Diocese of Kerry Earth Week 2014
“The ground you are standing on is holy ground” (Ex.3:5).
The Diocese of Kerry Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Committee in preparation for our diocesan Earth Week 2014 are committed to making the care of creation an integral part of diocesan and parish life. We recognize that ‘every action taken in favour of a just and more sustainable environment, no matter how small, has an intrinsic value’. (The Cry of the Earth. Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference)
Earth Week 2014 will be celebrated from the 21st to the 28th September. To make the week successful we need your assistance.
Christian responsibility for the environment begins with an appreciation of the goodness of all God’s creation. (Gn.1:31) We humans, made in the image and likeness of God, are called in a special way to “cultivate and care for it” (Gn.2:15).
Faced with widespread destruction of the environment, people are coming to understand that we cannot continue to use the earth as we have in the past. We have to examine how we live in harmony with God’s creation, how we use and share the goods of the earth and what we pass on to future generations. The ecological crisis is a moral issue that needs a response from us. Participation in the Diocese of Kerry Earth Week 2014 can be your response.
You might consider conducting an ‘Environmental Audit’ of your parish. This might include: a) establishing a group with responsibility for auditing current environmental practice; b) drawing up environmental policy; or c) monitoring targets and promoting good practice in the parish. You may wish to invite your parish to calculate its carbon footprint and set targets for reducing carbon emissions. A number of ‘carbon calculators’ are available online, including at coolclimate.berkeley.edu/carboncalculator
CLICK HERE for poster
CLICK HERE to download Earth Week Resource Booklet