Creation Challenge 2021

		Creation Challenge 2021 St Ursula's Church Berne, Switzerland A Church of the Anglican Communion, welcoming all who seek the Lord Jesus Christ
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Creation season challenge – reduce your carbon footprint.

Make little changes to your lifestyle and make an environmental impact plus generate some funds for Tearfund.

As we feel that we will be unable to do the Harvest auction this year due to Covid restrictions, we have come up with a new way to generate some funds for Tearfund, whilst also doing something for the environment. Below is a list of challenges. Pick one or two, or even all of them, and get a jar to collect some money. Lots of small amounts add up to making a big difference to Tearfund and those they support.

You can bring along your jar or transfer the money on the 3rd October which is our Harvest Festival and Pledge Sunday.

1. Cut down on Social Media use or internet surfing.
   The Internet is powered by large servers around the world using large amounts of electricity. Every time you search, or download videos, or visit Facebook you increase your carbon footprint. So if your number 1 issue is spending too much time on the internet, this is the challenge for you. Install an app that monitors your internet use, set a daily limit, and decide how much every minute or hour over that limit is going to cost you ( eg: 1 rappen per minute).
   (https://youmatter.world/en/reduce-environmental-impact-internet/)

2. Cut down on Messaging.
   Similar to above, but this challenge is aimed at those who tend to send lots of WhatsApps, FB messages or short messages a day. Set a limit, maybe 10 per day and every message over the limit costs 10 rappen per message.

3. Use the car less
   If you use the car when you had a more ecological alternative, then charge yourself a carbon tax of Fr1 or Fr2 per trip.

4. Cut down on Takeaways
   If you buy a take-out coffee, or lunch in a non-reusable box, or forget to take a bottle and have to get a PET bottle, then fine yourself 50 rappen to Fr1 per time.

5. Stop using Aluminium Foil
   Aluminium foil is actually far worse for the environment than plastic wrap across the board – use of fossil fuels, water pollution, human health impacts, and greenhouse gas emissions. Mining bauxite (the raw material in aluminium) and processing it takes a lot of energy. To compare, producing one ton of plastic wrap uses 83% less energy and 88% less greenhouse gas emissions than the same amount of aluminium foil.
   Beeswax wrap is a better alternative to foil or plastic wrap, or use a reusable container.
   So, for this challenge, take a look in your kitchen drawers and fine yourself Fr5 for every roll of foil you have in there, and then treat it like gold. For every use of foil after that, fine yourself a carbon tax of Fr1 to Fr2, and make sure you recycle it afterwards.

6. Buy locally produced fruit and veggies.
   By 'local' we will include Europe due to the season now. However, transporting consumes a lot of energy and produces a lot of CO₂, so every time you cannot resist that avocado, mango or pineapple, pop an extra 50 rappen to Fr1 in the money jar.

7. Switch off lights and appliances
   Do you tend to forget to switch off the light, or do you leave the TV on standby all night? Challenge yourself to do better, and fine yourself for every day that you fail.

8. Number 8 is your own personal challenge. If you have something that you wish to work on, and it is not on the list, then add it on, and set your own limits.

For all those eco warriors out there, who cannot find a challenge to suit them, they can still pop a tenner in the collection for Tear Fund. Nobody should be so perfect! 😉

Sue Higson