Karen Schwartz, the hospital system’s vice president for facilities, says that the move was inspired by the fact that as a petroleum-based product, Styrofoam doesn’t decompose or go away over time in a landfill. It stays forever and it takes up space. If you throw it in the ocean, it floats and it can kill sea life. If you burn or incinerate it, the chemicals that were used in the manufacturing of it aerosolize and again has a negative impact on the environment…

“We really couldn’t find a redeeming quality other than the fact that it held stuff.” Schwartz added: “We are all responsible for caring for God’s creation and we are interdependent on one another. It is really short-sighted of me to think that my actions and behaviors don’t impact someone in Haiti, Peru, Africa or China – because they do.” (Story from The Greenville News, 12/30/2011)

We’d like to give a shout out to the Catholic Climate Covenant  for sharing this story in their Weekly  E-Update. For more information, and to sign up, visit their website at: http://catholicclimatecovenant.org/

Catholic Climate Covenant is a project of the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change.

Photo Credits: Likely Impact Congress Blocks Pollution Limit Updates

The Missionary Oblates joined thirty-two faith-based and socially responsible investors in a letter to the Senate leadership urging timely implementation of Clean Air Act rules proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), most notably, the Cross State Air Pollution rule (CSAPR) and Mercury and Air Toxics rule (Utility MACT). Arguing that the proposed rules would create jobs and save lives, the investors added that, based on their discussions with electric utilities, the proposed rules would not threaten the reliability of the electric system.

Read the letter (Download PDF)…

Watch “The Story of Broke”:

Watch these YouTube reflections on ‘Justice in the World’ from Maria Riley, O.P. and Jim Hug SJ from the Center of Concern in Washington and Marie Dennis from the Maryknoll Office of Global Concern. [http://jpicformation.wikispaces.com/]

The Synod Document is available in eight languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Polish, Indonesian and Korean on the USG/USIG JPIC website.

]]> http://omiusajpic.org/2011/10/25/reflections-on-justice-in-the-world/feed/ 0 http://omiusajpic.org/2011/10/20/eco-tips-mindfulness-about-waste/ http://omiusajpic.org/2011/10/20/eco-tips-mindfulness-about-waste/#comments Thu, 20 Oct 2011 11:32:43 +0000 christina http://omiusajpic.org/?p=10027 Did you know that every year:

• each person in the United States produces over 3,285 pounds of hazardous waste;
• over 80% of items in landfills can be recycled, but they’re not;
• the United States generates 30 billion foam cups, 220 million tires, and 1.8 billion disposable diapers every year.

Its time to stop. These are some of the things you can start doing today:

• Favor products with a high recycled content, even if they cost a little more.
• Reduce the volume of packaging you buy, reuse what you can, and recycle the rest.
• Tell the clerk “I don’t need a bag”.
• Use your own reusable canvas bag or backpack at the store.
• Buy quality products and keep them for a lifetime.

]]> http://omiusajpic.org/2011/10/20/eco-tips-mindfulness-about-waste/feed/ 0 http://omiusajpic.org/2011/08/31/dirty-oil-the-film/ http://omiusajpic.org/2011/08/31/dirty-oil-the-film/#comments Wed, 31 Aug 2011 17:33:56 +0000 christina http://omiusajpic.org/?p=9649

The first film to tackle the subject, Dirty Oil dramatically explores the battle between industry, government, local communities and environmentalists over the development of the oil sands of Alberta, Canada.

From the heart of the oil sands, the film follows the pipelines to the U.S. Midwest refineries, to witness how refineries, much like its Canadian counterparts, try to increase toxic dumpings into the Great Lakes. These disturbing stories profoundly illustrate the price dirty oil is taking on both sides of the border.

It is the heart-wrenching story of industry and government putting money before the health and security of its people and the environment.

View “Dirty Oil” online on the Babelgum website

From the makers of Downstream: Narrated by Canadian actress and environmentalist Neve Campbell, this much anticipated feature documentary from Academy Award®-Nominated director Leslie Iwerks goes deep behind-the-scenes into the strip-mined world of Northern Alberta, Canada.

“Our efforts for a better air in Pacoima continue. This week some of the leaders will meet with a South Coast Air Quality Management District (air pollution control agency). We are going to give them a history of what we have done, we will tell them about the medical problems that many people in the area are suffering from, and will also tell them about out tour to All American Asphalt. We are going to request that they test for emissions around All American Asphalt at a level of 3 ft. high, and to identify stationary sources of strange odors which is why we started the investigation.”

 Read this post in Spanish…

Some 200 people involved in social justice issues for the church gathered May 16-18 for an international conference sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. The meeting celebrated the 50th anniversary of Blessed Pope John XXIII’s social encyclical, “Mater et Magistra.” It was designed to find ways to use the church’s social teaching, including Pope Benedict XVI’s 2009 social encyclical “Caritas in Veritate,” to bring greater justice to a globalized world.

The Oblates were represented by Fr. Seamus Finn, OMI, US JPIC Director. Fr. Seamus, a leader in the faith-responsible investment movement said, “Individual Catholics are looking for guidance” in how to connect their concern for corporate responsibility and the environment to their faith and Christian spirituality.

Christians cannot be motivated solely by utilitarian arguments that natural resources should be protected so that they will not run out or poison future generations, he said, adding that “Environmental and corporate ethics needs to be based on the Christian sense of stewardship, of care, respect and appreciation for God’s gifts.”

Read the Catholic News Service article…

Recipes for Non-Toxic Cleaning (Download PDF)

Available also on this website in Spanish

Thanks to the Oblate Ecological Initiative for these suggestions.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Laredo, TX

“Greens of Guadalupe”: Our Lady of Guadalupe  Catholic Church, Laredo, Texas

Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Laredo, Texas prides itself as a leader in promoting a healthy community environment. Greens of Guadalupe is a parish group at Our Lady of Guadalupe. The group is supported and led by members from the parish. Greens of Guadalupe at Our Lady of Guadalupe is an example of parish best practice organizing.

Greens of Guadalupe was formed in March 2007 after the late Fr. Darrell Rupiper OMI preached a workshop on integrity of creation to parishioners. The mission of the group is to protect, conserve and foster respect for earth’s natural resources by educating and guiding the people of Laraedo in order to create and preserve a healthy environment for future. The group’s slogan is PLANTING GREEN SEEDS.

The Greens of Guadalupe continue to meet on a monthly basis and have participated in several local environmental projects. The Greens of Guadalupe received a certificate of appreciation and nomination of a Texas Environmental Excellence Award from the Rio Grand International Study Center. Their work has been recognized by media and was featured in The Texas Observer and Laredo’s newspaper. The group advocated to the local city council about the issue of plastic bags polluting the environment, particularly our waterways.

Greens of Guadalupe is celebrating its 4th Anniversary in March 2011. The group has already started an educational project for young students at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School with presentation of the three “Rs” (Reuse, Reduce, and Recycle). The Greens of Guadalupe will offer the same workshop to their fellow parishioners and they plan to participate in the annual neighborhood clean up in Laredo. In the summer, the group organizes a “Green Seed of the Week” project for Laredo parishes. Weekly, the group sends emails to parish secretary to include a green tip (English and Spanish) in the church bulletin. [See the Eco-Tips section of this website.]

With the support from Oblates working in the parish, Greens of Guadalupe continue to raise parish awareness about the care and respect for the “Mother Earth” natural resources.

Follow up on Greens of Guadalupe, please email: gngolwe@omiusa.org