I've Been Woefully Wimpy About Caring for the Environment

Nothing dies harder than a bad habit. But at least I was willing to take my first step toward recovery by attending the Spirit & Place discussion titled Imagining Creation: Exploring the Spiritual Mandate for Creation Care.

Armed with a bottled water (strike one), I sat near the stage so I could hear each panelist pontificate about whether or not we have a moral obligation to care for the environment. Do we? I couldn’t wait to find out what they thought.

Although I’ve never hugged a tree and I haven’t seen Al Gore’s movie (strike two), I am mindful of Mother Earth’s majesty. But aside from driving a fuel-efficient car and recycling my ink jet printer cartridges, I’ve been woefully wimpy about caring for creation.

Wait! Before anyone starts throwing organic tomatoes, it’s important for me to explain that I wasn’t always like this. I used to be deliberate about caring for the environment. I recycled glass, plastic and paper as if my life depended on it. Heck, I even started a recycling program at the hospital where I was employed. And I initiated the collection of hundreds of athletic shoes at a fitness center and spent countless hours boxing them up for delivery to Nike’s headquarters in Oregon. Stinky or not, all of those unwanted shoes found new life as recycled playground surfaces.

Flash forward almost 10 years and I admit I’ve become lazy. And, as I listened to the Imagining Creation panelists and audience members (who spoke with spectacular eloquence) something stirred inside of me. I felt a newfound desire to do better at tending and keeping God’s garden.

Speaking of God, the majority of the panelists were of the Christian faith. And those who didn't claim Christianity brought diversity to the dialogue. Regardless of someone’s faith in God, a Creative Force, Universe, or Spirit, I believe the panel’s message was clear: We do have a moral obligation to care or the environment.

So, how can each of us transition from talking to doing? Here are some of the insights and advice provided by the panel:

1 Volunteer with local beautification programs. Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, a non-profit organization, is a great place to start - www.kibi.org

2) Commit to curbside recycling.

3) Look at your utility bill. Does it specify usage? If not, tell your provider to start including it. You need to know this so you can specify your own benchmark to gauge your energy saving tactics.

4) Consider driving a hybrid. They’re more affordable than you may think.

5) Build your own local food network. Thankfully, there’s a new guide to show you how: Home Grown Indiana: A Food Lover’s Guide to Good Eating in the Hoosier State,written by Scott Hutcheson and Christine Barbour.

6) Cook from scratch, even if it’s just three nights a week.

7) Educate and engage kids. Tell them why it’s important to turn off the water while brushing their teeth, and why they shouldn’t toss that can into the regular trash, etc.

8) Consider buying a house within walking distance to work.

9) Shop at neighborhood grocery stores and farmers’ markets.

10) Speak up! Vote and write letters to politicians who can help make a difference.

11) Downshift from your fast-paced schedule. Walk. Take time for meaningful conversations with friends. We tend to be more wasteful when we rush.

12) Don’t drink bottled water. Or at least limit your intake.
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13) Support local businesses. Find out who makes your food and clothing.

14) Practice Sabbath one day a week — a day when you don’t drive or spend money.

15) Create a backyard garden.

16) Spend time in nature and connect with the rest of creation.

Other related resources/organizations worth checking out:

Doulos Christou Books runs bookstores in Indianapolis at the Earth House co-operative in Lockerbie at 237 N. East St. and Englewood Christian Church at 57 N. Rural on the near eastside.

Earth House Café, located in Indy at 237 N. East St., is Indiana's only 100% organic and fair trade coffee shop. Nestled in the center of the Laughner Modern Art Gallery and all things Earth House - www.earthhousecollective.org

CasaVerde – A green builder - www.casaverdellc.com

Earth-SOLAR Technologies Corporation - www.esolartech.com

Environmental Resources Management - www.erm.com

As one panelist noted, we are living in a "juicy" time, charged by many people's unique ideas and genuine desire to care for the environment. It's not as bleak as some may think. Sure, we have a mountain to climb. But it's good exercise.