What is your ecological footprint? How many planets would we need if everyone lived like you? Find out with this calculator from the Global Footprint Network.

The average American produces 4.4 pounds of trash per day! Here are some simple steps you can take to reduce that number.

Carry reusable items:  Re-usable water bottles, straws and coffee cups are a great place to start.  Avoid single-use and disposable items like plastic silverware and to-go containers by bringing your own re-usables.

Use cloth shopping bags at all stores, not just the grocery store: Just one reusable bag can save 170 plastic bags from entering our waste stream.  Reusable bags come in a variety of sizes and shapes, including reusable produce bags, and silicone replacements for sandwich bags.

 Fix or use what you already own: Learn to repair your clothing instead of throwing it out. Visible mending can give old clothes new life. Learn to make repairs on household appliances instead of just buying a new one. Could a DIY tutorial help you transform outdated or worn furniture or decor? Think outside the box for storage options: repurpose that old briefcase, shoe box, empty jelly jars, etc..

Start a household compost bin: When food gets buried in a landfill it emits potent greenhouse gasses. But food waste that is composted becomes liquid gold for your landscapes and reduces the need for chemical fertilizers.

Buy items with no, minimal or reusable packaging: Purchase loose tea and coffee as well as reusable tea strainers, coffee filters/press, and or Keurig cups. Consider buying from places that let you return used containers for recycling. Purchase non-perishables in bulk at the grocery store. If you choose to reuse bags or other containers that you've brought from home (think washed out applesauce jars and tins of cookies) be sure to ask for the "Tare" so that you only pay for the weight of the food and not the container.

Buy used over new (or just borrow): Purchasing used reduces the carbon impact caused by the demand for new materials. Online sites make it easy to buy or sell what you need for clothing, household supplies and cars. Consider borrowing items that you won't use very often instead of buying your own.

Resources:

Compost Collective KC

KC Can Compost

Missouri Organic Recycling

Olio (Food Sharing/Waste Reduction app)

Glass Recycling - Ripple Glass

Recycle Spot

Visible Mending

Scraps KC

Fabric Recycles

EarthCOR Upcycle Ideas- Pinterest

Shopping and eating locally means more of your money stays in the community, providing jobs and improving the economy. It can also mean a reduction in the environmental impact, compared to larger chain stores and restaurants. Here are some tips for shopping and eating locally:

Buy locally grown and produced food: Buying local is better for you, the environment, and the local economy. The average piece of produce in the U.S. travels 1,500 miles, while local food may only travel 100 miles (or less). When local farmers are well compensated they are less likely to sell their land to developers. This helps preserve green space that can draw down harmful carbon and reduce flooding. Farmers markets throughout the KC Metro area are open from spring to fall.

Patronize local restaurants that partner with local growers:  Look for local restaurants that offer “farm to table” cuisine.  You’ll support a local business while reducing the impact on the environment due to storing and transporting.

Look for items that are made locally, or Made in America: Local businesses typically consume less land and locate closer to residents than big chains. This means there is more green space to absorb heavy rains and less air pollution. In addition to providing more jobs, local companies provide a unique selection of products not available anywhere else. Buying from a local retailer also keeps 4 times the amount of money in the local economy compared to chains.

Join a CSA program: Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) creates a partnership between you and the farmer. Subscription plans allow you to become a shareholder of a local farm, and in return you enjoy a weekly share of food directly from the farm.

100% local Christmas: Commit to buying 100% of your Christmas presents locally. Supporting local vendors and shops improves the economy, supplies local jobs and lessens the impact on the environment caused by large chain stores, and you get to give unique and thoughtful gifts

Resources:

Why Buy Local Food?

Local Farm to Table Restaurants

Local Farmers and CSAs - Kansas City Food Circle

Cultivate KC

Made in KC - Explore

#ShopLocalKC

Made in America

Cars are a convenient and comfortable mode of transportation, but they are also a source of green house gas emissions and air pollution. With a little extra planning, you can reduce the impact your mode of transportation has on the planet.

Improve your fuel efficiency: Maintaining proper tire inflation and changing the air and oil filters on a regular schedule will ensure you get the best gas mileage possible.

Use green driving practices: Going the speed limit, avoiding sudden stops and starts and completing all your errands in one trip (using the most efficient route) minimizes mileage and wear and tear on your car.

Buy a car with better MPG: Commit to selecting your next vehicle based on getting better gas mileage than your current ride.

Drive less: Can you walk or ride your bike there? Experiment with route planner apps if you have a lot of errands to. If your job allows for it try telecommuting.  Visit RideShareKC to find carpooling buddies. If possible, consider driving part of the way to your destination and then take public transportation the rest of the way.

