• SEPTEMBER 12, 2024: A Season of Creation

Each year from September 1 to October 4, the Christian family unites for this worldwide celebration of prayer and action to protect our common home. It is a special season where we celebrate God as Creator and acknowledge Creation as the divine continuing act that summons us as collaborators to love and care for the gift of all that is created. This year, the theme for the season is “To hope and act with Creation”. Amid the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, and eco-anxiety among some, we are called to lift the hope inspired by our faith in concrete actions of prayer, service and solidarity. We will discuss the background of the Season of Creation, what it means for us and actions we can take during the month.

• OCTOBER 10, 2024: Plant Trees for Cleaner, Healthier, Cooler Air

Trees provide a multitude of benefits, including reducing climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide, protecting against floods, providing shade that cools urban areas and gardens as well as fields or streams, and enhancing neighborhood ambience. Whether you plant a single tree or help communities plant trees, your efforts can help to care for creation. We’ll discuss why and how to plant trees, what species to select for a warmer future, ways to get free or low-cost trees, and how to participate in local or city tree-planting initiatives.

• NOVEMBER 14, 2024: Eat Pizza for the Planet—Making Meals that Reduce Climate Change

Two of the top 10 things people can do to reverse global warming, Project Drawdown found, are reducing food waste and eating a plant-rich diet. Our response is often, ‘Who, me? I don’t waste and I eat right!’ Despite what we think, our diets may not be as climate-friendly as we think. We’ll dig into the details to find out why our food has so much impact and what we can do about it. You can experiment with new dishes, for example, to eat lower-impact meals and reduce waste. If you’re a meat-eater, you can have less impact by doing something other than giving up meat. Learn how to change the way you shop, prepare different meals and use all the food you buy so you can be eco-friendly.

• DECEMBER 12, 2024: Reduce Plastic to avoid Gigatons of Carbon Emissions

Plastic is pervasive in our lives. Buying groceries in plastic bags or containers, gadgets and care parts made of plastic, plastic furniture and materials made of plastic and plastic bottles are just a few of the many places we see plastic. Reducing plastic production and usage could avoid 166 million metric tons of plastic by 2050 and avoid more than 5 gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions. We’ll start by considering all the places we use plastic, then discuss how to avoid it. We’ll also look at alternatives to plastic, how we can influence others to use less plastic, and new solutions that can replace plastic. Learn how to use less plastic in your everyday life.

• TBA: How to Reduce the Huge Impact that Homes & Building have on Climate Change

The concrete, windows, lights, heat, furniture, fittings and other parts of our homes or office buildings cause more than 40% of global warming. How we manage these spaces matters. There are plenty of actions we can take and innovations we can use to reduce the climate impact. Learn what it is about your home or office that causes greenhouse gas emissions, then discuss what innovators are doing to come up with new solutions to reduce the climate impacts of buildings and what you can do at home and at work or even when you travel to minimize your impact.