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SAGE – Shankill Action for a Green Earth The Season of Creation 1st September - 4th October
Autumn is upon us and all over the Northern Hemisphere farmers and gardeners are readying themselves to bring in the harvest - vegetables, fruits and a multiplicity of crops, which will provide food and nourishment for us all in the coming year.
The Season of Creation is an ecumenical initiative to increase our awareness of the vulnerability of our planet and its life-giving gifts and our responsibilities to safeguard it for future generations.
October 4th, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, is the final day of the Season of Creation. Although he died almost 800 years ago Francis understood how precious the creation that sustains our lives is. His vision transcends religions and nationalities. He has been a true prophet for humanity !
SAGE is encouraging everyone in Shankill to do something in this Season of Creation to actively take care for our planet. This can involve both the conservation of energy and promoting biodiversity. Choose one thing from each of these lists, that you don’t do already, and turn it into a lifetime habit.
Conserve Energy:
Walk, Cycle or, when Covid is sorted, take Public Transport, instead of driving, when possible.
Install Attic Insulation, 30cm deep, and save energy while making your home warmer.
Set your Thermostat to 20 deg. C, and put a heating timer onto your system.
Put an effective lagging jacket on your hot water cylinder
Use LED lights all over the house, starting with your living room and kitchen
Run your dishwasher on the ECO cycle and your washing machine at the 30 deg C cycle
Wear a warm jumper instead of turning up the heat.
Promote Biodiversity
Respect and protect nature – plants, trees and insects.
Don’t use weedkiller on your lawn – create a lawn with nourishing clover, colourful dandelions, buttercups and daisies, that nourish insects, especially bees. Remember, a perfect lawn is just a green desert.
Take a walk and focus on the beauty of nature around you, the colours of Autumn, the starkness of Winter’s trees, the buds of January and February.
Plant pollinator friendly bulbs – crocus, allium, snowdrops. Visit www.pollinators.ie; www.biodiversityireland.ie
Plant a native Irish tree And finally, log on to our Season of Creation public lecture. Internationally renowned
Sr Nellie McLaughlin, Cosmologist, Ecologist and Promoter of Sustainable Living
Will speak on the topic
A Message of Hope and Challenge in an Ecological Emergency Thursday 1st October at 8.00pm
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