It’s Pancake Tuesday (Shrove Tuesday).*
So, in the best tradition, I made pancakes.
I used some food I had on-hand to make pancakes. I found some not-quite-finished buckwheat and gluten-free flour in my pantry and an egg and milk in the fridge. Baking powder lightened the mix.
Shrove Tuesday also means tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.
And that means it’s time to start a Carbon Fast for Lent.
Why a carbon fast?
This post and this post I wrote a few years ago outline the origins and reasons for a carbon fast for Lent.
What to do for a carbon fast
One of the most important steps is simply deciding you are going to so a carbon fast. The next step is to decide how you will challenge yourself to:
- lower your own carbon footprint and/or
- help reduce emissions in the broader society.
In previous carbon fasts, I have concentrated on reducing personal emissions.
I will be doing a personal carbon fast again this year.
My main personal challenge is Legs: getting around as much as possible using my legs. Yes, it’s similar to when I have previously undertaken a transport challenge for my carbon fast for Lent. However, this year it is different and a big challenge for me because I have been having treatment for cancer.
Reducing personal emissions is important yet it is insufficient on its own to stop damage to our climate.
We also need to work with others to change the systems that are causing emissions beyond our personal control.
That’s why this Lent, one of my challenges is Leadership. (That’s why I am writing this post after such a long break and under challenging circumstances!)
There are now quite a few organisations encouraging people to do a carbon fast for Lent. It’s great to see such leadership from these organisations.
They are usually faith-based organisations (surprise!) so they often include reflections and/or scriptural references.
I also find that the carbon fasts from these organisations set out lots of challenges in a calendar. There’s one challenge per day. Often they are grouped in a theme for each week, or even for the whole of Lent. However, I find this approach not particularly helpful because:
- the challenges are often symbolic rather than making a real difference
- practical challenges suggested will often take more than a day to organise and/or do
- having a different challenge each day doesn’t engender ongoing change – that takes ongoing practice.
On the other hand, these carbon fast calendars can be a useful source of ideas and of scriptural linkages. This year:
- the Anglican Communion Environment Network’s Carbon Fast for Lent is focused on using less plastic. It’s a great collection of changes we can make to live without plastic.
- the Catholic Religious of Australia’s Carbon Fast for Lent contains some useful suggestions for living more sustainably as well as some thought-provoking questions for reflection.
In a break from this pattern, it’s refreshing to see this year an article from my colleague Jen Basham taking a themed approach, after a strong introduction on why it’s important to undertake a carbon fast for Lent:
For other ideas, have a look at my post on buying less stuff (a carbon fast challenge) or any of my posts as part of my 365 days of low carbon living challenge. (In fact, you could look at any of my posts!).
Why now?
Jen’s article outlines some of the effects we have experienced in Australia this summer that are consequences of damage to our climate.
These consequences are only going to get worse, for a while at least. That’s because we already have some 300 years of changing climate that is already built into the system – even if we stopped all damage to our climate immediately.. And yet climate damaging emissions are still increasing!
We need urgently to turn that around and get to zero damage to our climate as a matter of urgency. That means getting to zero emissions of the greenhouse gases that are causing the damage and drawing down those that are already there. (At the same time, we also need to adapt to the changing climate that is already happening.)
This unfolding – and accelerating – climate emergency underlines the importance of changing our habits away from those that damage our climate and to those that tread lightly on the Earth and restore its balance.
How to do a carbon fast
1. Decide to start! Ideally you start when Lent starts. But don’t worry if you don’t – a late start is better than no start.
2. Decide what you will do – see the section What to do for a carbon fast above.
3. Work out how you will do it.
This will take a bit of extra time and effort:
- Time to work out the details of when and how. Anything new takes extra time and effort til we get used to it. For example, with my Legs challenge I need to spend a minute or two working out what route I will take (especially if it is unfamiliar to me) and how long it will take me (remembering that I am not as fit as I was pre-cancer and my energy levels are lower).
- Time to do the actual activity that is the challenge.
This time and effort of all part of the challenge- otherwise it wouldn’t be a challenge!
4. Tell people what you’re doing and why…and encourage them to join you.
This will help keep you accountable (so you’re more likely to do it) – and will help others to cheer you on and make the change too.
If you are on social media, post your intention and your progress – and encourage others to join in.
Use hashtags on social media to increase your reach:
#Lent
#Lent2019
#CarbonFast
#ClimateAction
#ClimateEmergency
#ActOnClimate
#Faith4ClimateAction
You can also use the hashtags to find other people on the journey. Sharing their posts and/or commenting on them helps spread the word and encourage them on their journey – and encourage them to do the same for you.
Join me!
Any change or challenge is easier if you have company along the way.
So let’s embark on this journey together.
- Read my blog for ideas, thoughts and experiences for living a lower carbon lifestyle, more in harmony with nature – while also adapting to the consequences of our damaged climate.
- Subscribe to get posts direct to your inbox.
- Commit to taking action yourself.
- Add a comment to let me know you’re joining in the effort to turn around our world so it can remain liveable – and what your experiences are.
- Share with others my posts and what you’re doing – our efforts, progress, experiences and challenges – on Facebook, on Twitter, in conversations with friends, on talkback radio and in letters to the editor. Use #LowCarbonLiving hashtags on social media.
A problem shared is a problem halved. We’re all affected by the changes to our world so we need to be all in on the action!
Till next time…
*(Actually, in the time it’s taken me to finish this post, it’s now the next day: Ash Wednesday.)