Together, we held our grief, joy, regret, hope, guilt and sorrow in prayer; offering them to the beings who sustain us but whose gift we too often fail to honour.

What do you confess to the plants in your life?"

The next day he tweeted: We've had many questions about yesterday's chapel, conducted as part of @ccarvalhaes' class, "Extractivism: A Ritual/Liturgical Response.

In worship, our community confessed the harm we've done to plants, speaking directly in repentance. This is a beautiful ritual." Read more

Their video won the top prize in the Film, 15-18 years category in the 2016 Young Reporters for the Environment awards. Have a look at the video

In an effort to reduce the Silverdale school's waste, a Litterless Lunch Wednesday scheme was dreamed up by pupils.

Every Wednesday students pack their lunchboxes with compostable foods and reusable packaging.

Any leftover waste goes to the school's worm farm, compost bin, or home with teacher Amanda Bates to feed her pigs. Continue reading

Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools (GSCS) is eliminating plastic bottled water from vending machines, cafeterias, school-related events and meetings.

The reasons given are environmental consciousness and solidarity with people in the world who lack clean drinking water.

There will be water-filling stations at the schools so students will be able to fill their own bottles.

Students will also be able to bring their own bottled water to school.

In 2009, the University of Winnepeg in Canada also banned bottled water sales on campus.

Continue reading

The parishes of Our Lady of Peace and Safe Journey Church in Chalan Pago and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Agat have entered into a contract to purchase renewable energy for the next 20 years through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).

The Archdiocese of of Agaña's newspaper reports that with the two additional parishes on line the archdiocese can expect to save $US60,000 every year.

They say that over the course of the PPA contracts this savings will be measured in millions of dollars and value to the environment is priceless.

Under a PPA, an outside investor installs, owns and maintains the system while selling the power produced to the parishes as less than utility rates.

This is accomplished at no cost or liability to the parishes according to a news release from Pacific Solar and Photovoltaics Inc., which installed the system.

The Archdiocese of of Agaña (Guam) is pursuing a policy of reducing its dependence on fossil fuels.

The Archbishop, Anthony Sablan Apuron, says the their policy is to reduce energy expenses while at the same time being good stewards of the planet.

"Fossil fuels are a finite resource and no matter what the price, we will someday run out of these natural resources," he said.

Source

• umatuna.org
• Image: umatuna.org

The Warawara Forest resource aims to teach students to be protectors of the environment

resource aims to teach students to be protectors of the environment.

It is called Te Warawara: Te Wairua o te iwi o te Rarawa.

The guide was written at the request of Te Kura Taumata o Panguru, a small local area school in north Hokianga.

This forest has one of the largest kauri stands in Aotearoa new Zealand, and is home to many threatened native species, including North Island kiwi and kaka, bats and karearea (New Zealand falcon).

Dame Whina Cooper described the Warawara as the living spiritual being of the hapu of Te Rarawa which is the local sub-tribe.

The guide includes activities, worksheets and lesson plans and is aimed at primary and secondary school students.

It features worksheets tailored to specific year groupings, meaning the book is both instructional and inspirational.

The Warawara Forest is of utmost cultural and historical significance to Te Rarawa.

They still own the land's resources and it is hoped that through deeper learning about their taonga/treasures, the next generation will not only see how important it is for them to serve as guardians and protectors of the Warawara Forest, but also how their efforts will support the community in ways that will lead to future employment opportunities.

"This is another strand of the life story of the Warawara that reaches back for centuries, it is a life line for the forest," the resource's author and Caritas Social Justice Education Coordinator, Catherine Gibbs says.

Caritas has a strong commitment to indigenous peoples and environmental justice. Work on the resource has been through our Tangata Whenua workstream. Principles of Catholic social teaching including stewardship (kaitiakitanga), the common good and participation, are woven into the resource.

For more information, please contact Crispin Anderlini (Communications, Marketing & Fundraising Advisor) on 021 190 9908 or email to crispin@caritas.org.nz

Press release from Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand.

They will supply about 65% of the church's electricity needs.

This will be the second solar panel array installed on a church owned building at the Yona.

Last December, St. Francis Catholic School turned on a 100- KW system (more than twice the size of the parish system).

Last May solar panels were installed atop the archbishop's house and Chancery offices.

Source

• umatuna.org
• Image: Flickr

Saint Mary Star of the Sea has invested in five-watt solar panels on the roof of the parish building in Campion Road.

Father Yvan Sergy says the panels will be installed in the second week of August, after months of fundraising.

"They will produce electricity that will be bought by the electric company who supplies us.

