What impact can I have

Ten Steps to Caring for Creation

1.Talk to God about Creation.

Restoring God’s Creation is not only a human project. Pray your gratitude for God’s magnificent world, your fears of the storms, floods, droughts and other disasters that are increasing because of the damage the atmosphere is suffering, and your willingness to follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance in doing your part to bring about healing.

2. Use LED Lighting. LED bulbs save more money than it costs to buy them.

LED bulbs may cost more to purchase than incandescent bulbs, but their long life and high efficiency makes them much cheaper, saving $60 per bulb over an LED bulb’s lifetime . Replacing incandescent and fluorescent lighting with LED can avoid 16 gigatons (billion tons) of emissions. 

3. Love your leftovers! Do not waste food.

Up to 35% of food in high-income countries is thrown out by consumers.

If global food waste is reduced by 50% by 2050, the Earth avoids emissions equivalent to 13.6 gigatons of carbon dioxide . This is more than the reduction in emissions that is expected to result from people switching to electric vehicles by 2050. 

4. Eat Plants  (like Adam and Eve). 

Plant-rich diets instead of meat-oriented eating can reduce emissions by more than 43 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050, as well as improve peoples’ health. 

Your first step might be Meatless Mondays. https://veganoutreach.org/vegan/  will answer questions if you want to try a completely meat-free diet.

5. Use Clean Energy.

Texas wind, solar, and battery power are growing and creating jobs. Wind turbines produce over 20% of Texas power, and operated even during the February 2021 Arctic Storm Uri. Worldwide, using wind power to produce electricity can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 47 gigatons by 2050.

For most Texans, using less-polluting electrical sources is as easy as asking your Retail Electric Provider or Municipal Electric Provider for their 100% “renewable” power plan. It may even cost less than the old plan.

6. Participate in the Democratic Process

Your voice and your vote tell leaders what matters to you. Your government leaders, down to the city council and school board level, regularly make decisions about the efficiency of buildings and transportation, about planting trees and about conserving precious water. Tell them you are concerned that this be done with the health of the Earth in mind.

Many cities have instituted Climate Action Plans for reducing emissions and for protecting their residents from expected increases in flooding, heat waves, extreme storms, droughts, and wildfires.

7. Improve Insulation

North Texas buildings constructed since 2015 are better insulated than older buildings. Adding insulation, and better windows in older construction increases comfort and brings down utility costs. If 2 percent of existing buildings a year install better insulation, they can avoid 17 gigatons of emissions. Some cities and some Retail Electric Providers also offer free energy audits and help making home improvements. https://hes.lbl.gov/consumer/ is a free do-it-yourself online home energy audit.

Texas offers the PACE program to finance improvements for commercial buildings. 

8. Rethink Transportation.

Ways to reduce emissions from transportation sources include buying local, using public transit, ridesharing, electric vehicles, bicycles and increased efficiency of planes, boats and trucks. Transportation accounts for 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions . In the city of Dallas, transportation and mobile sources generate 34% of the community’s greenhouse gas emissions.

9. Recycle

Each city has its own recycling regimen to reduce municipal expenses as well as to make the most use of the Earth’s resources. Waste management planners today ask that we: Refuse (decline free but unneeded items), Reduce (buy less), Reuse (repair, resale), Recycle and Rot (compost) . Household recycling alone could reduce emissions by 5.5 gigatons by 2050.

10. When you save money by adopting strategies in this list, invest or donate it for work that continues to protect and heal God’s Creation.

This might range from making donations that improve agricultural practices, energy efficiency, and education, to avoiding purchases or investments in industries or corporations that are known to damage the earth.