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In our faith tradition we believe that all of life on earth is inter-connected, and that God intended that all life is to thrive. For us, there is no division between the “spiritual” and the “material”: God is the Creator of all that exists. We are a part of the environment, and it is a part of us in this beautiful web of life. Therefore, the environmental crisis becomes one that our faith community is concerned about; it is about our failure as human beings to live in a proper relationship with the remainder of life here on earth, and with the God who has caused all of this amazingly wonderful Earth to come to life.

As a community that aspires to a healthy relationship with all of life, we dream of living in a respectful manner. We desire to do all that we can, using the gift of science, to help life to thrive on Planet Earth.

What can I do about this environmental crisis?

Our Christian faith calls us to respect all of life, and to be good stewards of the environment that we share with all of the plants and animals on Planet Earth. Scientific evidence shows that we are in the midst of an environmental crisis, called climate change, or sometimes it is labelled “global warming”. We already know Canada is far behind in its goal to have net zero greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 2050. So, what can we do as individuals who care about life on Planet Earth?

Reducing our carbon footprint 

Here in Toronto the three largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 85 per cent of GHG emissions in 2018, are:

The Environmental Action Group at Beach United Church is interested in promoting personal actions that can make a difference right now, and into the future. For that reason, we are promoting personal actions that reduce our carbon footprint, and increase our own health; the well-being of our community, and the restoration of a life-giving environment.

We have already renovated our church building to high environmental standards, and have installed a solar array on the roof to generate “green” electricity that is fed into the city’s electrical grid.

Another effective way we can reduce our carbon emissions into the atmosphere is by re-examining our personal use of transportation.

A short list of transportation alternatives is as follows:

• Walk more, rather than use vehicles
• Bicycle more
• Use public transit
• Use the bus or train for longer distance travel
• Drive fewer kilometers
• Drive an electric vehicle – see accompanying article
• Travel by aircraft as a last resort

Looking For A Good Read?
January is a great month for reading. If you are looking for some hopeful, inspiring nonfiction, here’s what Allan Baker (who is part of Beach United’s Environmental Action Group) recommends:

Reviewed by Allan Baker

It isn’t often that I read a book about the environment that is overflowing with positive energy. “Solved: How The World’s Great Cities Are Fixing The Climate Crisis”, by David Miller, is an unusually upbeat and informative book.

This book reminds me of Chris Turner’s, “A Geography of Hope”, as David Miller tells stories of how cities around the world have been proactive in dealing with our world-wide climate crisis. Miller’s core argument is that most people live in urban areas, and cities have many tools available to them to have a positive effect on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We do not need to leave these decisions to other levels of government. Internationally, cities are using technologies that are already available, and the C-40 group of cities is a forum where these “best practices” are being shared for the good of our global village.

Miller’s book has interesting chapters on transportation – both public and personal. For example, he tells the story of Shenzhen China, where 100 per cent of its fleet of 16,000 buses are powered by electricity. This conversion was accomplished in a short period; from 2011 to 2018. This is only one city, but in the global village in 2017 there were 385,000 electric buses. This is just one example where Miller shows us that the technology exists, and implementation is helping to reduce GHG emissions. I learned about how prevalent it is to transition to electric-powered transportation.

Other chapters deal with urban planning; the generation of electricity in urban areas, waste disposal, and what we can do to increase the efficiency of energy use in buildings. There are plenty of examples from cities on all five continents to demonstrate that visionary thinking and smart implementation, with existing technologies, are making a difference in reducing humanity’s negative effect on the environment.

As a former Mayor of Toronto, Miller uses some of the examples that Toronto has undertaken (under programs called, “Change is In The Air” and “TransformTO”) to reduce GHG emissions. For example, he tells stories of building renewal programs in Toronto; the use of cold water from Lake Ontario to provide cooling for downtown office towers; how ridership on the TTC was increased, and how solar arrays at the CNE contribute to a reduction in the need for electricity to be generated outside Toronto.

Although most of the content of this interesting book is about what we can do collectively, there is a small section in the final chapter on actions that can be implemented in our personal lives to reduce the negative effects of climate change. Miller poses questions, such as: Do we use our voices when others question the fact of climate change? Do we need to drive a car? Are there steps that can be taken in our homes to reduce the use of energy from fossil fuels? How will we use our votes to support politicians who are honestly committed to dealing with climate change?

According to David Miller, the climate crisis problem has been “solved”; the technology to deal with reducing GHGs exists, and he shares examples of how the solutions have been implemented by many different cities in our global village.

I was impressed with David Miller’s conversational style of writing, which kept me engaged throughout the book. I hope that you will also find it that way.    

An online afternoon gathering of friends led by Christine Grace McMulkin.*

Dates: Saturday January 16, 2021
Time: 2.00 – 3.30 pm
To register contact: christine@christinegraceandcommunity.com
Please register no later then Thursday January 14th.

“Strange how a teapot can represent at the same time the comforts of solitude and the pleasures of company.” – Author Unknown

As we continue to endure much solitude, we crave connections and community. Put the kettle on and join us for a time of informal conversation and reflections on friendship during challenging times.

* The kettle is always on in Christine’s home. In addition to drinking endless cups of tea, she is invested in cultivating beloved communities and is a certified teacher of Mindful Self Compassion.

It will soon be Christmas! A time for celebrating and feasting!

Unfortunately, many people in our community don’t have enough to eat or may not know where their next meal is coming from. No one should go hungry in the midst of plenty. We need to address the root cause of food insecurity, which is poverty. 

Responding to food insecurity is a major part of our work at Beach United:

• Thanks to Gail Tabbitt’s initiative in creating the Reverse Advent program, 34 people have contributed big boxes of non-perishable food to the Daily Bread Food Bank!
• Beach United members and volunteers from the wider community prepare a sumptuous lunch every Thursday – more than 90 bags of food are distributed to people who come to the church, with some taking an extra lunch to deliver to others in the neighbourhood
• Another contributor to the InterFaith Lunch Program, Kingston Road United Church, will now serve lunch from our building every Friday, taking advantage of our large and accessible kitchen
• With the end of the Out of the Cold program, volunteers from Beach, St. Aidan’s and the wider community have explored alternative ways to meet community needs, including providing a hot lunch for 40 people every Wednesday at the Teesdale Place Drop-in centre. And in December we will begin to deliver about 90 meals every Saturday to people sleeping in tents at Moss Park.

Thanks to the committed volunteers many people are not hungry.

If you haven’t had a chance to contribute to these efforts, it isn’t too late. Here’s some things you too can do to ease hunger in our community:

• Donate to the Daily Bread Food Bank – Deliver boxes of non-perishable foods to your local fire hall. Or make a cash contribution – until December 31 all donations will be matched by another donor https://www.dailybread.ca/
• Contribute to the St. Aidan’s Out of the Cold meal programs – send cheques payable to St. Aidan’s Out of the Cold to the church at 2423 Queen Street East or visit Canada Helps https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/137723748RR0001-st-aidans-church/
• Donate to Centre 55’s Share a Christmas Program – Christmas Hampers, which last year helped more than 1000 families, will be replaced due to COVID-19 by a grocery gift card.  Families with children up to 16 years of age will also receive age-appropriate toys. https://www.centre55.com/community_programs/share-a-christmas/
• Donate to Beach United Church – Providing take-out meals is much more expensive than “in house” due to the cost of food containers. We are glad that our marvellous kitchen is being used almost every day; but we need to meet the costs of providing that resource. Click on the Donate Now button on the BUC website  https://beachunitedchurch.com/about-us/donate/

Let’s all do our part to ease hunger in our community!