Creation Care Notes

Creation Care Notes ~ Earth Day is a reminder to care for the Earth with our choices and with our actions.

Continue to do the everyday things that make a difference: get in the dirt and plant some native flowers and shrubs, listen to the birds and watch the insects as they do their work. Stop using mosquito spray services. Instead, remove all standing water in your yard and gutters. Reduce your plastic purchases, Reuse clothing and other purchases, Recycle paper and food waste.

Global climate progress, global coral bleaching, and the 25,000 conversation challenge

Monday is Earth Day, but really – isn’t every day? Half the oxygen we breathe comes from phytoplankton and seaweed in the ocean, and the other half comes from plants and trees. All our food, all our water, and all the materials we use come from this Earth. The Earth doesn’t need us: we’re the ones who need it. In fact, we can’t survive without it!

That’s why, given our near-total dependence on its resources, I feel every day should be an opportunity to celebrate and be good stewards of the only home we've ever known. Click for Katharine Hayhoe’s latest newsletter.

Here’s a 2020 article written about Rachel Carson, who raised Americans awareness of environmental pollution that led to the formation of the EPA by a Republican president and the first Earth Day.

Caring for our feathered friends: Bird migration is underway and most migration occurs at night. To keep our friends from being confused by light at night, do the following between dusk and dawn now until July 1 and again from September 1- October 31:

·         Turn off exterior decorative lighting.

·         Put motion detectors on exterior flood lights.

·         Close blinds at night and turn off unnecessary interior lights.

·         Use down shields so light doesn’t project upwards at night.

Don’t miss these EarthDay Events and check out some electric vehicles to reduce your carbon emissions on the road!

• Zionsville Greenfest – April 27, 9-12pm EST at 165 N Elm Street, Zionsville, IN

• Indy Creation Fest – April 27, 10-2pm EST at Grace Church in Noblesville

Ways to Celebrate Earth Month!

Ways to Celebrate Earth Month! ~ God saw all that he had made, and it was very good -Gen 1:31

Celebrating Earth Day is more than a one-day event- it’s a way of life! We are blessed to live on a miraculous planet that is life sustaining. It is our responsibility to nurture and bless God’s creation by tending the earth. Here are some local activities to help develop your ability to nurture our world.

Marion County Soil and Water Events:

·         Do you have a pond or live in an HOA with a large retention pond? Learn more at the Spring Pond Workshop, Wednesday, May 29th @ 6 PM.

·         Use the right amount of fertilizer. Learn how to use the Indiana Nutrient Management Tool in a virtual workshop, Wednesday April 24 @ 11 AM-12 PM

·         Spring Garden Workshops @ SWCD Demo Garden. Learn about No-Till techniques.
Tuesday, April 30 @ 7 PM
Saturday, May 11 @ 10 AM
Thursday, May 16 @ 7 PM

·         Learn to be a Riverwatch volunteer and help monitor the health of our nearby streams. The next local training will be held on April 26th at the Indianapolis Public Library, Fort Ben Branch,9330 East 56th Street from 10 AM – 4 PM.

Thrive Indianapolis, Indianapolis’ sustainability plan, provides activities to improve our urban environment. Click the link to check out some local events in April in our public parks. April 26 @ 11 AM features an Environmental Justice Workshop at Garfield Park.

Katharine Hayhoe always shares hope and optimism and encourages us to talk about climate change to friends and family. Click here to read a recent email from her.

As always, be kind to the earth and kind to each other. Our present moment is precious and our relationships to each other and our fellow creatures is a gift to cherish.

Walk cheerfully over the earth, Friends! Walk in our beautiful meditational woods and feel God’s presence.

Creation Care

Creation Care ~ The AMOS Butler Audubon Society has a whole calendar full of local birding and educational programs! See the calendar of events online here! Here’s a highlight of some of their upcoming Spring programs:

·         Join on the 2nd Tuesday of the month, September-May, for a free program at Holliday Park Nature Center, open to the public! See the event calendar for more.

·         Sparrow ID Workshop: April 13, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm, Cool Creek Nature Center ~ Enjoy the challenge of sparrow identification with Jeremiah Oden. No registration required! Learn more here.

