Sisters (nuns) are renewing community life from the ground up

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://ncronline.org/NCR_Online/archives2/2008a/022208/ss022208f.htm

Issue Date: February 22, 2008

Going green

Sisters are renewing community life from the ground up

By KRIS BERGGREN

Sisters across North America are conducting energy audits of their buildings and renovating them using earth-friendly standards, purchasing recycled paper products and nontoxic cleaning products, choosing hybrid cars for their fleets, sod-busting their land to restore native wetland or prairie, and supporting sustainable agriculture by choosing organic or locally sourced food over standard grocery fare.

“We have a small window of opportunity to turn things around, to preserve the planet in some way,” said Sr. Maura Smith, a 60-year member of the Erie Regional Community of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. “Those of us in the upper reaches of adult life are doing what we can. It’s not a one-time fix. We have to change our lifestyles and change the way we do business if we are going to have a sustainable future.”

While hybrid cars, wind power, and even long-life energy saving light bulbs cost more than conventional options, the sisters choosing them look at the big picture.

“As Al Gore would say, it is a moral issue to reduce our carbon footprint today,” said Sr. Corinne Wright, environmental initiatives manager for the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, whose Aston, Pa., complex including a 150-year-old motherhouse and Red Hill Farm, runs on clean energy. “It is a choice that is somewhat more expensive. We are sacrificing in other ways so we make less of a footprint.” For example, said Wright, they keep the thermostat at 68 degrees to reduce consumption and save costs.

...

[NNadir]

1. Let's see: Hybrids, check. Light bulbs. Check! Opposition to birth control. Check.

Anti-choice. Check!

That makes for a great environmental stance.

Thanks. I feel spiritually uplifted by a bunch of women who believe that only men can truly understand the workings of the universe.

[Bobbieo]

2. Some DU posters have such a positive outlook on life. Now, it's the nuns

getting the shaft.

[diane in sf]

3. There's the offical postion of the church, which is deplorable, then there is

the reality of what Catholics actually do--and what priests and nuns in their parishes council--their birthrate in North America and in Europe is no higher than anyone else's as is there rate of abortion. Unfortunately in more backward places, not so good.