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JPIC Corner
 Volume 5 Issue 3                                                                                 April 2012
    An E-Publication of the United States Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart to
                 promote Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation. Sign up now.

             Coordinator’s Note
             Brother Warren Perrotto, MSC
             JPIC Coordinator
             Missionaries of the Sacred Heart
              Care for God’s Creation
We all know that there is a lot of talk about the
Global Warming crisis. After several days of work-
shops, videos, lectures, books, articles, etc. etc.
etc., hearing both sides of the story, it is still not
easy to form an opinion. All of these presentations                                              © mattjeacock
were from mostly professional scientists or Catho-        occasionally filters into San Bernardino, CA, I am
lic Social Justice Groups. I heard some profession-       convinced that we are in a Global Warming envi-
als affirm that we are at a critical stage of decision-   ronment. On the other hand, standing on top of
making to save our fragile world from an ecological       a California mountain on a beautiful clear day, it
disaster if we don’t reduce our human-made pol-           makes me not only thank God for the beauty, but
lutants in the atmosphere. In other lectures, I           I wonder if we really are in for an ecological disas-
heard professionals state that Global Warming is          ter. By the same token, when I read about unusual
not a problem, but they admit that we are experi-         weather in places, e.g. snowing for the first time
encing ecological change not necessarily by human         in areas that were snow free, it makes me wonder
means, but through nature itself. I admit that I tend     if Mother Nature or Mother Earth has decided to
to ignore multi-national corporations’ hired scien-       change her appearance through a natural ecologi-
tists, who naturally favor the agenda of these insti-     cal shift.
tutions while receiving a handsome sum of money
                                                          So what should we do? Should we ignore the mes-
for downgrading the Global Warming Crisis.
                                                          sages brought to us or do as one environmentally
During the 1970’s there was the Global Freez-                                            Continued next page
ing alert, where it was said that the sun would be
blocked and we would freeze. The front cover of             Did You Know?
the April 8, 1977 of Time Magazine front cover has a        •	 People in the US use more water each day by
picture of a penguin standing on a frozen mount of             flushing the toilet than by any other activity.
snow. The caption reads, “How to survive the Com-              (Source)
ing of the Ice Age.” Today we are told we will die          •	 The average American uses 650 pounds of
of heat exhaustion. Either way, there always seems             paper a year. (Source)
to be a prediction of an environmental apocalypse.
                                                            •	 If you recycle the all the paper you use, in
Where does the truth lie? And from whom do we
                                                               just over 3 years you will save 17 trees, two
receive the objective truth on the environment?
                                                               barrels of oil (enough to run the average car
On the one hand, when walking through the streets              for 1,260 miles), and 4,100 kilowatts of en-
of Mexico City, breathing in black smoke from the              ergy (enough power for the average home
cars, and breathing in the Los Angeles smog, which             for six months).  (Source)
Care for God’s Creation, continued....                                           All photos for illustration only.

safe hotel did by replacing the Bible with Al Gore’s
An Inconvenient Truth in each room?
But then, I recently came across a new phrase
which I never saw or heard before. The phrase is
post-normal science. This word involves trading
truth for influence. The environmental scientist
and professor and director of the Tyndall Center
for Climate Change Research, Mike Hulme has con-
firmed this word in an interview in 2007. He admit-
ted that “scientists—and politicians—must trade
(normal) truth for influence.” Now when a scien-
tist admits this, we are in trouble. Of course, I am
far from being a scientist, but my understanding is                                            © Josef Friedhuber
that science discovers facts and then formulates a The picture above was taken in the Russian Arctic, between Franz
theory from what it has studied. Post-normal sci-                                    Josef Land and the North Pole.
ence is a politically correct system that invents
facts to manipulate opinion.
