Your carbon footprint - any idea what it is?

I expect we all want to live in a way that is better for the planet – but it can be very confusing to know what to do for the best. In a post last week, I talked about how even when I am trying to do the right thing I can end up doing the wrong thing. You can read that post here: http://milkandnosugar.blogspot.com/2021/11/trying-my-best-and-failing.html
 
I should confess at this point that I used to be a maths teacher and therefore I love data and numbers.

I also used to teach IT – trying to get pupils to fall in love with spreadsheets. So the science and the data related to the climate crisis and our response is something that I embrace rather than fear.

I ended last week’s post by thinking about carbon footprints and how we often have nowhere near enough data to know what that really is – beyond the very broad approach of buy local, in season and avoid cows! 

However much I might love a beautifully coloured spreadsheet I simply don’t have the time or the information required to calculate the carbon footprint of a pork pie verses a soft cheese covered in almonds from Denmark. What I need is an app that does the hard work for me.
 
I came across an article in the Guardian with the title, ‘Sustainable gin and family-sized crisps! My week eating a climatarian diet’ - you can read it here: 
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2021/nov/10/fig-rolls-out-seaweed-in-my-week-eating-a-climatarian-diet
 
This article pointed me towards two resources. 

The first was an online carbon footprint calculator called ‘giki zero’ – where giki stands for ‘get informed and know your impact’. There are lots of other calculators too. You enter as much information as you want / can about your lifestyle and they give you a carbon footprint score, with an estimate of how many kgs of CO2 you produce in a year. They show you how that relates to the global and UK average and steps you can take to reduce that towards a target that they claim is consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5C by 2030.
 
Obviously, the more information you enter the more accurate the estimate will be. For example, you can simply enter the number of bedrooms in your house to get a very rough energy consumption estimate – or you can enter specific details from your energy bills.
 
So far, I have only entered detailed information from our electricity and oil bills. Everything else has been based on estimates and answers to general questions. But based on this, my current carbon emission stands at a bit less than 6,000kg per year. 
 
Giki reckons that this needs to be 2,500kg by 2030 if we’re going to hit the 1.5C global warming target. That’s quite a reduction. 

You can play around with the calculator to see the impact of certain decisions. Last time I talked about going largely meat free – something that saves a bit less that 1,000kg of CO2 a year. Giki also gives you helpful, small suggestions of things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint.
 
The other helpful resource – which I’ll talk about next week – is an app that gives you some idea of the carbon impact of the food that we buy in the supermarket, simply by scanning its barcode. 

Reflection 12 - The one about the Joint Service

On Sunday we met together at Comberton Leisure for our annual Joint Service. Our guest speaker was a Franciscan Friar, Brother Samuel. I had more than one conversation with people in the weeks leading up to the Joint Service along the lines of, ‘when I think about Friars I imagine someone in a long brown robe with a rope tied around their waist’. Well, for those of you who were there, you will know that that is indeed what Friars wear.

If you weren’t there you can watch the whole of the service using the link: https://woces.online.church or if you only want to listen to Brother Sam’s message you’ll find that at: https://youtu.be/YwWH4AvoWu8 

Brother Sam was talking about our connectedness to the rest of creation and how recapturing this truth is essential for addressing the climate crisis in which we find ourselves. This week’s home group questions are based on Brother Sam’s talk. Our service and my reflection a few weeks ago were on that theme. I have also just started writing a blog tracking my thoughts as I try and pick my way through the minefield of trying to live in a way that is better for the planet. You’ll find that blog here: https://milkandnosugar.blogspot.com/2021/11/trying-my-best-and-failing.html I am planning on adding to this series every week or so.

So, this week I thought I would reflect on the Joint Service itself rather than its content.

During the Last Supper Jesus says to his disciples, ‘A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’ (John 13:34-35).

The evidence that we are disciples of Jesus is not an ability to perform miracles but our love for each other. Many of us have probably had experience that the opposite is true. When I’ve been talking to people about my faith the questions of why there are so many denominations, sectarian violence in places like Northern Ireland, or the behaviour of two Christians towards each other, has come up as reasons why people don’t want to be a part of this thing that we call church.

I think that the Joint Service is significant and special. As I said on Sunday, this is something that does not happen in very many places. Whilst it is far from perfect, the Joint Service is a powerful demonstration of our unity and a celebration of our diversity.

Yesterday I met with David Newton, the vicar of St. Mary’s, to have a cup of coffee, to chat and to pray together. This is something that we do every two to three months. One of the things we were talking about is another preaching exchange in January 2022. 

Tomorrow will be this month’s Oasis Tea – an event that is put on jointly between CBC, St. Mary’s, and the Catholic Community here in Comberton. 

