By Jason Giovannettone, Climate and Sustainability Director
Last week Sister Rose Marie Tresp discussed how the surge in online ordering and home deliveries has led to increased traffic congestion, air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and packaging waste. This trend also contributes to plastic pollution due to packaging and due to the delivery vehicle itself.
One of the major contributors to plastic pollution in our water is secondary microplastic, or plastic that breaks off larger pieces of plastic. As one example, the tires of an automobile represent a significant source of microplastics due to the enormous number of vehicles on the roads today. A large portion of tires is made from synthetic materials. When pieces of a tire break off or tire dust is created from normal wear and tear, these synthetic materials are released in the form of microplastics (NOAA Marine Debris Program Office of Response and Restoration). Once released into the environment, these particles can easily enter a nearby river or stream when it rains. Microplastics are small enough to elude most water filtration systems and can eventually enter our drinking water.
Mercy Tip: As research is still being done on suitable and more environmentally friendly options for tires, try to reduce your driving, particularly if you are driving alone. Eliminate unnecessary trips or carpool as much as possible.
In the last decade, particularly during and since the pandemic, online shopping and home deliveries have surged. The main environmental problem of these deliveries comes from the last mile, the last step in the journey of a package to the customer’s home.
The surge in online ordering has led to more traffic congestion, air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and increased packaging waste. The World Economic Forum predicts that in the world’s largest cities emissions from delivery traffic and traffic congestion will continue to increase. Urbanization, increased middle class purchasing power, the ease of online ordering and increased expectations of consumers for rapid delivery have caused damage to Earth and a decreased quality of life with increased traffic, congestion and air pollution.
Solving this problem will require significant regulatory and infrastructure changes on the societal level. Individuals and families, however, can begin to examine their own complicity in this damage to the environment. While home delivery has been a boon to those persons who are shut-ins, live in rural areas, or do not have easy access to cars or public transportation, everyone can analyze their own ability to decrease their use of home delivery.
Here are some suggestions to decrease your reliance on home deliveries:
Combine purchases to order less frequently.
Order items online but have the store hold them for pickup.
Examine your own consumerism and impulse purchasing.
In “Laudato Deum” Pope Francis states: “If we consider that emissions per individual in the United States are about two times greater than those of individuals living in China, and about seven times greater than the average of the poorest countries, we can state that a broad change in the irresponsible lifestyle connected with the Western model would have a significant long-term impact. As a result, along with indispensable political decisions, we would be making progress along the way to genuine care for one another.” Laudato Deum, #72
As winter approaches it is time to explore different ways to conserve energy in our homes. Whether you use a fireplace, wood stove or furnace, these two tips will help your home be more sustainable during the colder months.
Tip 1 – Heat your home with the sun.
Open your shades, especially on your south-facing windows, and allow the sun to shine into your home. Then at night close them to keep the heat in.
Tip 2 – Seal leaks around openings to the outside.
Doors and windows are the most common places to have a broken seal. This allows the heat that is inside your home to escape outside, making your heating system work harder and use more energy. Take a few minutes to examine your windows and doors to see if the seals are all secure. If there is a leak, caulk or weather strip those areas, or if you are a renter, contact your maintenance manager to do it for you. Clear plastic sheeting taped firmly to the inside will help as well.
Advent is nearly upon us, and with it all the preparations for celebrating Christmas with loved ones. As you make your Christmas preparations, I invite you to revisit resources that we published the past two years:
By Marianne Comfort,member of the Mercy Justice Team
Last week, we looked at national nutrition guidelines and how they can steer us toward healthier eating for people and planet.
But how do households keep that “healthy plate” in mind when meal planning and food shopping? Eating only plant-based foods, commonly known as a vegan diet, is the ideal. But the next-best options are cutting way back on beef, lamb and dairy. A 2022 New York Times article breaks it all down, ranking everything from seafood to non-dairy milks by measures such as carbon emissions and land and water use.
