Environmental Justice

Environmental Justice

Care for God's Creation Newsletter

To learn more about Environmental Justice in the Stockton Diocese and how you and your parish can get involved, contact Betsy Reifsnider at: betsyr@ccstockton.org or 209/444-5925 the icon below takes you to the Environmental Justice section of the Catholic Charities website.

Click on the logos below to find many more resources for action

Ten ways parishes can save the earth


Conduct an energy audit of your parish’s buildings. To arrange one, contact California Interfaith Power and Light group www.interfaithpower.org, or your utility company, or find guidelines for a do-it-yourself audit at energystar.gov/congregations.



Form an eco-spirituality team to study environmental issues, help educate other parishioners, and create an action plan.



Ask your pastor to talk about care for creation and climate change in his homilies.



Ask youth groups and school kids to conserve energy by recycling their homework papers, taking shorter showers, and so on.



Research local experts (activists, farmers, meteorologists, scientists) who can speak about environmental issues specific to your geographic area. Join with other faith communities to sponsor a speaker series.

Provide outdoor spiritual opportunities—retreats, days of reflection, prayer services—to nurture spiritual connections with creation.

Team up with local farmers and invite growers to sell their wares after weekend Masses, or offer your parish as a drop-off/pickup location for a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program. Learn more at: www.localharvest.org.

Feature simple energy saving tips in your bulletin. Find ideas at native energy.com and click on “more you can do.”



Getting ready to renovate? Explore how you can dispose of building materials in environmentally responsible ways. Build with recycled materials whenever possible, and purchase Energy Star appliances for parish buildings.



Take time during Mass to pray for the poor and vulnerable, especially those in developing nations, who suffer disproportionately from the effects of global warming.