SSJ Earth Center

Monday, April 25, 2016

Bulletin Board Ideas for Laudato Si, On Care for Our Common Home

“Praise be to you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruit with colored flowers and herbs”.

All of us can cooperate as instruments of God for the care of creation, each according to his or her own culture, experience, involvements and talents. (14)

The climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all. At the global level, it is a complex system linked to many of the essential conditions for human life. (23)

Bulletin Board Ideas for Care for Creation

Quotes from Laudato Si, On Care for Our Common Home

by Pope Francis

Friday, April 22, 2016

We Celebrate Earth Day

We live and work so that all people may be united with God and with one another.

— Mission Statement

Visit our website

Monday, April 18, 2016

Electronics Collection at SSJ Earth Center

When: Wednesday, April 27, 2016

What: Anything with a plug or battery i.e. computers, all appliances, cell phones, CD players, DVD players Video players, record players, clocks, hair dryers, shavers, etc.

Drop off time: 7:30 am to 12 noon at the SSJ Earth Center on Chestnut Hill College Campus

9601 Germantown Ave.

Philadelphia, PA 19118

Friday, February 5, 2016

See this week'e Letter to the Editor on p.4 in the Chestnut Hill Local.

Follow Us!

Letters: February 3

Posted on February 3, 2016 by Contributor

Time to act on clean power plan

Last week, courts denied a request to stay the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Power Plan, which sets the first ever federal limits on carbon pollution from power plants and encourages the development of cleaner, safer sources of energy.

The stay request was simply an attempt by polluters and their allies to block meaningful action on climate change, and the court’s decision is a rejection of their arguments against the Clean Power Plan. The EPA’s plan rests on solid legal ground and will protect our health and our climate from dangerous carbon pollution.

For the Americans who are in the hospital or home from school and work because of polluted air and the effects of climate change, there is no excuse for attempts to delay this rule. Carbon pollution fuels climate change, which triggers more asthma attacks and respiratory disease, and worsens air quality.

According to the American Lung Association, over 150,000 Philadelphians have asthma. Over 35,000 of Philadelphians with asthma are children. We cannot allow polluters to continue to delay progress, putting profit over public health.

The momentum is growing as more and more people call for action on climate change and support policies like the Clean Power Plan. The United States and nearly 200 nations reached a historic global agreement to avoid dangerous climate change. Pope Francis joined the chorus of those calling for meaningful climate action to protect the world’s most vulnerable populations in his encyclical, Laudato Si : On Care for Our Common Home.

The Global Catholic Climate Movement, a world-wide group of Catholics responding to Pope Francis says, “While discussions of climate change often involve debate about economic theory and political platforms, and while it can involve issues of partisan politics as well as “lobbying by special interest groups, our focus is on the moral and spiritual issues involved.”

The Clean Power Plan is a moral issue. Pennsylvanians too are calling for climate action – more than two thirds of Americans support the Clean Power Plan, and want action on climate to be a priority.

Pennsylvania’s elected officials must be responsive to this call to act. We’re fortunate to have leaders like Senator Casey who has pledged his support of the Clean Power Plan. For those who have yet to stand up in support of this meaningful climate action, I urge you to get on board, for the health and prosperity of our most vulnerable citizens depends on it.

Sister Mary Elizabeth Clark

Director

SSJ Earth Center

Chestnut Hill

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

12 Steps to Kick your Plastic Habit!

Clean Ocean Action’s

12 Steps to Kick Your Plastic Habit

Our use of single-use plastic is an addiction and the harmful effects reach around the globe. As a petro-chemical, every piece of plastic is related to oil drilling, pollution from refineries, and more chemical contamination. However, the most visible impact is litter found in every habitat on the planet, especially waterways. Today, the ocean is awash in plastics, killing or harming marine life by ingestion or entanglement. While some plastics do have a role in society, we must reduce our overuse. You can help. Use this 12-Step Guide to help break your addiction to single-use plastic. Integrate these steps into your lifestyle and reduce your plastic waste.

1. Recognize your plastic habit. Understanding your use of disposables is the first step to reducing usage. Look at your trash. Take special note of items with excess packaging, or any items that are single-use. Make a list of how many disposable items are in your trash. Make a personal goal to reduce or ban those items.

2. Know the numbers. Recycle more plastics by familiarizing yourself with the recycling number system. The “chasing arrow” indicates that it can be recycled and the number inside the arrows indicates the type of plastic from which the material is made. “1” (PETE) and “2” (HDPE) are the most widely recyclable. Check with your municipality to see if they accept other numbers.

3. Be straw-free. Americans use around 500 million straws a day! Just say “hold the straw.” There are also plenty of reusable straw options, such as glass, stainless steel, and bamboo.

4. Ban the bead. Avoid using any products that contain microbeads, such as the ingredients polyethylene and polypropylene.

5. BYOB. Bring your own Bag and Bottle! Putting a reusable bag in your car, briefcase, backpack or purse, and carrying a reusable bottle are easy ways to start plastic-free habits.

6. Fork it over. Don’t accept plastic ware for take-out. Bring your own silverware. Better yet pack your own meal in a reusable lunch box/bag, and use reusable sandwich bags or containers.

7. DIY at home. Clean your house using products you already own (lemons, vinegar, baking soda) instead of buying harsh chemicals in plastic containers. Look on-line for “recipes”.

8. Can it. Choose cans over plastic. Most cans contain 50 percent or more recycled aluminum. A used aluminum can is recycled and back on the grocery shelf as a new can in as little as 60 days. Better yet, use your reusable bottle!

9. Be a smart shopper. Look before you buy. Avoid items with excess packaging and disposable towelettes. Use a sponge or rag instead. Be creative.

10. Support action. Stay informed about plastic and microplastic policies, and take action to support these policies. Contact COA for current actions.

11. Rally more converts. Help friends and family understand the importance of reducing plastic usage, and show them available alternatives. Tell us about your progress!

12. Join the campaign. Supporting COA’s Crowdrise campaign for microplastic research will ensure the availability of ongoing information and resolutions for a clean, healthy ocean.

Share with us your progress on social media:

Please like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CleanOcean

Show us some love on Instagram: https://instagram.com/cleanoceanaction/

www.CleanOceanAction.org