·         Birds & Blooms: April 21, 1:00 - 2:00 pm, Eagle Creek Ornithology Center ~  Join ABAS Board Member and Communication Chair, Jenna McElroy, and her family for a spring wildflower and migratory bird outing at Eagle Creek. Learn more here.

·         Making Your Windows Bird Safe: April 6, 9:30 am - 6:00 pm ~ join Bird Safe Indy for a day of education, giveaways, and more at Wild Birds Unlimited - Greenwood during store hours. Learn more here.

From the Woods

From the Woods:  Spott’s Landscaping came in February to clear part of the woods of invasive plants like Amur honeysuckle, euonymus and young mulberries.  Last year, we had to have the recirculating fountain completely rebuilt as the infrastructure had been failing underneath.  Be sure and take a walk and look for the wildflowers that should be appearing: wild ginger in bloom, wild hyacinths, bloodroot, Celandine poppy, trout Lillies and more.  You may even see some of the small early pollinators buzzing from flower to flower.  Our small urban woods is a life giving place for all creatures great and small. 

This week Katharine Hayhoe shares her thoughts on the good news and bad news as we all adjust and try to build resilience in our changing climate.

We have another vegetarian recipe for you! Remember that the closer we can get to a plant-based diet, the better it is for your health, as well as the planet! This week’s recipe is from Corinne Imboden. It’s a Broccoli Goddess Bowl! Delicious!

Here are some earth friendly activities coming up in March and April!

·         Tonight at 7 PM by Zoom - Wednesday, March 6: Pesticide Use in a Garden Setting
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pesticide-use-in-a-garden-setting-tickets-787840681687

·         Plants for Pollinators: Getting Reliably Safe Plants Thursday April 18 7:00 PM EDT (Free) by Indiana Native Plant Society Central Chapter
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/plants-for-pollinators-getting-reliably-safe-plants-tickets-834823578797

·         In case you missed it, The Hamilton County Soil and Water District recorded this program:
Restoring HOA Native Landscapes webinar​: ​View on YouTube here. 

·         Hamilton East Public Library - Backyard and Urban Conservation Presentation 4/19/21 Slides
​Click HERE to view the recording. ​Access Passcode: s^3f861^

·         Newfields Virginia Fairbanks Nature park has two events:

o   Bird ID Hike with Wild birds Unlimited from 9-11 AM  on Thursday April 4.
https://discovernewfields.org/calendar/bird-id-hike-wild-birds-unlimited

o   Garlic Mustard Pull with Indiana Native Plant Society on Saturday Apr 6, 10am-12pm. 
https://discovernewfields.org/calendar/garlic-mustard-pull-inps

Creation Care

Creation Care ~ Read This week with Katharine Hayhoe:. In this edition: The clean energy shift, how climate threatens your coffee, and taking action at home with Gernot Wagner.

You’ve heard about induction cooktops.  You can try this portable cooktop from IKEA for $60.

As many of you know, I (Mary Blackburn) am spending several months in Canada to be near my grandchildren and family. I’m staying in an AirBnb with an electric glass coil stove and it drives me crazy. It is so slow to heat and slow to cool. More than a few meals have been stuck to the bottom of the pan. I’m used to our induction stove at home, so I just went and bought a single burner induction cooktop at Walmart and I’m happy with the result.  Fast to heat, responsive to adjusts in temperature, saves electricity and it was only $45.  Give it a try!

Thursday, March 21, 7-8pm ET - Sign up for a free webinar on landscaping with natives: Landscaping with Native Plants, Cost Savings and More to Dig!

If there are any more vegetarian recipes to share, please do!  Decreasing meat based meals once a week it’s good for you and good for the planet!

Creation Care

Creation Care ~ Remember to join us for our Souper Bowl on February 11 before family bowling fun!

Why are we emphasizing eating more vegetables and legumes at our Souper event? Because making small changes is not only good for you, it is good for the planet! Here’s an excerpt about boosting your energy with food from Consumer Reports.

The truth is, even little tweaks in your meals can have a significant impact on your energy, mood, and overall well-being. “Small, manageable changes are sustainable, and they give you a sense of success that keeps you motivated,” says Dolores Woods, a registered dietitian at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health.

