needed to produce anddeliver those materials back toconsumers. It also avoids taking upincreasingly scarce space in landfills.A growing number of companies arealso adopting "take back" practicesso that consumers can return thingslike clothing and phones when theyno longer want them.

WASTE AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Likewise composting allows organicmaterial to be returned to the soilto nurture new growth, insteadof going to landfills where theycontribute to production of potentGHGs like methane. Leading citieshave incorporated composting totheir waste reduction programs.

Everything is connected. Concern for the environmentthus needs to be joined by a sincere love for our fellow

human beings, and an unwavering commitment toresolving the problems of society.


WHAT IS A "HOUSEHOLD

CARBON FOOTPRINT?

AhouseholdcarbonfootprintisthetotalamountofGHGemissionsthatcanbeattributedtothe choices, actions, and lifestyles of the

membersof ahousehold.In developedcountries,alargepart ofthe footprint comesfromindirectsources, especially energy used to produceconsumergoodsandservices.

AcarbonfootprintincludesallGHGs,butistypical-lyexpressedintons ofcarbondioxideequivalent(CO2e).GHGssuchasmethaneandhydrofluoro-carbon refrigerants havemuch greater warmingpotentialthancarbondioxide.

Manyenvironmentalorganizationsofferfreeonline

calculatorstohelpestimatehouseholdorindividualcarbonfootprints.Whilethecarboncontentofanytypeoffossilfuelisaboutthesameeverywhere,thecarboncontentofelectricityfromthegriddependsheavilyonlocation.Thereforeitisbesttochoosealocal ornationalorganization’scarbonfootprintcalculator,suchastheHouseholdCarbonFootprintCalculatorfromtheEnvironmentalProtectionAgen-cy(EPA)inUSA,ortheAustraliaGreenhouseCalcu-latorfromEPAVictoriainAustralia.

What’s in a household carbon footprint? House-hold and personal carbon footprints are highly

ECO-PARISH GUIDE

courtesy of Diocese de Sao Dos Campos

8

8 Laudato Si’ quote is from Pope Benedict XVI, Message for 2010 World Day

of Peace

9

9 Laudato Si’ quote is from Catechesis (5 June

2013): Insegnamenti 1/1 (2013), 280.

Asparishioners,wecanreduceourenvironmentalfootprints by making better lifestyle choices.This includes saving energy at home, driving

automobileslessoften, reducingthe purchaseofconsumergoods,andchoosinglow-carbonoptionswherepossible.


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2. Walk, cycle, ride public transit, or carpool insteadof driving a car

3. Buy only energy efficient lights, devices andappliances, and turn them off when not in use

4. Eliminate waste by reusing, recycling, composting,and purchasing only what is needed

5. Forego unnecessary air travel

TOP 5 GHG EMISSION REDUCTION IDEAS FOR

HOUSEHOLDERS

1. Dress for the weather and dial back the thermostat

Whatshouldweaimforascarbonfootprint?Inanidealworld,eachpersonwouldaimforafootprintoflessthantwometrictonspercapitaofCO2e/year.Forahouseholdoffourpeople,thatwouldbelessthaneightmetrictonsofCO2eperyear.By2050,ifglobalaveragetemperatureriseistobelimitedto1.5°C,thegoalisvirtuallyzero.

Manypeoplewill havea carbon footprint thatisclosetotheirnationalaverage.Emissionsfromdo-mestic manufacturing contribute to average percapitaemissions,thoughthese aremorecorrect-lyattributedtotheportionofthepopulationlivingconsumeristlifestyles,ratherthantothosewholivesimply.

individualand depend heavily on location,hous-ing,transportation,and otherpersonalhabitsandchoices.Typicalfootprintcomponentsare:

energy for home heating and cooling

fuel consumed for personal transportation,particularly private cars and air travel

electricity for appliances such as lights, refrigerators,clothes and hair dryers and computers

emissions due to production, packaging,transportation and disposal of consumer goodsused by the household

Forconsumers,use ofconsumergoodsandser-vicesmayaccountforasmuchashalfoftheircar-bonfootprint.Forpeoplewhotravelbyair,emissionsfromair travel typicallydominatetheir household

Education in environmental responsibility can encourage waysof acting which directly and significantly affect the world around us,

such as avoiding the use of plastic and paper, reducing water consumption,separating refuse, cooking only what can reasonablybe consumed, showing care for other living beings,

using public transport or car-pooling, planting trees,turning off unnecessary lights, or any number of other practices.


