Thus was the caption of this picture on my friend Katherine’s Facebook page.  (Katherine is the founder and CEO of Solar Sister, a social enterprise that empowers women through a market based approach to development; you can follow her on Twitter @Solar_Sister).  And having just lived through the third largest storm in Chicago’s history while I watched the protests in Egypt… I just had to share.

As has been noted frequently on this blog and elsewhere (Paul Krugman’s op-ed yesterday in the NYT is a good recent example) , climate change and hunger are very much interrelated. Last year was tied for the warmest on record; this winter has been one of the wettest for the North East (it is true that one weather event is not a direct result of climate change–rather, the severe weather is in line with what scientists predict will happen as the earth grows warmer).  The heavy snows are wreaking havoc on farms in Connecticut: buildings are collapsing under the weight of the snow leading to the loss of livestock.  The obvious loss of food is one impact; the farmer’s loss of income and investment is another.   This is to say nothing of the loss of food that continues to happen in the Global South where the climate is so unpredictable that farmers no longer know when to plant their seed.

In the U.S., there continues to be skepticism around the human role in climate change.  Setting the debate aside (though I think it is a silly one–which scientists, other than the ones on the payrolls of big businesses and energy companies, really think humans are not at least partially responsible for climate change?), from my vantage point, if humans do have any control over climate change, why would we not do everything in our power to address it?  If we are serious about food security for all, why not have mitigation and adaptation strategies?

David Creech

In blizzards like this week’s, basic services matter. When snow fell in Chicago, I was always grateful that my heat, water, and light almost never quit.

Where those resources came from mattered less. But connecting to services in my new home in Washington State, I’m asking: where does it come from? Where does it go?  And what is its environmental impact?

Electricity was first. In Chicago, my carbon footprint was high even though I had no car, because so much electricity is generated from coal. Naively, I assumed that Puget Sound Energy electricity would come from hydropower in the mountains and the manure-to-power plant down the road. What a surprise to learn that 56 percent of PSE power comes from coal and natural gas. A big chunk comes from the Colstrip plant in Montana—the second-largest coal power plant west of the Mississippi!  On the plus side, by signing up for Green Power, I can help boost the proportion of biomass and wind power in the overall PSE power mix. Consider it done.

Next, cooking gas. For the first time, I have a propane tank. Checking into this, I’ve learned that more than 80 million barrels of this byproduct of natural gas and petroleum processing are stored in giant salt caverns in Texas, Kansas, and Alberta. Factoring in extracting, processing and delivering, propane produces slightly more greenhouse gas emissions than natural gas but much, much less than electricity, which “looks” clean when it is used, but, once you add in emissions released as it is produced, stored, and transported, is the dirtiest of all fuels. (Something to keep in mind if you are excited about owning an electric car.)

Water, supplied by the county, comes from a mountain watershed, is stored in a reservoir, treated, and then piped to homes like mine. But I’m not connected to the sewer system; my waste water goes into the septic system out back. The science of septic tanks is something else I’ll be reading up on.

My landlords take their garbage and recycling to the local transfer station themselves. With no car and no outdoor storage shed, this is not an option for me. But the most recent Skagit County Solid Waste Management Plan recommended that local scavengers support recycling and composting by offering every-other-week pickup of one trash can. Bingo! I signed up for that paradigm-shifting service. When my garbage leaves the transfer station, it will be sent by train to a landfill in Klickitat County, where electricity is generated from methane. My compost will go in the garden and the dry recyclables will be stored until I can join someone else’s recycling run.

What do electricity, gas, water, sewage, and garbage services have to do with hunger? Severing these resources from their context and system makes it easy to waste or denigrate them. Knowing where our resources come from can change our behavior. (Maybe I should rely more on propane and less on electricity that turns out to come from a Montana coal mine!) Understanding who delivers these services also builds respect in a climate marked by griping about taxes. (Thanks, Skagit County, for designing a system that will treat everything from construction waste to agricultural waste to the cans and bottles of people like me. Thanks, Skagit PUD, for the clean water.)

Wherever we work on hunger issues, it makes sense to identify and understand existing systems before pursuing individual projects. How many of us well-building Lutherans know about the context of Water Supply and Sanitation in Tanzania?  A little due diligence might persuade us to invest water funds in strengthening an existing water delivery system instead of building “our own” well from scratch.

We live out our days inside systems. Most of them are transparent. Can you see yours?!

Anne Basye, Sustaining Simplicity: A Journal

I’m a word person. I majored in communication in college and I’ve always been taken by words. Whether they’re lyrics, book passages, verses, great quotes or written in cards by loved ones – I find words fascinating, moving and important.

