Recently in Christians Environment Category

Very, very cool.

In the email from a friend at EPA a bit ago:

This year 3 out of 4 national 2009 ENERGY STAR Congregations awards were won by Baptist churches. One denomination has never "swept" the annual awards, and the explanation seems to be that there was extraordinary technical support by two ENERGY STAR affiliated private contractors, Siemens and Energy Education, Inc. who are working with Baptist churches. Many diverse denominations have won past year awards, which are also online at the awards webpage.

And dare I say it, the three bible belt Baptist congregations. Heh. Good on Siemens too.

EPA's official press release is here. Congregational winners' stories are here.

I'll bet Jon Merritt's a happy guy today.

Tracey Bianchi:

You see, at our church, all our coffee equipment is owned by our current coffee vendor. We don't own it. The only reason we are allowed to have it is because we buy coffee from said vendor. Stop brewing their non-Fair Trade brew and say adios to the coffee equipment. Which means 2000+ people with caffeine withdrawal on a Sunday morning.

So to do something as simple as swap out the coffee for a morning cup with integrity will run our church about $35K in equipment (remember, big church, lots of people, multiple coffee stations etc). Which means, guess what, more meetings.

Which is frustrating for more than just the added levels of bureaucracy. It is frustrating because we've put ourselves at the mercy of an outside organization who could give a rip about our do-gooder intentions. They are less interested in God's economics and more interested in their bottom line. I cannot fault them for this, it's business. But when God's business is thwarted not only by business meetings but also this sort of business arrangement, I start to lose hope.

Read the whole thing. And consider answering her bleg for help.

Because walking softly won't cut it anymore:

President of the British Science Association, Lord May, says faith groups could lead policing of social behaviour

...Experiments using what scientists call "game theory" show that groups of people can achieve their goals if cheats and those who fail to pull their weight are punished.

Speaking before the address, May said religion had historically played a major role in policing social behaviour through the notion of a supernatural "enforcer", a system that could help unify communities to tackle environmental challenges. "How better it is if the punisher is an all-powerful, all-seeing deity," he said.

In a related, but fascinating, note

the [World Council of Churches] as part of its current  programme work on poverty, wealth and ecology is attempting to articulate a consumption and greed line -- in addition to the more typical poverty line.  This would provide practical spiritual guidance on when, in Christian terms, too much is too much.

First it was indulgences, then the inquisition. Now the Crusades? Seems to me those didn't work out so well last time.

Stanley Petrowski is a brother in Christ that dropped into my life out of nowhere. Heh - I think his was my first comment ever. He spent hours helping me design the original evaneco.com blog a couple months after I launched it a blogspot just after Christmas of '04.

Stan's also President and Director of the South Umpqua Rural Community Partnership in Tiller, Oregon. His latest article in the Native Fish Society online journal is here.

His stewardship of riparian areas and coho salmon runs has been going on for years. Since the moment his family met mine almost a half-decade ago, I've admired his tenacity for creation care that so naturaly flows from his love for our Savior. Though I suspect he would humbly deny it, he's a true leader in the South Umpqua community for ecological stewardship. And he's got a wonderful libertarian streak that refuses to be pegged down by politicians.

Drop by his Singing Falls website for much more on that, or watch the video:

By the way, he and his lovely bride Alexandra offer hand-crafted items for sale. Only 110 more shopping days until Christmas...

Oh c'mon, Iain - kind of a stretch isn't it?...

Meanwhile, the EPA has also decided that it can reward religious institutions with an Energy Star rating. Amendment I to the Constitution has been repeatedly intepreted by the Courts as the government being unable to favor one religion over another. If certain religions use less energy than others, and that seems likely to be the case with, for instance, 24-hour charismatic adorations or synagogues with Eternal lights, then I can't see how this doesn't cross the line of establishment as defined by the Courts.

I swapped emails with Jerry Lawson a couple months ago. He's the National Manager for EPA's ENERGY STAR Small Business & Congregations Network. Thought I'd drop him a note to see what he thinks of Iain Murray's concerns. 

UPDATE: Jerry wrote back - says Mr. Murray "misunderstands" the E/S performance rating and is going to work up a FAQ. Works for me. Will post it (or a link) when he's done with it.

UPDATE: Jerry wrote back again:

Hi Don,

We concluded an FAQ is not merited because you identified the only "findable" naysayer against worship facilities having free access to the ENERGY STAR energy performance tracking tool. My Google and Bing searches generated nothing but dozens of positive stories. More importantly, the positive responses are from the environmental stewards like your readers who are out there doing the energy efficiency work in their homes, businesses and houses of worship.

As you and your readers realize, the first amendment prohibits government from favoring or discriminating among religions - not from providing legitimate services that are in the public interest, such a mail delivery and public information on pollution prevention. ENERGY STAR Congregations will begin providing free webinars on how to use the energy tracking tool this month, as detailed in the attached flyer (howepa.pdf).

Thanks for your good efforts.

Jerry Lawson,

National Manager ENERGY STAR Small Business & Congregations Network

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Mail Code 6202J

Washington, DC 20460

www.energystar.gov/smallbiz

www.energystar.gov/congregations

 Greenopia:

One of the oldest beverages in the world, beer has only recently been getting attention for its environmental impact, which varies depending on the efficiency of the brewery and ingredients used. Concerns include the fact that beer production often requires 7-10 liters of water for every liter of beer and its key ingredients are often difficult to obtain through organic means.