FORMAL EDUCATION

Therearemorethan95,000Catholicprimaryand elementary schools and over 43,000Catholic secondary and high schools

worldwide.Theseinstitutionsserveoverfiftymillionstudents.Manyof theseschools,particularlytheprimary and elementary schools, are associatedwithparishes.

Fortunately,carefortheenvironmenthasbecomea standard theme in many schools—in secularschools,asasocialresponsibility,andinreligiousschools,asadivinelytaughtmoralobligation.

School age children are often aware of globalclimatechangeasan issue,and climatescienceisappropriateforchildrenataboutagetwelveandolder.Evenfor younger children,estimatingtheirpersonalorhouseholdcarbonfootprintscanbeausefulexercise.Ithelpspromotecareforcreation,it tests mathematical skills, and it develops anappreciation for the life lesson that there areconsequences for our actions in demonstratingthe relationship between causes and effects ofenvironmentaldegradationandclimatechange.

The Foundation for Environmental Education,

together with its national partners in fifty-nine

countries,hasexcellentprogramsforschools.Eco-Schoolsisafundamentalinitiativethatencouragesyoungpeopleto engage in theirenvironment byallowing themthe opportunityto actively protectit. Itstartsin theclassroomwhere itexpandstothe schoolandeventually fosters changein thecommunityat large. Throughhis program,youngpeople experience a sense of achievement atbeing able to have a say in the environmentalmanagement policies of theirschools, ultimatelysteeringthemtowardscertificationandtheprestigewhichcomeswithbeingawardedthehonorofaGreenFlag.

Itisequallyhelpfultoincludethethemeofrespectfortheearthanditsclimateinfaithformationclasseswheneverdiscussingcontemporary issues. Thereare many resources available for lesson plans,presentations, and discussion groups (see theRecommendedResourcessectionattheendofthisGuide).Thesearewritteninordinarylanguageanddonotneedspecialexpertisetodeliver.

In many countries children receive some formof instruction on environment in their regular

schooling,andmaywellbe recyclingandsavingenergythere.Faithformationclasses forchildrenshouldthereforeemphasisthatcaringforcreationisamoralmandate,andthetheologicalreasonsforthismandate.Itshouldhelpchildrenconnecttheircareforcreationtotheliturgy,forexample,throughsound catechesis, prayer, song, and artwork. Achild's understanding and commitment to careforGod's creation canbe awonderfulsource ofinspirationtoadults,causingthemto thinkaboutthe state of theworldto be inherited by futuregenerations.


World Bank Data, CO2 emissions (metric tons per capita), by country, 2011-2015

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

metric tons CO2 per capita emissions

PER CAPITA EMISSION

Burundi Tanzania Kenya Bangladesh Nigeria

Guatemala Zimbabwe Pakistan Philippines Fiji

Costa Rica India Brazil Indonesia Ecuador

Mexico Singapore Switzerland France Sweden

Hong Kong SAR, China Spain Iceland China Italy

New Zealand United Kingdom Denmark Ireland Malaysia

Poland Germany Norway Japan South Africa

Netherlands Finland Korea, Rep. Greenland Russian Federation

Canada Australia United States Saudi Arabia


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Foradulteducation,therearemanyresourcesonteachingcareforcreationthroughstudyofLaudatoSi', such asthestudy guidefromtheColumbanCenterforAdvocacyandOutreach,ortheshortvideofromtheJesuitMinistry,AmericaMedia.Whetherasaspecialeventorseries,orataregularclassforthoseparticipatingintheRiteofChristianInitiationofAdults,itiswellworthdevotingasignificantblockoftimetostudyanddiscussionofLaudatoSi'.Itis,indeed,whattheHolyFatherhasaskedofus.

