Lent is a time that many Christians around the world observe as a season to reflect on what it means to be a follower of Christ. It is meant to be a season of sacrifice in order to draw us closer to him by cleansing our live of those things which hinder our spiritual relationship.
This year, instead of giving up chocolate or meat, how about refraining from activities that are detrimental to our planet? In adopting greener behaviors we honor the teachings of Christ as they pertain to creation care. We also show compassion for the poor as they suffer the greatest impact from environmental degradation.
Wondering what sacrifices you can make? Well, here are a few practices to adopt that will hopefully last well beyond the Lenten season.
1. Give up plastic water bottles! Not only will you save yourself money, but you will help to reduce the 1.5 million tons of plastic waste created, and the 47 million gallons of oil required to produce them each year. Opt for a stainless steel water bottle instead. Target carries some that cost as little as $7 each.
2. Give up plastic and paper bags! Neither option is better than the other: they both require huge amounts of energy to produce. I'm talking millions of barrels of oil huge! Try reusable shopping bags instead. As I said in a previous post, they are so user friendly and you'll feel great knowing you are doing something small to help the environment.
3. Give up washing your car! Just kidding about that one - no one wants to drive a dirty car. However, washing your car in your driveway or on the street is the worst thing you can do for the environment. When you do this, all the runoff from both your car and the street, including motor oil, gasoline and exhaust residue, are rinsed directly into storm drains and eventually into our lakes, rivers and streams. Instead, take your car to the local car wash. They are federally required to treat their wastewater before disposing of it and are also more efficient than most homeowners when it comes to water use.
For more green behaviors to adopt during Lent, here is a great list from The Daily Green.
No comments:
Post a Comment