Arbroath Old and Abbey Newsletter – Spring 2013
Arbroath Old and Abbey Church have published their spring eco-awareness newsletter which can be viewed here (PDF file):
Or here as a web page:
Blog
New registration Maryhill Parish Church
We would like to welcome Maryhill Parish Church to Eco-Congregation Scotland.
Photo of the congregation borrowed from: http://www.maryhillparishchurch.org.uk/index.html
Please help us make them feel welcome!
Netherlee Church impresses with a successful Green Fayre
The Green Fayre took place on March 16, and organisations both local and national set up stall to promote the environmental theme at Netherlee Church. Gillian Loney from the local newspaper The Glasgow South and Eastwood Extra wrote a lovely piece about the Green Fayre which you can access by clicking on this link.
Photo borrowed from: http://www.glasgowsouthandeastwoodextra.co.uk/community/netherlee-green-fayre-proves-a-success-1-2870429
Activities included electric car rides and playing the food-print map game to find out the carbon footprint of different foods. It was a well-attended excellent day and the church was able to share some of their enthusiasm in taking care of Creation with the local community.
Well done!
Dunscore Parish Church help local housholders calculate their carbon footprints
In March 2012 and March 2013 the Dunscore Parish Church congregation and community were asked if they would like to read their electricity meters, car mileages, oil tanks etc. and the Eco Group offered to use the readings to calculate household “Carbon Footprints”.
This is the end of the first full year and the participating households now have the data and can compare with others. They can use the information to work out where they might be able to reduce their impact on the environment.
You can access a summary of the data collected by clicking on this: http://www.cairnvalleycalling.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Carbon-Footprint-Summary-Web.pdf
Thank you to Alison Boyes for sharing this with us!
Eco-evening with Dumfries and Kirkcurdbright presbytery at Dunscore Parish Church
The Dumfries and Kirkcudbright Presbytery Mission and Discipleship Committee had their gathering in Dunscore church on the 30th April. It had an Eco theme and included a great supper and workshops run by Christian Aid on the Enough Food for Everyone IF campaign, Incredible Edibles about growing vegetables in open spaces in Dumfries and Eco Congregation on food miles and on being an Eco Congregation. A fascinating evening.
Everyone joined together in the church
Margaret Warnock demonstrated the food-print game with participants
Workshops were run by Christian Aid on the Enough Food for Everyone IF campaign and by Incredible Edibles about growing vegetables in open spaces in Dumfries
Sharing supper
Thank you to Alison Boyes for sharing information and photos from the evening.
Glasgow Network meeting 15th May at Springburn Parish Church
You are all invited to our network meeting on the 15th May at 7:30pm at Springburn Parish Church.
We are planning a ‘Pot Luck Worship’ – along the lines of a pot luck supper. Everyone is asked to bring a worship item to share, to create a whole worship celebration on an environmental theme. Items can be a prayer, a hymn or song, a bible reading, psalm, another spiritual reading or poem. It would be helpful to know in advance what kind of item you’re thinking of contributing, but this isn’t essential.
In my own experience, the variety and wonderfully thoughtful contributions are a joyous inspiration and hopefully you will come away enthused! I hope you can join us on the night.
Regards, Jan MacDonald, Glasgow Network Co-ordinator
Handy tips to waste less food with Love Food Hate Waste
Love Food Hate Waste is one of the Zero Waste Scotland campaigns hoping to help us all waste less. At our Annual Gathering held on the 20th April we were lucky enough to have people sharing information about this campaign and we want to share this with you.
On the Love Food Hate Waste website (http://scotland.lovefoodhatewaste.com/) you can find handy tips about freezing food that is about to go off, planning your food shopping and recipes aimed at leftover items in the fridge and the cupboard.
Here are some of the tips:
• Fruit – slice and freeze lemons then use them straight from the fridge in iced drinks. Frozen grapes and strawberries also make novel ice cubes which also taste great.
• Potatoes – simply boil for about 5 minutes and freeze them for later. When you want them thaw overnight and roast the next day. Mashed potato also freezes well.
• Cauliflower or broccoli – make a big batch of cauliflower or broccoli cheese and split into individual portions for freezing. It’s great if the veg isn’t going to last much longer or you’ve bought loads. It’s tasty with garlic in the cheese sauce then topped with breadcrumbs and parsley.
Make a shopping list and only buy what you need: http://scotland.lovefoodhatewaste.com/content/portions-and-planning
Mango and rice with Coriander, Cumin and Lime recipe: http://scotland.lovefoodhatewaste.com/recipes/mango-rice-coriander-cumin-and-lime
More recipes can be accessed on their website: http://scotland.lovefoodhatewaste.com/recipes. On this page you can tell them what food you have available and they will suggest what you can cook with those ingredients. The recipes are all simple and healthy.
Thank you!