13/5/24
Many people spend a lot of ‘screen time’ each day, whether on a laptop, phone,tablet, or other digital device. Some of this is essential for work, study or other information sourcing. However, it is very easy to spend a lot of time scrolling through messages or social media, or using the screen simply as a background to our main activity. Collectively, these devices use a lot of energy, and are of course, dependent on energy intensive data centres. So by reducing our screen time, we can also reduce our carbon footprint.
20/5/24
Last week we looked at screen time. This week we think about what to do with the phone when it reaches the end of its life; hopefully when it really has reached the end, and not just because we want the latest model.
Apple’s recycling scheme lets you trade in your old devices, for credit towards a new one. However, if your device is too old or not eligible for the trade-in they will recycle it for free.
This will help you to save some cash and help the environment!
Carphone Warehouse also have a scheme which slightly differs to Apple’s, as you can trade in a range of smartphones from different brands. You will be paid the value of your device. It is a quick and easy way to make a bit of extra cash, and offers an in-store or online trade-in so you can choose which best suits you.
27/5/24
Some readers may have heard the excellent Pentecost service on BBC Radio 4 on the theme of earth justice. This service came from StJames’, Piccadilly, in the heart of London, and gave much to reflect on about our relationship with nature. It will be available for another couple of weeks on BBC Sounds and can be found at https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001zdhqt. Do try to listen to this!
3/6/24
We are all now fully aware that there is an election campaign in progress. Whichever party we support, this period gives us the opportunity to question candidates and their canvassers about many vital questions on the environment and our responsibilities for our planet. So whether it is when we meet canvassers on the doorstep, or when we are attending a local hustings,let’s make our voices heard. Let’s also make sure that we ask questions of all sorts,ranging from big issues like oil and gas, and public transport, to things like plastic, the preservation of green spaces, and support for local food suppliers and retailers.
10/6/24
Two matters this week. Firstly this is Big Green Week. You can find details of local events at https://greatbiggreenweek.com/find-an-event/ On Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th June, there will be a Big Green Weekend in Grosvenor Park, Chester. There are events at other locations in the city, with workshops and talks and lots of different stalls, including Fairtrade and Eco Church. Full details and free tikets can be found at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/ecocommunities/1207946#tt- checkout--accessibility--main-content. Do come along if you can.
Secondly, a reminder of last week’s thoughts. We have heard only this week that temperatures are rising faster than ever (and don’t be misled by a rather chilly June here at present- think of the temperatures reached in Delhi.) This makes it all the more important that we pressurise our would-be politicians and show the real concern that we have for future generations and for the created world. We have also seen from the European elections the dangers of people turning away from parties committed to reducing carbon emissions, and the rise of populist movements. This makes real change in our collective lifestyle all the more imperative.
17/6/24
BBC Radio 4 and the Open University have collaborated on a second series of ‘Rare Earth’- a thought- provoking and informative series on all sorts of environmental questions. These can be heard live at noon on Fridays on Radio 4 or on BBc Sounds at any time. Full details of programmes can be found at https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001vbt0.t
If we are exploring radio programmes, then another to try to catch up on is ‘The tourist trap’ which looks at the effects of tourism on the environment and ways in which we can think differently about travel. This can be found at https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001zddh.
24/6/24
The election approaches, and there are still canvassers on the doorsteps. Whichever party they may represent, if they are on the doorstep , it is a chance to engage with them, and let them know that we care about the state of our planet, even if environmental issues have not figured much in recent leaders’ debates. The canvassers may then report back that the climate is a concern to voters. When we get into the polling booth,with that stubby little pencil hovering over the ballot paper, let’s keep our concerns for the climate and the created world firmly in mind. And whoever is finally our MP,even if he or she is not the person we voted for, let’s remember that they are now the MP for the whole constituency, and not just those who voted for them. We can write to them on their first day in office, and raise environmental concerns with them.
1/7/24
Welcome to Plastic Free July. This is a world -wide event trying to reduce the vast amount of plastics which are used and disposed of throughout the world. There are many different types of plastic, only a few of which can be recycled. Even these only give a short new life to the materials, unlike glass, metals and paper, which can be recycled over and over again.