It may have been my first Christmas here, but Mike (the previous vicar) invited me to do the talk at the Meridian Primary School Carol Service – which was held in St. Mary’s. Traditionally the vicar would take the whole service. Apparently, this caused quite a stir amongst some of the staff – who had an assumption that we were in competition with each other. “Weren’t ‘they’ the enemy?”

It is great that we live in a village where there are such close ties between the different church communities. But it’s not just about doing things together once a year. It’s also about recognising the importance of healing broken relationships with other Christians. Of forgiving others and being forgiven.

We spend a lot of time eating cake and drinking coffee here at CBC. And whilst coffee and cake might not have been the thing in Jesus’ day there are certainly a lot of records of meals in the gospels. The command to love one another could be a bit difficult to practically pin down. I think the coffee and cake test makes it simple.

Are there people within the family of God who you would not invite out for coffee and cake? A relationship that is so broken that you could not face the prospect of sitting and talking with them. If the answer to that question is ‘yes’ then we have a problem.

I am not suggesting that mending a broken relationship is going to be simple. It can be a very painful process. And of course, I am using a metaphor - there are plenty of examples where such an invite would be unwise or inappropriate. But hopefully you get the point.

Putting things right might not be simple – but it is vitally important.

Trying my best - and failing

Hopefully we all realise that we need to do more to look after our planet. But it can be very difficult and confusing to know what we can do that will really make a difference. I thought I’d start a series of blogs with the things that I’m discovering on this journey – you may find it helpful. Feel free to comment below with your suggestions, tips and advice.

What with COP26 taking place in Glasgow recently the climate crisis has seen a lot of media air time. As a church we marked the middle weekend of COP26 with a Sunday service exploring the theme: ‘COP26, the Climate Crisis and all that’. If you wanted to watch the highlights you’ll find them here: https://youtu.be/iNHm0wy4BVI

 

I expect that for most of us we have similar thoughts when it comes to this whole area.

·      My current lifestyle is partly responsible for the suffering of others who are experiencing the sharp end of the climate crisis.

·      I would like to do more in order to have a less damaging impact on the environment.

·      But what can I do?

·      And, what real difference will that make?

 

A couple of months ago we were challenged by one of our daughters to have a meat free week. It is widely reported that we need to eat less meat if we are going to reach carbon targets. In the end, our meat free week stretched to about a month, with us only eating chicken a couple of times – and that was chicken that we had in the freezer from before the meat free week started. Since then our diet has gone largely meat free. But is that necessarily better for the planet?

 

On the Sunday that I just mentioned above - our service was followed by a picnic tea. Previously a picnic tea might involve mini pork pies, sausage rolls, some ham. Occasionally even a pastie. But in the meat free spirit we thought rather than meat we’d get some bread, snacks and nice cheese – including brie and one of my favourites Castello pineapple halo soft cheese.

 

Once we’d done the shopping we watched a really interesting programme on BBC2 (it’s still available on iPlayer for a month) – Horizon: Feast to save the planet.

 

Five celebrities come together for a three-course meal where scientists have rated every dish for its carbon footprint. I’d recommend watching. The programme recognises that in practice, your average shopper is not going to be able to crunch all the numbers – but broadly speaking if you buy food that is local and in season then it doesn’t have transport miles attached (but boats are a lot better than planes) and anything that comes from a cow almost certainly has a high carbon footprint.

 

The take away for our picnic (so to speak) is that our cheese may well have been worse for the planet than a pork pie. 

 

Now, I don’t know, as I don’t have the details. But my pineapple soft cheese contained pineapple, papaya and almonds. None of these grow in the UK. The cheese is crafted in Denmark. At least it was a soft cheese – which is better than a hard cheese!

 

In contrast my pork pie would have been made in the UK with British pork. But it does contain Palm Oil – I’ve visited enough zoos to know that that’s bad for the rainforest and orangutans in particular.

I reckon I need to find an app – there’s bound to be one – that gives some indication of the carbon footprint of any food item. I also need to find out my current carbon footprint. And what that carbon footprint needs to be if the world’s not going to exceed the 1.5 deg C limit that everyone’s been talking about recently. 

 

Join me again next week.

 

 

Reflection 11 - the one about prayer and online shopping

On Sunday Graham was looking at Daniel’s prayer from Daniel 9. It is good to listen in on people like Daniel as they pray as we can learn so much from them. If you’ve not had a chance to listen yet you’ll find it here: https://youtu.be/Pu82R7FIqhs 

I don’t know about you, but I can very easily get frustrated and impatient when things don’t happen right away. That can be especially true with my computer. I turn it on and I expect it to be ready to go within a few seconds. But sometimes it won’t connect to the internet, or a web page will take about 3 seconds to load.

With online shopping you do have to be a little more patient – you don’t expect to order something and have it right there (unless it’s a digital download or a Kindle book, of course). But you certainly don’t expect it to take any longer than a day. If I order it today, I expect to have it by tomorrow.

