The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Ohio Province has responded to Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ Action Platform by creating the Dorothy Stang Initiative for Laudato Si’ Action. While in the process of gathering data from sisters, associates, staff, donors and others in our circle, we were reminded that all steps we take are important - both big and small. We therefore introduce Your Little Bit of Good, a short weekly one-pager that focuses on some aspect of the environment. It is an attempt to bring forward small things we can do.

Teresa Phillips
Director of Justice, Peace and Care for Creation

Prayer

God, Lord of all creation, lover of life and of everything, please help us to love in our very small way what You love infinitely and everywhere. We thank You that we can offer just this one prayer and that will be more than enough, because in reality everything and everyone is connected, and nothing stands alone. To pray for one part is really to pray for the whole, and so we do. Help us each day to stand for love, for healing, for the good, for the diverse unity of the Body of Christ and all creation, because we know this is what You desire: as Jesus prayed, that all may be one. We offer our prayer together with all the holy names of God, we offer our prayer together with Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

Fr. Richard Rohr

Knowledge

Let’s De-Plasticify!

As follow-up to the YLBG Plastics Series, we have a new short series on alternatives and the process of ridding (or at least reducing) plastics from your home.

My process is to go room-by-room and make changes as my budget allows. This, the last week, your cleaning products.

This is proving to be the hardest part of reducing plastic for my household. Most cleaners come in plastic containers. In addition, disinfecting is more important than ever. Thanks, COVID.

I’m not sure I have much in the way of advice on this topic. There are a few companies that I mentioned the last two editions of YLBG. Grove Collaborative, Zero Waste Store and Blue Land are just a few. You can Google “plastic free cleaning supplies” for a good list.

I have recently begun using laundry detergent sheets – inspired by the sisters in our health center. If you buy in bulk, the cost is not much more than regular detergent. They come in cardboard envelopes in a cardboard box. I use Earth Breeze. I hear Tru Earth is great too. For the dryer, try wool balls instead of fabric softener sheets, which contain plastic.

The reality is that we cannot eliminate all plastics. We can only do what we can do. If we look to the ways we can reduce, and advocate with those businesses that have no options, we can make a difference.

Action

Today’s action is all about advocacy. It is important to advocate with your elected officials on the environment.

The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act is a great example of a win for the environment. It contains many items that will help us increase green energy technologies. However, it is not going to stop current fossil fuel extraction.

So, while we will take the ‘win’ we know there is more work to do. Advocacy with business is even more important. Vote with your money! Then, tell manufactures that you want plastic free and eco-friendly options. Use the ‘contact us’ features on websites to let them know this is important to you. It is about starting a wave that can grow as more and more people jump into the water.