The rewards can be huge. A study published in 2021 in the journal Nature Food found that trading just 10 percent of your daily calories from beef and processed meats to more nutritious foods, such as fruits, vegetables, beans, and fish, can increase your healthy life span. So you may not only live longer but also extend the amount of time you live free of serious illness. For someone eating 2,000 calories, that means trading just 200 calories—roughly one snack or side dish a day. Want to try this and our other expert-advised ideas? Start the year off right by making a few small changes every day.

Make friends with your vegetables and have a healthy, happy day!

If you're interested in learning more or getting involved in Creation Care, contact the coordinator, Mary Blackburn, or the office at office@indyfriends.org.

Creation Care Invites You to Our Souper Bowl on February 11!

Creation Care Invites You to Our Souper Bowl on February 11! ~ Everyone is invited to share in a plant based meal of soup, bread and salad.  Afterwards, join your F(f)friends in a fun afternoon of bowling before the big game.

Having more plant-based meals are a great way to love God’s creation, not only our world, but our physical well-being by receiving proteins, vitamins, minerals and healthy fiber through our food.  

According to a previous UN report on the effects of climate change," global meat consumption must fall to curb global warming, reduce growing strains on land and water and improve food security, health and biodiversity … Plant-based foods and sustainable animal-sourced food could free up several million square kilometers of land by 2050 and cut 0.7-8.0 gigatons a year of carbon dioxide equivalent, the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said.” World Economic Forum website.

More veggies and beans and less meat is healthier for you and healthier for the planet.

Do you have a great plant-based meal you’d like to share? Send them to either Rebecca at office@indyfriends.org or mary.blackburn4@gmail.com and we’ll post one new recipe each week. If you send them, we will share!

A couple of quick statehouse updates:

Please call your legislators about the following bills:

·         HB 1193 Community Solar - This bill would like to make community solar an option for solar developers to offer Hoosiers who rent or can’t afford to install solar panels through a community solar option.  Please ask that the bill get a hearing.

·         HB 1382 Retirement of electric generating units - This bill would slow down the closing of coal-fired power plants which are huge contributors to air and ground water pollution and a warming planet.  

·         HB 1383 Wetlands - Clarifies some wetlands definitions and there is concern that isolated, undeveloped wetland areas could be unprotected by this bill.  Some of our isolated wetlands are important refuges for migrating birds, amphibians and other wildlife, as well as serving as naturally occurring flood mitigation areas.

Happy New Year from the Woods!

Happy New Year from the Woods! The trees and shrubs are working below the surface right now, getting ready for the glorious spring that is before us. The little prairie at the entrance to the Woods is divided in half. One half has small plants called plugs that are getting established. The other half was planted with a low growing prairie mix. During the first growing season, it will need to be mowed down when the plants are 12 inches tall to keep weeds from taking over. This pilot project should be interesting to watch and see which method is more pleasing and easier to maintain. Let’s see what happens in the spring.

Creation Care Happenings: Climate Change is real and your voice is needed. Call your legislators and attend some of these events.

·         The Indiana General Assembly is opening on January 8, 2024 and ends March 15, 2024. So things can be fast and furious!

·         "IN This Together: Uniting Hoosiers for Our Future”. High school students are leading the way to ask for legislation to promote resilience. Tuesday, January 16, 2024, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM - Indiana Statehouse Fourth Floor South Atrium. LEARN MORE AND RSVP: www.ConfrontTheClimateCrisis.com/event-details/in-this-together-uniting-hoosiers-for-our-future (RSVPing is not required, but it is recommended so we can send you an email reminder in January.)

·         Tuesday January 23 ,2024. Conservation Day at the Statehouse, sponsored by the Indiana Conservation Alliance .

·         Friday, February 9, 2024. Indiana Sustainability and Resilience Conference, sponsored by ERI and IUPUI https://eri.iu.edu/news-and-events/events/indiana-sustainability-and-resilience-conference.html

·         Tuesday, February 13, 2024. Indiana Renewable Energy Day from 9-3 PM, sponsored by Solar United Neighbors and other alliances. Our legislators continue to turn a blind eye to opportunities for job expansion in the renewable energy sector as well as create barriers to adoption of renewable energy for residents.

·         Deadline to give input by January 14, 2024 to CIRDA.