"They will then offset the cost against our bill. We cannot produce enough for the whole bill but it will certainly make a difference."

Father Yvan says the fact that solar power is a renewable source of energy was a key factor when deciding to go ahead with the project.

"The church has a responsibility to look after the Earth. We are trying to set an example and, hopefully, it will encourage individuals to do the same."

Continue reading

Elisara was in Honiara for the 11th Pacific Arts Festival to present his paper on Pacific Island leaders' failure to address sustainable development. Speaking to the Solomon Star, Elisara said Rio plus 20 was a disappointment. He said since the first meeting in 1992, there were promises that were never delivered.

"It should be called Rio minus 20 because we have gone back another 20 years. The political will was never delivered since 1992," he said.

O le Siosiomaga Society a Samoan non-government organization established in 1990. It has represented the Pacific in a number of global conferences.

OLSSI aims to monitor the state of the environment in Samoa, with particular emphasis on human induced impacts on land, fresh water, mangroves, lagoons, reef, ocean and air as well as promoting only those policies and practices which have positive impacts.

Source

• PINA
• O Le Siosiomaga Society
• Image: State of the Planets

One sign of hope: UNICEF sponsored forums all over NZ asked young people of 15-24 years to describe 'The Future We Want'. The 6 main topics are surely what we all want:

• Equity
• A thriving natural environment
• Clean rivers and oceans
• Sustainable food
• Sustainable cities
• Fair trade

The young people's recommendations have been sent to the Government and New Zealand's delegates to Rio. After all, the young will inherit the mess we are leaving, and have a right to have their views listened to - and implemented.

These concerns fit well with the 7 priority themes identified for Rio plus 20:

• Water
• Sustainable agriculture
• Energy
• Green jobs
• Oceans
• Disasters
• Sustainable cities.

All of these themes are fleshed out to highlight the vital components within each that need to be addressed.

Another sign of hope, an amazing one, New Zealand, through Amy Adams, the Minister for Conservation, is championing a new global deal, initiated by concerned citizens in the US and a number of other countries, to end nearly $1 trillion dollars of taxpayer subsidies to big oil, coal and gas companies. If this money were to be switched instead to greener, more just development, it would literally save our planet. Please God this new plan to save the planet will have been included on the agenda for the Rio plus20 Earth Summit preparatory meeting in New York.

The results of the first Earth Summit may be ambiguous, but the global environment is certainly better than it might have been without them, and global awareness of environmental concerns has come to the forefront of our consciousness, even politicians!

The alternative social summit at Rio, the People's Summit, which includes NGOs, Jesuits and other groups working for justice in the fair distribution of the earth's resources, will be worth watching.

There will be more Jesuits - mainly from the Global Ignatian Advocacy Network (GIAN) on migration - at the official summit.

Mary-Ann Greaney from the Wellington Archdiocesan JPD will also be there.

What can we do? Pray confidently that the Holy Spirit will guide the deliberations at Rio plus 20

Kia kaha, e tangata!

To know more on Rio 20 we recommend the materials of CIDSE, the Third World Network and the EcoJesuit newsletter

Click here for CIDSE
Click her for Third World Network
Click here to sign up to a daily online newsletter sent from EcoJesuit.

for Global Ignatian Advocacy Network (GIAN) on migration

Trica Kane is a grandmother and retired Librarian

One step they have taken is a letter-writing campaign to governments and proposed attendees to RIO+20, from countries where Mercy sisters work.

The Mercy letter calls on the government leaders and personnel to include ethical considerations when they are negotiating at the Rio Conference.

The letter also asks the delegates to "affirm a strong definition of sustainable development and a shared vision of ethical and spiritual values that would inspire and guide cooperative action for change."

Source

• Mercy International Association
• Image: Human Impact Institute

Among the most recent warnings was one made by Pope Benedict XVI, as recently as January 1, 2010, in his message for the celebration of the World Day of Peace.

Read Brian Fenton's Opinion Piece in the Otago Daily Times

Fr Brian Fenton is a retired priest who lives in Wanaka.

Image: St Catherine of Siena Church

One of the Vatican engineers says "The push came from the very top. When it comes to technology, there's a complete openness as long as it contributes towards good. And the environment is clearly good, in line with our Christian values, the Holy Father has said so many times."

Benedict has accompanied his focus on the environment with a renewed emphasis on natural theology, or the search for divine truth in the created world. In that sense, environmentalism may play a role in what Benedict sees as his core mission: the re-evangelization of the secular West.

Source
Stephan Faris in the Atlantic Monthly

Faris is working on a book about global immigration.

Photo Credit
onedigitallife.com