Over coming weeks, we shall look at particular plastics which we use regularly, and think about ways of reducing or eliminating their use. This week, let’s just try to become aware of how much plastic there is in our homes, workplaces, schools, or shopping centres. Take a close look round, for example, the home, and try to notice the plastics which we probably take for granted. These may be used for cleaning products, beauty products, food wrappings, postal and delivery packs, contact lenses, plant pots , medicine containers….the list goes on and on. Let’s be plastic free.
8/7/24
Continuing our theme for plastic free July, let’s think about all those plastic containers of cleaning materials. Not only do they represent a lot of plastic, but because each bottle contains a significant amount of water, transporting them around the country to the supermarkets from which we buy them,has a significant carbon footprint. So if we can reduce these, it is a win-win situation.
If we are fortunate enough to have a ‘re-fill’/zero-waste shop in the vicinity, then keeping the relevant containers and re-filling them is the obvious answer. Other solutions are available. Suppliers of cleaning products such as Smol and OceanSaver sell products like surface cleaners, floor cleaners etc online. These come as tablets or small pouches which you pop into the bottle, fill with water, give it a shake, and then you have your new bottle of cleaning material. Some similar products are available in supermarkets from suppliers such as HomeThings. Look out for others.
15/7/24
Continuing our theme for Plastic Free July, let’s think about some of the plastics often found in the bathroom.
Shampoo bottles are plastic-heavy items. These can be replenished in zero-waste shops if you are lucky enough to have one, or, if they work on your hair, shampoo bars provide a good alternative.
Most toothpaste comes in plastic tubes, and millions of these end up in landfill. A simple solution is to use toothpaste tablets, which can be bought from zero-waste shops, from some pharmacies, and online. There are also pastes available in glass jars.
Plastics in deodorants can be avoided by using solid deodorant sticks which come in cardboard tubes, or metal holders into which refill blocks can be inserted. These can be found in Holland and Barrett, some branches of Boots and a number of supermarkets and other retailers.
Those of us who are contact lens wearers may well be using soft ‘disposable’ lenses. These are of course very small items, but the plastic mounts up. A number of the larger dispensing optician chains now offer a recycling point not only for the daily or monthly lenses, but also for the blister packs in which they come.
The obvious item in the bathroom is soap. Let’s make sure that we avoid plastic soap dispensers, and use bars of soap, which are so much more environmentally friendly.
22/7/24
Still with our theme of Plastic Free July, we think this week about shopping.
Buying loose fruit and vegetables in a local greengrocer’s or in a supermarket enables us to buy the amount we need, whereas pre-packaged bags of produce often lead to excess and waste, as well as using lots of plastic. By using the mesh veg bags which many supermarkets sell, and which can also be obtained in shops like Lakeland, we can avoid all this plastic. These inexpensive mesh bags can be washed and used over and over again. We can also try to avoid other produce such as meat and fish which comes in plastic trays; some shops have now gone over to cardboard trays, or paper packaging. Let the supermarket know that we do not want everything to come in plastic
29/7/24
Even though it will be August by the time some read this, we will conclude our theme of Plastic Free July by thinking about micro-plastics!
We have all heard of micro -plastics being found in fish and animals, including humans. Micro-plastics are tiny pieces which may be used in fabrics or beauty or cleaning products. They also come from the breakdown of single use plastics.
We can help to avoid or at least reduce these by choosing fabrics made of natural fibres. Using a filter such as a ‘Guppy bag’ in the washing machine can collect the tiny particles, and allow us to dispose of them safely. We can avoid beauty products such as exfoliates which contain microplastics. Let’s look carefully at the labels. Utensils like plastic chopping boards inevitably break down, and give off small particles. Wooden boards are therefore better.
Finally, of course, the more we can reduce the use of all sorts of plastic, the less will break down into micro-plastics.
5/8/24
Hasn’t all that track cycling, road racing and mountain biking at the Olympics been exciting? Perhaps it has inspired some of us to get out our bikes and go for a ride. However, perhaps we have eventually found the bike at the back of the shed or garage, and realised that it is far from roadworthy, and needs much more attention than simply pumping up the tyres.
