Greening the church
“The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it” (Psa. 24:1) a congregation declares in its worship service. In recognition of Earth Day on April 22, this issue of the magazine carries the feature, “Avoiding an environmental shipwreck” by Tim Wiebe-Neufeld. As part of Mennonite…
Avoiding an environmental shipwreck
Every time you walk into the church building, that threadbare carpet stares up at you. Everyone agrees it’s time for a change, but how do you replace a worn-out carpet without destroying the planet? In the age of environmental awareness even a flooring choice goes well beyond a discussion of colour and price. Is the…
Cheering for the Leafs!
Tim and Donita Wiebe-Neufeld of Edmonton First Mennonite Church own an electric Nissan Leaf car. Tim’s cousin, Arlyn Friesen Epp, owns a Leaf. Another cousin, Kendall Jongejan Harder, owns a Leaf. Tim laughs, “I guess our family cheers for the Leafs!” Being a Leaf fan is not always well received, especially in Alberta, where oil…
CMU is Climate Smart certified
WINNIPEG—On Earth Day 2020 (April 22), Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) announced that it was now officially Climate Smart certified. This certification marks a significant milestone in CMU’s effort to address its role in climate change, and sets the university on a path towards continuous improvement in the stewardship of the resources, people and planet entrusted…
Watch: Eco-anxiety spurs creativity
How do you reckon with the feeling that everything is changing? That sense that crises are converging? With the notion that we have some big choices to make individually and collectively? Those questions get at some of the ideas at play in “Caring at the End of the World,” a new video from Eco-Anxious Stories…
Climate action must include parking our cars for good
The climate strike in Waterloo last month raised awareness and got people talking about climate change, which is a good thing. What’s a lot more important but a lot more difficult to organize and be a part of is the action that is taken after a strike like this. How can we build off this…
Watch: Manitoba Mennonites join climate strike
More than 10,000 people in Winnipeg joined the global climate strike last Friday, Sept. 27, including a strong showing of Manitoba Mennonites. In the video below, Moses Falco—pastor at Sterling Mennonite Fellowship—shares footage from the Winnipeg strike, as well as a multi-faith prayer event that preceded it. The video also includes people briefly explaining why they…
A planet-friendly move to university residence
This September, Andre Wiederkehr moved into the Conrad Grebel University College residence at the University of Waterloo in a unique way—he biked. The second-year science student cycled the 90 km. from his home near Mildmay, Ont. to Grebel in Waterloo, a trip that took him nearly eight hours. He transported everything that he would need…
Watch: MEDA helps Colombian car company
The climate crisis is top of mind for many these days, so here’s a story about Maureauto Colombia (AVIS), a car rental company in Bogotá, Colombia that is reducing its environmental impact. In 2015, Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) awarded Maureauto Colombia a sustainability innovation grant. The grant has allowed the company to install Trabold…
Reflections of creation
God’s creation is now facing unprecedented destruction brought on by human activity. Attentive hunters know this just as well as vegan environmentalists. Caring for the ecosystems that God created doesn’t need to be a divisive or partisan issue. Yet it has come to feel that way. Conversations related to energy have become especially contentious. This…
