Green Faith - Our Lenten Environmental Education Series

Join us for the “Wednesdays at Grace” Lenten Environmental Education Series taking place every Wednesday from 6:45-8pm from March 16 to April 13 at Grace Episcopal Church in Medford, MA. Dinner will be served at 6:00pm The topics include:

• March 16: Bishop Bud Cederholm - Green Faith - Repent, Reconcile, and Renew the Earth
• March 23: Joseph Asaya - Greener Earth: Leading Green International Projects Locally and Internationally
• March 30: “Work of 1,000” Screening and Follow On Discussion - Marion Stoddart and Sue Edwards
• April 6: Environmental Justice in New England - Deborah Brown
• April 13: Ways You Can Save Energy at Home - Alicia and Jonathan Hunt

Come learn and share about how we can all make a difference locally and globally to reduce our energy consumption, reuse, and recycle. All are welcome!

More information about each talk provided is below. Here are some photos from the events that have taken place:

Green Faith Lenten Environmental Series

Throughout Lent Grace’s Green Team will be hosting the Adult Ed. Series of Wednesday’s at Grace as part of our parish-wide Lenten focus on Environmental Stewardship. The series will include several prominent guest speakers and will cover a variety of topics including Environmental Ethics, Environmental Justice locally and abroad, and how individuals can make a difference at home and in their communities. The schedule for events is as follows:

• March 16: Green Faith – Repent, Reconcile, and Renew, with Bishop Bud Cederholm. Bishop Bud, the “green Bishop” kicks off our series with worship, song and discussion around the Christian response to “the most important ethical and moral challenge the world faces today.”

• March 23: Greener Earth: Leading Green International Projects Locally and Internationally, with guest Joseph Asaya.  Join us as we welcome Joseph Asaya from the Greener Earth campaign dedicated to the full rejuvenation of the earth’s green nature by giving opportunities to people in the third world countries to have access to Solar Energy. Our discussion will include the benefits associated with living green such as cost benefits, reduction of carbon footprints and health benefits as well as the dangers of continuing in the status quo such as the rise of water level, global warming, death to polar bears and eventually the quick end to earth.

• March 30: Work of 1,000 with guests Marion Stoddart and Sue Edwards.  Marion Stoddart, a young mother of three, lived next to one of the nation's most polluted rivers. At a low point in her own life, she took on its clean-up as a personal cause-for herself, for the community, and for future generations. She had no special skills or training, but what she did have was a vision for what was possible. And, an unwavering resolve to save the dying river. Marion's historic success in cleaning up the Nashua River-recognized by the United Nations, National Geographic, and chronicled in books and now a movie-is an inspirational lesson about the impact one person can have in the world.
  
  Come watch a 30-minute film about her, and meet Marion Stoddart as we discover together how we might turn our vision of change into a reality.

• April 6: Environmental Justice in New England: Protecting the Urban Poor, with guest Deborah Brown. Deborah Brown, who currently works for EPA's Environmental Justice team, will talk about the environmental justice issues faced by communities in New England. She will also talk about what EPA and other groups (including religious organizations) are doing to address those injustices. Deborah has been a passionate advocate for environmental justice issues in all her positions at EPA; for example when she ran the Toxics and Pesticides enforcement program, she developed a very strong program dedicated to fighting the scourge of childhood lead poisoning.

• April 13:  Ways You Can Save Energy at Home, with Alicia and Jonathan Hunt.  Over the past several years, Alicia & Jonathan Hunt have cut their electricity and gas bills in half through a combination of behavioral changes and weatherizing their house.   They will speak about some of the best and most cost effective ways to reduce energy use in your own home.  Questions are welcome and they will have tips for both homeowners and renters.

For questions, please email Jonathan Hunt or call the church office at (781) 396-7215.

Together we can make a difference in the world!