In his novel, The Whole Truth, David Balducci uses
the phrase perception management. This word
phrase can cover a multitude of sins. It seems that
this expression is not a fantasy of fiction, but in
fact is a reality in our world today. Perception man-
agement refers to “Actions to convey and/or deny
selected information and indicators to foreign au-
diences to influence their emotions, motives, and
objective reasoning as well as to intelligence sys-
tems and leaders at all levels to influence official
estimates, ultimately resulting in foreign behaviors                                        Photo by Kondo Yukihiro
and official actions favorable to the originator’s ob-       Above: The White Sands National Monument in New Mexico


Take the St. Francis Pledge Selected Resource: The Catholic Climate Covenant
Visit the Catholic Climate Cove-        The Catholic Climate Covenant is an initiative which pays special at-
nant website to take the St. Francis    tention to the themes of “covenant, creation, and poverty.” It was
Pledge to Care for Creation and the     launched by The Catholic Coalition on Climate Change (whose par-
Poor. There are five elements to        ticipants include the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops) during the
the St. Francis Pledge: Pray; Learn;    Easter season in 2009.
Assess; Act; Advocate.
                                        On their website, catholicclimatecovenant.org, visitors can take the
You can take the pledge as an in-       St. Francis Pledge and find information on Church teaching related
dividual, but groups and organiza-      to climate change, resources for ways to get involved, and links to
tions, parishes, religious orders,      other organizations. Check out their website and some of their re-
dioceses, and schools and universi-     sources, and consider taking the St. Francis Pledge this Earth Day.
ties can also take the pledge. More
                                        •	 What You Can Do (PDF)
information and ideas for how in-
                                        •	 How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint (PDF)
dividuals and groups can fulfill the
                                        •	 Suggested Prayers
pledge is available on the website.
Care for God’s Creation, continued....
jectives. In various ways, perception management         interest groups who often usurp our God-given
combines truth projection, operations security,          resources for gain and profit, which result in con-
cover and deception, and psychological opera-            tamination of God’s creation. I’m not that way be-
tions.” This makes me wonder how much truth is           cause it is politically correct, but because I believe
conveyed and how much fabrication is in the glob-        that God calls humanity to be just stewards of our
al environment discussions.                              home and all of creation. For sure, God calls us to
                                                         have a love-relationship with His creation because
Stewardship of and Care for God’s Creation is a
                                                         all of creation is ordered to God’s glory. If we take
principle of Catholic Social Teaching. God calls us
                                                         this God-centered approach, we realize that it
to have a love-relationship with His creation be-
                                                         transcends all the scientific, technological, liberal
cause all creation is ordered to God’s glory and
                                                         vs. conservatives, politically correct, culturally cor-
must be treated accordingly. It encompasses the
                                                         rect, and economic spheres. (Read online/see sources)
respectful use of our resources and fosters the
common good. Addressing the Diplomatic Core,
Pope Benedict XVI noted, “Truly the world is dark
wherever men and women no longer acknowledge
their bond with the Creator and thereby endanger
their relation to other creatures and to creation it-
self. The present moment is sadly marked by a pro-
found disquiet and the various crises – economic,
political and social – are a dramatic expression of
this.” With this in mind, I do have a solution for our
environmental problems that we face today.
First, we cannot be prophets of doom. Second, we
need to respect all of God’s creation. Individuals
and communities are called to love, honor, respect,
and save our earthly home. I am an advocate of                                           Photo credit: Fran Hogan
clean air, of recycling, of clean water, of “green”
and I’m an advocate in the defense of human life         “Created things belong not to the few, but to the
and our natural environment. I oppose those self-        entire human family.” - US Catholic Bishops, Re-
                                                         newing the Earth, 1991, p. 8.
We Are Making A Difference
Like many challenges facing our society today, caring for the environment can sometimes feel overwhelm-
ing. Some of the statistics may cause us to doubt whether we can even make a difference. For instance, in
2010, Americans generated 250 million tons of trash. Even worse, the amount of trash we generate has
been increasing, rising from 3.66 lbs per person per day in 1980 to about 4.43 lbs of trash per person per
day in 2010.
Yet there is another side to the story: the amount we recycle has also been increasing (from less than 10%
in 1980 to 34% in 2010) and these recycling efforts have a positive impact on the environment. By recycling
85 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) in 2010, we reduced carbon dioxide equivalent emissions
by an amount comparable to the annual GHG emissions from over 36 million passenger vehicles.
In short, although the statistics may sometimes be disheartening, we have made some progress already.
We make many decisions every day that affect our environment, from how long we spend in the shower
to whether or not we recycle. Each decision is an opportunity to live our calling as good stewards, an op-
portunity to be part of the solution.
