It's Earth Day April 22

Hello Kathleen Rogers of Earthday Network    http://www.earthday.org/faith

Thank you for sending us the letter / fax dated 2015/04/07 .

In observance of Earth Day we have planned the following several items.

Our pastor plans to mention Earth Day in his homily or sermon before April 22nd.

Here are prayers for Masses April 18 and 19 the General Intercessions/Petitions especially before Earth Day April 22, 2015.  

• May the Earth be respected and cared for by all peoples; may we turn from our wasteful ways.   We pray to you Lord.

• For children who are born today, may our time on earth be remembered for a renewed reverence for life, a resolve to achieve environmental sustainability, and a commitment to social justice, we pray to the Lord.

• May seasonal rains nourish our fields and refresh our Earth. We pray to you Lord.

• For teachers and school administrators, may we integrate into formal education and life-long learning the knowledge, values and skills needed for a sustainable way of life, we pray to the Lord.

• For leaders of nations, may we secure Earth's bounty and beauty for present and future generations, we pray to the Lord.

• For us and our neighbors, may we protect and restore the integrity of Earth's ecological systems, with special concern for biological diversity and the natural processes that sustain life, we pray to the Lord.

• May farmers and agricultural workers have what they need to produce abundant crops.  We pray to you Lord.

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Plus, thanks to our St. Francis Parish Sustainability - Peace & Justice Committee, member, Kelly Gauthier, we are publishing the following article in our bulletin.

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SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT:   Deepening the connection between faith & ecology, creation & climate

 

April 22^nd is Earth Day!  So what?

Are you surprised to learn that Church leaders have taken a strong stance on climate change?  Because climate change is caused by human activity and urgently needs to be addressed, Pope Francis has taken significant steps to reduce the Vatican's carbon footprint and to stress climate change's disproportionate impact on the poor.   It makes a lot of sense when we consider:

·    The Church teaches that human life is sacred.  Human life is impossible without access to clean water and air, healthy land upon which to raise food, and an environment free of harmful chemicals and toxins.

·    The Church teaches us to give preference to the poor. The poor around the world bear most of the pain of climate change.  They are most affected by natural disasters, lack of access to water, rising food prices, pollution, and other aspects of environmental degradation.

·    The Church urges us to be less materialistic.  The earth's suffering is caused in large part by humans who value "stuff" more than life; who want the convenience of a "throw away" culture; who see no need to pay a little more for products that are created in sustainable and ethical ways and do not travel thousands of miles to reach us.  Today, we take for granted things that our great-grandparents would have seen as incredible luxuries.

So what?  If you value clean air and water, what action will you take to ensure that it's available for all?   If you do not want a coal-fired power plant or a landfill next door to your home, what action will you take to ensure that they are not built next to others' homes?   If you don't want your child suffering neurological damage from exposure to toxins and harmful chemicals, what action will you take to ensure that other people's children don't have to suffer those effects?

 

What will YOU do – today, tomorrow, and every day thereafter – to live your values?

 

To learn more about the Church's environmental teachings and how to reduce your carbon footprint, visit:   CatholicClimateCovenant.org.

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ALSO, this is a current related effort:

Energy Efficiency at St. Francis Parish

Are you interested in Energy Star standards?

Would you like to volunteer to input data for St. Francis Parish?  You need not be an architect or engineer.   St. Fr  ancis Parish is utilizing Portfolio Manager for "benchmarking" our energy records.

With your help St. Francis Parish could enter next year's competition of the Michigan Battle of the Buildings.   Contact: Scott Wright 734-821-2121     swright@stfrancisa2.org  …

See: http://stfrancisa2.com/sustainability

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Thank you,

Scott Wright, BSW, M.Div., (734-821-2121)

Parish Social Ministry Director,

St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church,

2150 Frieze Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48104.

http://www.stfrancisa2.com/

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e-waste recycling at St. Francis Parish

St. Francis Recycles over 11,000 Pounds of Electronics!

Our parish had an opportunity in June to recycle old electronics, including unsold “leftovers” from the Rummage Sale.   Our efforts were a huge success!  St. Francis parishioners recycled a total of ... (Read more...)

SUSTAINABILITY planning Monday, March 10th at 7pm in the School Teacher's Lounge.

St. Francis of Assisi Parish SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT:  
Deepening the connection between faith & ecology, creation & climate

Come plan with us Monday, March 10th at 7pm in the St. Francis School Teacher’s Lounge.  Questions? Visit: stfrancisa2.com/sustainability  Or, contact Scott 734-821-2121 swright@stfrancisa2.com

Parish Picnic and Compostable Products

This year's Parish Picnic used compostable plates, cups and utensils:   (2013-09-08) (Written by Stephen Lavender)

The St. Francis Parish Picnic always offers great food and fun. This year's picnic celebrated creation and the spirit of community in a new way. The Picnic Committee selected compostable plates, cups and utensils over conventional paper and plastic products. Why is this important?