The Central Indiana RDA (CIRDA) is developing the Central Indiana Environmental Action Plan and wants your input now through January 14, 2024 through a short online form. CIRDA is also hosting two public meetings on January 8 at 1pm and January 9 at 6pm to gather input. CIRDA was awarded $1 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop a regional plan for reducing GHG emissions and other harmful air pollution. After the regional plan is complete, CIRDA will compete for $4.6 billion in EPA grants to fund priority actions and associated projects. Visit https://centralindianarda.org/epa-grant to give your input now and learn more.

You can sign up for information about the legislative session at the Hoosier Environmental Council or at QuakerIFCL.org

Creation Care

Creation Care ~ COP28 has been wrestling between greed and stopping the progression of climate damage. Fossil fuels have been an important economic driver in the American economy. Exxon Mobil has known since 1988 that the earth was headed for a warming climate and had a choice to pursue a broader array of clean options as an energy company. Instead, the CEO decided to pursue a disinformation campaign to make the average citizen doubt climate scientists predictions and double down on fossil fuel production.

Our hope is in our youth. See these educational resources that you can use at school or at home or here at First Friends to help understand positive steps to protect God’s precious creation. Read more about this important issue in Katharine Hayhoe’s Talking Climate Newsletter.

Creation Care

Creation Care~

From Katharine Hayhoe’s newsletter:

For the good news this week, I wanted to take stock of some positive changes that have happened since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015 at COP21.

Ten years ago, the world was on a pathway to warm by up to 5C (that’s 9F) by the end of the century, according to the analysis I led for the last U.S. National Climate Assessment. Today, thanks to policies enacted since the Paris Agreement was signed, this magnitude of warming is “totally out of the picture. It will not happen," said NewClimate Institute scientist Niklas Hohne.

According to the Climate Action Tracker, current policies will limit warming to 2.7C (5F) and this number could fall even further with more aggressive climate action. It’s still not enough to avert dangerous levels of change: but as the science says, “every bit of warming matters.” The very real and quantifiable benefits of what we’ve achieved so far encourage us to keep going, and there’s plenty of positive momentum out there.

Last month, Carbon Brief crunched the latest figures put out by the International Energy Agency and found that global carbon emissions from energy use and industry could peak as soon as this year and definitely by 2025. Solar power has grown exponentially in recent years, and could triple again by the end of the decade, with the IEA calling this an ”ambitious yet achievable goal.” And sales of electric vehicles are growing. In Europe this year, more electric vehicles were registered than diesel-powered vehicles for the very first time.

So everything you do can make a difference!

Preparing for the 2024 Indiana General Assembly that will convene January 8th and adjourn by March 14th. The Nature Conservancy is supporting a comprehensive water plan so the state can understand its most precious resource and ensure it will do what’s necessary to ensure future Hoosiers have plenty of clean water. Look for a plan to protect existing wetlands and another to unlock the state’s efforts to recreate wetlands to mitigate those already lost. TNC is jumping aboard the effort to plant 250 million trees in the Great Lakes Watershed over the next 10 years. They’re working with the state to produce more than 30 million seedlings in that time that can be planted all over the state.  These are topics that you can discuss with your legislator before the session begins.  Every voice matters.

From the Trustees: Are there any grant writers in the House?  Do you have a talent for grant writing that you would like to donate to the Meeting for a project?  First Friends has an opportunity to apply for a grant with matching funds to improve our infrastructure to improve our mission to serve you and the community around us.  If interested, please reach out to Phil Goodchild or Mary Blackburn via the office.

Act Now on the Farm Bill: The US Congress renews the Farm Bill every five years, a critical legislation impacting agriculture, nutrition, and rural development, with implications for farmers, food assistance, and sustainability. Congress passed a resolution to keep the Farm Bill's funding in place until the end of September 2024, just before the next presidential election. It is essential that we reach out to our elected officials to encourage them to pass a Farm Bill that promotes sustainable agriculture and makes climate action a priority. Find more information on the bill and how you can take action in the Hoosier Environmental Council’s newsletter here!

Creation Care

Creation Care ~ Indiana has an abundance of fresh water in the Great Lakes.  Prior to our current understanding of disposing of wastes, “Dilution was the Solution” for many industries.  We now know that there are limits to what our water ways can absorb.   Faith in Place has asked for help in contacting the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to protect our waterways by Thursday November 16, 2023.  Click here to send your comments to IDEM leadership.