4 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day
#1: Form A Water-Conserving Habit This Month
Each day in the United States, we use an average of 100
gallons of water per person, making our water usage
about twice that of people in Europe (who use an average
of 50 gallons per person per day). This Earth Day, make
a commitment (individually or as a family) to become a
better steward of the earth’s water. Pick one of the ideas
below or check out the Water Use It Wisely or Environ-
mental Protection Agency websites for more ideas.
•	 Shorten your shower by one or two minutes. This can                                      © Thomas Vogel
   save up to 150 gallons per month.
                                                       “We cannot interfere in one area of the
•	 Install a water-efficient shower head. Doing so can
                                                       ecosystem without paying due attention to
   save up to 750 gallons of water a month.
                                                       both the consequences of such interference
•	 Only run the dishwasher (or do laundry) when you in other areas and to the well-being of future
   have a full load.                                   generations.” - John Paul II
•	 Sweep sidewalks, porches and driveways instead of
   hosing them down. A hose puts out around 10 gallons
   of water a minute.
•	 Turn off the water while you are brushing your teeth.
   (The average faucet flows at a rate of 2 gallons of wa-
   ter per minute.)
•	 Check your toilet for leaks. (One way to do this is to
   put food coloring in the tank and see if it leaks into
   the toilet bowl without flushing). Fixing a leak can                                   Photo by Jani Ravas
   save up to 1,000 gallons of water a month.
                                                             Only 2.8% of the water on earth is freshwater.

#2: Reconnect with Nature
                           When was the last time you went for a hike in a forest, visited your local park
                           or even walked around your neighborhood looking at the flowers? Earth Day is
                           a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with nature. Here are a couple of ideas:
                           •	 Go for a walk in the park. Is there is a National or State Park close to
                              where you live? (If not, there may still be a local park near you.) Check out
                              the trails with a friend or family member. Be sure to bring water, and also
                              look up park information and policies before you go.
                           •	 Stop and smell the flowers. Spend a couple hours in the botanical gardens
                              or in another garden in your area that is open to the public. You may also
                              be able see a lot of flowers simply by walking around your neighborhood.
                           •	 Exercise outside. Use your local bike trail or park instead of the gym when
                              walking, running or biking. Or substitute an outdoor activity like hiking or
© Tara Flake                  canoeing for one of your workouts.
4 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day
#3: Reduce Your Ecological Footprint
Our daily actions and choices have an impact on the environment.
In other words, we leave “footprints.” The term “Ecological Foot-
print” refers to how much of the biological capacity of the planet
is required by a given human activity or population. Our Ecological
Footprint is calculated by taking into consideration all of the bio-
logical materials that we consume, and all of the wastes that we
generate, in a year. Here are a couple ideas for ways we can reduce
our Ecological Footprint:
•	 Assess your current impact. Find out how many planet earths
   we’d need if everyone lived like you by using the Earth Day
   Network Ecological Footprint Calculator or the Center for Sus-
   tainable Economy’s Ecological Footprint quiz.
•	 Drive less. When going short distances (for instance to visit
   friends in the area, or running errands), see if you can walk or
   bike instead of taking the car.
•	 When it’s time to replace or upgrade an appliance, choose an
   energy-efficient replacement.
•	 Unplug electronic devices when you aren’t using them (a pow- © Franz-W. Franzelin
   er strip may make this easier).                                  Little Things Add Up
•	 Recycle! Paper, glass, aluminum and many types of plastics can Did you know that line drying cloth-
   all be recycled. If you’re replacing home furnishings, clothing, ing can reduce your ecological foot-
   or electronic equipment that is still in good condition, donate print? This method of drying your
   the “old” item instead of throwing it out. Buying products clothes saves 3 to 4 kilowatt hours
   made from recycled materials (or secondhand instead of new) per load, which is about 5 pounds of
   also helps reduce our impact on the earth.                       carbon dioxide.

#4. Help Children See Nature’s Beauty
It is important to teach our children about the environment and our impact on it and to help them form
good habits based on the principles of good stewardship. But it is also important to help them see how
beautiful and good God’s creation really is. That way, they can see the positive side to caring for the earth
and her resources.
