FINAL RESPONSE REPORT Click Here to see the Final Response Report, which is at the end of this web page.

February 14, 2010, is "Introducing our Energy Fast to Sack Hunger SACK" (written by Kelly Gauthier).  Also, Lenten Season Prayers of the Faithful

February 21, 2010, is "Is Your Lifestyle “Sustainable”? (written by Kelly Gauthier). 

February 28, 2010, is "St. Francis’ Energy Evaluation" (written by Stephen Lavender).

March 7, 2010, is "Going Deeper ~ Digging Deeper!" (written by Patti and Charles Yonka).

March 14, 2010, is "Reducing Pollution" (written by Kelly Gauthier).

March 21, 2010, is "Environmental Justice" (written by Kelly Gauthier).

March 28, 2010, is the final conclusion of the drive.    Complete Our Survey!  Click Here! Tell us what your experience was doing the Energy Fast to Sack Hunger!

The Lenten theme at St. Francis this year is “Go Deeper with God”.  How many of us have felt the presence of God when we hiked a trail in the autumn woods or fished in the morning on a serene lake, or dug into the rich, black earth of our backyard garden?  When we need to connect more deeply with our Creator, we often turn to the natural world, where we enjoy the beauty and the bounty of God’s creation.

During Lent we usually give up something as a sacrifice – often sweets or luxuries.  This year, the St. Francis Peace and Justice Committee invites you to make a different type of sacrifice:  to participate in a parish-wide “Energy Fast”.  We hope that by doing this, we will all learn to make small changes that make our lifestyles more sustainable over the long-term.  We want to ensure that the natural places we love will exist for our great-grandchildren to enjoy.  Plus, all donations we make will go to Food Gatherers, the Food Rescue/Food Bank Program in Washtenaw County, to alleviate hunger and eliminate its causes in our community.

By “giving up” energy and other carbon dioxide sources this Lent, you will be making a sacrifice that puts into practice our Catholic obligation to care for God’s creation.  Catholic Social Teaching tells us that God gave humanity this moral responsibility and urges us to action to create a sustainable way of life.  There’s an old saying, “we don’t inherit the land from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children”.  Yet too often we live as if the earth’s bounty can never be exhausted – as if fossil fuels will never be depleted, natural spaces will never be developed, garbage dumps will always remain far from our homes, and pollution will not ruin the air we breathe, the food we eat, or the water we drink.

You can immediately take simple steps to help reduce levels of carbon dioxide (your “carbon footprint”), reduce fossil fuel consumption, and reduce pollution.  Throughout this season of Lent, we’ll offer tips for doing this.  You might begin your Energy Fast by learning more about the Catholic Church’s teachings related to environmental stewardship.  Two great resources are: 

• The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops website www.usccb.org/sdwp/ejp/climate/index.shtml
"At its core, global climate change is not about economic theory or political platforms, nor about partisan advantage or interest group pressures. It is about the future of God's creation and the one human family."  (Global Climate Change: A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence and the Common Good, USCCB, 2001)

• The Catholic Coalition on Climate Change – visit their site and take their St. Francis Pledge!   The website address is: www.catholicsandclimatechange.org 

“The brutal consumption of Creation begins where God is not, where matter is henceforth only material for us, where we ourselves are the ultimate demand, where the whole is merely our property and we consume it for ourselves alone … true and effective initiatives to prevent the waste and destruction of Creation can be implemented and developed, understood and lived, only where Creation is considered as beginning with God.”        --Pope Benedict XVI, August 2008

Please join us in praying these environmental-themed

Oh Lord, bless our efforts in using our Lenten - Energy Fast to Sack Hunger Sack, we pray to you Lord.

Sample Prayers of the Faithful – Environmental Stewardship

Oh, God make care for the environment spring up in human hearts, we pray to you Lord.

Oh, God open our eyes to the richness and beauty of creation and instill in us a deep love for the earth and all that is in and around it, we pray to you Lord.

By our actions, oh, Lord, may we model environmental stewardship, we pray to you Lord

Let us be wise stewards of God’s creation, that we use it responsibly and protect it from abuse and exploitation, we pray to you Lord.

May future generations enjoy a healthy environment that reflects the goodness and beauty of the Creator, we pray to you Lord.

For social justice for the poor and vulnerable who suffer disproportionately from environmental destruction, we pray to you Lord.