New bikes are expensive, and of course leave the question of what to do with the old one. Within our area there are at least two enterprises which have been set up to train and employ adults who might otherwise find it difficult to gain employment due to autism or other conditions. They will work on any bicycle, provided that it has not been eaten away by rust, and bring it up to a roadworthy standard. If you no longer want the bike, then they will put it up for sale, thus making second hand bikes available at a reasonable price. Take a look at https://www.brenproject.org.uk/about-us/ for the Chester project or https://waltonlea.org.uk/social-enterprises/bicycle-recycling/ for that in Warrington. (Please let us know via the the Wesley or circuit office if you discover any other such projects.) This is a win-win-win situation - it gets us cycling, it recycles cycles and it meets a real social need.
12/8/24
Compared with previous generations, we probably wash our clothes and linen much more frequently than they did. This is probably largely due to the widespread ownership of washing machines and the popularity of ‘easy-care’ fabrics. But of course, the more laundry we do, the greater our carbon
footprint. Of course, children’s clothes need frequent washing, and some types of work mean that more washing is needed, but there are many times when garments are thrown in the wash when they don’t really need it. Simple acts like putting on an apron for household tasks, to avoid splashes, or sponging off small marks on a garment, rather than washing the whole thing, can make a big difference. If we can try to reduce the frequency of laundering our clothes and linen, we will save water, energy and laundry products, thus reducing our carbon footprint, which helps the planet. We will also save money, both in saving the cost of the wash, and in extending the life of our clothes. That helps us,too.
19/8/24
As we approach the season which most Churches are marking as Creationtide, our reflection this week is a quotation from a recent edition of the Catholic publication, the Tablet (13/8/24)
.’..we begin the new Season of Creation, which has as its theme, “To hope and act with creation”.
…Pope Francis has …made all of God’s creation a cornerstone of his papacy, chiefly through the encyclical Laudato Si’.
In this encyclical, writing about St Francis, the pope says that the saint “helps us to see that an integral ecology calls for openness to categories which transcend the language of mathematics and biology, and take us to the heart of what it is to be human... If we approach nature and the environment without this openness to awe and wonder, if we no longer speak the language of fraternity and beauty in our relationship with the world, our attitude will be that of masters, consumers, ruthless exploiters, unable to set limits on their immediate needs. By contrast, if we feel intimately united with all that exists, then sobriety and care will well up spontaneously. The poverty and austerity of Saint Francis were no mere veneer of asceticism, but something much more radical: a refusal to turn reality into an object simply to be used and controlled.”
26/8/24
As we continue into Creationtide, our thought this week comes from the World Council of Churches’ material for this season, as found in https://seasonofcreation.org
And yet, there is hope and the expectation for a better future. To hope in a biblical context does not mean to stand still and quiet, but rather groaning, crying, and actively striving for new life amidst the struggles. Just as in childbirth, we go through a period of intense pain, but new life springs forth.
The symbol for 2024 is The first fruits of hope
Hope is an instrument enabling us to overcome the natural law of decay. Hope is given to us by God as a protection and guard against futility. Only through hope we may realize the gift of freedom in fullness. Freedom to act not only to achieve enjoyment and prosperity, but to reach the stage in which we are free and responsible. Freedom and responsibility enable us to make the world a better place. Only when we work together with Creation can the first fruits of hope emerge.
2/9/24
It’s now September, so that means it’s Secondhand September.
Second Hand September is a campaign that promotes donating, reusing, rewearing and restyling your
clothes during September and beyond!
Since 2019, Second Hand September has inspired thousands of people to shop in a way that is kinder
to people and planet.
This is a project run by Oxfam, and they are also working in collaboration with M and S on the ‘Another
Life’ scheme. By including M and S labelled items in donation bags to Oxfam, donors can receive a
£5.00 M and S voucher. Further details can be found on Oxfam or M and S websites
(https://www.oxfam.org.uk/donate/donate-to-our-shops/marks-and-spencer-and-oxfam-another-
life/#main-content; https://www.oxfam.org.uk/get-involved/how-companies-can-partner-oxfam/our-
corporate-partners/oxfam-and-ms/)
9/9/24
We return this week to the theme of Creationtide which continues throughout September.