If we constantly talk about the negatives - about pollution, deforestation and climate change, we run the
risk of implanting the idea that the situation is too overwhelming, that it can’t be fixed. As some of us may
know from personal experience, the feeling of being overwhelmed often leads to inaction rather than
action. Instilling an appreciation of the earth’s beauty in our children, grandchildren, nieces and neph-
ews, etc. can help them develop a lifelong relationship with nature. So let’s try to give them the gift of
memories of spotting local birds and other animals on nature walks, of discovering a waterfall on a hike,
of seeing breathtaking views from the top of a mountain or in the desert, of swimming in the ocean or
canoeing on a river. Later, when they are facing the environmental challenges of their generation, these
experiences may help them be able focus on something positive (i.e. preserving the earth’s beauty) rather
than just something negative (i.e. pollution). This healthier perspective can help keep all of us from feeling
overwhelmed, making it a little easier to take the steps we can take to be part of the solution.
Do You See God’s Beauty?
  Our very contact with nature has a deep restorative
  power; contemplation of its magnificence imparts
  peace and serenity. (John Paul II, 1990 World Day of
  Peace Message, no. 14.)
The beauty of God’s creation is all around us. Yet when
life gets hectic, we may not always see it. Taking a mo-
ment to notice the flowers blooming in our own yard can
be refreshing, reminding us that “God looked at every-
thing he had made, and found it very good.” (Gn 1:31)
Two of our members, Br. Joe Tesar, MSC and Fr. Andrew
                                                                                          by Br. Joe Tesar, MSC
Torma, MSC enjoy taking nature-based photographs.              by Br. Joe Tesar, MSC
Here are a few of the pictures that our fans on Facebook
have enjoyed. We hope you’ll find in them a reflection
of God’s love for creation and that they lift your spirits.
For more photos, check out our photo albums: Spring;
Do You See God’s Beauty? and Celebrating Creation:
Flowers. (Our friends on the other side of the world
might enjoy “Autumn” and “Fall Colors”.)


                                                               by Br. Joe Tesar, MSC




                                                               by Fr. Andrew
                                  by Fr. Andrew Torma, MSC     Torma, MSC


 About JPIC Corner
 JPIC Corner is a monthly publication of the USA Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart:

 Publisher: The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart
 Provincial: V. Rev. Raymond Diesbourg, MSC
 JPIC Coordinator: Bro. Warren Perrotto, MSC
 Editors: Fr. E. Michael Camilli, MSC and Lindsay Marcellus Brother Warren Father Mike            Lindsay
 JPIC Corner is a free publication sent to those who ask to receive it. If you enjoy this publication and
 would like to make a donation to the MSC, please visit: www.misacor-usa.org/give-to-the-msc

              For more information about the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, our mission
              and spirituality, please visit our website: www.misacor-usa.org

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JPIC Corner April 2012: Care for God's Creation

  • 1. JPIC Corner Volume 5 Issue 3 April 2012 An E-Publication of the United States Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart to promote Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation. Sign up now. Coordinator’s Note Brother Warren Perrotto, MSC JPIC Coordinator Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Care for God’s Creation We all know that there is a lot of talk about the Global Warming crisis. After several days of work- shops, videos, lectures, books, articles, etc. etc. etc., hearing both sides of the story, it is still not easy to form an opinion. All of these presentations © mattjeacock were from mostly professional scientists or Catho- occasionally filters into San Bernardino, CA, I am lic Social Justice Groups. I heard some profession- convinced that we are in a Global Warming envi- als affirm that we are at a critical stage of decision- ronment. On the other hand, standing on top of making to save our fragile world from an ecological a California mountain on a beautiful clear day, it disaster if we don’t reduce our human-made pol- makes me not only thank God for the beauty, but lutants in the atmosphere. In other lectures, I I wonder if we really are in for an ecological disas- heard professionals state that Global Warming is ter. By the same token, when I read about unusual not a problem, but they admit that we are experi- weather