The St Andrew's Psalter Lane Church Eco Group is very proud of its Silver Eco Church Award!

The free online survey and supporting resources from A Rocha are designed to equip churches to express their care for God’s world in their worship and teaching; in how they look after their buildings and land; in how they engage with their local community and in global campaigns, and in the personal lifestyles of their congregation.

Theirr vision is for churches of all denominations to care for creation as an integral part of loving their neighbours and following God faithfully.

Click on the image above for more information!

Here at SAPLC, we have held events such as the Carbon Footprint Drop-in and the Greener Summer Holidays events; we hosted the Eco Church Conference in October 2017; we have regular Green Communion services and constantly look for ways to reduce the energy use of our lovely church building. One of our latest plans for a 'greener' way of life is growing vegetables on the land behind the church. 

Green News

Action needed please!

SYCA News  The South Yorkshire Climate Alliance is an alliance of groups each of whom is concerned about some aspect of the climate emergency whether locally or globally.

At the AGM we heard about the Lottery Bid which is being prepared to develop work with hard to reach young people in different parts of South Yorkshire and engage them in combatting climate change.  We also put forward suggestions for SYCA's lobbying/campaigning priorities for the coming year.

 Climate Vigils  A climate vigil was held last Saturday in the Quiet Garden at St. Oswald's, Millhouses in response to Christian Aid's call for prayer in advance of COP29. The Archdeacon of Sheffield and Rotherham attended (on behalf of Bishop Sophie, the Diocesan climate lead) and Abitsam Mohammed, new MP for Sheffield Central also came. Christian Aid staff did some video recording. Don't forget that SYCA organises Climate Vigils in the city centre on a regular basis.

Better Buses  The public consultation on franchising of South Yorkshire buses opened on 23 October and runs for 3 months to 15 January. Please respond, whether or not you are a frequent bus user. There is a strong case for public transport to be publicly owned and now is the time to say so. Please encourage friends and neighbours to respond too. You can have your say by using either the long or the short survey at www.southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk/busreform.

The link to the forms is at https://t.co/5ngXKMnZeN

Better Buses for South Yorkshire is holding an afternoon workshop on Saturday 16 November from 2pm to 5pm at SADACCA on The Wicker when there will be advisory material available, and the opportunity to write your personal response. This is an opportunity to hear BBSY's expectations of what difference franchising would and should make to our bus services.

Please sign the petition "Sainsbury's & Tesco: publicly support real action to cut plastic production"  Since 2021, major UK supermarkets, including Sainsbury's and Tesco, have been rolling out front-of-store collection points to recycle soft plastic packaging. An investigation revealed that 70% of the tracked soft plastic bundles that reached a final destination is burnt, not recycled. You can read more and sign the petition here.

Traidcraft loo roll

This toilet paper is special because...
*It's made in the UK from 100% recycled paper (no imported bamboo) and it funds tree planting projects to actively restore nature.
*It supports producers around the world - every purchase is fighting for a fairer trade system.
*It includes free delivery straight to your door and extra long rolls for brilliant value.
Subscribe to save: When you subscribe (cancel at any time) - you save 10% (with this discount 36
rolls cost £31.49) and there's no hassle of reordering - it's all done for you.. We want you to get the best deal here so we've created a guide to how often you should order based on household size...
1-2 person household: once every four months

3-4 person household: once every three months
5-7 person household: once every two months
Business, church or big household: once a month
So in a world of worry, let this toilet roll be one less thing on your mind - and more than that - let it be a joy. When you switch to Traidcraft loo roll, you are are using the power of your everyday purchases to make the world a better place.
You can place your order here.

Statement in response to the Prime Minister's Announcement on Net Zero Policies:

A joint statement by The Baptist Union of Great Britain, The Methodist Church,

The United Reformed Church

We are dismayed that the Prime Minister is delaying the implementation of policies to achieve net zero. As Christian leaders we are deeply committed to encouraging all within hour our sphere of influence to be ambitious in reaching net zero as we seek to care for God’s creation.  This transition must be rapid, equitable and just. At a time when so many people are struggling financially, the government has a crucial role to play in ensuring the cost of transition to net zero does not fall most heavily on those least able to afford it. Delaying measures to insulate homes will have the opposite effect, slowing efforts to reduce fossil fuel use will increase climate impacts on vulnerable communities around the globe Please click  here  to read the full article

Triodos Bank This link takes you to  a page which has links in it to other pages with interesting ideas.