Moreover,studyanddiscussionofLaudatoSi'canbe complimented with practical information onputtingitintopractice.Energyutilitycompaniesandlocalgovernmentsoruniversitiescanoftenprovideaguestexpertspeaker,atno cost,toeventsthatservethepublic.If asked, thisspeaker canfocusonpracticalideasforsavingenergyathome.Thelocalviewpoint isimportant because the use ofenergydependsagreatdealonthe localclimate,housing stock, transportation infrastructure andculture.Energyconservationcanbecomeapartoftheculture—asnaturalasotherthingswedo.

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION FOR YOUTHCATHOLIC YOUTH NETWORK FOR ENVIRONMENTALSUSTAINABILITY IN AFRICA (CYNESA)Nairobi, Kenya, and other African countries

CYNESA activities are tailored intothree main areas: education andawareness creation, networking andadvocacy training, encouraging andsupporting concrete action plans atthe local level in schools, parishesand communities

CYNESA works with schools such asSt. Peter Claver High School, a Jesuitschool in the Tanzanian capital,Dodoma, and Lycee Saint-Esprit(Holy Spirit High School), a Jesuitschool in Bujumbura, Burundi.

CYNESA conducted workshops onthe environment and climate changefor the school's environment clubs.

CYNESA is developing a ClimateChange Toolkit for use in schoolsand plans to launch it at the CYNESASummit meeting in May 2016.CYNESA was established in 2012

by young Catholics from Kenya,Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania,Zambia, Rwanda and South Africa,drawn from and representing

university chaplaincies and parishgroups.

CYNESA members use social mediaand blogs to update each otherand to give encouragement acrossthe many African countries whereCatholic youth have joined thenetwork.

The Justice and Peace Ministry ofRegina Mundi Church in South Africa,together with a number of civicand environmental organizations,organized a 4-day environmental

community workshop at ReginaMundi Church. The workshopbegan with a two-day door-to-door campaign inviting residents toattend the workshop.

Regina Mundi Parish Priest, Fr.Reginald Anthony, OMI, openedthe workshop with a prayer. Theworkshop aimed to educate thecommunity on the environment,address environmental concerns,and come up with solutions tobetter care for the environmentwith the theme "Keep Soweto EverGreen and Clean."

A Ward 33 clean-up campaign tookplace on the last day by stakeholdersand community members whocleaned streets and open spaces inthe area.

This story and photo were publishedby Lerato Mohone in ADNews(Volume 30, No 8), a publication of the Diocese of Johannesburg,South Africa, in December 2015Regina Mundi is the largest CatholicChurch in South Africa. In 1997,then President Nelson Mandeladesignated November 30 as ReginaMundi Day in recognition of itsimportant role as a meeting placefor the people of Soweto during theanti-apartheid struggle.

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTREGINA MUNDI CHURCH, Moroka, Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa

As the Bishops of Southern Africa have stated:“Everyone’s talents and involvement are needed to redress

the damage caused by human abuse of God’s creation.” [22] - Pope Francis, Laudato Si' ¶14

ENGAGING PARISHIONERSWITH ACTIONS

Peoplecanexperiencetheirconcernsinapositiveway:"Iamconcernedaboutclimatechange and Ican do something about climate change."Evensomethingassimpleasrecyclingandswitchingtocompostable tableware during parish hospitalityeventscanhelppeopletointernalizethereasonfortheseactions.Itbecomesthe"new"normal.Andaparish setting canhelp individualeffortsbecomecommunalones.

In addition to raising awareness about climatechange, parish Care for Creation Teams areespecially good at f inding ways to engageparishioners directly in climate-friendly activities.

