At Lent I allow myself to be slow, simple, and thoughtful. I spend time each day in focused study and prayer. And I choose something to temporarily reduce or cut out of my life, as a reminder that what I truly need is the nurturing of Spirit. And I also observe Lent as a time of creative action, acting on what I learn.
March 31, 4th Sunday of Lent-
1. Journal queries: What have I learned so far from my Lenten fast and study? What is the next step to take?
Ground myself in optimistic hope for the future, and become more open to the best actions to take.
April 1-
2. Study low carbon-living: Read Chapter 7: A Low-Carbon Diet- from the book Cooler Smarter: Practical Steps for Low-Carbon Living, by the Union of Concerned Scientists.
It's complicated to try to calculate the emissions different foods create: I have to consider whether the food was grown in a heated greenhouse, what kinds of chemicals were used on it, the energy used to process it, and how far it was shipped. I also have to consider how much methane was produced naturally (methane is more potent as a global warming gas than carbon dioxide).
"But no matter how you measure it, one thing stands out in the data: pound for pound, dollar for dollar, or calorie for calorie, meat- especially beef- contibutes the most to global warming."
April 2-
3. Fasting: Week five- I'm continuing to fast from carbon by not heating my office, as a reminder that I need to take bigger steps soon. I'm also fasting from using my dryer for anything I can possibly dry outside.
This week I've decided to add beef, because beef production accounts for more than 1/3 of all the U.S. agricultural heat-trapping emissions.
This week I've decided to add beef, because beef production accounts for more than 1/3 of all the U.S. agricultural heat-trapping emissions.
April 3-
4. Climate Coalition meeting: This is my once-a-month commitment to learn what our city is doing to reduce carbon in the community.
April 4-
5. Study Permiculture: I'm taking a free online permaculture class from the Permaculture Womens Guild. This week we've covered ethics and access to land. My assignment is to list ways I can share access to my land. My ideas:
1. Teach garden and nature classes in my yard.
2. Share my produce, and eggs.
3. Plant food near sidewalk with a sign for taking.
4. Sharing with the birds, bees, butterflies, and other wildlife.
2. Share my produce, and eggs.
3. Plant food near sidewalk with a sign for taking.
4. Sharing with the birds, bees, butterflies, and other wildlife.
April 5, New Moon-
6. Propagation Fair: I got a new plum tree and lots of seeds!
April 6-
7. Climate Activist Organizers Workshop: I learned some tools for analyzing who might be allies or not, and how to decide how to encourage people to change their viewpoint. Also, how to break goals into strategies, and strategies into tactics.
