02-2. Discussion Paper – Background to the proposal

This was prepared for the Earthcare Action Committee to consider.

Preamble

 Since Friends are members of the National Council of Churches Australia, we note the NCCA Forum 2007 resolution which commits its members to sustainability. The relevant NCCA resolution:

-         highlights the importance of prayer to God for forgiveness for our profligacy

-         calls for “an immediate audit of water and energy use and waste management systems with the view to reducing the ‘ecological footprint’ of Churches and Church agencies by half as soon as possible”

-         encourages each Christian household to do the same and

-         suggests an exploration of the theological resources that could underpin our work.

We suggest that the Earthcare Action Committee could have the following responsibilities:

 

1.      Identify F/friends who have an interest/expertise in this area and who want to be involved in our ongoing process;

2.      Encourage Friends in Australia to commit to living sustainably, both individually and corporately;

3.      Liaise with appropriate similar Quaker bodies in other YMs, and with relevant resource people in the NCCA member churches and other organisations;

4.      Develop and propose actions and strategies to assist Meetings and individual Friends to make lifestyle changes;

5.      Communicate with the Earthcare Correspondents in Regional and Local Meetings;

6.      Provide realistic technical expertise and information to assist Friends in assessing their properties and activities, to identify areas for improvement, to conduct audits, and to develop action plans for Earthcare actions over time;

7.      Establish recommended actions and targets for Yearly Meeting gatherings, for implementation by future organising committees; and

8.      Report annually to Yearly Meeting on progress towards the targets that we adopt.

 Yearly Meeting may consider it appropriate to note the following: the AYM Peace and Social Justice Testimonies Committee could be asked to gather and disseminate relevant Quaker materials (past and contemporary) that inform and encourage an understanding of the spiritual basis of our concern for the Earth. 

The Earthcare Statement drafting group considers that—

1. Local practical action at Quaker household, Local Meeting/Worshipping Group and Regional Meeting levels should be the primary focus of action for sustainability.  There will need to be designated people taking responsibility for these actions in Regional Meetings and local meetings, and to link with others around Australia.
2. In addition, each Yearly Meeting gathering needs to embody ways of meeting the intent of the Earthcare Statement, specifically to reduce the resource and environmental impacts of our national gatherings.  We need to consider setting minimum green standards for the way we meet, eat, travel and so on.
3. All future Quaker activities should be audited using the triple bottom line approach. This would cover the: (1) Economic; (2) Social (including Indigenous)/Spiritual; and (3) Environmental aspects of all activities. This will require that the Earthcare Action Group provide instruction and advice to all Meetings, to ensure that comparable methods are used by all. It is essential that an initial audit is carried out, as a benchmark against which progress can be measured.
4. AYM can usefully liaise or even unite with Quaker actions in other Yearly Meetings, such as “Living Witness” in Britain YM, to increase our knowledge and effectiveness in reducing our environmental impacts.
5. Quaker visions of Creation restored has many useful quotes -

http://members.aol.com/quakernature/qvisionsquotes.htmlcompiled

by Rachel Findley, Strawberry Creek Meeting, Berkeley, California

 

Basis of the recommended process

 

The primary need is to appoint a group or groups of Friends with responsibility to encourage Australian Friends to carry the Earthcare Statement into action, to provide advice and information, to monitor and audit progress, and to report on the current progress at each Yearly Meeting.  The appointed Friends will have two sorts of roles, as follows.

1.  
   1. Encouraging, advising and supporting Friends in this action, by helping to connect Friends with the commitment to live sustainably, to be mindful of the Earthcare Statement and specifically to be aware of the traditional Quaker principles and testimonies that, for our times, present us with clear obligations towards the Earth.  The intention is that the Statement be carried through to action.  This suggests that the primary responsibility for implementation of our Earthcare Statement will be overseen by an AYM Earthcare Action Group.
   2. Some of the issues involved in implementing the Statement will require specialised knowledge.  At the same time, we should avoid duplicating debates and information gathering by our Regional Meetings, so it would be useful to make use of available technical expertise, perhaps by appointing Friends with gifts and knowledge in this area (and in communication) to whom meetings can refer for advice, such as ways to measure and verify actions for sustainability, effectiveness of measures that can be taken and so on.  This suggests the need for an AYM Earthcare Technical Group.

 

There is not necessarily one “right” way to live sustainably.  The Earthcare Action Group would encourage us to share ideas, insights and reflections as we explore and try to implement the Earthcare Statement and move towards sustainability.  It would have the responsibility for monitoring and reporting on Earthcare actions within the constituent meetings of AYM, and would facilitate these actions.

 

We note the following ideas and suggestions that could be adopted as part of the work of the Earthcare Action Group:

1. YM asks for annual monitoring and reporting on progress in Documents in Advance.  This would report on audits that have been carried out and efforts to reduce ecological footprints.  It is envisaged that this report would be made by the AYM Earthcare Action group, assisted by the Regional Meeting contacts.
2. The newly-appointed Earthcare Action group be encouraged to consult the AYM Treasurer to clarify funds that are available for the work of the Group, to support audits, exploration of problems and solutions (including possibly the use of professional skills) and some level of subsidy for remedial actions by Meetings.
3. Helpful information should be posted on the AYM website by the AYM Secretary, on advice from the Earthcare Action Group.

 

The AYM Earthcare Technical Group would:

·        Provide realistic technical expertise and information to assist Friends in assessing their properties, to identify areas for improvement, to conduct audits, and to develop action plans for Earthcare actions over time. 

·        Have, or make, links with what is going on in various government agencies and other organisations, and would maintain current awareness of technical and commercial information. 

·        Make constructive use of existing sources of information from Green Groups, government agencies and bodies similar to ours that are already making progress.

·        Make constructive use of existing sources of information from Green Groups, government agencies and bodies similar to ours that are already making progress.

 

Whichever way this technical input is  managed, we are clear that this role should not compromise the primary role of the Earthcare Action Group as proposed.