The fashion industry produces more clothing each year than it ever expects to sell. Much of what is produced is discarded within the season of production. According to an analysis by Business Insider, 85% of all textiles made go to dumps each year, generating 92 million tonnes of textile waste, most of which ends up in developing countries, some of whom burn what is unsuitable for their climate.

The UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion reports that the fashion industry is the world’s second biggest consumer of water, generating roughly 20% of the world’s waste water. Denim is especially thirsty; one pair of jeans requires 2000 gallons of water. Furthermore, much of that waste water is heavily polluted with very toxic bleaches and dyes.

Add to that the distances clothing is shipped from the manufacture of fibres to the construction of garments to the wholesaler and then to the retail market, all on different continents. The whole process emits 10% of the world’s total global greenhouse gas emissions.

Most of what we wear consists of petroleum in some form, often blended with other fibers, making recycling impossible. A major problem with the various polyesters is that they shed microfibers, mostly during laundering. Washing one load of polyester clothes can release 700,000 microplastic fibers into the environment. It is estimated that half a million tonnes of these microfibers end up in the sea each year. Polyester, made from fossil fuels, is non-biodegradable. Microfibres from synthetics are a major contributor to microplastic pollution as they enter the waste water and then into the food chain. Consequently we all have microfibres in our bodies. Washing machine manufacturers are researching ways to filter out microfibers, but so far there is nothing on the market to solve the problem.

Another feature of fashion recently is the addition of plastic to clothing in the form of glued-on glitter and sequins. These, of course, wash off into the waste water stream as well.

As Christians we strive to love our neighbours, so we are always concerned about labour practices and how our choices affect those who are involved in the industries that we support with our purchasing power. Historically, many garment workers have laboured in unhealthy and/or unsafe conditions, earning low wages. The tragic collapse of a multi storey garment factory in Bangladesh in 2013 (the Rana Plaza) made retailers and customers more aware of how garment workers are treated, especially in developing countries where most of our clothes are produced.

By 2023, substantial progress had been made on fire and building safety in the Bangladesh garment industry. But many textile workers around the world labour under poor conditions for very low pay.

So what are our options as Christians who care about the earth and fellow humans? Slow fashion, as opposed to fast fashion, promotes buying fewer, better quality, longer lasting clothes, preferably made locally. The upfront cost is greater, but they pay off in durability. We can choose natural biodegradable fibres, such as linen, wool, cotton, hemp, bamboo and silk. We can spot clean and reduce laundering. We can mend and repair, or have a skilled tailor or seamstress mend or adjust a garment. Most towns have used clothing outlets where we can donate and purchase gently used clothing at good prices, thus keeping fabrics out of dumps.

With some thought, we can be both well dressed and care for our neighbours and our planet home.

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The day started with a Morning Prayer service of praise to our Creator with joyous singing accompanied by Mike Fenn, the Music Director at Christ Church.

A sumptuous potluck lunch consisting of an abundance of plant based dishes was enjoyed by all.

Our keynote speaker, Bishop Michael Oulton, spoke to us of the Marks of Mission and how we are charged to care for the earth, reminding us of the fifth Mark of Mission: “to continue to strive to safeguard the integrity of God’s creation, and respect, sustain and renew the life of the earth.”

He showed us photos of flooding due to the rise in sea level at Baie Vert, New Brunswick, his hometown. He spoke passionately about how, if global heating continues, his boyhood town can expect to be under the ocean as the Bay of Fundy rises. He thanked us for our efforts in taking measures which will help combat or cope with predicted changes in our climate, and reminded us to project an image of hope in the midst of the challenges we all face.

We heard encouraging reports of ways various churches are working to comply with the Synod 2021 resolution to reach 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

Several churches in our diocese have taken up the offer of the Green Group to have thermal imaging done to show areas of heat loss. This service continues to be free and available to any church once the cold weather arrives. Simply contact greengroup@ontario.anglican.ca.

A cold weather heat pump is being used in one church and is being considered in a number of others. Cold weather heat pumps can heat down to 30C and cool in the summer and they use no fossil fuels.

We were reminded that 5 degrees C is the recommended temperature for a church when the building is not in use.

Many churches have answered Bishop Michael’s call to plant trees. Indeed, the city of Brockville is blessed to have a veritable forest on city property, due to the enthusiasm and efforts of the Anglican churches in Brockville. Brockville is also beautified by a team from St Lawrence Anglican who have “adopted” highways, keeping them free of litter.

Several churches in our diocese are establishing community gardens.

We discussed ideas of what churches and families can do to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. A simple, easy and economical way for individuals to reduce their carbon and methane footprint is to move to a more plant based diet. We viewed a graph showing the relative GHG costs of meat, especially beef as compared to grains and legumes. The difference is shocking!

Rev Dr Ian Ritchie and Jim Biagi spoke briefly of their experience with electric cars. They maintain that EV’s are the vehicles of the future. Members of the Green Group also discussed our personal experiences with solar panels, heat pumps and the Canada Greener Homes Grant Initiative and other grants for individual homeowners.