Green Tip
Consider the options in the article and make a commitment to change one part of your diet. If you decide to eat less meat, you’ll find some tasty recipes in our Mercy Meatless Mondays booklet. This latest version of the guide includes “recipe notes” to help you consider what other sustainable choices you can incorporate into each meal.
By Marianne Comfort, member of the Mercy Justice Team
Many countries issue nutrition guidelines to encourage residents to eat a healthy diet. Recently, some of those guidelines began to take sustainability into account.
In the U.S. for example, the iconic food pyramid promoted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 1992 through 2005 recommended two to three daily servings of dairy and two to three servings of other protein. The shift to My Plate provided a different visualization but recommended similar portions of dairy and protein. It was critiqued for being influenced by the food industry and agriculture lobbyists.
Harvard University then came out with its Healthy Eating Plate that recommends water over dairy beverages; whole grains over other starches and “healthy proteins” like fish, poultry, beans; and nuts over red meat and processed meat.
Meanwhile, national guidelines elsewhere are starting to include sustainability practices. A study published in December 2022 found that of 83 countries assessed, 37 included environmental sustainability considerations; that was up from just four countries in 2016. Sweden was the first, recommending that people avoid bottled water and eat locally produced food. Denmark recommends “eat less meat, choose legumes and fish.”
An earlier study by Oxford University in 2020 found that nutritional guidance in China, the United Kingdom and the U.S. were all “incompatible with the climate change, land use, freshwater, and nitrogen targets.”
Green Tip
Create your own healthy and environmentally sustainable nutrition guidance based on the Healthy Eating Plate and what you’ve learned from our Mercy Tips to Care for Earth. That may include eating less meat, reducing plastic in your kitchen, buying more local foods or being mindful of palm oil in products. Any of these changes could be healthy for both you and the planet.
By Jason Giovannettone, Climate and Sustainability Director
Mike’s tip to watchThe Letter, which I also highly recommend, led me to consider the carbon emissions that result from watching movies online and listening to music online. We can help reduce these streaming emissions through a few simple actions. According the The Shift Project, which is a French carbon transition think tank, watching online movies and videos accounts for about 60% of global internet traffic. It is by far the highest compared to any other category, equaling about 1% of total global emissions. This is due to two major factors: the emissions due to the energy that your device (e.g., TV, computer, phone) is consuming and the emissions due to the servers and networks (e.g., Netflix, Amazon, Sling, YouTube) that are storing and distributing the content you are watching.
Another consideration includes the type of online content that is contributing to these emissions. According to the BBC, in 2020 the types of content emitting the most carbon emissions were on-demand video services such as Netflix and Amazon videos on social media including YouTube. To put this in context, the BBC article mentioned that in 2020 the total energy consumed by Netflix in one year could power nearly 37,000 homes.
Rather than giving up streaming media entirely, here are a few tips for cutting down on these kinds of emissions:
Avoid falling asleep while watching or listening to online content. Many platforms automatically play the next episode. On some streaming services, this setting can be changed.
Always select SD (standard definition) over HD (high definition) or UHD (ultra-high definition) when renting a movie or show. SD streaming emits less carbon because it requires less power.
Use your wireless internet rather than your cellular data network when streaming content. Using cellular data causes over twice the emissions than accessing the internet does.
Use your phone or laptop rather than your TV when possible. Your TV uses much more energy than a smaller device.
Purchase a physical CD over listening to music online if you plan to listen to a particular song at least 25 times. If you don’t plan to listen to a CD or song more than that, listen online as it is more environmentally friendly than producing or shipping a CD.
A few weeks ago I encouraged our audience to read Laudate Deum, Pope Francis’ follow up letter to Laudato Si, his encyclical on care for the Earth. Today, I want to recommend another resource related to Laudato Si.
The Letter is a full-length documentary film that follows the journey of five individuals from around the globe as they prepare to meet with Pope Francis to discuss their efforts on behalf of the Earth. These protagonists include: an Amazonian tribal chief who represents the voice of indigenous peoples; a young climate activist from India who represents the voice of youth; a young adult from Senegal who represents the voice of the poor; and a married couple who are scientists in Hawaii and represent the voice of nature.
