Good Tidings – 3

From

Earth-Spirit-Action Team of Saint Matthew’s United Church

Welcome to the third issue of “Good Tidings”, the “Earth, Spirit, Action” Team’s bulletin on environment and climate change issues for the St. Matt’s family and all who want to do what we can to keep God’s creation healthy. This issue will focus on Earth Day, April 22, with the usual action and resource suggestions.

We welcome feedback from readers who would like to share their thoughts with us.  We particularly welcome reports on any of your sustainable actions or lifestyle changes that can inspire the rest of us. Our email is: earthspiritaction016@gmail.com

 

EARTH DAY, 2021

Information about Earth Day

 

The theme of Earth Day, April 22nd, 2021 is “Restore the Earth”. EARTHDAY.ORG will have its second Earth Day Live digital event, right here. The global show begins at 12 PM Eastern Time. Workshops, panel discussions, and special performances will focus on Restore Our Earth™ — we’ll cover natural processes, emerging green technologies, and innovative thinking that can restore the world’s ecosystems. More topics will include: Climate and environmental literacy, Climate restoration technologies, Reforestation efforts, Regenerative agriculture, Equity and environmental justice, Citizen science, Cleanups, and more. World climate leaders, grassroots activists, nonprofit innovators, thought leaders, industry leaders, artists, musicians, influencers, and the leaders of tomorrow will come to push us towards a better world (https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2021/

 

Worship and Prayer

 

  1. First of all, ST. MATTHEW’S: Sunday, March 18, Worship will pay special attention to our Christian responsibility to creation. Thank you to Anne Fay and the Worship Committee.

 

  1. UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA:  Check out themes for worship and contemplation prepared by the United Church at https://united-church.ca/worship-special-days/earth-sunday

 

  1. KAIROS, THURSDAY, APRIL 22 (EARTH DAY) For the Love of Creation Earth Day Celebration   2PM Atlantic Time on Zoom. Join us on Earth Day to celebrate the 1st anniversary of For the Love of Creation and participate in a discussion about how we can discern and nurture our gifts for climate action. Register Here by clicking on the “Register Now” Button.

Register Now!

 

 

Actions

 

  1. This is a special EARTH DAY in Nova Scotia as our own Ecology Action Centre is marking its 50th Birthday. Can you believe it?... from a few DAL students promoting plastic bottle re-cycling to today’s EAC, the largest (5000 members) and oldest environmental organization in NS. EAC invites us to join them in their initiation of a year of celebration with a focus of the future.  Join their interactive webinar on the eve of Earth Day: Shaping Change: Intergenerational Conversations on Activism.

Date: Wednesday, April 21, 2021
Time: 6:00-7:30 p.m. AST
Location: Online on Zoom - register here to receive the link

Featured Panelists: 

  • Lynn Jones 
  • Willa Fisher 
  • Cathy Martin 
  • Robin Tress 
  • Brian Gifford 
  • Shannon Arnold 
  • Moderated by Catherine Abreu https://earthday.ca

 

  1. JOIN THE RAGING GRANNIES. Check it out with Margaret Sagar and get the venerable history from Mollie. This from Margaret!

 I have been raging against injustice of all kinds, war, violence, pillage and destruction of Earth for many years. I have also been a granny for many years. I am delighted to have this opportunity to finally put the two together and become a Raging Granny. Might as well have some fun while addressing such serious challenges. Please come and join us, even if you are not a literal granny. No auditions required, just a willingness to ham it up a bit and look silly! Our first gig for the new Halifax gaggle is on Saturday, April 10 at Victoria Park at 11:00 am, to protest 19 billion dollars expenditure for new fighter jets. There will be kits more things to rage about.  Event organized by NS Voice of Women for Peace and others. 
See face book page of NS VOW. 

 

  1. A timely petition as our Biodiversity Act makes its way through the Law Amendments Committee and we hope into Law. Sign standearth’s petition against cutting whole trees for wood pellets and yes it is happening here!

https://act.stand.earth/page/27270/petition/1?ea.tracking.id=email-ea&utm_campaign=forests_pelt&utm_content=button&utm_medium=email&utm_source=email-ea&ea.url.id=779194&forwarded=true

 

  1. Latest newsflash from 350.org. “We announced our new campaign calling on the federal Greens and NDP to form a Climate Emergency Alliance. The response we received was overwhelmingly positive. “ Check it out at  org"

 

 

Action Report

 

KUDOS TO Laurette Geldenhuys for taking and reporting this inspiring action! For a fuller report contact us at earthspiritaction016@gmail.com

 

Laurette spoke at the Law Amendments Committee hearings on Bill 4, the Biodiversity Act, on March 29th.  Laurette spoke from her perspective as a physician.  She expressed disappointment “to see the province remove important sections of the Act following the misinformation campaign by the forestry industry lobby groups.”  She urged support for passing the rest of the Act which contains valuable moves forward on biodiversity. Laurette drew on her own expertise as a pathologist and the widely shared opinion of other medical experts to emphasize how biodiversity scarcity contributes to the increase in infectious diseases; more specifically, “The loss of biodiversity in the ecosystems has created the general conditions that have favored and, in fact, made possible, the insurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic.”  She concluded with words that echo what is in many of our hearts: “[A]s a Nova Scotian mother of 3 daughters, and grandmother of 2 grandsons, aged 7 and 3, I urge you to preserve our beautiful province for their futures, and leave a legacy of which your and my grandchildren would be proud.” Thank you, Laurette.

 

 

BOOKS AND OTHER RESOURCES

 

The Ministry for the Future by acclaimed science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson..

https://bookmanager.com/1163574/?searchtype=keyword&qs=the+ministry+for+the+future&qs_file=&q=h.tviewer&using_sb=status&qsb=keyword . “Optimistic fantasy” (Laurette)

 

A Children’s Bible by Lidia Millet, who is Canadian born and bred, but now living in the US.

https://bookmanager.com/1163574/?searchtype=keyword&qs=a+children%27s+bible&qs_file=&q=h.tviewer&using_sb=status&qsb=keyword Shocking; whisper of hope. (Laurette)

 

 

The Fragile Earth. Writing from ‘The New Yorker’ on Climate Change. Edited by David Remnick and Henry Finder. An anthology of ground breaking writing. (Anne Marie)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sHncObM2yc Info here on campaign gathering momentum to make ecocide a criminal offence.  Webinar with indigenous leaders. Excellent. (Margaret)

 

https://vimeo.com/527110975?1&ref=fb-share&fbclid=IwAR1RQa0WseyYpQjx9b1teyhxxtDGiINZL3hszp9CD2P5UXlLe1Oo9i1wPvM

Multimedia. Beautiful message comes from South African and Turtle Island Indigenous peoples. Inspirational. (Margaret).

 

 

AND the Reminders:

 

The Anglican Diocesan Environmental Network hosts Morning Prayer each Friday at 9:30 on Zoom.  Prayers take shape from different traditions and focus on various aspects of our relationship with Creation. To obtain link, please email endionspei@gmail.com

 

Please check the extensive list of personal lifestyle changes folks from our congregation have already made to inspire your own “eco-actions”.  This eco-action list is on the Earth Spirit Action Eco-Team page under “About” on the Website.  It is not too late!