in places, e.g. snowing for the first time encing ecological change not necessarily by human in areas that were snow free, it makes me wonder means, but through nature itself. I admit that I tend if Mother Nature or Mother Earth has decided to to ignore multi-national corporations’ hired scien- change her appearance through a natural ecologi- tists, who naturally favor the agenda of these insti- cal shift. tutions while receiving a handsome sum of money So what should we do? Should we ignore the mes- for downgrading the Global Warming Crisis. sages brought to us or do as one environmentally During the 1970’s there was the Global Freez- Continued next page ing alert, where it was said that the sun would be blocked and we would freeze. The front cover of Did You Know? the April 8, 1977 of Time Magazine front cover has a • People in the US use more water each day by picture of a penguin standing on a frozen mount of flushing the toilet than by any other activity. snow. The caption reads, “How to survive the Com- (Source) ing of the Ice Age.” Today we are told we will die • The average American uses 650 pounds of of heat exhaustion. Either way, there always seems paper a year. (Source) to be a prediction of an environmental apocalypse. • If you recycle the all the paper you use, in Where does the truth lie? And from whom do we just over 3 years you will save 17 trees, two receive the objective truth on the environment? barrels of oil (enough to run the average car On the one hand, when walking through the streets for 1,260 miles), and 4,100 kilowatts of en- of Mexico City, breathing in black smoke from the ergy (enough power for the average home cars, and breathing in the Los Angeles smog, which for six months). (Source)
  • 2. Care for God’s Creation, continued.... All photos for illustration only. safe hotel did by replacing the Bible with Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth in each room? But then, I recently came across a new phrase which I never saw or heard before. The phrase is post-normal science. This word involves trading truth for influence. The environmental scientist and professor and director of the Tyndall Center for Climate Change Research, Mike Hulme has con- firmed this word in an interview in 2007. He admit- ted that “scientists—and politicians—must trade (normal) truth for influence.” Now when a scien- tist admits this, we are in trouble. Of course, I am far from being a scientist, but my understanding is © Josef Friedhuber that science discovers facts and then formulates a The picture above was taken in the Russian Arctic, between Franz theory from what it has studied. Post-normal sci- Josef Land and the North Pole. ence is a politically correct system that invents facts to manipulate opinion. In his novel, The Whole Truth, David Balducci uses the phrase perception management. This word phrase can cover a multitude of sins. It seems that this expression is not a fantasy of fiction, but in fact is a reality in our world today. Perception man- agement refers to “Actions to convey and/or deny selected information and indicators to foreign au- diences to influence their emotions, motives, and objective reasoning as well as to intelligence sys- tems and leaders at all levels to influence official estimates, ultimately resulting in foreign behaviors Photo by Kondo Yukihiro and official actions favorable to the originator’s ob- Above: The White Sands National Monument in New Mexico Take the St. Francis Pledge Selected Resource: The Catholic Climate Covenant Visit the Catholic Climate Cove- The Catholic Climate Covenant is an initiative which pays special at- nant website to take the St. Francis tention to the themes of “covenant, creation, and poverty.” It was Pledge to Care for Creation and the launched by The Catholic Coalition on Climate Change (whose par- Poor. There are five elements to ticipants include the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops) during the the St. Francis Pledge: Pray; Learn; Easter season in 2009. Assess; Act; Advocate. On their website, catholicclimatecovenant.org, visitors can take the You can take the pledge as an in- St. Francis Pledge and find information on Church teaching related dividual, but groups and organiza- to climate change, resources for ways to get involved, and links to tions, parishes, religious orders, other organizations. Check out their website and some of their re- dioceses, and schools and universi- sources, and consider taking the St. Francis Pledge this Earth Day. ties can also take the pledge. More • What You Can Do (PDF) information and ideas for how in- • How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint (PDF) dividuals and groups can fulfill the • Suggested Prayers pledge is available on the website.
