January 2024 Tips

John Wesley began a New Year tradition of leading people in renewing their covenant with God. At the very beginning, God gave us a garden to tend and till. Now is the time to renew your commitment to be good stewards of our earth. Choose one new thing you can do throughout the year to care for creation.

Junk mail invades our lives to the tune of 41 pounds per person per year. Eighty to 100 million trees lose their lives each year to print junk mail, and much of it ends up in landfills. Stop junk mail. Here are three ways.

In a world that needs kindness and delight, Positively Green Cards delivers both, responsibly. These greeting cards are made from recycled material, printed with soy ink, and manufactured using green power. The company also donates 10% of their profits to organizations that care for the environment. Make someone—and earth—happy!

Corporate and governmental practices that despoil the land or water affect people of color to a far greater degree than richer and whiter communities. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood against racism, including environmental racism. Honor King’s legacy by working for justice, especially on behalf of people of color and indigenous tribes.

We’re charging into a new political year, yet the 1774 voting advice of John Wesley is still relevant. The stakes are high for creation and for justice. Listen closely to the candidates’ pitches and find out more about their record of action. Support those who work for good for all. Encourage friends and family to engage also. Then vote.

Could you be a “reducetarian”? You may know the high costs meat, eggs, and dairy inflict on the planet, the animals, and water, but going vegetarian or vegan is not for you or your family. There is, as John Wesley would say, a “Third Way.” Reducing the amount of animal products in your diet by just 10% makes a difference, and if just 25% of Americans did so, the impact would be enormously helpful. Find out more here.

Hot food or drink in single-use cups and take-out containers made of what is often called “Styrofoam” leach toxins (Styrene and Benzene—both suspected carcinogens and known neurotoxins). Some ultimately will be absorbed into our bloodstream and tissues. Keep that in mind. Demand and use alternatives (glass, ceramic, aluminum, even multiple-use plastic ware). Speak up for your health and the health of the environment.

Go thrifty; save the earth! When you purchase clothing from a thrift or second-hand store, your choice uses fewer resources, generates fewer emissions and less waste, gives other people work, extends the life of the garment, and keeps textiles out of the landfill.

Cook pasta in its sauce and about ½ cup of water or broth. This small change is projected to save some six billion gallons of water a year that would otherwise be thrown out. Your community may be spared, but our neighbors across the country and around the world are dealing with drought. Conserving water is a baseline action of caring for all.

You already know Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. You may even have added Refuse, Repair, and Rot (compost) to the list. Here’s one more: Remember! First, remember who you are and Whose you are! When you focus on God’s call to you to care for creation and justice, it’s easier to remember to do the other R’s.

The United Methodist Creation Justice Movement is providing these Tips 
as a tool to equip church members, families, and individuals to respond to God’s call to care for creation and do justice with our neighbors.