Thank you for committing to this 30 Day Christian Green Living Challenge with us! Each day as we step through our journey, I’ll share the challenge for the day then, depending on your green goals, I will share resources where you can learn more, dig deeper into the topic, or challenge yourself even more. We will do the challenge once *live* together, but you can participate anytime by joining in on the comments below and by using the hashtag #ChristianGreenLiving. So, when you’re ready, let’s Go Christian Green!
“People may well have a growing ecological sensitivity but it has not succeeded in changing their harmful habits of consumption which, rather than decreasing, appear to be growing all the more. A simple example is the increasing use and power of air-conditioning.” —Pope Francis, Laudato Si’ (55)
This quote has Pope Francis in the hot — both figuratively and literally, but maybe he has a point. He’s not saying we shouldn’t use air-conditioning at all, but that we should be more conscious of our consumption and build more energy efficient homes/buildings when possible.
Although we don’t think much about it, when we plug in a cord to the wall most of our energy comes from the burning fossil fuels like coal and natural gas. These naturally occurring fossil fuels are non-renewable sources of energy and once we use them up, they are gone forever. You can see a basic graphic of how energy is created and distributed HERE.
And, the process of obtaining fossil fuels is a dirty, dangerous one. Mining, striping, and drilling are all dangerous for workers and devastating to the environment. See more about the environmental impact HERE.
With all of this, there are many reasons we should be concerned about our energy consumption, but the big ones are 1) air pollution and acid rain caused by burning fossil fuels, 2) greenhouse gases and global warming, 3) destruction of habitats and loss of biodiversity, and 4) conserving the remaining fossil fuels while clean energy is being developed.
The more we conserve our use of energy the better it is for everyone and the environment as a whole.
Today’s Day 23 Challenge:
Are you concerned about conserving energy and seeking clean energy options? Have you thought about the process of obtaining fossil fuels and energy creation? Has it changed your ideas about energy use?
Pray
The earth and all of its resources are precious gifts from God. Today let’s pray that we can be good stewards of these gifts. May our prayers remember both the people and creatures affected by the creation of energy.
Act
If you don’t already understand the process of energy creation, spend just a little time understanding the basics. Think about the people, animals, and ecosystems affected during the process. Then consider your energy use. Are there ways you can reduce your family’s consumption in simple ways? If you are already very energy conscious, is there a bigger action you can take now? Make a plan to change at least one habit in your life to help reduce your energy consumption this year.
Share
How efficient are you? Do you have solar panels or some other clean energy resource already? If so, I hope you’ll share by commenting below and/or using the hashtag #ChristianGreenLiving. We’d love to hear about them!
Learn More~
- “Energy Explained, Your Guide to Understanding Energy” — From the U.S. Energy Information Administration
Pretty much everything you could want to know about energy, you can find it here. From how it works to stats on US Consumption. - “PowerHouse: 101 Ways to Save Energy” — by Alliant Energy
It’s what you would expect, but a very comprehensive list of tips, including a lot I didn’t know before. - “Confronting the Realities of Climate Change” – by Union of Concerned Scientists
Good information about climate change and a whole lot of other helpful information.
Click here to go to Day 24
Ready to pin! Thanks for sharing!
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