  • 3. Care for God’s Creation, continued.... jectives. In various ways, perception management interest groups who often usurp our God-given combines truth projection, operations security, resources for gain and profit, which result in con- cover and deception, and psychological opera- tamination of God’s creation. I’m not that way be- tions.” This makes me wonder how much truth is cause it is politically correct, but because I believe conveyed and how much fabrication is in the glob- that God calls humanity to be just stewards of our al environment discussions. home and all of creation. For sure, God calls us to have a love-relationship with His creation because Stewardship of and Care for God’s Creation is a all of creation is ordered to God’s glory. If we take principle of Catholic Social Teaching. God calls us this God-centered approach, we realize that it to have a love-relationship with His creation be- transcends all the scientific, technological, liberal cause all creation is ordered to God’s glory and vs. conservatives, politically correct, culturally cor- must be treated accordingly. It encompasses the rect, and economic spheres. (Read online/see sources) respectful use of our resources and fosters the common good. Addressing the Diplomatic Core, Pope Benedict XVI noted, “Truly the world is dark wherever men and women no longer acknowledge their bond with the Creator and thereby endanger their relation to other creatures and to creation it- self. The present moment is sadly marked by a pro- found disquiet and the various crises – economic, political and social – are a dramatic expression of this.” With this in mind, I do have a solution for our environmental problems that we face today. First, we cannot be prophets of doom. Second, we need to respect all of God’s creation. Individuals and communities are called to love, honor, respect, and save our earthly home. I am an advocate of Photo credit: Fran Hogan clean air, of recycling, of clean water, of “green” and I’m an advocate in the defense of human life “Created things belong not to the few, but to the and our natural environment. I oppose those self- entire human family.” - US Catholic Bishops, Re- newing the Earth, 1991, p. 8. We Are Making A Difference Like many challenges facing our society today, caring for the environment can sometimes feel overwhelm- ing. Some of the statistics may cause us to doubt whether we can even make a difference. For instance, in 2010, Americans generated 250 million tons of trash. Even worse, the amount of trash we generate has been increasing, rising from 3.66 lbs per person per day in 1980 to about 4.43 lbs of trash per person per day in 2010. Yet there is another side to the story: the amount we recycle has also been increasing (from less than 10% in 1980 to 34% in 2010) and these recycling efforts have a positive impact on the environment. By recycling 85 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) in 2010, we reduced carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by an amount comparable to the annual GHG emissions from over 36 million passenger vehicles. In short, although the statistics may sometimes be disheartening, we have made some progress already. We make many decisions every day that affect our environment, from how long we spend in the shower to whether or not we recycle. Each decision is an opportunity to live our calling as good stewards, an op- portunity to be part of the solution.
  • 4. 4 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day #1: Form A Water-Conserving Habit This Month Each day in the United States, we use an average of 100 gallons of water per person, making our water usage about twice that of people in Europe (who use an average of 50 gallons per person per day). This Earth Day, make a commitment (individually or as a family) to become a better steward of the earth’s water. Pick one of the ideas below or check out the Water Use It Wisely or Environ- mental Protection Agency websites for more ideas. • Shorten your shower by one or two minutes. This can © Thomas Vogel save up to 150 gallons per month. “We cannot interfere in one area of the • Install a water-efficient shower head. Doing so can ecosystem without paying due attention to save up to 750 gallons of water a month. both the consequences of such interference • Only run the dishwasher (or do laundry) when you in other areas and to the well-being of future have a full load. generations.” - John Paul II • Sweep sidewalks, porches and driveways instead of hosing them down. A hose puts out around 10 gallons of water a minute. • Turn off the water while you are brushing your teeth. (The average faucet flows at a rate of 2 gallons of wa- ter per minute.) • Check your toilet for leaks. (One way to do this is to put food coloring in the tank and see if it leaks into the toilet bowl without flushing). Fixing a leak can Photo by Jani Ravas save up to 1,000 gallons of water a month. Only 2.8% of the water on earth is freshwater. #2: Reconnect with Nature When was the last time you went for a hike in a forest, visited your local park or even walked around your neighborhood looking at the flowers? Earth Day is a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with nature. Here are a couple of ideas: • Go for a walk in the park. Is there is a National or State Park close to where you live? (If not, there may still be a local park near you.) Check out the trails with a friend or family member. Be sure to bring water, and also look up park information and policies before you go. • Stop and smell the flowers. Spend a couple hours in the botanical gardens or in another garden in your area that is open to the public. You may also be able see a lot of flowers simply by walking around your neighborhood. • Exercise outside. Use your local bike trail or park instead of the gym when walking, running or biking. Or substitute an outdoor activity like hiking or © Tara Flake canoeing for one of your workouts.
