Today is Earth Day. Are you celebrating Earth
Sunday this weekend? Whether you already observed Earth Sunday or have yet to
celebrate it, you can take this action any time!
Earth Day is a time for us to come together with
our communities and rekindle commitment to a better future and a thriving
planet. As we face increasingly severe storms, droughts
in once fertile agricultural lands, and rising
seas, it is critical that we use Earth Day as a catalyst to take
decisive action to ease the harm we are causing to our ecosystems.
This year, our ecumenical partner, Creation Justice Ministries, has prepared an Earth Day resource to engage our families
and congregations in conversation and action for a healthier planet through the
lens of food. It is called "Have You Anything Here to Eat?" and
encourages us to reflect on how food production and consumption impacts the
changing climate. It includes ideas for what you can do in your day-to-day life
to live lighter on the land and give thanks for the abundance of God's
creation. Please click here to download this wonderful resource and
share it widely with your community.
Click
here to write to your Members of Congress about food this Earth Day.
On the national scene, we are drawing attention
to the Farm
to School Act of 2015, which helps children and their families make
informed food choices while strengthening the local economy by funding projects
around the country that connect children to food production, harvest, and
preparation. This program makes grants on a competitive basis for schools,
nonprofits, state and local agencies, agricultural producers, and Indian tribal
organizations to increase local food procurement for school meal programs and
expand educational activities on agriculture and food. It educates children
about ecological preservation, increases the number of fruits and vegetables
they eat daily, and provides organic farmers with a market for their produce in
schools. This year, we are asking Congress to strengthen and expand the
program’s scope through the Child
Nutrition Reauthorization.
For many years, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
has been bearing witness to the ecological devastation that humans are bringing
to the planet through global climate change. Presbyterian General Assemblies
have called for changes at all levels of our lifestyle – from a national
comprehensive climate plan to changing the way we use energy in our homes and
churches. Together, we can make a difference.
