At Faith & the Common Good (FCG), our ongoing commitment is to provide tools and resources that enable faith communities to improve their carbon footprint and be more sustainable in their places of worship. To this end, we look for opportunities and partnerships that further this goal.

For example, along with our DIY Energy Audit Guide, we use the USA’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ENERGY STAR® resources, such as the Portfolio Manager software to help faith communities better understand their energy consumption patterns and empower them in making educated decisions on how to become more energy efficient. We are excited about our latest partnership with ENERGY STAR®. 

As the strange summer of 2020 winds to a close, our Grow Team is looking back fondly on the work that we’ve accomplished, the seeds that we’ve sown, and the community that we’ve built together in the gardens at Eglinton-St. George’s United Church. Over the past weeks and months, our team has been hard at work in the soil at ESG, working to foster the growth of not only fruits, vegetables, and flowers, but also of our own connections to our church, our faith, and our God. 

Season of Creation’s invitation to rest and restoration for the Earth community  

Christians around the world are coming together to pray and care for creation during the ecumenical Season of Creation which has just begun, running from September 1^st, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, to October 4^th, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi.

Jubilee for the Earth is the Season of Creation 2020 theme. In the biblical tradition, every 50^th year was a Jubilee year involving release from indebtedness, restorative justice and rest for creation. In a joint invitation to participate in the Season of Creation, faith leaders reflect on the meaning of Jubilee today, stating “As we live into a post-COVID-19 world, can we imagine new just and sustainable ways of living that give the Earth the rest it requires, that satisfy everyone with enough, that restore habitats and renew biological diversity?...  We encourage the entire Christian family to join us in this special time to pray, reflect, and take bold action to realize a Jubilee for the Earth."

Perhaps, you are well aware that Greening Sacred Spaces Ottawa has been one of the oldest chapters of the FCG sustainability network operating in Ottawa for over 15 years. What you may not know is that a few new faces have joined this chapter in the hopes of contributing to the meaningful work of the group and building its story further.  We would like to introduce ourselves, and in so doing, also discuss some of the ways in which we the Energy Benchmarking Program (EBP) that we are both involved in will be moving, going forward this year.

Communities Inspired for Environmental Action Central Saskatchewan is affiliated to Faith & the Common Good, a national, interfaith charitable network dedicated to assisting and inspiring religious congregations and spiritual groups of all backgrounds to take collective action in creating more sustainable communities. As the co-chair of Communities Inspired for Environmental Action, I am writing this brief letter to highlight the importance and tangible benefits for social equity and quality of life that accompany following through with the commitments outlined in the Low Emissions Community (LEC) Plan released by the City of Saskatoon in August 2019. That plan sets out a framework that seeks to transform the city that most of the people involved in Communities Inspired for Environmental Action call their home into a low emissions and sustainable community.

There are many initiatives and facts presented in the plan that are of interest to people involved in our group. Of note are the tangible targets for greenhouse gas reduction that the City of Saskatoon’s Council set in 2017 based on 2014 baselines of reducing emissions from corporations by 40% and from community emission by 15% by the year 2023. With reference to the same baseline year, the council set a target of an 80% drop in overall emission by the year 2050 (see p. 3 of the LEC).

June 30,2020

 We want YOU to join our Board!

Do you have Faith in a cleaner, healthier, more just future?

• Do you believe that our diverse faith and spiritual communities can be a force for good?
• Are you passionate and hopeful about protecting our environment for future generations?
• Are you a self-starter who respects tradition but is unafraid of change?
• Are you comfortable talking about money?
• Do you thrive working in multi-cultural, multi-faith, grass-roots environments?
• Do you have a sense of humour?
• Do you have some of the interests and experience discussed below?
  
  

If you answered a strong “Yes!” to these questions, you may be just the person we are looking for to join our Board of Directors.

Download the PDF for more information.