Rathfarnham Parish in Dublin added a range of books on environmental matters, for both adults and children, to its church library. It is hoped that these books, acquired from Veritas and Amazon, will encourage parishioners to think in greater depth about environmental matters and their response to them.
The children’s books are so delightful that adults are sure to enjoy them too! All Things Bright and Beautiful (Little Tiger Press) is a beautifully illustrated collection of well-known prayer and verse that encourages young children to contemplate, and give thanks for, the wonderful world in which they live. Children of the Earth…Remember by Schim Schimmel (NorthWord) lovingly tells the story of the one big family of Mother Earth, providing a tender lesson in sharing and protecting our planet.
Why Should I Protect Nature? (Hodder Wayland) introduces the fact that humans can harm nature, but that we can help protect it too. It gives some practical suggestions as to how children can do this, as does the thought-provoking and entertaining George Saves the World by Lunchtime(Eden Project Books) in which the young protagonist saves electricity, recycles rubbish, repairs his toys and visits a farmers’ market.
Save the Planet – 101 Ways You Can Make a Difference (Buster Books) will appeal to older children (10+). It is packed with practical and fun things to do, ranging from ‘Can the Cans’ and ‘Stinky Solutions’ to holding a swap shop and investigating carbon offsetting. Included is a suggested family pledge to the environment, which will encourage all family members to do their bit for the environment.
Adults, similarly, will pick up helpful tips in How To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint – 365 Practical Ways To Make a Real Difference (Duncan Baird), which comes packed with fascinating statistics as well as helpful suggestions. Did you know that by switching off appliances at the mains you could cut your electricity bill by up to 10%? And a TV with a 50-inch screen uses up to 10 times more electricity than one with a 20-inch screen?
The way we live, in particular the way we generate and use energy, is no longer environmentally sustainable. Christianity, Climate Change and Sustainable Living by Nick Spencer and Robert White (SPCK) analyses the scientific, sociological, economic and theological thinking that makes a Christian response to this trend imperative. It provides hope by offering a realistic vision of a better future by looking at what can be done at the personal, community, national and international level to make sustainable living a reality.
In Why Are We Deaf to The Cry of the Earth? (Veritas) eco-theologian, Fr Sean McDonagh SSC, looks at the spirituality of creation as well as ways of promoting and preparing for a new, sustainable culture.
And, finally, Care for Creation (St Anthony Messenger Press) shows how a contemporary Franciscan spirituality of creation, following the footprints of Jesus with the guidance of Saint Francis of Assisi, can help renew the face of the earth in our own time. It includes meditations, reflection questions and actions to nurture our ‘ecological self’ and proposes how we can respond to our environmental crises by contemplative and compassionate living.