Single use items such as plates, cups and utensils bring their manufacturing history to our picnic. After mere moments of use they leave the party for an unseen afterlife. Let's consider both ends of their picnic appearance.

Conventional paper plates begin as leftovers from paper production. Managed forests grow for years to generate pulp products. Ingredients including cellulose, oil (think petroleum), resin and wood chemicals are assembled into plates. Plastic utensils and those nasty Styrofoam cups also have origins in petroleum and other chemicals. None of these items are compostable. Producing them increases the demand for petroleum and generates greenhouse gases. Their disposal initiates a VERY long, unproductive existence in a landfill.

Our compostable plates are formed from bagasse and wheatstraw fibers. Bagasse remains after removing juice from sugarcane while wheatstraw is the remnant after extracting wheat grain and chaff. Both fibers are annually renewable. Compostable plates have no petroleum products among their contents.

Compostable utensils and cold beverage cups each claim polylactide, a corn based material as their primary ingredient. Talc is added to polylactide for rigidity in creating utensils. Corn is another annually renewable crop and these products too are fully compostable.

The Picnic Committee considered these questions before making their selection: What's the impact of production and delivery on our environment? What's the length of this product's useful life? Can it be recycled or disposed of responsibly?

Congratulations to our Picnic Committee for playing an important role in protecting the gift of creation!
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Introductory Energy Evaluation - Rebuild Michigan Site Visit

Especially so that we all have access to the list ... Summary of Energy Saving Measures ...

I have posted the PDF Rebuild_Michigan_St_Francis_IEE_CEC_2013-08-28...

our St. Francis Parish Introductory Energy Evaluation ... Prepared by: Joel Baetens of Clean Energy Coalition & Michigan Energy Office, Michigan Economic Development Corporation...

at: http://www.stfrancisa2.com/sustainability

Or, directly go to the link at:  

http://www.stfrancisa2.com/sites/all/files/users/user39/Rebuild_Michigan_St_Francis_IEE_CEC_2013-08-28.pdf

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Summary of Energy Saving Measures 

Several energy saving measures were identified for the campus. This section provides an overview of the largest 

categories where major energy saving upgrades are possible.

Energy Conservation Measure Description

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No/Low-Cost Measures

Lighting De-lamp over lit areas. Use occupancy sensors to control lights in offices, restrooms, storage areas, break rooms, and hallways. Use photo sensors for exterior lighting. Replace Incandescent lamps with CFL or LED. 

Building Shell Annually inspect exterior door seals for failure and replace when needed. 

Lock windows. Seal retires exhaust stacks. Repair Sump pump. Clean roof drains.

HVAC Control heating registers with a thermostat. Add basement heating unit filters to maintenance list. Replace line-set insulation. Turn fan control to 'AUTO'. Use cogged belts on air handlers. Utilize passive cooling in the gymnasium. Utilize a temperature setback schedule. 

Hot Water Insulate supply pipes. Install low-flow fixtures. Add low-flow aerators to faucets. Repair leaks.

Plug Loads Use smart plug strips for office equipment. Turn off computer labs when not in use. 

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Moderate-Cost Measures

Lighting Install horizontal blinds. Replace exterior and interior HID lights with LED or induction. Replace T12 with T8 linear fluorescent lamps and ballasts. 

Building Shell Replace single pane windows with double pane units. 

HVAC Take building operator training course. Update new boiler controls. Insulate external ductwork. Update fans and controls in gymnasium. Have steam trap analysis performed. Update to enthalpy controlled economizer. 

Hot Water Consider demand water heaters. 

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High-Cost Measures

Building Shell Install roof insulation to R50 hr-ft2 -F°/Btu. 

HVAC Replace steam boiler systems with high efficiency hot water boiler system. 

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---------- Forwarded message ----------

Date: Wed, Aug 28, 2013 

To: Maria Kook       Hi Maria:      Thank you!! Now you can get started with the Kilowatt Crackdown & Portfolio Manager...  

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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Joel Baetens <joel@cec-mi.org>

Date: Wed, Aug 28, 2013 at 5:31 PM

Joel Baetens  | Project Manager

924 N. Main, Suite 2 | Ann Arbor, MI 48104

734.585.5720 x11 | 734.418.1681 f
Follow Clean Energy Coalition on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube

Prayers of the Faithful - Summer & Fall Petitions

Intercessory Prayers

From an Earth Day blog by Sr. Ann Marie Slavin of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia,

sent to us by Cybelle Shattuck, Jul 8, 2013.

• As Brother Sun brightens the day and dispels the darkness of night—shine on those lost in depression or in fear of violence. Let our Brother Sun nourish these plants and each person partaking of the bounty of the crops to come.
  
  
• As Brother Wind brings every kind of weather—may farmers and agricultural workers have what they need to produce abundant crops.
  
  
• As Sister Water is useful, humble, and pure—may seasonal rains nourish our fields and refresh our Earth.
  
  
• As Sister Mother Earth sustains us—may she be respected and cared for by all peoples; may we turn from our wasteful ways.