Go electric: Purchasing a hybrid or fully-electric car reduces your dependency on gasoline and the decreases the emissions created by driving. Purchasing an electric car often results in tax credits, a quieter ride and less maintenance.  

Go car free: The best car is the one you don't drive. Consider going car free. This may mean moving closer to work, or telecommuting full time, and looking for walkable neighborhoods with amenities close by.

Resources

Transportation Options - RideshareKC

Green Commute Challenge - RideshareKC

Regional trails and bikeways - MARC

Commuting Alternatives - MARC

Bike Share for All - RideKC

BikeWalkKC- Safe Routes to School

Making your home more eco-friendly positively impacts not only the environment, it can create cost-savings as well.

Replace incandescent light bulbs: New LED or CFL (compact fluorescent) bulbs use 75% less energy than a traditional incandescent bulb. They are not only more energy-efficient, they also last longer, saving you money and time spent finding replacement bulbs.

Unplug appliances and turn off lights when not in use: Many modern electronics have a “phantom load” – they still use electricity even when they are turned off.  These devices consume energy while waiting to be turned back on.  By using power strips and controllable outlets, you can reduce the amount of energy these devices are wasting.

Green your laundry routine: Wash laundry in cold water, and only when you have a full load.  Cut down on your dryer usage by hanging lighter-weight clothes to dry. Experiment with wool dryer balls or DIY dryer "sheets" to soften and or scent your laundry.

Use water more efficiently: Using too much water wastes energy. Turn off the water when you brush your teeth. Install low-flow water fixtures and tankless water heaters. Choose showers over baths (10-25 gallons of water vs. 70 gallons of water). An average shower uses about 5 gallons of water per minute. Set a time limit for showers and stick to it.

Up your appliance game: Replace old appliances and HVAC systems with energy-efficient models before they break. You’ll save money in the long-run and help the environment. The quickest way to save energy during the summer is to regularly clean and replace your cooling appliance's filters.  Repair AC and refrigerator leaks right away.

Solar power: If your home allows for it, installing solar panels can be a great way to save money and utilize a renewable energy source. In addition to the cost-savings in energy bills, tax credits and rebates are available.

Resources

Energy Saving Tips for Your Home

Metropolitan Energy Center - Energy Efficient Buildings

Evergy Income-Eligible Weatherization Program

Evergy Rebates (Home)

Evergy Missouri Business Incentives

Renewable Energy Resources

Contribute to Clean Energy Development

Save Kansas Solar

Evergy Residential Renewables

Renewables for Kansas Businesses

Evergy - Renewables for Commercial and Industrial Businesses

Planting native plants and flowers creates a beautiful yard while supporting and sustaining bees, butterflies and songbirds. Native plants build healthy soil, create wildlife habitats, and often require less fertilizer and water.

Create a backyard habitat: Providing native plants, feeders and houses is a great way to invite birds, bees, bats and beautiful butterflies into your yard.  Bees and other pollinators help with crop production, while bats and birds can help reduce the mosquito population in your yard.

Go native with your landscaping: Creating space in your landscaping for native grasses and wildflowers not only provides a source of beauty for you to enjoy, native plants often require less water, fertilizer, maintenance and herbicides. They also tend to have longer roots which helps them better tolerate drought and sequester surplus carbon.

Reduce your lawn maintenance emissions:  Using electric and manual tools, including mowers, trimmers and rakes reduces the need for gasoline and the emissions gas motors cause. Mowing your lawn less frequently, and/or reducing the amount of grass in your landscaping means less hassle for you and a healthier environment.

Install a rain barrel:  Installing a rain barrel to collect water for use in watering your landscaping reduces water consumption and wastewater run-off. Homeowners in Johnson County can even receive reimbursement for a rain barrel purchase!

Build a rain garden in your yard:  Rain gardens collect water from rain, reducing the wastewater run-off and recharging aquifers. Pollutants carried by rainwater runoff account for 70% of all water pollution Rain gardens also prevent erosion, provide habitat for butterflies, frogs and turtles and eliminate the need for you to mow in marshy areas.

Avoid pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers: Planting native grasses and using organic gardening techniques reduces your exposure to harmful chemicals and reduces their impact on the planet. Did you know that baby birds only eat insects? No insects, no baby birds.

Resources

Contain the Rain - Johnson County sustainable landscape solutions reimbursement program

Deep Roots KC

Blue Thumb: Planting for Clean Water

Grow Native! Missouri Prairie Foundation

Read

Read a Psalm that speaks of the majesty of God’s creation.
Psalm 8 - How majestic is your name in all the earth!
Psalm 19 - The heavens declare the glory of God.

