The Green Corner: Caring about God’s Abundantly Lavish Earth is Our Responsibility

This Green Corner article is written by Kip Coerper, member of the St. James’, Skaneateles and the Creation Care Team in the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York.   Image from unsplash.com. 

Caring about God’s abundantly lavish earth is our responsibility for being good stewards of creation.  Each one of us can make a difference to impact global warming and a clean environment.  The environmental damage we are experiencing these days – polluted air, massive hurricanes, droughts, wild fires – are enhanced by the unfortunate reality of man produced carbon in our atmosphere.  That carbon will only increase, if we do not address excess carbon, in large part produced by deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels  The good news is that there are solutions.  Forward thinking companies, technologies, and organizations are making a difference. Solar energy and wind energy are now as cheap as fossil fuel energy.  We can encourage more production of those by supporting politicians who believe in climate change.  We can also reduce our energy use, by carefully insulating and sealing our homes and work places, and/or by considering installing solar panels.  Check the solar possibilities at the NYSERDA.NY.gov website and look for “4 easy ways to make the move to solar energy”.

To have an even greater impact on your carbon footprint, consider aligning your money with your environmental values.  Big Banks (Chase, CITI, Capital One, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Barclays) – all use your money to support climate destruction.  Instead, choose a local Credit Union or local bank who invest your money in your community.  Find them at greenamerica.org/get-a-better-bank.  Find a credit card that promotes and invests in green technologies – Beneficial State Bank being one.  Consider getting a new insurance quote.  Insurance companies have huge holdings in fossil fuels – Liberty Mutual being the largest.  And find green long term investments at GreenAmerica.org or asyousow.org.  All of these suggestions are clearly explained with graphs, comparisons, and specific information at https://www.rivers-mountains-greenfaith.org/divest-invest-workshop.  This document has all the information you need to make intelligent financial choices that will reduce your money’s impact on the environment and and set you on a course that is supporting the types of organizations that care about a cleaner world and “green” corporate responsibility.

To simply enjoy the wonders of our creation, consider attending the 1 hour MasterWorks Chorale Fall concert on October 23 at 4 at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Auburn.  The 45 voice Chorale will sing with masks (a surprisingly effective sound) – “music of a beautiful living world – in praise of earth, water, sky, and stars” with a powerpoint of images of our abundantly beautiful earth.  See masterworkscny.org