In line with parish green purchasing and wastereductionpractices,parishteamsmay emphasizethings that parishioners see and use at parishfunctions,suchas:

parish hospitality menus that include fresh local produce

recyclable, compostable or reusable tableware, withstudent “bin monitors” to assist parishioners in usingthe correct bin at parish functions

seasonal flowering plants for church decorations, whichare then given away towards the end ofthe season

natural, recycled, or even clean waste materials

as supplies for parish art projects Aligning parishactivities with the seasonal growing cycle can help

inspire appreciation for the goodness and order ofcreation.

ACareforCreationTeamcouldorganizeaseriesofseasonalactivitiessuchas:

spring seed giveaway and gardening demonstration

summer “gardener’s market” where parishioners sellor give away produce from home and parishgardens

autumn harvest thanksgiving Mass, followed by ameal that includes home grown and home madefood

Several Catholic parishes in the San Franciscopeninsula host farmers’ markets to sell producegrownat St.Patrick’s Seminary andUniversity inMenloPark,CA,byaCatholicworkers’cooperativecalledNanofarmsUSA.Thecooperative providesskills and employment to low income workersstrugglingtoaffordhousingcostsinthearea.

Care for Creation Teams often bring existingenergy and climate programs totheparish,suchastechnologydemonstrationsorfreegiveawaysof

highefficiencylightbulbsorlowflowshowerheads.A“Dress for the Weather”campaigncancomplementparishadoptionofcommunityguidelinesforindoortemperaturesettingstosaveenergyinbothheatingandcoolingseasons.Parishionerscanbeengageddirectly in parish energy savings efforts throughvolunteerdaysforweatherstrippingorreplacementofinefficientlightbulbs.One ofthemostpopularclimate-friendlyparishactivitiesis“Walk to ChurchSunday.”

Oncetheparisheducationandconversationaboutclimatechangebegins,itisimportanttogiveparishionersachancetoparticipate,eveninasmallway,inactionstohelpstabilizetheclimate.Takingactionhelpspeopletogofromconcepttotheconcrete.Itgivespeopleachancetoexperience

theinterconnectionsofourlives,ourplanet,andthehumanfamily—allinrelationtoGod.

Photo courtesy of AD News, Archdiocese ofJohanneburg

Photo courtesy of CYNESA

Photo courtesy of CYNESA


10

10 “Laudato Si’ quote is from Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference,

Pastoral Statement on the Environmental Crisis (5 September 1999)


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The Live Simply Group was formedin order to foster the idea of caringfor the Earth within the communityof St. John Bosco Church. Members

of the community join a range ofparish activities, including Walk toChurch Sunday, annual communitylitter-pick, creation walk, and annualcreation care Mass with harvestoffering in September. They havealso joined national campaigns suchas CAFOD's One Climate, OneWorld.

Many also made personal pledges forchanges in lifestyle. "To reconsiderwhat in our lives is a necessity, andwhat is simply desirable, is verydifficult, particularly for those wholive in developed countries” saidMiss Rita Belletty, one of the Group's

original founders. "It all begins withprayer," she said.

In 2012, after four year’s work, St.John Bosco became the first parishto receive the livesimply award, anational prize awarded by CAFODto recognize the ways a parish canmake a difference in its communityand the world with a commitmentto live more simply and sustainably

and to stand in solidarity with theworld’s poor. CAFOD is the officialaid agency of the Catholic Church inEngland and Wales.

ENGAGING PARISHIONERS IN LIVING SIMPLYST. JOHN BOSCO PARISHWoodley, Reading Pastoral Area, Berkshire UK

The ministry known as Care forCreation (C4C) uses social media(Facebook) to share news andto promote its projects amongits many Facebook followers.Their “about” page explains theirintention to plant seeds for the careof our “common home” in responseto the Laudato Si’ encyclical. C4C,an initiative of Fr Henry Siew,Parish Priest, began in September

2015, shortly after the encyclicalwas published. They promotestewardship of God’s creation byaddressing excessive consumerismand the impact of climate changeon the vulnerable poor.

In January 2016, C4C tookadvantage of a traditional practicefor the preparations of ChineseNew Year (also known as LunarNew Year). It is customary forfamilies to prepa

eco parish guide: bringing laudato si to life

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