How about a Carbon Fast?

The Rt Rev James Jones, Bishop of Liverpool led a Carbon Fast last year and with the help of Tearfund are encouraging the idea to be championed in 2008 also.



Day 1
Remove 1 light bulb safely and live without it for the next 40 days.

Day 2
Check your house for draughts with a feather by windows and doors, if it flutters get filling with some draught excluder and insulation.

Day 3
Tread lightly, whether that's by foot, by bike, on the bus or on the gas as you drive. Find a way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions when you travel today.

Day 4
Are you recycling everything? Really everything? Look into it today. Maybe ask if you can leave unwanted packaging at the checkout to send a clear message to retailers.

Day 5
Encourage others to join in the carbon fast, maybe have a green dinner to share ideas.



Day 6
Turn your central heating thermostat down by 1 degree.

Day 7
Say "Au revoir" to standby. Check that all electrical appliances are turned off when not in use.

Day 8
Unplug your mobile phone charger- it uses electricity even when it’s not charging.

Day 9
Climate change isn’t a distant threat- it’s affecting poor communities now. Pray for Tearfund’s work to help vulnerable communities adapt to the changing weather.

Day 10
Give your dishwasher a day off or promote it to a grade A Energy Efficient appliance.

Day 11
Use local shops or farmers’ markets (www.farmersmarkets.net) instead of driving to out-of-town shopping parks. They will thank you; the supermarkets won’t notice your absence.

Day 12
Tell politicians to take action on climate change today. Check out Tearfund’s campaign work at www.tearfund.org/climate .

Day 13
Put the heat on your electricity or gas suppliers and ask them if they have a green plan. Make the switch and feel cosy.

Day 14
Take a shower instead of a bath; you’ll use less water.

Day 15
Snub plastic bags. Get into the habit of taking your rucksack to the supermarket or go retro with a trolley. Ask your supermarket to remove unnecessary packaging.

Day 16
Turn off lights as you leave the room.

Day 17
Only fill your kettle with as much water as you need.

Day 18
Cut the air miles. Don’t consume any food that has been imported by plane (unless it’s Fairtrade).

Day 19
Grace Maglasey and her husband Andrew struggle to grow enough food because their village in Malawi is caught in a cycle of floods and droughts. Join in with Grace’s prayer. “We pray that those of us who farm should harvest a lot of food this year so we will not have hunger. In the name of Jesus. Amen”

Day 20
Compost. Put the nutrients from food waste back into the soil- not into methane-emitting landfill.

Day 21
Only run your washing machine when you have a full load.

Day 22
Find one way to save paper today: reuse an old envelope or print double sided.

Day 23
Turn the taps off fully. In one day a dripping tap could fill a bath.

Day 24
Counsel your local council. Thank them for their recycling facilities but ask them if they could provide anymore.

Day 25
Who works hardest in the house? Mum? Dad? No, it’s the fridge. It’s churning away 24/7. Treat it to a good de-icing to make sure it’s running efficiently.

Day 26
“Love does no harm to its neighbour.” Romans 13:10. But while our lifestyles consume more and more energy, our poorer neighbours are suffering. Reflect on ways to love our neighbours in our increasingly connected world.

Day 27
Pressure a car-owner to check their tyre pressures. Low pressure means high fuel consumption.

Day 28
Do a home energy check at www.energysavingtrust.org.uk or call 0800 512 012 for a paper copy. You could save up to £250 a year on bills.

Day 29
Run your washing machine at 30 degrees. This uses 40% less electricity than at 40 degrees.

Day 30
Find out a new fact about the impact of climate change today. Amaze your friends.

Day 31
Fit aluminium foil behind your radiators- allowing you to turn them down and save £10 a year per radiator.

Day 32
Any old iron? If it’s on its last legs, replace old electrical appliances for energy-efficient models. They could save a third of the energy.

Day 33
Have an embrace-the-silence Sunday. Turn off everything. No TV, no radio, no ring tones, no cars. It’ll be good for the soul.

Day 34
Tell the Mailing Preference Service that you want to stop junk mail. Call 0845 7034599 or visit www.mpsonline.org.uk. Sign up to Tearfund’s e-newsletter Twelve at www.tearfund.org/twelve

Day 35
Put an insulation jacket on your hot water tank. If everyone does, we’ll cut enough carbon dioxide to fill 148,000 hot air balloons.

Day 36
Reuse an item you would have thrown away- whether that’s jam jars, envelopes or ice-cream containers.

Day 37
Put a lid on it. That’s pans when cooking and use a kettle to boil water.

Day 38
Draw the curtains to keep the heat in.

Day 39
Could your church be greener? Visit www.tearfund.org/climatechange

Day 40
Replace your missing bulb with an energy saving light bulb. Over its lifetime you will save 60kg of carbon dioxide per year and up to £60. Make a personal pledge to serve others by pursuing a more sustainable way of life.

If you want to find out more info you can visit the Tearfund website

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