Environment

The Diocesan Environment Group meets six times a year for the purpose of promoting Christian stewardship of the Creation. There is a small, but committed nucleus of members. New members are always welcome. We tend to meet at St Andrew’s Eastern Green. Since 2006, we have primarily confined ourselves to one project per year. 

Our 2006 Project was a Carbon Reduction Project, with nine participating churches seeking to reduce their carbon footprint by 10% (see below).

Our 2007 Project seeks to encourage church schools in the Diocese to make the vital connection between faith and the environment - specifically climate change. This will climax with an exhibition by schools at the Head Teachers’ Conference in October. (see below

For further information, contact the Diocesan Environmental Adviser, Revd Greg Smith, 02476 422856 or gregsmith31760@tiscali.co.uk.

Revd Greg Smith

Local Food is Miles Better - Join the Campaign

What is a food mile?

It's how far food travels from the farmer who produces it to the consumer who eats it.  That includes the journey from farm to processor, then from processor to retailer and finally from retailer to consumer.  It includes travel within the UK as well as between countries.

And why is it important to reduce the number of food miles travelled?

They harm the environment - Transporting food large distances uses a lot of fuel, whether it travels by lorry or plane.  That means more carbon dioxide emissions and more global warming.

To keep food fresher - The further food has to travel, the longer it spends in transit.  That means vitamins are lost and nutritional values inevitably decline.

More Food miles means more transport cost - Aviation fuel and lorry diesel aren't cheap, so the further food  travels the more costs it incurs.  Who pays those costs in the end?  Consumers, of course. 

High food miles mean less security - As time goes by, a greater and greater proportion of UK food comes in from aborad.  At a time when the world has never seemed such an unstable place, is it really a good idea to rely so heavily on distant countries to supply such a vital commodity?

It Enhances Community - The Church of England is a community focused mission agency.  Christ built a community of disciples, teaching and evangelising in the context of accountable fact to face relationships.  Wherever community thrives, opportunities for the gospel abound.

OK, so how do I cut down my food miles?

• Look more closely at country of origin labels on food products and choose your purchases accordingly
• Ask where food comes from when shopping and eating out
• Eat foods that are in season in the UK (see www.eattheseasons.co.uk to see what's in season)
• Use farmers markets (there are more than 500 in the UK).  For a list see www.farmersmarkets.net
• Use farm shops or pick your own farms.  See www.farmshopping.com for a list
• Look for local producers on the internet.  Food from Britain (www.regionalfoodanddrink.co.uk) and BigBarn (www.bigbarn.co.uk) have two of the best local food directories
• Find a local box scheme (www.ukfoodonline.co.uk)

Farmers Weekly surveyed over 1000 consumers from around the UK to find out how much they know about food miles. 

Here are some of the results:

• Over three quarters of those questioned (77%) think that local food tastes fresher
• Around half (49%) of consumers are concerned that more than a third of food consumed in the UK is produced abroad
• Nearly half of those surveyed admitted they don't actually know where the food they buy is produced
• Over 80% think it's important for restaurants/pubs and schools to buy locally produced food
• More than 8 in 10 consumers would be more likely to buy locally produced food in the supermarket if it was clearly labelled as such
• 19% of people thought oranges can be grown in the UK, and 1 in 10 thought pineapples could be!

FOR MORE INFORMATION, OR TO REGISTER YOUR SUPPORT AND SIGN OUR PETITION, GO TO www.fwi.co.uk and click on Food Miles. 

This information has been supplied by Farmers Weekly

Green Energy

The Diocesan Environment Group have circulated the following letter to PCC Treasures and Secretaries, if you would like any further information please do contact Greg Smith, Greg's details are listed below.

You will no doubt be aware that the Church of England nationally has taken a significant lead in commending to government and to the nation the great need to care for the creation.

At Diocesan level, we are seeking to reflect these concerns and demonstrate similar prophetic leadership by taking the need to reduce our carbon footprint seriously.  We are writing to you as church treasurer, because you will understand better than most that genuine commitment has a financial dimension.  There is no merit in trying to hide the fact that greening your church has budgetary implications.  If carbon reduction is not something that your PCC regard as a priority, it is unlikely to feature in your budget.  However, if you appreciate the importance of seeking to minimise damage to God’s world, then you will want to see that this is done as cost effectively as possible.

