This week, millions of Americans will come together with family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving, a time for love, sharing and, of course, food. The holiday season, however, should also be a time to recommitment ourselves to creation care. This year, our partners, Interfaith Power and Light, is asking everyone to stand for God's creation. For those unfamiliar with IPL, they are a national organization that facilitates sustainable action in religious communities by assisting in the acquisition of clean energy and disseminating practices that mirror our love of God's creation (and that's only the beginning).
This holiday season, they are asking everyone to make their Thanksgiving a green one by remaining conscious of the carbon footprint created by our eating habits. It's no secret that the meat industry is one the largest contributors of greenhouse gasses, with food waste trailing close behind. Our 'food-print' as Interfaith Power and Light refers to it, is a growing problem in America.
Thanksgiving is a day centered around food, making it an ideal opportunity to demonstrate to your family and friends how you are taking an active role in reducing food waste and carbon emissions. Visit Interfaith Power & Light's, Green Thanksgiving Guide, to show your friends and family how you are putting God's creation first!
Have a Green Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I love it because it calls us to remember the bounty of nature, and the debt of gratitude we owe to those first settlers and the native people of this continent. What’s more, the ritual of Thanksgiving is so simple that everyone can take part – sharing good food and time together with friends and relatives, and giving thanks for our many blessings.
As I pause together with family and friends to give thanks for the food on our table, I will also reflect on how we can protect Creation’s gifts for future generations.
I work with Interfaith Power & Light, an organization working to mobilize a religious response to global warming, and every day I am striving to find ways we can make more climate-friendly, Creation-conscious decisions. From simple conservation to the larger projects of installing solar on rooftops, to the community engagement of lobbying and advocacy, the good news is that American faith communities are greening their facilities and taking a stand for a safe climate.
But what about our food choices? What values do we demonstrate with what we place on our Thanksgiving tables?