For the unborn and for children, who are at greater risk from exposure to environmental hazards, we pray to you Lord.

God our Creator has blessed us with the goodness of the earth, we ask forgiveness when we fail to care for it, we pray for help to change, and we give thanks for the gifts given to us, we pray to you Lord.

May we work for a sustainable environment, which is in great peril due to human greed and apathy for God’s creation, we pray to you Lord.

 “Sustainability” is the ability to endure.  In ecology, it describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time.  For humans, it is the potential for long term well-being.

Lent is the perfect time to take a step back and evaluate our lifestyle:  Do we live in a way that promotes sustainability, or do we live for the moment?  Do we care about the impact of our choices on the poor (both at home and abroad), or do we selfishly focus on satisfying our own wants?  Do we choose consumption, greed, and wastefulness?  Or, do we choose conservation, moderation, and thrift? 

We cannot continue to consume so much more than the rest of the world, gobbling natural resources for ourselves and leaving others with nothing.  Burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas raises the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which contributes to environmental damage.  According to the US Dept. of Energy, the average US citizen generates about 20 tons of carbon dioxide a year; whereas in Canada the average is about 16 tons, and in Spain it’s about 7 tons.  Those in the developing world generate almost no carbon dioxide.  This is a huge disparity – reducing our “carbon footprint” is, according to the Catholic Church, a matter of justice.

Here are 6 things that you can do in your own life that go a long way to promoting sustainability and reducing your carbon footprint: 
• Reduce, reuse, recycle. 
• Eat less meat, especially red meat.
• Ditch bottled water – try a filter if your tap water doesn’t taste good.
• Buy locally or USA-made goods – the less distance your “stuff” has to travel, the better.
• Carpool (even 1-2 days a week makes a big difference) and when flying, try to take a direct flight whenever possible.
• We use lots of electronics – remember to turn them off when not in use. 
 

Catholic Social Teaching reminds us that we show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. As part of our ongoing stewardship effort, St. Francis of Assisi conducted an energy evaluation of its entire campus (church, school, parish offices and rectory) on December 30, 2009. Support for the evaluation was provided through a grant from Michigan Interfaith Power & Light. St. Francis joined the group of 81 congregations comprising MiIP&L in October, 2009.   (Their partner organization is, the Warm Training Program.)

The wide ranging review covered systems such as heating, air conditioning and lighting as well as structural components including roofs, insulation and windows. The evaluator’s observations during the review confirmed both the importance and proper focus of our proactive, ongoing maintenance efforts.

The energy conservation opportunities identified by the evaluator fell into five categories. The opportunities were prioritized by the evaluator based on two considerations - first, an approximate projection of energy savings, and second, the current needs of the facilities within the St. Francis campus. Additionally, the five categories include recommendations for both near term and long term actions. The areas of opportunity identified by the evaluator were (1) efficient lighting systems, (2) weather stripping, (3) occupancy sensors, (4) appliances and office equipment and (5) water conservation. These opportunities have been condensed into a work-plan format for review and consideration by the various functional committees within the parish.  Recommendations from the evaluation will assist the St. Francis community as we strive to remain faithful stewards of the resources entrusted to our care. 

Also, for up-dates on our Parish ENERGY EVALUATION see:  www.stfrancisa2.com/socialministry/energy.htm
 

As we explore going deeper with God, we would like to share with you our Faith & Food experience with Food Gatherers, Growing Hope and the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice. 

As you may know, the St. Francis Sustainable Garden Project, led by Tracy Nagy, provides fresh produce to Perry Nursery School children throughout the growing season. This means that in the 10+ years of this project, children have been fed healthier, fresh food through the hard work and love of this parish.  We decided that we would like to be able, as a family, to provide fresh produce to hungry people. We enlarged our garden and through the Faith & Food 2009 initiative, we learned how to prepare the soil, how to purchase inexpensive fencing and compost, what produce was needed, when to plant, how to treat garden pests organically and when to harvest at the optimum time. 

‘Digging deeper’ was a most gratifying experience for us and, by dividing garden tasks, was manageable for a few people. Patti’s parents, who live with us during the summer months, were able to participate in maintaining the garden. We will be sharing 50%+ of our produce with Food Gatherers again this year!

