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Ideas
for Action
Responding to the moral imperative
to love our neighbor and care for creation is
the responsibility of every person of faith. Yet
there are so many different environmental issues,
and they seem so large and complex, it can be
hard to know where to start. The key is to start
small, and begin close to heart and home. As you
become more knowledgeable, comfortable, and have
savored the satisfaction of having taken the first
steps, you will build momentum and enthusiasm
and be able to expand your imaginative and practical
reach and tackle more ambitious tasks.
Remember, in caring for the earth and our neighbors,
we are not taking on an additional burden. This
is an essential part of our vocation as human
beings, and it is in serving our Creator, loving
our neighbors, and keeping the creation that we
find true fulfillment.
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What You Can Do to Help
the Environment
- Turn off lights and appliances when you
leave the room.
- Buy recycled products.
- Replace incandescent bulbs with energy-efficient
bulbs.
- Do not leave water running when showering,
shaving, brushing your teeth, washing dishes
or your car.
- Use reusable containers for sandwiches
and leftovers instead of plastic wrap, baggies,
and foil.
- Start a compost pile in your yard, or take
yard clippings and debris to a yard debris
recycler.
- Reduce use of disposable products, or,
if you must buy disposable, buy paper or glass
products instead of plastic.
- Buy locally produced items when
possible.
- Bike or walk for short trips.
- Participate in clean-air and clean-water
programs.
- Suggest and help organize an environmental
awareness day at your parish.
- Air-dry laundry whenever possible.
- Start a community garden.
- Write letters to the editor expressing
your concern about environmental and social
justice issues.
- Adopt a highway or waterway.
- Encourage the United States to play a strong
international role in researching and preserving
biodiversity worldwide.
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