This season invites us to reflect on our role in the created world, and to see our place as part of that
creation, rather than as users and despoilers of it. It is easy to think of ourselves as somehow separate
from other parts of the created world - or to think only of the cute and cuddly aspects of the animal
world, and to ignore or mistreat those creatures, big and small, which we may regard as pests, or which
scare us. We do not just destroy creatures by shooting them. When we constantly tarmac over green
spaces, or pollute the atmosphere so that they cannot live, then we are killing them by other means.
We will all have noticed the decline in bird life in recent years - this is just one example. We may also
have noticed far fewer insects around.
So this creationtide, let’s take time to reflect on our place in the created world, and with the Psalmist
(Ps 148) and with St Francis in his Canticle of the Creatures, recognise that all creatures and natural
phenomenon are part of creation and that we all have our place in it
16/9/24
As we continue to focus on Creationtide, we share an extract from ‘Wild Christian’ which explores the
origins of this season:
The Season of Creation started on 1 September with the Feast of Creation (also known as Day of Prayer
for Creation, or Creation Day) and ends 4 October with the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. But, how did
it come to be?
In Orthodox Christianity 1 September has been long observed as a “Day of Creation”, marking the day
God began the creation of the universe, as described in Genesis. Building on this tradition, in 1989 the
Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I proclaimed 1 September as a day of prayer for the environment; a day
to offer “prayers and supplications to the Maker of all, both as thanksgiving for the great gift of Creation
and as petitions for its protection and salvation.”
On 4 October, churches from Western traditions commemorate Francis of Assisi, who is well known as
the patron saint of ecology and author of the Canticle of Creatures, a famous hymn reflecting our
relationship with all of God’s creation.
The proposal to make these five weeks into a time to celebrate creation was made by the Third
European Ecumenical Assembly in Sibiu, Romania, in 2007. The year after, the World Council of
Churches invited churches to observe a ‘Time for Creation’ through prayer and action for creation.
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland adopted the concept in 2008. Then in 2015, Pope Francis
designated September the first as a World Day of Prayer for Care of Creation, for the worldwide Roman
Catholic Church.
Like its roots, the spirit of the Season of Creation is ecumenical with organisations and denominations
from across major Orthodox, Protestant and Catholic traditions coming together over the years to
encourage the 2.2 billion Christians worldwide to engage on ecological issues during this period.
The theme of Season of Creation 2024 is to ‘Hope and Act with Creation’. This is an invitation to put
our ultimate hope in God, as the Sustainer of all things and respond with action to safeguard and
protect our common home – nature.
23/9/24
This week we offer a further reflection for Creationtide from Dominican spirituality.
The created world reflects the Creator in its unimaginable beauty, awe-inspiring complexity, incredible
diversity, and fullness of life. We hold all creation as sacred; each leaf, star, drop of rain, flower, bird,
mammal, and human companion teaches us of God. Let us care for one another
(https://www.dominicancenter.org/spirituality/liturgical-seasons/season-of-creation/).
30/9/24
We have thought before about the need to repair and re-use, rather than to discard household goods.
On Oct 19th, it will be national repair café day, and we are delighted that there is already an initiative
of this sort in the circuit at Frodsham.
On that day, a new venture will be starting in Chester, at Hoole Community Centre. Have a look at the
Chester Repair Café website on
https://www.catalogue.wyjs.org.uk/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=CC01165&pos=1#content. You
might like to go along with something to be repaired, or to volunteer your help. All the details are on
the website.
Chester Repair Café
Repair Cafés are pop-up events held on regular dates where the local community can get their broken
household items repaired for free or for a small donation by volunteers.
There are several Repair Cafés in the North West and North Wales but none in Chester – yet! We want
to change that and with your help we can make it happen.
Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed to the Chester Repair Cafe Spacehive
crowdfunder - we've hit over £1,600 in pledges from more than 50 backers so far!
While the crowdfunder is still live, this means we will have enough to launch the very first 'pilot' Repair
Café in October:
Date: Saturday 19 October
Time: 11.00am to 12.30pm
Location: Hoole Community Centre, Westminster Road, Hoole, Chester, CH2 3AP
Keep an eye on our Chester Repair Café webpage for further details, including how to sign up as a
volunteer.
Life scientific Sept 10th