We are having warmer than “normal” November temperatures and as you already know, climate scientists are predicting that our atmosphere is warming faster than anticipated and most of the coasts and south will experience greater weather threats.  Here in the Midwest, we are buffered from the weather extremes.  Have you noticed the change in the amount of rain that we get?  We have periods of intense rainfall and then periods of drought.  The Nature Conservancy released this statement from their climate scientist, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe.

We have solutions- let’s use them to protect God’s Creation from further damage.

Creation Care

Creation Care ~ Faith in Place Indiana (formerly Hoosier Interfaith Power & Light) is hosting an event to help congregations save energy and improve the environment. Sign up for a one hour webinar Thursday, October 26, 2023 at 7 PM DST: https://www.faithinplace.org/upcoming-events

Katharine Hayhoe has some practical tips how we can reduce our food waste that contributes to methane formation in the atmosphere. See this excerpt from her newsletter:

Cutting Food Waste, Climate Effects On Grocery Shelves, And How You Can Help

Project Drawdown recently released a new analysis ranking the top 20 high-impact climate actions households can take to cut their carbon footprint by up to 25 percent. Do you know what the number one action is? Reducing food waste!

Every year, a full third of the food produced on this planet is thrown out. That amounts to some 1 billion tons. And when it decays, all the wasted food that doesn’t make it to our tables – or does, then gets thrown out – generates about 8 percent of the world’s heat-trapping gases. That’s more than double the impact of all the flights in the world; and it’s lost calories and wasted money, too.

So this week, we’re taking a deep dive into the food system to find solutions that are making a big impact. Read the newsletter in full here!

Words from the Woods

Words from the Woods ~ One half of the prairie in front of the Woods has been planted with over 100 native plants.  In October, when temperatures have cooled, we will plant the other half with a native prairie mix of flowers and grasses and we can observe the differences as they grow!

Please note the following activities that are coming up in Hamilton County are from the Carmel Green newsletter. We have just had two of the hottest months ever recorded and by scientific analysis, the hottest it has been in 120,000 years.  Learn about resilience with Dr. Gabe Filippelli, a delightful and internationally known earth scientist.  Our Creation Care team will change our meeting to attend this instead.  Come join us.  ~Mary Blackburn

·      Dr. Gabe Filippelli ~ Join us this Thurs, Sept. 14, 6 p.m. at the Carmel Clay Public Library to hear from Indiana’s top climate scientist about how to build sustainable and resilient communities.  Dr. Filippelli, Executive Director of Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute, will be talking about the new book, “Climate Change and Resilience in Indiana and Beyond.” You’ll also have the opportunity to purchase an autographed copy, proceeds go to ERI. Learn more and RSVP  

·      Solar 101 ~Solar is the cleanest energy you can get and one of the best ways to fight climate change. Learn how the Hamilton County Solar Co-op makes it easy to go solar at a group price and with a vetted solar installer! Also learn how to take advantage of the 30% tax credit offered through the Inflation Reduction Act.  The last day to join the 2023 Solar Co-op is Oct. 30th. Click here to RSVP for the Sept 18, 6:30 p.m. webinar  Learn more.

·      Nature-Based Climate Solutions ~On Thurs, Sept 28, 7 p.m., join the Sycamore Land Trust and Citizens Climate Lobby for a free virtual lecture with Dr. Kimberly Novick, Professor, Paul H. O’Neil Chair, Fischer Faculty Fellow and Director of the Ph. D. Program in Environmental Sciences at Indiana University. Dr. Novick will discuss the opportunities and pitfalls surrounding nature-based climate solutions in Indiana and beyond, including reforestation, improved forest management and cover cropping. Learn more and register.

·      Are we prepared for extreme heat? ~ Extreme heat is a silent killer and heat waves are projected to get hotter and last longer. If we don’t stop burning fossil fuels, Indiana is projected to have as many as 2 months over 95oF by mid-century compared to the historical baseline of just 2 days.  Learn more about extreme heat preparedness, and how communities can prepare for extreme heat.