  • 5. 4 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day #3: Reduce Your Ecological Footprint Our daily actions and choices have an impact on the environment. In other words, we leave “footprints.” The term “Ecological Foot- print” refers to how much of the biological capacity of the planet is required by a given human activity or population. Our Ecological Footprint is calculated by taking into consideration all of the bio- logical materials that we consume, and all of the wastes that we generate, in a year. Here are a couple ideas for ways we can reduce our Ecological Footprint: • Assess your current impact. Find out how many planet earths we’d need if everyone lived like you by using the Earth Day Network Ecological Footprint Calculator or the Center for Sus- tainable Economy’s Ecological Footprint quiz. • Drive less. When going short distances (for instance to visit friends in the area, or running errands), see if you can walk or bike instead of taking the car. • When it’s time to replace or upgrade an appliance, choose an energy-efficient replacement. • Unplug electronic devices when you aren’t using them (a pow- © Franz-W. Franzelin er strip may make this easier). Little Things Add Up • Recycle! Paper, glass, aluminum and many types of plastics can Did you know that line drying cloth- all be recycled. If you’re replacing home furnishings, clothing, ing can reduce your ecological foot- or electronic equipment that is still in good condition, donate print? This method of drying your the “old” item instead of throwing it out. Buying products clothes saves 3 to 4 kilowatt hours made from recycled materials (or secondhand instead of new) per load, which is about 5 pounds of also helps reduce our impact on the earth. carbon dioxide. #4. Help Children See Nature’s Beauty It is important to teach our children about the environment and our impact on it and to help them form good habits based on the principles of good stewardship. But it is also important to help them see how beautiful and good God’s creation really is. That way, they can see the positive side to caring for the earth and her resources. If we constantly talk about the negatives - about pollution, deforestation and climate change, we run the risk of implanting the idea that the situation is too overwhelming, that it can’t be fixed. As some of us may know from personal experience, the feeling of being overwhelmed often leads to inaction rather than action. Instilling an appreciation of the earth’s beauty in our children, grandchildren, nieces and neph- ews, etc. can help them develop a lifelong relationship with nature. So let’s try to give them the gift of memories of spotting local birds and other animals on nature walks, of discovering a waterfall on a hike, of seeing breathtaking views from the top of a mountain or in the desert, of swimming in the ocean or canoeing on a river. Later, when they are facing the environmental challenges of their generation, these experiences may help them be able focus on something positive (i.e. preserving the earth’s beauty) rather than just something negative (i.e. pollution). This healthier perspective can help keep all of us from feeling overwhelmed, making it a little easier to take the steps we can take to be part of the solution.
  • 6. Do You See God’s Beauty? Our very contact with nature has a deep restorative power; contemplation of its magnificence imparts peace and serenity. (John Paul II, 1990 World Day of Peace Message, no. 14.) The beauty of God’s creation is all around us. Yet when life gets hectic, we may not always see it. Taking a mo- ment to notice the flowers blooming in our own yard can be refreshing, reminding us that “God looked at every- thing he had made, and found it very good.” (Gn 1:31) Two of our members, Br. Joe Tesar, MSC and Fr. Andrew by Br. Joe Tesar, MSC Torma, MSC enjoy taking nature-based photographs. by Br. Joe Tesar, MSC Here are a few of the pictures that our fans on Facebook have enjoyed. We hope you’ll find in them a reflection of God’s love for creation and that they lift your spirits. For more photos, check out our photo albums: Spring; Do You See God’s Beauty? and Celebrating Creation: Flowers. (Our friends on the other side of the world might enjoy “Autumn” and “Fall Colors”.) by Br. Joe Tesar, MSC by Fr. Andrew by Fr. Andrew Torma, MSC Torma, MSC About JPIC Corner JPIC Corner is a monthly publication of the USA Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart: Publisher: The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Provincial: V. Rev. Raymond Diesbourg, MSC JPIC Coordinator: Bro. Warren Perrotto, MSC Editors: Fr. E. Michael Camilli, MSC and Lindsay Marcellus Brother Warren Father Mike Lindsay JPIC Corner is a free publication sent to those who ask to receive it. If you enjoy this publication and would like to make a donation to the MSC, please visit: www.misacor-usa.org/give-to-the-msc For more information about the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, our mission and spirituality, please visit our website: www.misacor-usa.org