“Green” Retreats

A Presentation on Environmental Sustainability for the PRCB

Presentation Content

• Why Go Green?

• How To Go Green

• Suggestions for Leadership

WHY GO GREEN?Spiritual and Moral Reasons

• How long will the land mourn, and the grass of every field wither? For the wickedness of those who live in it the animals and the birds are swept away, and because people said, “he is blind to our ways.” – Jeremiah 12:4

• Care for the environment represents a challenge for all humanity. It is a matter of a common and universal duty, that of respecting a common good… It is a responsibility that must mature on the basis of the global dimension of the present ecological crisis – Compendium #466

WHY GO GREEN?Business Case: Sustainability

• Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. –UN Commission on Environment and Development

• The ethical engagement and process of achieving stability and non-deterioration of ecological processes, through the just and equitable restructuring of economic and social institutions designed to meet present needs without jeopardizing future human and non-human generations from meeting their needs. –Ecology and the Common Good: Sustainability and Catholic Social Teaching.

Ecology

EconomySociety

Sustainable Development

WHY GO GREEN?Leadership Reasons

• Stewardship Calls Everyone to be Proactive• As Passionists, we benefit from the Eco-

Theology of Thomas Berry– We are into a new

phase of the human agenda. The entire earth agenda…I refer to this new era in its positive aspect as eco-zoic era…

HOW TO GO GREENStart With Established Best Practices:

• Green Facilities– Environmental Protection Agency

• http://www.epa.gov/greenbuilding/

– National Council of Churches• http://www.nccecojustice.org/grbuilding.htm• Building a Firm Foundation (PDF)

– Environmental Audit Guide• http://www.elca/advocacy/environment/envaudit.pdf

– National Resource Defense Council• http://www.nrdc.org/buildinggreen/

HOW TO GO GREENBest Practices (2):

• Simple Lifestyle– National Resource Defense Council

• http://www.nrdc.org/greenliving/default.asp– Christian Simple Living

• http://www.christiansimpleliving.org– Coop America

• http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/livinggreen/– New American Dream

• http://www.newdream.org/– Catholic Relief Services

• http://crsfairtrade.org/

Energy Efficiency

Get an Energy Audit (Often a free service of public utilities)

Clean and replace filters on furnaces and air conditioners

Utilize (and be creative with) natural sunlight: reduce the use of operating lights

Replace Incandescent Light Bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Install occupancy sensors for lights Install setback thermostat

(automatically reducing heating and cooling of unoccupied rooms)

Recycling and Waste DisposalRecycling and Waste DisposalRecycle: Recycle: http://earth911.com/http://earth911.com/Reuse or donate leftover food from Reuse or donate leftover food from

retreats retreats Purchase Recycled Paper Products, soy Purchase Recycled Paper Products, soy

based ink for church officesbased ink for church officesUse reusable dishwareUse reusable dishwareUse hand towels (not paper) Use hand towels (not paper) Develop a compost areaDevelop a compost area

Consumer PracticesConsumer Practices Purchase Fair Trade Products, Purchase Fair Trade Products,

Support Catholic Relief Support Catholic Relief Services Fair Trade programServices Fair Trade program

Support local farmers, join a Support local farmers, join a Community Shares Community Shares Agriculture (CSA): Agriculture (CSA): http://www.localharvest.org/chttp://www.localharvest.org/csa/sa/

Purchase Green Cleaning Purchase Green Cleaning Products: Products: www.gaiam.comwww.gaiam.com

Join Coop America, become a Join Coop America, become a responsible shopper and responsible shopper and receive the National Green receive the National Green Pages: Pages: http://http://www.coopamerica.org/pubs/gwww.coopamerica.org/pubs/greenpagesreenpages//

Water ConservationWater Conservation• Install Boston Aerators on sinksInstall Boston Aerators on sinks• Install a rainwater collection Install a rainwater collection

system to use for landscape system to use for landscape watering: watering: http://www.harvesth2o.com/http://www.harvesth2o.com/

• Install toilet retrofit devices Install toilet retrofit devices that reduce the amount of that reduce the amount of water used per flush water used per flush

• Use sprinklers sparingly and Use sprinklers sparingly and only when needed. Early only when needed. Early morning is the best time to morning is the best time to water water

• install a drip irrigation system install a drip irrigation system instead of sprinklers instead of sprinklers

• Landscape with water wise Landscape with water wise plantsplants

Green LandscapeGreen Landscape Start a Community Start a Community

Garden: Garden: http://www.nccecojustichttp://www.nccecojustice.org/grbuildingblocks_e.org/grbuildingblocks_communitygarden.htmlcommunitygarden.html

Develop creative Develop creative gardens, landscape and gardens, landscape and interior use that share in interior use that share in the theology and the theology and spirituality of being spirituality of being Stewards of Creation. Stewards of Creation.

Green Landscape

FinallyOur Recommendation

Invite us to at least one Retreat House to Assist a Working Group to start a “Green” Passionist Pilot

Program for 2010.