·      Easy Ways to Go Green ~ Make sustainability your top priority to protect the future for our kids and grandkids!  Everything we do impacts our earth in some way. Change habits that will improve our environment. We can do this together!  Here’s how to calculate your household carbon footprint and some easy ways to go green.

Creation Care in Indiana

Creation Care in Indiana

There are many ways to take small steps to honor God’s Creation, our paradise on earth. Dr. Katharine Hayhoe shares the Good News and Not So Good News and suggests for small steps. She often recommends talking about what we notice in our experiences. Trying this out, I had an interesting conversation the other day with a workman on the elevator. We talked about the hot weather we’ve been experiencing, and he shared, “This is nothing compared to being in Texas last week.” When I gently suggested that their heat has been rising above normal due to earth warming, he countered, “Oh, the people there said that this is nothing new.” While it is true that Texas experienced 120 degrees in 1936, the increase in average temperatures is rising, taxing the energy grid and putting low income residents at risk of heat related illness. How can we move toward energy efficiency and explore ways that the Inflation Reduction Act  can help homeowners and businesses access its benefits?

Make sure you are taking care of yourself and loved ones during this high heat and humidity. Give your trees a good watering when we are in a drought. Davey tree has helpful hints. https://blog.davey.com/how-often-to-water-trees-during-a-drought/

Here are some opportunities from the Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District to build up your soil health :https://marionswcd.org/wp-content/uploads/Summer-2023-Newsletter.pdf

Woods Words

Woods Words~ The original plan of the Meditational Woods included an area with native flowers and grasses next to the Woods. This spring we will try a non-chemical approach to preparing a pilot area near the transmission tower at the northwest end of the woods. We will use a technique called solarization, by putting down clear plastic to use sunlight to kill the grass and weed seeds underneath and prepare for a fall planting. We received a small grant from the Central Indiana Chapter of the Indiana Native Plant Society for this pilot.

We are still waiting for an estimate of repairs for our recirculating fountain in the Meditational Circle. Hopefully, repairs will occur soon!

This week in the Woods: Join Mindy on Friday, May 12 from 9:30-10:30 am to cut back last season’s growth in the pollinator garden or Mary at 1:00 to tidy up near the fountain area. Bring gloves and wear long sleeves- all this rain is helping the poison ivy grow in a few places!

Not-So-Good-News (From Katharine Hayhoe’s newsletter): Warmer temperatures and higher carbon dioxide levels are causing plants to release more pollen into the air. Weedy plants thrive in high carbon dioxide levels — and in the case of some species, like the infamous ragweed, more carbon dioxide makes them actually produce more pollen. It’s a one-two punch that’s causing more people to develop seasonal allergies, and making conditions worse for those who already suffer from them.

So if it seems like your seasonal allergies are lasting longer and growing more intense, that’s because they probably are. In North America, pollen season now starts about 20 days earlier, lasts roughly eight days longer, and involves 21 percent more pollen, compared with three decades ago. Adults in places where spring starts earlier than the historical average have a 14 percent higher chance of developing seasonal allergies than adults in places where the onset of spring is within the normal range. In Europe, forecast studies suggest that people sensitized to ragweed will more than double by 2041 because of climate change. (From Katharine Hayhoe’s newsletter).

Please contact your legislators and utility companies and let them know how these warming temperatures are affecting you. Start a conversation now that the legislative session is over.

Evangelical Environmental Network’s Summer of Action kickoff webinar

Evangelical Environmental Network’s Summer of Action kickoff webinar ~ Each year, EEN's Summer of Action provides the opportunity for members of our community to take their advocacy and action for God's creation to the next level. Whether you're encouraging your senators to support a conservation-forward 2023 Farm Bill or testifying at an EPA public hearing in support of stronger pollution safeguards, this year will be no exception! You’re invited to join on Thursday, May 18 at 12:00 pm EDT for EEN’s Summer of Action kickoff webinar. You'll have the opportunity to hear from real Creation Care Champions, EEN Partners, and volunteers about how they're bringing positive change to their communities and learn how you can do the same. For more information and to register, visit https://creationcare.org/get-involved/summer-of-action.html.

Creation Care Update

Creation Care Update

God, what a joy it is to plant a tree,

And from the sallow earth to watch it rise,

Lifting its emerald branches to the skies

In silent adoration; and to see

It's strength and glory waxing with each spring.

