The Laudato Si’ Circle meets to:
- Pray.
- Study Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ on caring for the environment.
- Create community networks to support and encourage one another in our work of ecological conversion and prophetic advocacy.
- Take action on sustainability in our own lives, the local community and across the world.
We are part of the global Laudato Si’ Movement.
LS 219:
Social problems must be addressed by community networks. The work calls for a union of skills and a unity of achievement. The ecological conversion needed to bring about lasting change is also a community conversion.
LS 179:
Local individuals and groups can make a real difference. They are able to instill a greater sense of responsibility and a strong sense of community.
These are some ideas for sustainable living, contributed by the Laudato Si’ Circle’s members.
- Plant bee and butterfly friendly native plants.
- Grow vegetables at home.
- Compost fruit, vegetables, etc.
- Eat less meat and learn to cook yummy vegetarian food.
- Buy local food and products.
- Finish food rather than wasting it.
- Discipline yourself about food consumption, so you don't buy more than you need and have it go to waste.
- A Rocha sell shares in food items, which are locally grown and seasonal.
- Find out what can be recycled and where to avoid stuff going to landfill.
- Use a room with natural light instead of using an electric light.
- Install thick curtains in all the windows of your home and use them to regulate the temperature.
- Set the heater temperature in the home a few degrees lower.
- Use cooler water whenever possible.
- Buy secondhand items.
- Learn to repair worn out items.
- Choose to live simply.
- Barter or trade items with neighbours.
- Borrow tools instead of buying new ones.
- Use less single-use plastics.
- Choose products that have less packaging.
- Advertise broken stuff on Craigslist to give away for free instead of throwing them away.
- Car pool or cycle.
- Make cycling your preferred way to travel.
- Do not own a car, but rent one whenever needed.
- Suggest a Sunday to forgo driving to Mass: walk, cycle or use transit instead.
- Encourage your local city to provide more routes for bicycles and less for cars, to encourage more people to cycle.
- Use paperless methods as much as possible.
- While taking a shower, stop running the water when possible.
- Use a rain barrel to collect water for the lawn and plants.
The Laudato Si’ Circle meets in the church portable on the 1st Thursday of every month at 7:30pm-9:00pm. All are welcome.
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