Lenten Carbon Fast 2010

1. Compiled from many sources with help from
Because the world can change a lot in 40 days.
Lenten Carbon Fast 2010
Lent is a time to repent, reflect, sacrifice, and listen for God. This year, our church is
joining with many others in taking on a Lenten Carbon “Fast.” May this season serve as a
wake-up call to be mindful of the ways that our daily choices impact everyone, especially
people living in poverty. Each of these actions will reduce our production of climate
change pollution and help to preserve God’s great gift of Creation. www. GreenMyChurch .com
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
Make one of your
“So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you ... so that your alms may be 17 Turn down your 18 Go meat-free 19 journeys more 20
done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” —Matthew 6:2-4 thermostat by at today. Christians environmentally
least one degree. Aim have been eating less friendly today. Could
Ash Wednesday reminds us to be faithful in action even when no one is paying attention. for 68 degrees during meat during Lent for you combine two
If we are all living in harmony with the rest of God’s Creation, especially when no one is looking, the day and 60 degrees generations. Choosing trips? Carpool rather
our households, our churches, and our society will also be transformed. at night. Program your meat-free meals is one than driving solo? (3bl.
Remove one light bulb from your home and live without its light for the next 40 days. thermostat if you can. of the most powerful me/8aczrn) Bike or walk,
This will decrease your energy use, and act as a reminder of your Lenten Carbon Fast. Always turn the heat off things you can do to or take bus or Metro,
when you leave home. reduce your carbon instead of driving?
footprint. (VegDC.com) (waba.org, wmata.com)
Remember your
baptism today, 21 Check windows
and doors for 22 If you’re going to 23 Be aware of your 24 Let your 25 Look to purchase 26 Plan ahead to 27
and the power of water. drafts with a ribbon be away from an hot water use dishwasher locally-grown food bring reusable
Try to conserve: Leave or feather. If it flutters, appliance for over an today. Turn off the breathe. Run the today. Plan to walk to bags with you to get
a bucket in the shower make or buy a draft hour, turn it off as you water while scrubbing dishwasher only with a farmers’ market this groceries today. If you
or kitchen sink, and dodger, or seal leave the room. Even dishes. Take a shower a full load, and skip the weekend, or consider already use reusable
collect “grey water” to leaks with caulk and on an “energy-saver” instead of a bath, and try energy-intensive drying joining a community- grocery bags, purchase a
water the plants. Have weatherstripping. setting, a computer, to take a shower that cycle by choosing the supported agriculture set of reusable produce
a lawn? Consider a rain (3bl.me/tgpdn6) game console, or TV lasts half as “air-dry” option; (CSA) group that bags for fruits and
barrel so you can water For professional wastes more energy long as usual. or just open the delivers local produce veggies. (ecobags.com)
the lawn with rain. weatherization, contact when it’s on than if you door overnight. (localharvest.org).
(3bl.me/kkqzrp) WeatherizeDC.org. really turn it off.
Run your washing Turn off lights Making travel plans?
machine only with 28 Speak out! 1 you’re not using. 2 Be aware of how 3 Consider 4 Pick up at least one 5 Consider getting 6
full loads. Ask our leaders to Shut off lights as you much food you composting your piece of litter on the there without flying.
Turn the knob on take action on climate leave a room. You can discard this week. food waste. Put the ground when you are If you have to fly, balance
your washing machine change today. put reminders on Look for opportunities nutrients from food out walking today, and out the carbon impact
to “cold/cold”, and leave (daysix.org, 1sky.org, your switchplates to avoid wasting food waste back into the soil, dispose of it properly. by buying offsets. Fund
it there. Washing your chesapeakeclimate.org) (gwIPL.org), or install by planning well, and not into a landfill. a project that prevents
clothes in cold water motion sensors (about eating leftovers. Learn more about one ton of greenhouse
gets them just as clean $20 each) that turn composter options for gases for each ton that
as washing in hot water, lights off automatically indoors and outdoors. your trip will cause.
but uses half the energy. (ShopIPL.org). (3bl.me/fmf29e) (3bl.me/std348)

2. SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
Compiled from Lenten resources by:Tearfund, Nat’l Council of Churches’ Eco-Justice Program, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Saint Mark Presbyterian
Hang your clothes
7
Give the dryer a rest. Many electronics
draw power even when
8 End junk mail that
wastes resources. Stop
9 Check the tire
pressure of your
10 Save paper today:
print double-sided,
11 Minimize
disposables
12 Begin spring
gardening by going
13
to dry on a rack off. Today, unplug your unwanted catalogs car today, or take it to or wrap your next today. Bring a mug to organic. Grow your lawn
or clothesline appliances that are off; (CatalogChoice.org), a gas station or any My present in color comics, get coffee. Use cloth and garden without toxic
(3bl.me/wmq35y). Many place computers, radios, credit card offers Organic Market (where or a reusable gift bag. To napkins at a meal. Wipe chemicals, and order a
Church, Rock Spring Congregational UCC, IA IPL, NC IPL, and from Green America, and The Catholic Coalition on Climate Change.