To learn more:

1. 1. Look for information in the Forum and on the website  www.stfrancisa2.com/socialministry/garden.htm  re: Sustainable Garden Project  need for volunteers for seed sales, planting, weeding and harvesting.
2. 2. Visit the Food Gatherers’ website www.foodgatherers.org   and click on “Get  Growin’ for Food Gatherers”  for information and resources on how to begin  growing produce.  Container  gardens work too!
3. 3. Come on March 22, 2010 from 6:30-8:30 PM for Faith & Food dinner and  discussion about this garden growing initiative for 2010. Location: Memorial  Christian Church, 730 Tappan, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Contacts:  or us @ 734-461-2964 or  .

Other forms of pollution may be less obvious, but more damaging.  Water pollution, for example, is especially harmful in Michigan, given our tremendous fresh water resources.  Besides the more obvious pollutants (like mercury from coal plants), phosphorus is a problem.  Phosphorus occurs naturally in the soil, but too much in our water creates plant growth that leaves less oxygen for fish and other water life.  This disrupts the natural balance of life and affects water quality.

A law that takes effect July 1st will help.  It requires that detergents sold in Michigan for washing dishes or clothes must contain less than 0.5% phosphorus by weight (the previous limit was 8.7%).  Lawn fertilizers, however, are not included in the law, although they are a major source of phosphorus in our water.  In 2007, Ann Arbor restricted the use of lawn fertilizers containing phosphates – and phosphorus concentrations in the Huron River in the past two years declined an average of 17% in the river and 29% in tributary streams.  This improves our water quality and reduces the cost of water treatment.

Interestingly, the MSU Extension Service says that 84% of the local soil samples they tested did not need phosphorus application – the soil already had enough.  So if you use lawn fertilizer, you may want to look at the nitrogen-only fertilizer that Washtenaw County soy farmers have created.

Take advantage of opportunities to learn more about pollution and to advocate with policy makers to protect the long-term health of our land, air, and water.  And take simple actions: pick up your garbage when you’re out, and use detergents and fertilizers that are phosphate-free!
 

As we conclude our Lenten Energy Fast project, you might consider volunteering or advocating in the area of environmental justice.  Environmental justice activists seek an equitable distribution of environmental burdens and benefits to racial minorities, the poor, and people in developing nations.  They define the environment as "where we live, work, play, learn, and pray".

Environmental burdens like pollution, industrial facilities, and soil/water contamination most often impact low-income and minority communities.  Environmental benefits like parks, “clean” businesses, and the availability of organic foods more often impact higher-income and white communities.

A case that brought national attention to the concept of environmental justice occurred in 1982 in North Carolina.  The state approved a hazardous waste landfill (with PCB-contaminated soil) to be built in a community where 69% of the residents were nonwhite and 20% had incomes below the poverty level.  There were numerous protests but, with permission from the EPA, the dump was built and put the contaminated waste only 7 feet above the water table, instead of the 50 feet usually required for PCBs.

At the national level, in 1992 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established an Office of Environmental Justice to ensure that all citizens, especially those of color or low income, receive protection under existing environmental laws.  Congress, however, failed to pass an Environmental Justice Act.

The Catholic Church is a strong advocate for environmental justice throughout the world.  The Catholic approach is based on the two commandments of Jesus:  to love God above all things and to love our neighbors as ourselves.  Love of God requires respect for God's gifts and creation.  Love of neighbor requires justice, which prohibits the selfish destruction of the environment without regard for people in need today, or for the needs of future generations.

For Catholic resources on environmental justice, visit www.silk.net/RelEd/environment.htm.

"The environment is God's gift to everyone, and in our use of it we have a responsibility towards the poor, towards future generations, and towards humanity as a whole."    -Pope Benedict VI, Caritas in Veritate

Help measure the success of our Lent 2010 ENERGY FAST to Sack Hunger.
During Lent, did you: (Click Here to Complete this Survey online.) 

Did you Learn something new about caring for God's creation?
    * Yes!    * No.

Did you Try some of the tips on the calendar?
    * Yes!    * No.

Did you try any of the vegetarian recipes?
    * Yes!    * No.

Did you measure your household's carbon footprint?
    * Yes!    * No.

Did you take the St. Francis Pledge?  The St. Francis Pledge is at: www.catholicsandclimatechange.org
    * Yes!    * No.

Did you change a light bulb in your home?
    * Yes, with a compact fluorescent!
    * Yes, with an LED bulb!
    * Yes, several.
    * No.

Share your comments/feedback about the Energy Fast:
(Click Here to Complete this Survey online.)