Our research suggests that, pound for pound, the most cost effective way of reducing carbon emissions is to switch to a green energy supplier.  You may already have done this or you may wish to pursue this independently of the diocese.  However, we would ask you to research carefully.  Not all so called green tariffs are as green as the headlines claim.  This is a complex area, and I would be glad to clarify if necessary, but in short unless your electricity is supplied by Green Energy, Good Energy or Ecotricity, it is unlikely to be green in any meaningful sense in spite of whatever promises may have been made to you.  Green energy is that which comes from renewable sources (e.g. wind, wave, solar) rather than through burning fossil fuels such as coal.

Coventry Diocese is in the process of negotiating with Green Energy, a national supplier of green electricity.  We are looking to set up a scheme that makes switching over simple, guarantees genuinely green energy in a way that means your financial commitment is making a real difference, and at a price that maximises the cost effectiveness of your investment.
 
We are not in a position to answer your number one question: what will it cost?  This will depend on the timing of any switch over that is made.  Many churches are tied into a contract with their existing supplier of twelve months or more.  However, our investigations have persuaded us that Green Energy offer green electricity at very competitive prices and are likely to continue to do so.  Secondly, our arrangement with them will enable us to offer further discounts on their advertised tariffs, both to the church and members of your congregation.  In broad brush terms, an 8% reduction in your energy consumption will enable a switch at no additional cost.

At this stage, we would ask you to discuss this at the next convenient PCC meeting; and then advise me whether in principle you would wish to pursue switching your supplier further, either now or at some point in the future.  You may find it helpful to view the recent documentary: An Inconvenient Truth.  Free copies of this have been provided by the Diocese and are available from Revd David Charles-Edwards (e-mail: CWA.David@btinternet.com or Tel: 01788 569212)

Yours in Christ

Greg Smith
Chair: Coventry Diocesan Environment Group
For further information, contact the Diocesan Environmental Adviser, Revd Greg Smith, 02476 422856 or gregsmith31760@tiscali.co.uk.

 Climate Change in Schools

We are seeking to encourage all church schools in the Diocese to engage with the question of how faith affects our concern for the environment, and specifically climate change.  We are working in partnership with the Coventry multi-faith forum and have undertaken to make appropriate resources available to schools to stimulate their thinking in relation to acts of collective worship, RE and spirituality.

We are also hoping that as many schools as possible will be able to make a contribution to the Head Teachers’ Conference in October by producing a relevant display. There will be an appropriate small gift for all taking part and Bishop John will be visiting a school and presenting an additional prize for an outstanding contribution.

 Carbon Reduction Project

Churches in Coventry Diocese have been asked to participate in a pilot project to reduce their carbon emissions by 10% over a 12 month period.  If successful (both practically and in capturing the imagination), it is hoped the project might be rolled out more widely the following year.

Individual churches (in a variety of settings and sizes) have been asked to measure their carbon footprint as close to June 5th (World Environment Day) as convenient.  The footprint relates to energy consumption and transport used by the congregation to travel to church on an “average” Sunday.  Additionally, churches have been asked to identify members who are willing to participate on an individual basis, measuring their own carbon footprint (energy consumption and annual mileage).  The challenge is to reduce the footprint by 10%, although participants are being encouraged to recognise that any reduction is better than none.

Support is to be offered through workshops, in which energy saving ideas will be offered and examples of good practice will be shared.  There will also be an electronic newsletter to ensure that momentum is maintained.

It is hoped that both the individual and the church who make the most progress through the twelve month life of the programme will receive a small prize; and that their success can be celebrated more widely through the diocese.

Jo Rathbone, National Project Co-ordinator, Eco-Congregations (England and Wales)

Jo Rathbone is National Project Co-ordinator, Eco-Congregations (England and Wales). 

Eco-congregations website: www.ecocongregation.org/englandwales

 Jo is based the Arthur Rank Centre, Royal Agricultural Showground, England which is at Stoneleigh, Warwickshire.