Happy New Year 2024!

Happiness happens when we align our lives with our values. We know we are called to love and protect the earth and our neighbour. Let’s make the most of every opportunity we are given this year to do that.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

After the Christmas splurge of chocolate, cash and carbon, here are some New Year resolutions that are good for your body, your bank-balance as well as our beautiful world:

  1. Cancel the gym membership! (Unless you live next door, or cycle there). Can you find a way to exercise that doesn’t require getting into your car? I keep fit by cycling to things when they are close enough and doing step-aerobics in the privacy and convenience of my sitting room.  Walking costs 2p per mile in boots!
    .
  2. Pile on the pulses instead of the ounces.  Serving lentils, chickpeas or beans with a grain of some sort (rice, couscous, pasta) makes a complete protein meal at a fraction of the price of meat.  Pulses are also naturally low in fat and high in fibre and minerals. And since animal agriculture is responsible for 14% of greenhouse gas emissions, each time you choose the vegan option, you are being kind to the world.
    .
  3. Insulate yourself!  Trawl second hand shops for big fluffy jumpers and fleecy blankets and see how many layers you can wear at once.  Now you will have to turn the heating down! Every degree you lower will save you about 10% of the energy – thus saving carbon and money.
    .
  4. Stay grounded.  Consider holidaying by car or train this year, rather than flying. It could be cheaper, it could be healthier, especially if it means you don’t get sun-burnt, but, most importantly, it will cut a whopping big hole in your carbon footprint and will probably be the kindest thing you can do for the earth and its future inhabitants. Pledge here and help change the culture around flying.
    .
  5. A C T U A L L Y . T H A T ‘S . N O T . T R U E .  
    An even more effective way to care for the earth is to demand a better world.  Spend the cost of a stamp or an email, or a train ticket to join a rally, vigil or protest, and campaign for the future.  Bring your church to the No Faith in Fossil Fuels Lent Vigil that we are hosting with all the other Christian NGOs starting on Ash Wednesday 14 February.


 

Next:

Previous:

Author: Ruth Jarman | Date: 2 January, 2024 | Category: Action Climate Emergency | Comments: 3


Comments on "Happy New Year 2024!"

Ruth Jarman:

January 6, 2024

Sounds like you've got it sorted! C'mon world, see where the real happiness is!

Sue Charlton:

January 6, 2024

Thanks Ruth. Good to have new ways to suggest old themes - although I've never joined a gym, hoping that walking to the shops, doing house work, gardening and tending the allotment works well enough! We only eat meat once a week, but can justify organic, animal friendly UK chicken when we do. Tinned or dry pulses can keep a very long time. Cooked double quantities so half gets frozen - no waste! And do try Flight Free UK. We've been all over Europe by train and haven't flown for nearly 6 years - however this is more difficult when family live abroad, or if time is really restricted. We treat travel time as part of our holiday. At least you can see where you're going from a train window!

Catherine Fish:

January 2, 2024

These are all achievable goals. Thank you for the challenge!(My local gym is run by members of a church and incorporates a weekly drop in space for asking questions about life and faith. While not a gym member I sometimes go to the drop in and like to have prepared to be able to say honestly that I’ve cycled past a few times recently.)


Add your own comment to "Happy New Year 2024!"

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.