Some beer companies, like Eel River and New Belgium Brewery have taken significant steps to decrease their impact. “We have found that the amount of resources that go into beer production is not common knowledge”, said Doug Mazeffa, Greenopia’s Research Director. “We are happy to support the companies who have been able to reduce their impact through better resource management.”

Somebody tell Tim and Jonathan too... [photo credit]

Disciples of Christ: Wrangling with ecology since 1981. By the way, I don't know where in the Bible they got their first "whereas..."

UPDATE: Since I got asked the question over there, here's what I meant by the first "whereas":

From the Covenant:

Whereas:

• God has created the world with finite resources;
• God has given to us the stewardship of the earth;
• God has established order through many natural cycles.

And it is evident that:

• We are consuming resources at a rate that cannot be maintained;
• We are interrupting many natural cycles;
• We are irresponsibly modifying the environment through consumption and pollution;
• We are populating the earth at a rate that cannot be maintained;

As a member of the human family and a follower of Jesus Christ, I hereby covenant that:

• I will change my lifestyle to reduce my contribution to pollution;
• I will support recycling efforts;
• I will search for sustainable lifestyles;
• I will work for public policies which lead to a just and sustainable society;

I will share these concerns with others and urge them to make this Covenant.

My points:

- The fact that God created the whole universe with a simple “let there be” means there is no such thing as finite resources where He is concerned. Would rather it said “God created the world with a rich abunance to thankfully enjoy, generously share, and wisely manage.”

- If there is scarcity in the earth it is due to mankind’s sin (cf Ezekiel 4:16-17), not God’s original intent or any lack of provision on His part.

- For similar reasons, assuming God never changes, “be fruitful and multiply” is a gift He never rescinded.

If there are scriptures that say the world’s resources are finite or that He demands limits on fruitfulness, I’d be interested in those.

David Warren in the Ottowa Citizen:

As I have argued, almost ad nauseam in this space, contemporary western man has replaced religion with a quasi-religion: a fanatic moral relativism founded upon the cosmology suggested by Darwinism. Instead of faith in God, we have a neurotic scientism. And with that comes a grievous concern about the world, and all the distress of environmentalism.

For if you don't think God is in charge, it may follow that we are in charge. We must regulate everything: even the weather.

Indeed. Godless corruption of this, perhaps?

Look - what Christians call stewardship, humanists call dominionism because they don't share our understanding of our Father's ownership of things and man's relationship to Him. Conversely, what secularists call stewardship of resources is really dominionist, because it is ultimately all about seizing control of what fellow humans do with the planet.

Despite the admirable efforts from both sides to bridge the gap, there's a world of difference between a Christian and secular world view on ecology.

The view of the Firth and aversion to light pollution was more important than a center for worship and outreach to the community.

I'm sure they're disappointed, but I respect the democratic process. And besides, my brothers and sisters, the bonny view you're giving up doesn't hold a candle to this one.

MORE - A bit of Baptist history:

The early church leaders in Florida came primarily from Georgia and the Carolinas. The work was hard and dangerous. Early Baptists in Florida did not do as they wanted to, they did as they could. They faced difficulties with the environment and lived through rugged conditions. Ministers served churches at little or no pay. Missions giving was measured in pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. In the early days of the convention, contributions were listed in the annual state report and many times a person was listed who gave two cents or five cents to missions.

Reuters: (h/t)

In 1678, the inhabitants of the Alpine villages of Fieschertal and Fiesch made a formal vow to live virtuously and to pray against the growth of the Aletsch glacier, Europe's longest, which had caused a lake to flood into their homes.

To reinforce their prayers, they started holding an annual procession in 1862, when the glacier reached its longest during the mini-Ice Age Europe suffered in the mid-19th century.

But the villages now want to seek permission from Pope Benedict to change their vow as the glacier is melting fast due to climate change and have requested an audience with him.

More here. And here:

"We all know — and the Holy Father reminded us in his Easter message — that an unprecedented change in the climate is taking place," Rev. Pascal Venetz said in his sermon to 100 people at the chapel, where until modern times pious women were prohibited from wearing colored underwear for fear of provoking the glacier.

Wanna connect with this vital prayer effort? Track down the local Catholic church through the Swiss Directory of Administrative Authorities: 

Kanzlei, 3984 Fieschertal, Telephone: 027 971 19 45 Fax: 027 971 36 19

Internet: http://www.fieschertal.ch/

And skip the colored undies. [AP photo]

Matthew Parris (via Scott Sabin)

Anxiety - fear of evil spirits, of ancestors, of nature and the wild, of a tribal hierarchy, of quite everyday things - strikes deep into the whole structure of rural African thought. Every man has his place and, call it fear or respect, a great weight grinds down the individual spirit, stunting curiosity. People won't take the initiative, won't take things into their own hands or on their own shoulders. [snip]

Christianity, post-Reformation and post-Luther, with its teaching of a direct, personal, two-way link between the individual and God, unmediated by the collective, and unsubordinate to any other human being, smashes straight through the philosphical/spiritual framework I've just described. It offers something to hold on to to those anxious to cast off a crushing tribal groupthink. That is why and how it liberates...

Read the whole thing.

America needs Christian missionaries for the same reasons.