Additionally, here are some petitions for the Prayers of the Faithful at Masses.  
These are  for Justice, Care for the Earth and Sustainability.  (More prayers...)

• For all of us present here today, may we care for the community of life with understanding, compassion, and love, we pray to the Lord...

• For leaders of nations, may we secure Earth's bounty and beauty for present and future generations, we pray to the Lord...

• For us and our neighbors, may we protect and restore the integrity of Earth's ecological systems, with special concern for biological diversity and the natural processes that sustain life, we pray to the Lord...

• For teachers and school administrators, may we integrate into formal education and life-long learning the knowledge, values and skills needed for a sustainable way of life, we pray to the Lord...

• For children who are born today, may our time on earth be remembered for a renewed reverence for life, a resolve to achieve environmental sustainability, and a commitment to social justice, we pray to the Lord...
  
  

And, here are additional petitions which may be helpful in the months ahead...

· That we become the voice of the poor to ensure that local, state and national policies designed to address climate change do not place additional burdens on the most vulnerable people at home and abroad. We pray to the Lord.

· That our public and private prayer may lead us to a deeper concern for the gift of God's creation and those impacted by our lifestyles. We pray to the Lord

· That we take the time to learn about Church teaching on the environment and climate change and the impacts of our lifestyles on the poor and vulnerable in our own country and around the world.We pray to the Lord.

· That we have the courage to honestly assess our own contributions to climate change as a community of faith, within our homes, and through our everyday lifestyle choices. We pray to the Lord.

· That we take the steps necessary to live more sustainably and more simply as a sign of solidarity with those who suffer the consequences of our lack of respect for God's gift of Creation. We pray to the Lord.

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· That we as Christians may respond to the urgent call of our Pope to safeguard God's creation and be in solidarity with all human and non-human inhabitants of the earth. We pray to the Lord.

· For the Church, that we may be a witness to Christ's love by practicing a more ecologically sustainable lifestyles, and promoting justice and peace throughout the world. We pray to the Lord.

· That we may be inspired by the example of St. Francis of Assisi – the Patron Saint of ecology – and become instruments of God's healing for our imperiled planet and its inhabitants. We prayto the Lord.

· That through the example of St. Francis of Assisi, we may develop a stronger connection between our Christian faith and our role as caretakers of creation. We pray to the Lord.

Caththolic Climemate Covenat website: www.catholicclimatecovenant.org

· That the human family treats the non-human inhabitants of the earth with respect and empathy, and commits itself to their long-term survival. We pray to the Lord.

· That the human family experiences all of God's creation as deserving of consideration, respect, and rightful treatment. We pray to the Lord.

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· That we may come to recognize that our own carbon footprint impacts the poorest people on earth and that they will suffer the worst consequences of climate change. We pray to the Lord.

· That we have the courage to alter our own behaviors that contribute to climate change and thereby lessen the impacts of climate change on poor people at home and abroad. We pray to the Lord.

· For the millions of environmental refugees all over the world that have been displaced from their homes because of rising sea levels, draughts, expanding deserts, atastrophic flooding, and other environmental disasters. We pray to the Lord.

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· For our children and grandchildren whose future is threatened by the progressive destruction of the Earth's ecosystems, that we may find the courage to alter our consumption patterns and pass on to future generations an Earth that is restored and healed. We pray to the Lord

· That we may be attentive to discover and quick to embrace ways to live more sustainably, to influence the public policy of our nation, and to save our planet for the future generations. We pray to the Lord.

· For our children and grandchildren whose future and lives are being threatened by our

unsustainable daily habits, business practices and the lack of policies that protect our air, water, and land. May God empower us to change our ways and believe that each one of us can make a difference. We pray to the Lord.

· For our elected leaders and those who help shape public policy on climate change, that they and we may heed the urgent call of Benedict XVI: "Our earth is speaking to us, and we must listen if we want to survive." We pray to the Lord.

(More prayers...)

Fwd: Your Help is Needed!

Sustainability Team Members and Friends,   Subject: Your Help is Needed!  - From: Stephen Lavender.

 

St. Francis of Assisi Parish needs your help!

 

* Quite possibly over the last several months during Sunday Masses you've heard one or more petitions (Prayers of the Faithful) related to care for creation. The written supply of petitions is not limitless and clearly someone has to write them! That's where you come in. We've all heard many petitions so you know the format. They should be clear and concise, conveying the community's prayers for the earth's inhabitants, the earth itself and the need to protect and care for it. Capture your thoughts during an inspired moment and send them to me at your convenience. I'll collect your petitions and forward them to the parish.

 

* The date for this year's Parish Picnic has been announced as Sunday, September 8. Our Sustainability Team would like to support the picnic with recycling, maybe composting and perhaps even some educational opportunities masquerading as games to the casual observer. Your thoughts and ideas on shaping our participation are welcome! If you'd like additional information, you're interested in helping or perhaps even leading our Parish Picnic Sustainability team please contact me.

 

Thanks everyone. Enjoy your summer and I hope to hear from you soon!

 

Steve