I’ve been studying Biblical Hebrew for the past few months and have been fascinated by the definitions of words in the language of the Old Testament. After my exam this morning I decided to look into some English words more closely. What are the less common definitions that I don’t usually think about? What are the second and third meanings? In addition, what would it be like to read the definition of a word, instead of assuming that I know it?

These are words that made me think of ELCA World Hunger:

Perhaps you too will be interested in meditating on their definitions.

Hunger
+ the painful sensation or state of weakness caused by the need of food
+ a shortage of food; famine

Food
+ any nourishing substance that is eaten, drunk, or otherwise taken into the body to sustain life, provide energy, promote growth, etc.

Neighbor
+ one’s fellow human being
+ a person who shows kindliness or helpfulness toward his or her fellow humans

Serve
+ to offer or have a meal or refreshments available, as for patrons or guests
+ to render assistance; be of use; help

Christian
+ exhibiting a spirit proper to a follower of Jesus Christ; Christlike
+ decent; respectable

Love
+ affectionate concern for the well-being of others
+ the benevolent affection of God for His creatures, or the reverent affection due from them to God

And a verse…

Matthew 22:37-40…Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Maybe you too would like to look up a word. Or a verse.

Enjoy & God Bless,
Lana

I had the good fortune to attend the Region 3 Hunger Retreat in Alexandria, Minnesota this week. I admit that the deep interior of Minnesota is not my dream destination in January, but I was told it would be lovely in a bleak, wintry sort of way. I was not disappointed! The air was crisp and the snow was pleasantly crunchy underfoot. But best of all, I got to spend time with some really phenomenal people.

 The content of the event was wide ranging, but one of the presenters was Tammy Walhof from Bread for the World. She spent some time talking about advocacy, and she shared a couple of things that I’m anxious to pass on, since they seem so helpful.

 The question arose about whether or not sending those email form letters to your elected officials is helpful. In response, Tammy shared some research. What makes the most difference in influencing your politicians?

1.  Visits from constituents. Nothing makes an impact like showing up in person – or persons! Consider taking a delegation from your congregation. Or organize delegations from several congregations in your community.
2.  Individualized postal letters. And hand-written are best.  If, however, your handwriting is illegible, individualized email are third on the influence list. The key is individualized! If your letter starts with the same sentence as 100 other letters they’ve received, it will be dismissed. You may be saying the same thing as others, but be sure to say it in your own words if you want to make sure it’s carefully read.
3. Of medium influence are phone calls. On a daily basis, there was a pretty even split between political staff who thought they were made a difference and those who thought they didn’t. But Tammy was clear to point out that at key moments, they are incredibly important. When time is of the essence, call! But otherwise, your time is probably better spent writing.

In the category of “no influence at all” were form letters. Whether email or postal, there’s a decent chance that if you send these, they will be discounted and make no difference. 

 One final tip: Tammy said to never underestimate your elected officials desire to be compassionate. It struck me as not only true of our politicians, but probably most people, and probably something we don’t acknowledge often enough.

 Now let’s go advocate!

 -Nancy Michaelis

Sometimes pictures are all the words we need. ELCA World Hunger funds support projects in over 55 countries around the world. These are a few ways those funds have been at work:
1. Asia – 2009 ELCA World Hunger funded project, Bangladesh. Companion: RDRS2. Africa – 2010 ELCA World Hunger & ELCA Global Mission supports missionaries in Tanzania. Missionaries provide health care and economic development assistance.3. North America – 2010 ELCA World Hunger supported ministry. Organization: Southeast Asian Ministries, Minneapolis. Refugee services.4. Latin America – 2010 ELCA Disaster Response & Global Mission, Haiti. Organization: Lutheran World Federation-Haiti & Lutheran Church in Haiti. Coordinating services to 800 displaced families.

Thank you for your prayers, your donations and your time. They assist many people all over the world.

Blessings,

Lana

Yadda yadda yadda: after dozens of posts on stuff and how to get rid of it, how to move it crosscountry in a UHaul, how to store it and ignore it, and how to live without it, I’ve unpacked it all, in a new home.

Making my coffee in my little white Melita pot, dressing from a closet instead of a suitcase, settling down to books and papers united, finally, at one desk—my stuff surrounds me again. Now I can create the comforting routines I was longing for towards the end of my 17-month sabbatical road trip.

Perhaps rejoicing in my belongings—seeing them as new all over again—will help me avoid hedonic adaptation. In this phenomenon, says the New York Times in this article on what makes us happy, “people quickly become used to changes, great or terrible, in order to maintain a stable level of happiness. Over time, that means the buzz from a new purchase is pushed toward the emotional norm.” And that means we stop getting pleasure from that new dress, new house, new car, new whatever. Which makes us go out and buy more new things!

