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
Today and now, I express my love and care for You. Forgive me for causing pain to You. Let me protect and nurture you once again. Let me heal Your wounds with my love. Love, love, and only love for You. by Maitreya Dadashreeji (Universal Consciousness)
I pray every single prayer infinitely for every single species that belongs to planet Earth. Please save infinitely with every miracle these suffering species of planet Earth. May every one of us who prays reflect on this and every need of planet Earth !!!! by John Schaffner (Fayette, Ohio, USA)
These prayers are from Green Heart Education, a website where anyone can share a prayer from their heart for the earth. You could share your prayers there too.
Knowledge
A few weeks ago, I asked for suggested topics for YLBG. One suggestion was to do a series to explain the differences in plastics and what is and is not recycled.
This week we are looking at #4 plastics, Low-Density Polyethylene and #5, Polypropylene. #4 plastics are a soft, clear, flexible version of HDPE. Examples are: plastic cling wrap, sandwich and bread bags, bubble wrap, garbage and grocery bags, and beverage cups. #5 plastics, or polypropylene is one of the most durable types of plastic. It is heat resistant, which means is it used in food packaging and storage that’s made to be heated. It’s flexible enough to bend, but also holds it’s shape well. Examples of this plastic are: straws, bottle caps, prescription bottles, yogurt and margarine tubs, hot food containers, and packaging tape.
Like number 1 plastics, recycling these plastics is tricky. Some can go curbside. Some can be dropped off and some, like cling warp and straws, are not recyclable because of their shape alone.
However, even when we send plastic to the recycling center, it is hard to tell how much makes it through the process. For many plastics, there simply is not a market for the product.
You’ll notice, the action column this week is the same as last week. That’s because these items still apply. It is always best to avoid plastics when possible. In fact, I invite and encourage you to join me in Plastic Free July. This is a global movement to help increase awareness of the harm of plastic and how we can work to make our lives as plastic free as possible. Check out Plastic Free July website and join the challenge.
Action
The best way to deal with plastic is to reduce or eliminate your use of it.
This recent article from The Atlantic outlines reasons to eliminate plastic in your life.
A great resource for addressing the plastic problem is Beyond Plastics. Here you will find resources from which to learn and advocacy in which to engage.
Discussions are starting in the UN for the Global Plastics Treaty. Go to the Greenpeace website and send a message to the Biden Administration asking them to be a leader in this area.
Remember: “We will have the future that consumers demand.” We will only have change if we show companies that we want it!