households spend more and TVs on a power strip, (1-888-5-OPTOUT), a trained “Pit Crew” can reduce paper towel use in up with a rag instead of “Pesticide-Free” lawn
than $100 a year on the
and turn it off between
and other junk mail
check your tire pressure, public restrooms, order
paper towels. Stick a fork
sign! (PesticideFreeLawns.
energy used by their
uses. Also, unplug your (DMAchoice.org). Or
and fill as needed). Cars
“These Come
From in your purse or briefcase
org) Don’t have a yard to
dryer, while the air can phone charger when it’s hire a service to cancel it with low tire pressure get Trees” stickers: for the next time you eat garden? Borrow one:
dry your clothes for free. not charging. for you (41pounds.org). lower mileage. (3bl.me/ef2zhd) out during the workday. (3bl.me/t2dbt3)
The world’s
poor will be hit 14 Many caring people15 Are you recycling
everything you can? 16 Support clean 17 18 It’s hard to open 19 20
hardest by climate are working to Refresh your memory energy by purchasing ourselves up to the Celebrate Spring!
change. Join Christians protect Creation. Find today on what items your “Renewable Energy When heating water realities of the climate Plant a native tree
taking action and raising a green organization city or county allows Credits”. It may be an on the stove, use a crisis. Today, learn (CaseyTrees.org), or
our voice on behalf of today, and sign up for for curbside recycling. option through your pot with a lid to something new support tree-planting in
Creation and the poor. their e-newsletter. Place an item that can utility, by switching conserve energy. about climate change. other countries
Endorse Faith Principles (ChesapeakeClimate.org, be recycled, but that you energy suppliers, or by (AmericasClimate (Greenbeltmovement.org,
on Global Warming: GreenAmericaToday.org, usually don’t recycle, into purchasing RECs online. Choices.org, CO2covenant.org)
(3bl.me/mwsqmx) SierraClub.org) your bin. (green-e.org) ClimateCrisis.net)
21 Purchase more 22 Own stock? Find
out if shareholder
23 Help people on
the“front lines” of 24 Subscribe 25 Learn about
mountain-top 26 Help your kitchen
fridge function 27
Have an “embrace mindfully today. resolutions have been climate change. Carbon to any magazines? removal mining: efficiently by placing jugs
the silence” Sunday. Print, cut out, and tape filed to “green” the Covenant links US If so, write an email Appalachian mountains of water inside (water
Turn off everything, together a “Wallet company’s practices. churches with carbon- to the publishers today, are blown apart, retains cold better than
and unplug it if you can. Buddy” where your credit (ProxyDemocracy.org) reducing projects in asking them to switch poisoning streams. air), and by pulling the
No TV, no radio, no ring card can remind you of Stay informed and vote developing countries: to environmentally (3bl.me/dzs4ve) How fridge out to scrub
tones. Stay home after questions to ask yourself your proxy on behalf (CO2covenant.org). responsible paper much of this coal is down the coils.
church. It’ll be good for before buying: of greener business Others bring clean and printing practices for your electricity? Second fridge or freezer
the soul. (NewDream.org/ practices. (ICCR.org, energy to villages: (BetterPaper.org). (iLoveMountains.org/ in the basement? Try to
walletbuddy2.pdf) 3bl.me/rk4fw5) (SELF.org, EnergyCures.org) myconnection) make do with one.
Think today about Place an insulating Replace the Maundy Thursday
the role of our 28 Show reverence 29 cover over your 30 incandescent light 31 Replace the light bulb 1 Good Friday 2 Holy Saturday 3
church in its local for life and for the hot water heater. You can bulbs in your house, even you removed on Ash
environment. Could Earth today by obeying find a “blanket” at most if they haven’t burned out Wednesday with an “At that moment the It can be difficult to
our community better the speed limit hardware stores. (If you yet, with CFLs. Replacing energy-saving curtain of the temple was contemplate our own
care for Creation? Get when driving. have an electric water one incandescent light CFL lightbulb. torn in two, from top to end. Think today about
involved with our green Every 10 mph in speed heater, it’s an easy job to bulb with a CFL saves Learn more about how bottom. The Earth shook, greening your “final
work, and get inspired reduces fuel economy by do yourself. If you have 150 lbs of carbon dioxide your electricity is and the rocks were split.” arrangements,” when the
by other “green souls” 4 mpg, and increases the an oil or gas-powered a year. Don’t forget to generated with the —Matthew 27:51 time comes. One option
through Interfaith Power risk of getting into heater, you may need a save one CFL for Maundy online PowerProfiler. is to help protect natural
& Light (gwIPL.org). an accident. plumbing professional.) Thursday. (ShopIPL.org) (3bl.me/5wx8cs) lands: (3bl.me/w5a9vw)
4 Easter “Jesus’ appearance changed the world. His disciples were being asked: speak truth to power, love
your enemies, but most of all love God and your neighbor. This was a new way of being in relationship. Today’s
Take some time today to reflect on all of the activities
that you have performed during Lent, and how they
seemingly ‘impossible appearance’ is that humans are changing the climate. This calls for a new way of being in have brought you into greater harmony with the Earth
the world, to relate differently to each other and to nature. There are great glimmers of hope on the horizon.” and all life. Conclude your Carbon Fast by making a
personal pledge to serve God and serve others by
— The Rev. Canon Sally G. Bingham
pursuing a more sustainable way of life.