Hedonic adaptation is one reason researchers who study happiness recommend investing in leisure activities and services that build relationships instead of spending money on more stuff. One Illinois expert used his field’s research to buy a house close to hiking trails. The novelty of floor plans and amenities would wear out quickly, he reasoned; the ability to walk four or five days a week would make a longer-lasting contribution to his family’s happiness.

What better reason to get over our foolishly conspicuous consumption and embrace, instead, calculated consumption—buying only what we need and investing everything else in relationships, experiences, learning, giving. If only we could recognize that our material needs were met long ago, and seek new, nonmaterial sources of contentment instead.

Nice idea, isn’t it? And worth contemplating as I put down my backpack and become a householder once more. There are some things I need to buy—a broom, a rug, some weather stripping—but mostly I’m sitting around appreciating what I just unpacked. To quote from Frederic and MaryAnn Brussat’s wonderful book, Spiritual Literacy: Reading the Sacred in Everyday Life,

How different we might feel about our world after making a practice of saying hello and thank you to the refrigerator that hums while it keeps our food cool, to the slippers that warm our feet on cold winter nights, and to the pen that expends all its ink so that we can express ourselves…when we cherish our things, they reciprocate; when we ignore them, they can turn toxic.

No more ignoring. I’m back to cherishing, and it’s a relief!

Anne Basye, Sustaining Simplicity

Sunday afternoon I heard a snippet of talk radio in which the host spoke about what he believes is the coming of higher food and oil prices. For those of us who listen to the news or read the paper this topic may come as no surprise. What struck me about the radio snippet was the tone. It was so fearful and induced fear in me as I listened, even for a moment.

I changed the station.

I began to think about the feeling I got from what I heard and my reaction to it. I started to think, “Okay what if oil and food prices rise? How can I think about it in a way that is empowering, that gives hope, and is grounded in love, not fear?”

Here is my over-simplified answer: a bicycle and a vegetable garden.

Is it convenient for me to ride a bicycle to work? Not at all. Is it possible? Absolutely. When I studied abroad in college I rode my bicycle to school almost every day. It took about 20 minutes and it was so fun. Everyone rode their bike, so you always had friends to travel with, plus it was great exercise. I suppose high oil prices could easily pay me back in good health.  (Did you know that some cell phones can even be powered by the energy created from bicycling?)

Now, have I grown my own vegetables lately? Not since the junior high school bean sprout project. Could I grow my own vegetables? Happily. Over the last year I have read about the sprawl of urban gardening. Although I could plant vegetables in my back yard, I am impressed with how many creative places people are gardening these days. Flower pots on their apartment’s balcony, community gardens, rooftop gardens, you name it. If I planted my own pea patch this year, I could save a few bucks by growing my own organic veggies.

Now, I realize that higher food and oil prices affect far more things than just my vegetables and gasoline. It is a complex issue and this is my very simplified response. The point I am trying to make is that I find it heartening to respond to fear with hope. To look at it from a different angle and to consider the gifts that God has given us in Creation. How can caring for the earth; using its resources sustainably, sharing with my friends and treading more lightly by bicycling or walking, actually cause positive change? How can we approach an issue with a solution that is responsible, sensible, and not fearful?

I suggest we take a minute to look at a situation from all perspectives and consider the solutions that are steeped in faith, hope and love.

It’s been hard to miss the one-year anniversary of the Haiti earthquake in the media this week. For me, it’s gone quickly and I find myself saying, “Wow! It’s been a year!?” I’m guessing many Haitians are looking around the streets saying the same thing but meaning something very different. Certainly there has been progress in recovering, but so much remains to be done.

One of our colleagues in Global Mission, a Haitian national, resigned his post here in Chicago to return to Haiti and help with the recovery. To hear about his family’s experience from his wife’s perspective, check out this video:

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9F9UDXZ9LU

The ELCA and its partners have done a lot these past 12 months, rebuilding homes, providing temporary schools, and preventing the spread of cholera. And we remain committed to the long-term recovery of Haiti, with plans to do much more! To learn more what’s happened these past 12 months as well as what’s underway, visit our Haiti Earthquake Relief web page. Keep praying, and please also consider making a donation. It’s not too late to help!

-Nancy Michaelis

I often see things during my daily life that remind me of the work of ELCA World Hunger. These little things make my brain spin as I consequently try to come up with an inspired blog idea. So I thought I’d share some of these bits of inspiration and reminders of anti-hunger work, and hope that in return you will share some of your own similar experiences.

