Church and Society Commission
Ecological Panel holds workshop for parishes
On Saturday 30th September the Ecological and Environmental Panel of the Church in Society Committee held an Ecological Workshop at Dromantine Conference Centre, near Newry. The aim of this workshop was for delegates to exchange experiences and to identify areas where parishes might improve the use of their resources.
Opening the workshop, the Revd David Humphries, Chairman of the Environmental Panel of the Church in Society Committee, said that the time for quoting statistics on environmental issues was gone. Acknowledging that the Churches were somewhat behind when it comes to environmental matters, Mr Humphries was pleased that they were now beginning to tackle the issue. ?A little late, perhaps, in the sense that many schools, colleges, businesses and government bodies, North and South, have long ago produced environmental policies and have been implementing those policies - some for many years. But at least we are now there, and the Church still has the ability to influence society at large, as much in environmental concerns as in other matters?, he said.
Reminding people that more people have died or been misplaced by environmental disasters than in all human conflict, Mr Des Loughridge, Environmental Manager of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, highlighted the importance of the Churches taking on this problem. The situation, he told delegates, is very serious with climate change in Ireland rapidly outpacing global trends. ?Sustainable development, he said ?allows us to meet the needs of today without compromising the needs of future generations.? However, we are not achieving this and continue to eat into the environmental legacy of our children.
After some group work, during which the delegates considered some practical implications of environmental awareness, Annie Mullan from the Ulster Wildlife Trust spoke about 'Breathing Places' - a BBC campaign to get people up off their sofas and involved with creating or improving green areas for both wildlife and people. The campaign is open to everyone and more information on how to get involved can be found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces/
The Ulster Wildlife Trust can also offer support to the Alliance Youth Works who are currently working on developing environmental projects at the Kilbroney Centre in Rostrevor. Situated on 12 acres of land and along the Kilbroney River, this youth centre has accommodation for 65 people. While fully booked at the weekends, Alyn Jones, of Alliance Youth Works, is trying to bring schools back to the centre on a day basis to teach them an appreciation of nature through walks and projects which firmly place the environment at their heart.
David McCartney of Knocknagoney Parish in Belfast reported on their progress with the development of a mini woodland in the area where, with the help of the local primary school, trees are being planted and bird boxes are being installed. A memorial garden is also planned with a book of remembrance for people of the locality. Ultimately, with the development of a number of apiaries, Knocknagoney would like to build up a sustainable social economy which would be able to fund community development. Environmental issues, he said, is an extremely useful tool in building relationships within the community.
Mr Terry Morrison from Sustainable Northern Ireland spoke to the group about the Faith Waste project in Belfast. This project aims to educate and promote waste minimization among Belfast?s faith groups, to raise awareness of the inter-relationships of environmental and social or economic aspects of re-use, to establish linkages between the faith and other groups involved in social projects to re-use, and to recognize that unwanted items can have a productive use for others. Faith Waste currently works with 20 faith communities in Belfast, including three Church of Ireland groups. Examples of projects that groups can undertake include hosting a bottle bank for the wider community, collecting aluminum cans and mobile phones, and maintaining a wormery for organic waste.