Yes, it's a goodly and a gladsome thing

To plant a tree.

-----Ella Wheeler Wilcox

I recently visited Congaree National Park in South Carolina, one of the last remnants of old growth floodplain forests.  35 million acres of these forests, 99%, have been lost as a result of logging for industry and floodplains drained for pastures, farms and cities.  Per earth day.org since the start of civilization 45% of all trees have been cleared globally.

Trees are just one component in the fight against climate change, but they're a vital one.  Just one mature tree can absorb 48 pounds of carbon dioxide per year and provide a day's supply of oxygen for 4:people, proving that one small act like planting a tree either in your own backyard or in another's neighborhood through an organization such as Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, or donating to an organization for planting trees such as The Nature Conservancy, can really make a tremendous difference!

---- submitted by Kathy F on behalf of the Creation Care team

Electric Car Sales Growing Worldwide

From the Creation Care Team: Electric Car Sales Growing Worldwide ~ (From an article in Talking Climate by Katherine Hayhoe) According the International Energy Agency worldwide sales of electric cars in 2022 increased by an amazing 60%! That’s one out of every seven passenger cars sold.

In the US only about 6% of vehicles sold were EVs. However, there are proposals at the federal level that could restrict heat trapping gas emissions to be reduced in all new vehicles sold in the US. The goal is to have about 54% of all new vehicles to electric by 2030.

This of course will require major infrastructure investment, especially in charging stations as well as an overhaul of the electric grid and an increase in battery manufacturing.

The world’s largest retailer Walmart recently announced it would add fast charging stations at thousands of locations around the country. If accomplished, this could put a charging station within 90% of the US population. Similar plans are developing in other countries. Norway will ban the sale of gas vehicles by 2025. A similar ban will take place in Canada in 2035.

We are moving in an electric direction but there is much to be done to create a world of electric vehicles.

Remember the 3 Rs?

From the Creation Care team ~ Remember the 3Rs?  Reduce, Reuse and Recycle have been expanded to become a 7R guide to an eco-friendly lifestyle.  Follow the 7Rs to care for our environment.

1. RETHINK: Step back and think about the type of consumer you want to be and what this means for the environment.

2. REFUSE: Think before you buy and be prepared to not buy at all. Green consumers place themselves at the start of the buy-and-use cycle. They buy less and buy products that do the least harm to the environment.

3. REDUCE: Buy less, buy products that have little or no packaging and that last a long time, borrow instead of buy, and compost. Items that are no longer needed or used are donated or sold.

4. REUSE: Upcycle instead of throwing away. Examples: glass jars can be used to store dry goods, cereal liner bags can be used to wrap food for storage, and mesh produce bags can be used as scrubbers.

5. REPAIR: Try to fix items before disposing of them.  Before buying a product check to see that it’s repairable.

6. REGIFT: When you regift, you give someone a gift that you received from someone else. Don't feel guilty! Passing it on to someone who will enjoy it more than you is a good thing.

7. RECYCLE (Compost): Put things back into the waste stream to be used again for something else. Glass is used for roads, plastics are melted down to make new products, and the organic waste that we compost is used to fertilize our gardens.

It’s time to talk about climate! And keep talking about climate!

It’s time to talk about climate! And keep talking about climate! In this week’s “Talking Climate with Katharine Hayhoe” newsletter, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe summarizes some of the findings of the IPCC (an international consortium of scientists) in the 6th publication about climate change. The bad news is that we aren’t reducing our carbon output quickly enough and are heading toward a hotter and hotter earth. She emphasizes the importance of sharing what you have observed and find shared interests. And offer hopeful solutions after listening carefully. We can still stop the worst damage if we act quickly. To read the whole newsletter, click here. Katharine says:

“The best place to begin is with shared interests. If you’re unsure what those are, ask people about their life – and listen! Once you find a common concern, explain how climate change impacts it. Then, offer an uplifting solution that inspires hope.

For more advice on how to get started and what to say, check out my TED Talk, download the Talking Climate handbook from Climate Outreach, or grab the Let's Talk Climate handbook by The Nature Conservancy. Project Drawdown also has info on 100+ climate solutions to share.”