1. A few weeks ago I was in Copenhagen and as I walked along the cobblestones I noticed a sign on the corner of a building across the street. On the side of the sign it mentioned the ACT Alliance or Action by Churches Together. The ELCA is a member of ACT and we often collaborate with other members to support projects around the world, such as our response to the 2010 floods in Pakistan. As I walked through the store I discovered that it was a very unique mix of coffee shop, fair trade store and vintage clothing shop in one. It turns out that the shop, fisk, supports the work of Dan Church Aid — another member of the ACT Alliance.
2. Today I was at an outdoor store with my brother exchanging one of his Christmas gifts. While he was at the register I wandered past the reusable water bottles where I read a great quote from Benjamin Franklin printed on one of them, “When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.” I admit I don’t know the context of when this quote was originally said, but it made my mind wander. I started to think about what it would be like if my faucet didn’t turn on, or if the rain didn’t fall or what it feels like when I forget to pray. There are many people around the world who know the value of water much better than I do. ELCA World Hunger supports water projects around the world.
3. This weekend I finally buckled down and went through my closet. As I put together a pile of clothes to give away I thought about World Hunger’s emphasis on simple living. It felt good to pare down my life in that way, but also comforting to know that those clothes wouldn’t end up in a landfill, but instead, hopefully, become a positive addition to another person’s life.

What things in your day to day life remind you of the work of ELCA World Hunger? What reminds you of those who could use a little bit of help? What things remind you of our brothers and sisters in Christ who are hungry or are fighting hunger around the world?

~Lana Lile

I love the voices on this blog: Lana eating snow and shopping for a GMO-free meal; David probing our call to social justice; ELCA camp directors talking about the carrots and lettuce their campers are growing, eating, and giving away.

And then there’s me, carrying on about public transportation, old socks and shoes, and how, while we profess our belief in God, we act as if The Market is at the center of our lives.

“Maybe,” Nancy suggested gently the other day, “it’s time to remind blog readers what your topics have to do with World Hunger.”

What a good idea! Even I forget, sometimes, when I get carried away. So, here goes.

Most of my 33 posts since April 2009 focus on stuff: buying and selling stuff, storing stuff, having too much stuff, recycling stuff, giving stuff away, disposing of stuff, and transporting ourselves and our stuff. Recently I’ve looked at our notions about our economy—the role it plays in our lives; the assumptions we make about it; the possibility that the Market, not God, is the deity we really serve.

Figuring out how to reuse or recycle several hundred unmatched socks at Holden Village was my September stuff preoccupation.

My corner of the hunger discussion is our North American lifestyle. It’s about how our overstuffed lives keep us from walking our anti-hunger talk—and sometimes completely contradict the beliefs we profess to hold.

Consider this: Statistics show under our present system, a child born in North America will consume, waste and pollute in his or her lifetime as much as 50 children in developing countries. This good-sized tendril of the root causes of hunger starts in our own backyard.

We Lutherans love to cooperate in starting and supporting water projects in other countries. We rejoice that in Chiapas, Mexico, our support is helping an indigenous community irrigate its fields. Meanwhile, speaking of consuming 50 times more than everybody else, at home we treat our water with little respect. We run our faucets while we brush our teeth, take 10-minute showers, and insist on bright green lawns no matter what the climate. It took three liters of water to make our 1-liter plastic water bottle? 70.5 pounds of water to manufacture (in Asia, probably) a 2-gram, 32-megabyte memory chip and its plastic package? Not our problem!

It’s odd to me that our passion for water in Chiapas doesn’t inspire us to connect the dots between green lawns and the fact that, for example, the United States consumes 95 percent of the Colorado River’s water.  The paltry 1.5 million acre feet of Colorado water we give to Mexico is about what farmers in Sonora used in 1922. They can’t farm; the indigenous living along the Sea of Cortez, where the Colorado once emptied, can’t fish. And how are the farmers down the road from that thirsty computer microchip plant faring? All we know is that we can get a computer for a song at Best Buy, and when it wears out, we can recycle it. We don’t want to know streams, groundwater, and children will be poisoned when an offshore e-waste recycler sends it back to Guiyu, China—increasing the very poverty, hunger and environmental degradation we claim to oppose.

My little blog posts fall under the World Hunger program objective, “to encourage members of this church to practice responsible stewardship of their lives and their financial resources toward the prevention and alleviation of hunger.” To me, responsible stewardship means making sure our left hand knows how the plastic water bottle it plunks  down at the cash register aggravates a situation the World Hunger dollars in our right hand hope to alleviate.

As consumers we are discouraged from connecting the dots between our stuff and its consequences. As Christians, we’re obliged to. Convenience and personal comfort at the expense of others are not gospel values. The opposite is true: the gospel exhorts us always to act with our brothers and sisters in mind.

See? My blogs are not stuff and nonsense, but stuff and challenge. Thank you, Hunger Rumblings. I’m grateful for this space and everyone blogging along with it.

Anne Basye, Sustaining Simplicity