Beatitudes Blog

Summer Fellowship: "Don't be Fuelish"

Submitted by Freddie Ghesquiere on June 28, 2008 - 12:01am.

This was a slogan during the energy crisis of the 70's, according to Ira Flatow on NPR. In the past week President Bush has suggested lifting the ban on offshore oil drilling in order to address the nation's energy needs, and John McCain recommended increasing nuclear generated power-- forty-five new nuclear reactors by 2030.

I wasn't alive and kicking in the 70's but apparently back then the recommended solution for the high cost of fuel was... conservation! A vulgar and archaic notion, no?

I don't hear many political leaders advocating conservation. Are constituents really that repulsed by this recommendation? My hunch is that consumers would prefer to see more fuel efficient vehicles on the market than be asked by their leaders to drive less, or drive differently. Driving smarter can save the equivalent of 50-80 cents per gallon if you drive slower on highways (55mph), keep your car tuned, keep unnecessary weight out of the trunk, etc. These measures strike so many people as so unappealing...

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Summer Fellowship: Lessons from a Clergy Meeting

Submitted by Freddie Ghesquiere on June 26, 2008 - 8:37pm.

Yesterday I joined some of our staff members for a clergy meeting at Faith Missionary Baptist Church in East Palo Alto. The purpose of the gathering was to bring climate change to the attention of clergy, encourage them to involve their congregations, and address their concerns and questions. About thirty clergypersons showed up and spent a productive hour sharing ideas and listening to Sally Bingham, our organization’s president and founder, empower them with a mission and a sense of urgency.

Several thoughts struck me throughout the gathering. The first was that clergy are as powerful and influential, if not more so, than politicians and scientists. Sally has been arguing this for quite some time and I believe that it’s true. Congregants trust their clergy, and they believe what is said from the pulpit. While clergy cannot be expected to become experts on the science of global warming overnight, nor can they single-handedly influence climate legislation, they can and do speak to the morality of the issue. They can and do inspire their congregants to care.

Second, I was reminded that many people perceive energy reduction measures to inevitably involve sacrifice, and probably misery. Action aimed at addressing our carbon footprint seems like such a burden: lower the heat? Lower the air conditioning? Buy local? Fly less?!?!? Public transportation!!!!?!?!?!??! I wish there were some way to persuade others that these lifestyle changes are liberating. They lead to a fuller way of living life, because it is lived more selflessly, with one’s larger community in mind. I wish that as much money and propaganda went into informing consumers about the impacts of over consumption, and the joys of a life with less stuff. Check out these short videos on the story of stuff:

Click here to watch the whole video.

Feeding off the last realization, I recognize that the best way to encourage change is to model it. Composting made no sense to me until I saw it in action, placed my own kitchen scraps into the compost pile, cared for it and saw the result months later. Worm composting is one of the simplest ways of year-round indoor composting in colder climates, but simply reading about it wouldn’t have been enough. I needed to see my friends practicing this holy sacrament, in order to follow suit. What if our churches, mosques, synagogues and temples modeled green living on a daily basis? What if coffee hour always stocked organic fair trade coffee, served in porcelain mugs or reusable travel mugs? What if all programs were printed on recycled, pre-used paper, or not at all? What if all appliances were energy star, all recyclables were recycled, and all visitors witnessed this model each week, rather than just hearing or reading about it? For a fun site, check out: www.greenyour.com As in, “green your… (home, dog, toilet, date, wedding, anything!)

Finally, I recognized that clergy need resources that make sense. We cannot expect them to take up our cause and then not provide the information, inspiration, connections, resources and products that help them along this path. One of my summer projects involves revamping the Regeneration Project’s Resources webpage, so that clergy and congregations can find helpful, useful materials on addressing climate change. Any suggestions are welcome.

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Summer Fellowship: Making Sense

Submitted by Freddie Ghesquiere on June 24, 2008 - 7:16pm.

I have a theory that the bike commuters of San Francisco have organized themselves into a secret society that operates throughout the city. Neophytes are inducted after making it to work alive for eleven consecutive workdays, which should land me a spot in their group some time this afternoon. Once in, I will be taught the secrets of telepathic communication with muni drivers and given an extrasensory detection of upcoming roads with a 17+% grade.

My daily commute to work at The Regeneration Project winds through several neighborhoods, landing me eventually into the corporate heart of Fog City: the Financial District. The route is relatively flat, relatively un death-defying, and the method fits in nicely with the ethos of my internship.

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