Our hope is for our churches to have a ‘green team’ of people to champion environmental efforts, including submitting the annual report to Synod council on reductions to GHG emissions. For further information contact greengroup@ontario.anglican.ca or see our website at diocese of ontario/mission/creation care.

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The zoom platform enabled us to welcome participants from the dioceses of Huron, Toronto, Moosonee as well as Ontario

Despite fewer numbers of participants, conversations and learning were rich and well worth enduring the discomfort of zoom, and having to prepare our own meals!

Our speaker this year was the Rev. Dr. Willard Metzger, the executive director of Citizens for Public Justice. Dr. Metzger’s topic was ‘Displaying Life as God Intended.’ He suggested that an individualistic way of viewing the gospel, “Jesus and me” is a narrower approach than Jesus intended. Rather, Jesus and his early followers saw his ministry as societal and redemption as communal, even global. He suggested that an overemphasis on personal and individual salvation can lead to spiritual egoism. He stressed that God’s passion is to restore the whole world, indeed, the cosmos.

Our day started with an opportunity for informal conversation, followed by deeply meaningful Morning Prayer, lead by very competent and experienced lay readers. Then we went into breakout rooms where we were asked to recall times in our lives when we experienced or witnessed various forms of discrimination or altruism. Rich conversations ensued.

Following the small group discussions, we had our minds sharpened with a lecture about attitudes and conditions in first century Palestine. After a break, our imaginations were sparked by a story from the gospels by Dr Metzger who is a master story teller. Through his gift of creative storytelling, Dr. Metzger was able to take us to first century Palestine and illustrate for us the societal and cultural setting in which Jesus addressed injustices. Again, discussions about the story content were deep and meaningful. The mornings ended with prayers and some music.

The chat function on zoom enabled us to share resources that will be valuable to us in our service as lay readers.

We came away refreshed, renewed and broadened in our faith, reflecting on the learning we received, and recharged for our service to Christ and the church. And we did not have to drive home!

We look forward to meeting in person next year. Providence Spirituality Centre, which has hosted us for many years is no longer available, so we are looking for a new venue.

The post Summer Fruit for Souls 2022 appeared first on Dialogue.

There are lots of things we can do and collectively we can make a difference. I propose three tangible things: diet, transportation, and buildings. These are not facile or cheap, but we are already doing the facile and cheap, and the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere continue to rise.

For us all to live on a sustainable planet we must change our eating habits. We have to reduce our consumption of meat, since cattle, lamb, and goat emit methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. The production of animal feed takes many, many acres of farmland, and animals consume considerable amounts of water.  Much of our food is trucked or flown long distances, adding to carbon emissions. Choosing local, plant based foods will make a significant difference to the health of our planet, and to the well-being of all of us who live on the earth. On the plus side, plant-based diets have been shown to reduce the incidence of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and dementia. To make things even better, a plant-based diet can be significantly less expensive, and especially if you grow some of your own food, a whole lot tastier!

According to some experts, transportation is our biggest contributor to greenhouse gases. Active transportation, like walking and cycling is healthy both for us and the planet. For longer trips, another option is to carpool and to plan our trips to reduce emissions. Driving at the speed limit will reduce gas usage by up to 20%, making a big difference not only to emissions but to our wallets!  Of course, electric vehicles are the way of the very near future. The transition from gas powered to zero emission transportation is happening very rapidly. EV’s are zero emission and becoming equivalently affordable with gas cars, when we account for how inexpensive they are to drive considering the current and rising price of gasoline and diesel. For those of us who must own a car, driving an electric vehicle makes a very significant reduction to one’s carbon footprint.

The third area to make a major difference in our greenhouse gas emissions is with our buildings. Currently most buildings are heated with some form of fossil fuel. For those of us living in apartments, we can adjust the thermostats, and do other simple, low-cost things, like the use of drapes or shades. Homeowners can conserve energy by sealing air leaks and increasing insulation. Water heated by electricity is more ecofriendly. Recently, air source heat pumps that are efficent to -30 degrees C have come on the market. The up-front cost is high, but then there is no gas or oil bill, and no emissions! The first step is to investigate the several sources of grants available from Enbridge, the Government of Canada, and the city of Kingston. 

Professional energy audits are a good place to start and are rebated when upgrades are made. 

For further information on any of these measures, check out https://www.ontario.anglican.ca/mission/diocese-of-ontario-green-group .

Runaway climate heating is not inevitable, when we all play our part. All of these lifestyle adjustments are beneficial both for our personal and collective health, as well as for our wallets. But an even more compelling reason for considering them is that they are an important part of our Anglican covenantal promise to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth. May God bless you in your efforts in behalf of God’s earth.

Ten ways you can help fight climate change from the David Suzuki Foundation:

1. Urge government to take bold, ambitious climate action now

2. Help raise climate ambition by painting your town with climate art

3. Use energy wisely — and save money too!

4. Eat for a climate-stable planet

5. Start a climate conversation

6. Green your commute

7. Consume less, waste less, enjoy life more

8. Invest in renewables and divest from fossil fuels

9. Mobilize for local climate action

10. Get politically active and vote

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