The Letter is emotionally moving and visually stunning as it documents the challenges ahead and the courageous efforts of these individuals. The film crosses cultural, religious and national borders as it presents a challenging, yet hopeful message. The Letter can be viewed free of charge on YouTube.
View last year’s grand prize winning video. (*Note: the contest themes have changed for 2024.)
The Mercy Justice Team needs you, a Mercy student, to create a short, social media style PSA (public service announcement) video – think Reels or TikTok – that reflects the Sisters of Mercy’s Critical Concerns. Put those creative ideas and video skills to work and you could win $500!
What does it mean to be a faith filled, values voter?
What is your own immigration story?
What is the immigration story of someone you know?
How can voting with Mercy affect our community, our nation, our world?
To receive information, updates and reminders about this year’s contest, complete this form and we’ll be in touch. Click here to learn rules for entry and how to upload your video.
View the grand prize winning video from 2022. (*Note: the contest format has changed since 2022.)
Purpose
For this year’s contest we are seeking short, PSA style videos (30 to 90 seconds) that are suitable for sharing on social media platforms such as TikTok or Reels. Video entries must focus on one of these topics:
Immigration
Videos should reflect the Mercy Critical Concerns, especially the Critical Concern for Immigration, but do not need to identify the Critical Concerns specifically.
Videos should inspire action to address the injustices that cause people to immigrate or the injustices that immigrants face in their new countries.
Voting
Videos should explore the ways that faith and Mercy values can influence the choices we make on our ballots.
Videos should inspire faithful citizenship and active involvement in elections without promoting partisanship or individual candidates.
Contest Webinar
Watch our 20 minute webinar to learn more about this year’s contest.
Who Can Enter
Any student or group of students, high school age or older, enrolled in Mercy high schools, colleges/universities, or involved in a Mercy-affiliated ministry.
Use this tip-sheet to help you as you begin the process of creating your video.
1. Title. Each video must have a title. The title must be indicated on the submission form. The title does not need to be included in the video itself.
2. Credits. Credits must include the name of those involved in the creation of the video. The credits must also include citations for any images, audio, or text used in the video that is not original. The credits do not need to be included in the video itself, but must be included in the submission form.
The Sisters of Mercy may delete title and credit screens before posting videos on social media.
Entrants are strongly encouraged to use original footage and graphics as much as possible.
Important Note on Rules: In order to honor copyright protections, rules regarding use of images and music were updated for the 2022 contest and remain in effect for 2024. See the complete rules for details.
Deadline
All entries must be received by April 3, 2024.
Prizes
A panel of judges will use these criteria to select the winning video. Individual winners will receive financial awards. The Grand Prize Winner receives $500.
Winning entries may be featured on the Sisters of Mercy Institute web site and social media channels. Winners and their winning institution will be formally announced.
Interested?
If you think you might be interested in entering this contest, fill out this form to receive contest information and updates.
By Jason Giovannettone, Climate and Sustainability Director
We have received numerous inquiries regarding the search for sustainable, non-plastic options for disposable cups, cutlery and plates. It can be a challenge to find such items that are certified compostable and sustainable. Vendors will use buzz phrases in an effort to gain your trust:”100% natural, sustainable, and biodegradable,” “made of 100% natural plant-based sustainable materials,” “eco-friendly,” “Earth-conscious” and “plastic-free.” These words mean nothing if the product is not properly certified. A product that is BPI-certified means that it can be composted back into the soil safely but only at an industrial composting facility. A product (typically paper or bamboo) that is FSC-certifiedmeans that it comes from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, economic and social benefits.
A quick search revealed the following list of companies that provide potentially “sustainable” and “non-plastic” options for disposable cups, plates, and/or cutlery. The list also includes the material the items are made from and whether they are FSC- and/or BPI-certified (only brands with at least one type of certification are listed).
Green Tip
If there is a need for disposal dinnerware, advocate for the purchase of cups, plates, and/or cutlery from the companies listed in the table above. Also, if you know of other companies not mentioned here, please feel free to share the company name and the products they provide.