Of course, it hasn’t always been this way. I remember when cereal packets used to have special offers – and my sisters and I would argue about whose turn it was this time for the free gift. But first of all, we’d have to spend weeks collecting enough tokens from the special packets. And then we’d send them off with the form in the post – and then weeks later the bowl, spoon, badge or book or whatever it was would turn up in the post.

This expectation – see, click, get – can very easily carry over into our prayer life. 

On Sunday, Graham highlighted that we need to be serious and passionate in our prayers and mean what we say. I’m assuming that the prayer we have recorded here in verses 4-19 is a summary of a much longer period of prayer given that it was accompanied with fasting and the wearing of sackcloth and ashes.

There is certainly a time and place for, what are sometimes called, ‘arrow prayers’. Quick, short prayers, fired off in a moment. That time someone shares some personal news with us, or asks us for advice – “Lord, give me wisdom to say the right thing. Amen.”

But we need to make sure that there is more to our prayer life than this. We know Daniel’s habit was to go to his room and pray three times a day. There were also times when he spent longer periods in prayer and fasting. What prayer habits do you have? What prayer habits would you like to develop?

Reflection 10 - the one about climate change

Unless you’ve been hibernating for the past few weeks it can’t have escaped your attention that there’s an important UN climate change conference taking place in Glasgow at the moment. On Sunday we were thinking about our response to the climate crisis and praying for those with important decisions to make at COP26.

A compilation of most of the talks, videos and interviews from Sunday can also be found here: https://youtu.be/iNHm0wy4BVI

One thing that can be said about the climate crisis is that it is an extremely complex issue. Not all scientists agree on where we are and what we need to do. But the majority voice coming out of Glasgow is that we need to do something and we’re running out of time in which to do it. Unless big changes are made now then it is going to be too late. Many of the world’s most vulnerable communities are already finding that it is too late as they are struck by ever more extreme climate events leading to drought, fires or floods.

In Philippians 2:3-4 Paul tells us that we are not simply supposed to look out for our own interests but each of us should be looking out for the interests of others. We now live in what has been described as a global village. Recent interruption in global supply chains has highlighted just how dependent we all are on communities that live on the other side of the planet. 

But it can be very easy to take an ‘out of sight – out of mind’ attitude. In Luke 10:25-37 Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan to redefine how his audience understood the concept of ‘neighbour’. If Jesus was telling this parable today would the man who was left for dead at the side of the road be replaced by an exploited worker who picked the beans for my morning coffee or a Bangladeshi farmer whose fields are knee deep in flood water?

I expect that most of us agree that something needs to be done. The question is ‘what?’ And by whom?

Paul’s instruction to put the interests of others first is counter-cultural – especially when the other person doesn’t live next door, doesn’t look like you, doesn’t speak your language and you’re never going to meet them. There seems to be mentality that we in the west can keep on getting richer whilst enabling the poorer nations to get richer too. Of course, that is not true. As a planet we share a finite set of resources. The reason we are where we are is because a minority have more than their fair share. Any primary school aged child with a bag full of sweets will know that if everyone else is going to have a fair share of the sweets then that means that they are going to have less for themselves. And as anyone with primary school aged children will tell you – most people think that sharing is a good idea, unless they’re the one holding the bag!

Part of the solution to the climate crisis is for us to consume less. To live more simply. And each of us will need God’s wisdom on what that looks like for us.

As I’ve already said, this is a really complex issue. 

On Saturday there was an interesting programme on BBC2 – Horizon: Feast to save the planet. Watch it on iPlayer if you get the chance. This programme was just looking at diet and the CO2 impact of the dinner choices of five celebrities. They appreciate that most people don’t have the time or the ability to do what their scientists did - rating every plate for its environmental impact based on the exact weight of each specific ingredient. But there were some broad take-aways. Eat food that is locally sourced and in season and therefore hasn’t been flown half-way round the planet. (But if it does need to travel, boats are better than planes.) And avoid anything that comes from a cow!

But the purpose of the programme wasn’t to get us all to go vegan overnight. As beneficial as that might be for the planet - in practice, it’s simply not going to happen. Neither was the programme trying to use shame as a motive to get us to change our behaviour. But it was a very interesting programme that will no doubt start some very interesting conversations. And that’s the point, because it’s not just about what we choose to give up but also about the choices we make with what we carry on eating. Whether we’re buying wine, cheese, meat, or even vegetables – some choices are significantly worse than others. Not all asparagus is equal.

I don’t know what you thought about Pete Grieg’s comment on Sunday when he talked about looking forward to a time when every person who became a follower of Jesus saw becoming a climate activist as a part of the package. But we certainly talk about our faith impacting every area of our lives. I wonder if it’s time to start thinking about what we eat as one of those areas that Jesus wants to change. Our vision deliberately uses the language of a journey - and you know what they say about every journey: it starts with a single step.