Social Justice Tag: Earth

By Mike Poulin, Justice Resource Manager

When I was a kid, I loved to check the mailbox even though it was rare that I received something like a letter, a postcard or even a magazine. My parents never seemed very excited about checking the mail. As an adult I understand why: bills, statements, ads. Exciting mail is still a rarity. If the mail carrier still delivers business correspondence to your mailbox regularly, there are ways to reduce the amount of mail you receive. There are environmental benefits to doing so. 

Bills and statements 

Credit card bills, utility bills, statements from financial institutions and even some medical bills can be received electronically rather than in the mail. Companies may even be inviting you to switch to electronic billing and statements by printing the sign-up link right on the envelopes you are receiving in the mail. Some companies offer an incentive to switch to electronic billing and statements, while others have implemented fees for customers who continue to receive paper correspondence. In addition to the environmental advantages of electronic bills , paying bills and receiving correspondence online is more secure and can be more convenient than paying by mail. 

Ads 

I can’t think of a time when I received an advertisement in the mail that resulted in my purchasing a product or a service, but the continued presence of junk mail makes me think it must be an effective business strategy. The Federal Trade Commission recommends two tools for opting out of junk mail: 

1. DMAchoice is a nonprofit organization that helps reduce promotional mail offers from companies or organizations with which you do not have a business relationship. Signing up for the service requires a $5 fee and lasts for 10 years. It won’t affect mail sent from companies you have purchased from in the past.  

2. Credit card and insurance offers are regulated separately by the major credit bureaus. You can opt out of these ads for five years or permanently at optoutscreen.com. This service is free. 

I experienced a significant decrease in the amount of mail I received after taking these steps. There are still advertisements that arrive in my mailbox, but most of it comes from companies I have purchased from in the past. Stopping those mailings requires contacting the individual companies and asking to be removed from their lists. 

The junk mail that does make it through ends up in the recycling bin. I used to think that was a good solution for all of the mail I didn’t want, but even though paper recycling is prevalent (up to 68% of paper is recycled annually in the US) and easy (94% of Americans have access to paper recycling programs), reducing the amount of paper we receive via mail can have a variety of positive impacts. 

Environmental benefits 

While a significant percentage of trees used in the paper industry are grown for that purpose and replanted, the harvesting and production of paper have impacts on the environment. The use of fossil fuels for harvesting and transporting wood and the water and chemicals used for paper production have a carbon footprint and result in air and water pollution. Even as responsible paper producers take steps to achieve more sustainable production, our steps to reduce the demand for paper are beneficial. 

The production and delivery of the mail that comes to your home has an environmental impact as well. Consumables such as ink and toner, the operation of durable goods like printers and copy machines, and the fuel and maintenance requirements of delivery vehicles all contribute to the environmental impact of the postal deliveries we receive. 

While getting mail was exciting when I was a kid, now I’m grateful for days when I don’t receive anything in the mail. 

By Marianne Comfort, Mercy Justice Team  

If you live someplace that gets lots of ice and snow each winter, you’re used to seeing trucks spreading salt on roads and highways to reduce hazardous conditions for cars. You might even have a bucket of salt for your sidewalks and driveway. 

While salt (technically, sodium chloride) is the most effective and least costly method for de-icing outdoor surfaces, it comes with an environmental cost. An estimated 20 million tons of salt is scattered on U.S. roads annually—about 123 pounds for every American. All that salt eventually makes its way into streams, lakes and groundwater, causing harm to plants, fish and other aquatic life. Animals such as moose and deer like to lick salt, and when they wander close to salty roads, that increases the chances for accidents and roadkill.  

Staff at the University of Minnesota Extension know about both ice and the effects of using salt to minimize walking and driving hazards. Their recommendations to eliminate or reduce salt use include: 

• Shovel, scrape and sweep snow often to remove as much as possible. This prevents ice buildup and reveals more of the dark surfaces that absorb the sun’s radiation and promote melting.  
• Avoid dumping your shoveled snow onto nearby shrubs as it may contain salt or break branches. 
• If it’s a warm day, just let the sun melt any remaining ice and snow. 
• Read product labels and apply salt sparingly to critical areas only. A coffee mug of salt (about 12 oz.) is all that is needed for about 1,000 sq. ft., approximately the area of a 20-ft driveway or 10 sidewalk squares. 
• Spread salt evenly leaving about 3 inches between salt grains. Avoid spilling piles of salt. 
• Sweep up any salt grains you see on dry surfaces to prevent it from washing or blowing into plantings and waterways. Save it to reapply later in the season. 

By Jason Giovannettone, Climate and Sustainability Director 

There was a new addition at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP28, which took place from November 30 to December 12 in Dubai.  Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed Al-Tayeb, inaugurated the first Faith Pavilion to offer a place where anyone from any faith could go for meditation, prayer and hope. Because Pope Francis was unable to attend the event, he sent the following video to introduce this new concept.

The importance of the Faith Pavilion as part of international talks on climate change did not go unnoticed by national media outlets.

Establishing a venue through which individuals of different faiths can come together and focus on their similarities (e.g., caring for the Earth) rather than their differences represents an important step toward effectively addressing concerns related to climate change and sustainability.   

Mercy Tip:  During this time of year when Christians of various denominations come together to celebrate Christmas, try to also engage your non-Christian neighbors by learning how their own faith traditions view and act upon concerns for the Earth related to climate change and sustainability. 

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. 

By Sister Rose Marie Tresp 

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 

By Kira Hagan, Justice Intern 

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.  

Here are some more ideas: Fall and Winter Energy-Saving Tips | Department of Energy 

By Mike Poulin, Justice Resource Manager

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: 

A More Sustainable Christmas and Wishing You a Sustainable Christmas. 

May the ideas in these articles give you inspiration for balancing celebration and sustainability. 

Advent blessings! 

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 watch The 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: 

1. 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.  
2. 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. 
3. 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.  
4. Use your phone or laptop rather than your TV when possible. Your TV uses much more energy than a smaller device. 
5. 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.