Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 27: What you can do today How will your congregation mark Earth Day on Sunday, April 21?  Consult these resources from the National Council of Churches:http://nccecojustice.org/earthday/PastEarthDayResources.php.  How frequently does your worship emphasize creation care and invite earth advocacy as a spiritual practice?

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 26: What you can do today Find the lowest carbon impact method of getting to church today (walk, bike, take public transportation or carpool).   Learning to reduce the amount of miles we drive is one of the most effective ways to reduce our carbon footprint.  The average person makes 44 car trips a year which are under a mile.  Calculate your carbon emissions from driving.  Try to maximize efficiency by doing shopping on your way home from work or somewhere else you have to go. When possible, walk or share rides with friends.  When you need a car, consider a local ride-share service such as Goloco or use ZipCar.  Consider the advantages of walking: a four-mile round trip by foot keeps about 15 pounds of pollutants out of the air we breathe (WorldWatch Institute).

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 24: What you can do today Take some time to read Yale Divinity School graduate Scott Claassen's blog about his 11,500 mile bike ride across the country - documenting, talking and praying about climate change: http://carbonsabbath.org/.

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 23: What you can do today Learn about http://climatesummer.net/  and  http://rideforthefuture.org/.  If you're in New England, find a way to help.  If you're elsewhere, discover something similar in your area or consider initiating a similar program.

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 22: What you can do today Learn about, use or start a local bicycle sharing program as has been done in Tulsa, Miami, Boston, Vancouver and other communities around the world.  To find out more, please visit: http://sandvault.com

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 21: What you can do today The number of innovative ideas about transportation available at theSierra Club's transportation page is unlimited!  Apply what you learn to reduce your personal carbon footprint.

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 20: What you can do today This is a hard one:  Keep your highway driving speed between 55 and 60 mph today.  For most vehicles, 55 mph is the most fuel efficient highway speed and will save you up to 20-30% in fuel costs compared to driving at 75 mph. Automobile emissions are one of the leading causes of greenhouse gases.  Don't idle your car at traffic lights and drive-up windows.  If you have to stop for more than 10 seconds, you will save gas and reduce greenhouse emissions by turning off your engine.