Pray

O God, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen:
You place us in your creation, and you command us to care for it.
Your works declare glory and splendor, and you call us to praise and reverence.
Where we have degraded or destroyed earth’s bounty, forgive us.
Where we have taken beauty and majesty for granted, have mercy upon us.
Where we have become estranged from the creatures with whom we share the planet, grant us your peace.
Renew us in the waters of baptism, refresh us with the wind of your Spirit and sustain us with the Bread of Life.
In the name of Jesus Christ, and for the sake of the new creation we pray.
Amen.

Activities

• Experience the Resurrection Prayer Walk at the Leawood Campus - Pick up a guide at the Connection Point in Building A and walk through the natural prairie area as you pray and reflect on the life of Jesus.
• Walk or bike in nearby parks or natural areas with your family or friends.
• Consider advocating for policies that preserve public lands and the natural environment.

Resources

• Heartland Conservation Alliance
• Contact The Nature Conservancy in Kansas
• The Nature Conservancy in Missouri

Advocate

• advocate (noun): someone who pleads for or on behalf of a cause or person; an intercessor
• advocate (verb): to speak or write in support of

Follow the examples of Jesus and the Holy Spirit by advocating for God’s creation. Reach out to politicians, businesses, schools, restaurants and more. Help them become better stewards too.

Advocate with prayer too, for yourself, for others and especially for those in leadership positions. Pray for a deeper understanding of how reconnecting to our fundamental role as stewards of creation helps us better love and honor God and love our neighbors as ourselves.

Websites:

• Kansas Interfaith Action Campaigns
  
• Missouri Interfaith Power & Light
• Climate Action KC
• UMW Social Action Campaigns
• Take Action - Sojourners
• Earth Day Network - Vote Earth
• Heartland Conservation Alliance
  
• Contact The Nature Conservancy in Kansas
• The Nature Conservancy in Missouri

Articles:

• Sojourners: "The Time is Ripe for Faith-Based Advocacy"
• Sojourners: "No Time for Arm-Chair Activists"

Earth Day began on April 22, 1970, and since then has become an opportunity for education, advocacy, and service for creation.

We will continue to add to this list as more opportunities become available.

• EF21 Online with Climate Council of Greater Kansas City - Join the Climate Council of Greater Kansas City online on April 17-18 for two days of educational workshops led by local organizations, live music, film and more.

• National Gathering & Lobby Day with Ecumenical Advocacy Days - Ecumenical Advocacy Days is an annual gathering of Christian advocates and activists speaking truth to power on Capitol Hill on April 18-21. This year's theme is "Imagine! God's Earth and People Restored," and is an opportunity to support the global movement centered on and led by the communities most vulnerable to climate impacts due to racial and colonial inequities.

• Earth Day 2021 with EarthDay.org - Join EarthDay.org for three days of climate action on April 20-22, and learn more about what you can do year-round to care for our Earth.

• Earth Day Activities all month at Science City, including hands-on activities, and opportunities to learn about alternative energy, caring for the oceans, and more.

Join us on Zoom on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month from 9:30 - 11:30 am as we explore our role as stewards of creation through creativity, curiosity, humor and grace.

Contact Erin Chacey for more information and be sure to join our Facebook Group to stay up-to-date on current events and opportunities.

Are you already a member of a small group or organization?  Help support green initiatives and changes in the social groups you are already connected to (like KidsCOR, RezLife, Mathew’s Ministry, soccer team, neighborhood Bunco club, Boy Scouts, Rummage Sale, etc.) 

Advocate

• advocate (noun): someone who pleads for or on behalf of a cause or person; an intercessor
• advocate (verb): to speak or write in support of

Follow the examples of Jesus and the Holy Spirit by advocating for God’s creation. Reach out to politicians, businesses, schools, restaurants and more. Help them become better stewards too.

Advocate with prayer too, for yourself, for others and especially for those in leadership positions. Pray for a deeper understanding of how reconnecting to our fundamental role as stewards of creation helps us better love and honor God and love our neighbors as ourselves.

Websites:

• Kansas Interfaith Action Campaigns
  
• Missouri Interfaith Power & Light
• Climate Action KC
• UMW Social Action Campaigns
• Take Action - Sojourners
• Earth Day Network - Vote Earth
• Heartland Conservation Alliance
  
• Contact The Nature Conservancy in Kansas
• The Nature Conservancy in Missouri

Articles:

• Sojourners: "The Time is Ripe for Faith-Based Advocacy"
• Sojourners: "No Time for Arm-Chair Activists"

We make waste reduction fun as we transform the broken, stained, or random things into something beautiful and/or useful again. All sewers, painters, builders, crafters, and wanna-bes welcome. Whatever tools you use, join us as we craft for good.