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Jan
27
Written by:
host
1/27/2009 7:00 AM
 The environmental costs of the electronic gadgetry in our lives is enormous. Here is but a sampling of our current reality...
- Video games and other devices are well known for being "vampire devices," wasting a lot of power when they are not being actively used.
- Computers require a tremendous amount of heavy metals and other substances which are highly toxic. Those who are involved in the mining process (frequently in developing countries) are often negatively affected, and coltan—a critical element in today's cell phones—is linked to tremendous violence in the Congo.
- Millions of pounds of trash are created each year because these devices have a limited life span. (Of course, many are upgraded long before they truly need to be, just because consumers want the latest and best stuff.)
There are many things you can do to educate your congregation about environmental stewardship and environmental ministry as it relates to technology. Here are a few of my personal favorites...
- Organize an old electronics collection event, when church members can bring items to the church for recycling at Best Buy, sending to an agency that can use them, giving them away on Freecycle, and so on. (You'll need to first put together a ministry team to do the work! In many congregations, this can prove to be an engaging ministry for youth and for men, but certainly don't exclude anyone who is interested.)
- Become an affiliate as a church of a solar-powered web host, after switching your own hosting to them. Use the affiliate account to get your congregation members to switch their personal or business hosting to that solar-powered site.
- Organize a study event for every individual in the congregation to reduce their dependence on electronic devices, power down those not in use, and consider how to build a life that is based on less.
- Encourage everyone you know to subscribe to one ezine of their choice that will help them to learn about how to reduce their impact on God's creation. Two great ones are Cool People Care and The Green Guide.
- Create a team to assess the congregation's annual carbon footprint, then implement a plan for gradually reducing it while at the same time educating the congregation. (In other words, you should be part of this team!)
We would love to hear what other things you have done and are doing to reduce the impact your use of technology has on the environment. Tell us about it by adding a comment!
~ Tim Gossett
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