This week, we continue our thoughts on Our Common Home (from Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si’ (“Praise be to You”)) by taking a closer look at how we use and conserve our resources and energy. A sustainable lifestyle is indeed a challenge to our “throwaway culture,” as it encourages mindfulness about consumption, production, and daily choices.
Here are a few practical actions we can easily achieve:
- Use natural light.
- Turn off unused appliances.
- Walk, bike, or use public transportation (when you can) to reduce fossil fuel usage.
- Shift toward a plant-based diet.
- Buy goods locally.
- Reduce, reuse, recycle, and repair.
- Visit second-hand shops.
- Consider using a reusable water bottle rather than individual, disposable plastic ones.
- Many more!
We all have a moral and spiritual responsibility to make a difference, commit to change, and learn and practice a more holistic approach to protect and care for our common home.