BBC features sustainability in Sheffield Sheffield’s Outdoor City, Food Works and Regather have all featured in a short film about sustainability in Sheffield. The short film was shown on the BBC during the Snooker World Championship 2023 and showcased some fantastic sustainability initiatives across the city. Watch it here.

Soil Association Sustainable Living Guide  The Soil Association has put together a Sustainable Living Guide to help people restore nature, health and a safe climate from the ground up. Whether you're looking for small changes you can make at home or advice on bigger changes you can make in your life, they've got you covered!

The FREE digital guide is packed with top tips and expert advice from the Soil Association and our partners. You can download it here. 

Concerned about the Climate and Nature Emergency? Why not join the South Yorkshire Climate Alliance Sheffield Climate Vigil? Come and join in a silent 1 hour vigil twice a month: 

First Thursday of every month 5pm to 6pm at top of Howard Street (opposite   Millennium Gallery and near the Globe Pub).

Third Monday of every month 12pm to 1 pm outside Town Hall (by the main steps) There is a Facebook page called Sheffield Climate Vigil for information or you can message the Climate Alliance from there.

Everyone welcome

Green videos

Do I love you when I burn my carbon? by Tim Baker of All We Can. Find out more about their response to the climate emergency here.

Pilgrimage to Net Zero with A Rocha CEO, Andy Atkins

Why should Christians care for the environment? Why all Christians have a vocation to care for the earth by Revd Dr. Mike Perry

The Nations' Climate Sunday Service from Glasgow Cathedral on 5th September 2021

Song of the Prophets: A requiem for the climate by Christian Aid and Chineke!

Eco Tip

We all want to care for the planet, but can’t do everything at once. Here is the next in a series of tips to think about. Some can be done today, some this month, and some will  not be for you. But remember - everyone can do something! 

During lockdown, the Eco Group discussed what the world would look like after the pandemic, and what we would like it to look like; we discussed how we could influence the world to improve and how we could help to create a greener, fairer ‘New Normal’. This is the ‘manifesto’ that we have drawn up as a result of this discussion: it is intended to be a statement of our beliefs about the issues of climate change and pollution, a tool for lobbying those in power – we will be sending a copy to local MP Paul Blomfield, for example – and a basis for discussion with other people and groups who are involved in making change happen.

‘This is what St Andrew’s Psalter Lane Church Eco Group, together with the many other groups that form part of our church life, would like to see happening in the future; these are what we consider to be the important issues facing the world as we come out of the pandemic. We believe these issues should be part of government policy and implemented at national and local level, and we believe in lobbying national government on these issues:

We believe that we have been entrusted with the care of the Earth, which is God’s creation, and that we should live fairly and gently upon it as an expression of our Christian faith.

We believe that everyone has the responsibility and ability to make small changes which can make a big difference.

We believe that there should be affordable and effective public transport solutions as alternatives to personal car use.

We believe that electric bicycles and tricycles should be more widely available, that there should be a coherent scheme for funding them, and that cycle paths for using them should be more common.

We believe that for those people whose journey requires a car, those cars should be powered either by electricity or by renewable power such as hydrogen.

We believe that renewable sources of energy must become the norm.

We believe that more ‘green’ jobs should be available, for example making electric bicycles, building wind turbines, insulating houses, harvesting crops etc.

We believe that school- and university-leavers should be able to enter this sort of job as the ‘traditional’ job market shrinks due to the pandemic.

We believe that it is important to support local traders, suppliers and manufacturers.’

We would like everyone in the congregation to sign the manifesto - if you would like your name to be added to the list of signatories, please email clare@standrewspsalterlane.org.uk

Developing Expressions of Green Church

Revd Philip Bill, Convenor for JPIT Yorkshire, would like to create a small group of people to scope out and develop expressions of Green Church across the region. This will take ecological issues as more than simply matters of social justice alongside others. It will embed ecological theology at the heart of new worshipping communities which create space for people to transition into the new patterns of life that a committed approach to climate change requires. At heart, this is an evangelical enterprise which treats climate change as the most significant context in which we now tell the gospel story. (JPIT Yorkshire will also be arranging a conference for the Summer of 2021 to explore the idea of Green Church further.)
If you are interested in being part of this pioneering group, please email Revd Philip Bee, Convenor for JPIT Yorkshire on philipbee61@btinternet.com.