by Josh Richardson, photo from UM News Service
As churches in the United States (US) continue to do the important work of reducing their energy consumption, faith communities and other environmental movements across the world can provide inspiration and guidance to radical and life-giving measures that can be taken to reduce energy and improve the environment. Listed below are a few diverse examples of communities and movements outside of the US that show how other cultures and communities are addressing the challenges associated with energy production and consumption.
Green Hajj (Saudi Arabia)
Each year, millions of Muslims travel from all over the world to Mecca to participate in the annual ritual pilgrimage, the Hajj, which able-bodied Muslims, who have the financial means to do so, must complete at least once in their lifetime. As a part of this pilgrimage, pilgrims are required to partake in numerous rituals that can have a large environmental impact. The organization Green Hajj promotes practical and tangible ways in which the Hajj can be done in a more environmentally friendly way, including adapting ritualistic practices, reducing the amount of travel, planting trees to offset environmental degradation, and limiting the plastic waste produced. To learn more about Green Hajj and to think about how your community can reduce its environmental impact in ritual, check out their website.
Transition Movement (Europe)
The Transition Movement in Europe is working to prepare communities for a post-carbon and climate-disrupted existence through community building and the localization of resources. As a movement, Transition communities are reimagining what life can look like without fossil fuels, where community and social bonds are prioritized over consumption and consumerism. To learn more about the Transition Movement, check out their website. Or, for a look into how churches can participate in the prophetic work of the Transition Movement, check out the book The Transition Movement for Churches: A Prophetic Imperative for Today, by Timothy Gorringe and Rosie Beckham.
Kamikatsu Zero Waste Campaign (Japan)
The community of Kamikatu in Japan is a famous example of how a community can vastly reduce its waste and begin to approach a zero-waste existence while still fully functioning and participating in the larger Japanese society.[1] Working with its citizens, Kamikatu has shifted its culture to include an expansive recycling program that has reduced its waste by more than 80%, compared to the 20% average for other areas of Japan. And the program has been so successful, that it is inspiring other Japanese communities to join in their movement of waste reduction through intensive recycling.
LEED Platinum Certified Mosque in Hatta (Dubai)
In 2021, the world’s first LEED Platinum-Certified Mosque opened in Hatta, Dubai.[2] The 1050 m2 Mosque can hold up to 600 worshippers at a time and is equipped with solar panels, electric charging stations, bicycle and motorcycle parking, a graywater treatment system that allows water to be reused for irrigation and cleaning and was constructed with recycled materials. It is estimated that the Mosque uses 55% less water and 26.5% less electricity compared to a comparable building. To learn more about the LEED building certification system and the requirements for LEED certification, click here.
Organic Farming (Thailand)
In Thailand, the Sai Lomjoin farm is committed to using the 5 basic principles of Buddha with their farming practices (no killing, no cheating/stealing, no adultery, no lying/gossiping, and no drugs) to promote and maintain a healthy organic farm and ecosystem. On the farm, crops are rotated and intercropped, where the only manure inputs are from chickens kept on the farm. Each year, the farm produces enough food to support the family that owns the farm, while providing food for their local Wat (a temple for the monks). By maintaining a close connection to the land and spiritual practices, Sai Lomjoin shows how sustainable agriculture can provide for a community without relying on industrial agricultural systems. Check out this essay to learn more about Sai Lomjoin and how faith and agriculture can successfully partner.
White Plains Agricultural Center (Liberia)
Over half of all food consumed in Liberia is imported, requiring large amounts of fossil fuels for the transportation of crops and making Liberians reliant on foreign governments and markets for access to food.[3] To address these challenges and to boost the local economy, The United Methodist Church has been financing multiple agricultural centers including the White Plains Agricultural Center. This church-supported initiative is helping to localize agricultural production, to educate farmers about sustainable agricultural practices, and to reduce fossil fuel consumption while also providing economic and food support to individuals in need. To learn more about the Liberian United Methodist Church’s work on agriculture, check out this article by the United Methodist News Service.
Josh Richardson is the executive director of Brugmansia Ministries, an organization comprised of scientists, engineers, scholars, and religious leaders whose mission is to address climate change and climate migration through the building of physical, relational, and spiritual infrastructure within faith communities to increase the resilience and adaptive capacity of those communities to proactively address climate-driven environmental and human disasters.
Works Cited
“FAO GIEWS Country Brief on Liberia -.” Accessed October 31, 2021. https://www.fao.org/giews/countrybrief/country.jsp?code=LBR.
Gulf News Report. “This Mosque in the UAE Is a World First. Here’s Why | Uae – Gulf News,” September 4, 2021. https://gulfnews.com/uae/this-mosque-in-the-uae-is-a-world-first-heres-why-1.82025887.
McCurry, Justin. “‘No-Waste’ Japanese Village Is a Peek into Carbon-Neutral Future | Japan | The Guardian.” Accessed October 30, 2021. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/20/no-waste-japanese-village-is-a-peek-into-carbon-neutral-future.
[1] Justin McCurry, “‘No-Waste’ Japanese Village Is a Peek into Carbon-Neutral Future | Japan | The Guardian,” accessed October 30, 2021, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/20/no-waste-japanese-village-is-a-peek-into-carbon-neutral-future.
[2] Gulf News Report, “This Mosque in the UAE Is a World First. Here’s Why | Uae – Gulf News,” September 4, 2021, https://gulfnews.com/uae/this-mosque-in-the-uae-is-a-world-first-heres-why-1.82025887.
[3] “FAO GIEWS Country Brief on Liberia -,” accessed October 31, 2021, https://www.fao.org/giews/countrybrief/country.jsp?code=LBR.