Recognizing God

A Column by: Dr. Julie Peller The recycling of many common glass, paper, and metal products keeps these materials in circulation. This significantly reduces mining of earth’s resources, manufacturing, and the associated damaging pollutants. There are some materials that CANNOT be recycled: light bulbs, mirrors, window glass, drinking glasses, used paper plates, tissues paper, candy and gum wrappers, waxed paper products, paper towels, aerosol cans, scrap metal, shredded paper, and Christmas lights. Most plastics can’t be recycled either. Many people wrongly assume that most common plastics are recyclable and recycled. Most plastics that we use in a typical day aren’t recyclable, and have become a horrific pollution burden on the earth and its inhabitants. The triangle symbol on numerous plastic items suggests they are recyclable; however, it is just an identification number. Plastics designated 1 and 2 (PET and HDPE) are mostly recyclable in their original forms, while most of the others are not acceptable for recycling. Plastic water bottles made of PET are recyclable/downcycled. (Keep in mind: some plastic water bottles are made of non-recyclable plastic and all these bottles release thousands of micro and nanoplastics that are detrimental to human health.) PET plastics can be converted to other plastic materials, such as reusable plastic bags and even plastic clothes (polyester), but then these plastics are mostly no longer recyclable. HDPE plastic milk jugs can be recycled/downcycled into composite lumber or outdoor furniture, which are then no longer recyclable. Overall, you can be sure you are recycling plastic correctly if you put number 1 and 2 plastics – free of debris – in your recycling bin. Contact your local recycling provider to find out if other plastics are acceptable. An important note from local recycling companies is that recyclables should not be put in plastic bags, as they get caught in the materials sorting equipment. Nearly 18,000 collection sites in the US accept just plastic bags and other film plastics, but these are not accepted in the curbside collections; less than 1% of plastic bags are recycled. Unfortunately, a recent study by ABC News that tracked the movement of plastic bags from a number of these special collection sites showed evidence that half of the plastic bags ended up in landfills or incinerators –not at a recycling center. The sustainable way forward is to reduce material purchases, invest in materials that are long-lasting/reusable and avoid materials that cannot be part of the circular economy (the non-recyclables). If we all adopt these practices, we will create a cleaner world for the future.

Recognizing God Blog

Recognizing God Blog

The last two weeks articles were published in the bulletin explaining the duty to care for the environment as taught in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and through an article written by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. This week we will provide a very brief introduction to an Encyclical letter written by Pope Francis in 2015 on the need to Care for our Common Home entitled, Laudato Si, as well as an apostolic exhortation, entitled, Laudate Deum, written by Pope Francis in 2023 addressed to all people of good will on the climate crisis. In Laudato Si’, the Pope outlines: 1. The current state of our common home. 2. The Gospel message as seen through creation. 3. The human cause of the ecological crisis. 4. The topic of ecology and the common good. 5. Pope Francis’ call to action for each of us. It is an excellent encyclical and can be purchased in many bookstores, through Amazon, or downloaded for free online with a simple internet search. You are encouraged to read it and embrace the Pope’s call to action. In Laudate Deum, Pope Francis addresses environmental concerns in the world in respect to human life and dignity and looks at what has happened since 2015 and what still needs to be. This is another excellent document for all to read. Over the last 3 weeks, we have provided a spiritual understanding about why we need to care for the environment. Going forward, we have invited parishioner, Dr. Julie Peller (Professor of Chemistry at Valparaiso University), to provide a weekly blog for us on the Holy Martyrs’ website as well as a monthly bulletin article addressing continued environmental challenges and reflections on our responsibilities for addressing them.  By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Recognizing God Blog by Deacon Tom Gyrzbek

Church Teaching on Our Responsibility to Care for the Environment: Part II In last week’s bulletin an article I introduced the need to care for the environment from a Catholic Church Teaching perspective. This week’s column is the second part of that article. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has published a document entitled, “Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching.” This document that can be read here and is worth reading in its entirety. In this regard several sections speak of the need to be good stewards of God’s resources: • Catholic Church teaching is to protect life and find effective ways to prevent conflicts and resolve them by peaceful means. Conflicts do exist in the world today on the use of resources and/or their lack of availability for everyone. • People have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good (common good being understood to be the sum total of social conditions which allow people, as groups or individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully). The common good concerns the life of all. It calls for prudence from each. • Each person has a fundamental right to life and those things required for human decency. These rights are duties and responsibilities to one another, our families and the larger society. We each have this duty (and in the context of this article for the duty to protect the environment).  • We are one human family and are our brother’s and sisters’ keepers. • We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for Earth is not just an Earth Day slogan. We are called to protect the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God’s creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored. By Deacon Tom Gryzbek

Ruminations Blog

Church Teaching on Our Responsibility to Care for the Environment: Part I Introduction: