In January 2020, Hereford Cathedral formed its first Eco Group to examine the ways in which the cathedral can better support the environment and be more sustainable in its everyday activities.

The group, which consists of members of cathedral staff, volunteers and congregation, meet monthly to plan action and discuss progress. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the group have still been able to meet (via Zoom) and submit an application the Eco Church Silver Award which was successful in December 2020. 

On Sunday 9 May, the Cathedral Eucharist was a Climate Sunday service. The Climate Sunday initiative is calling on all local churches across Great Britain & Ireland to hold a climate-focused service on any Sunday before the COP26 summit in November 2021. During the service, members of the Cathedral Environmental Working Group outlined what actions have been taken to secure an Eco Church silver award, and the plans of the cathedral community to raise awareness before COP 26.

Download the text of the presentation here (pdf)

Click here to read more here about the Eco Church Silver Award.

COMMUNITY UPDATES - these are published in the Pew Sheet

Sunday 5 September

On Sunday 9 May we held a Climate Sunday service in Hereford Cathedral. This was to raise awareness of the progress made by the cathedral to improve our carbon footprint and environmental awareness, and to suggest ways we can influence the UN Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow in November. As part of this service, we encouraged members of the congregation to join in a ‘virtual walk’ to Glasgow, to support the Young Christian Network pilgrimage from Cornwall to Glasgow which has been taking place this year, as well as to sign a Christian Aid petition about climate change. The collective action and commitments from local churches across Great Britain and Ireland will be presented to the UK Government at a Nations Climate Sunday Service in Glasgow today at 4 pm. If you would like to find out more about the service click here.

 

Sunday 8 August

WHAT WE FLUSH AWAY

We’re sure everyone has been aware for many years about not flushing solvents, poisons or fat down our domestic sinks and lavatories.  It’s not difficult to realise what damage they would do to the drainage system and to living creatures of every kind that come into contact with those substances.  Not difficult either to begin wondering what happens if some of them seep into the groundwater which will support the food chain.

Less well-known, perhaps, is the effect of those apparently benign products we use in our homes every day.  Things like detergent, shower gel, shampoo, body scrubs, washing powder and fabric conditioner.  These end up going down our drains as well.  They smell nice and make things clean so it’s hard to believe that they can be doing harm to the natural world.  But they can contain harmful and damaging chemicals such as parabens, sulphates and phosphates, or degrade to release chemicals like benzene and toluene.  Facial and body scrubs, and some other products, contain micro-plastic beads; these we wash down the plughole along with those harmful chemicals to enter the food chain and the bodies of living creatures (ourselves included, as recent studies show).

What can we do?  Rather than trying to change one's buying choices and habits all at once, it's less daunting to do this gradually.  You could, for example, try to buy body and household cleaning products from Bio-D, Faith in Nature or Ecozone. They use plant-based ingredients, no harmful chemicals and work to make their packaging sustainable.  The Fodder Basics stall in the Buttermarket has a section where you can refill your own containers with eco-friendly products, cutting down on buying yet more plastic bottles.   Can this be the month when we become more mindful about what we flush away?

 

Sunday 27 June  

Plastic Free July. Just what it says, really. How would we manage? Well, no prepackaged food, which might mean taking our own containers. We could re-use the paper bags from the chemist. And we probably need to buy meat from the local butcher, but even then, we need to ask them not to wrap it in plastic. We can ask a supermarket the same. Keep asking. And don't forget shopping bags, or the bag your new jumper comes in.

For more information, to register, and for more ideas, please go to www.plasticfreejuly.org 

 

Sunday 30 May

Many thanks to everyone for the very positive response to the Climate Sunday presentation earlier in the month.  Many of our congregation have signed the sheet for our Cathedral Virtual Walk to COP26, and there are also numerous signatures on the Christian Aid Climate Justice Petition sheet.

We were aiming to walk, between us, the equivalent of the distance (340 miles) from Hereford to the UN COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow by September 5th, when there will be a Climate Sunday Service in Glasgow Cathedral, at which this and similar commitments from UK churches will be presented to the UK Government as part of the lead-up to the Conference itself in November this year. So far, Jo has received promises to walk many times further than this distance! If you have not already done so, please send your name and the number of miles you aim to walk to be added to the Virtual Walk Sheet. You can sign the Christian Aid petition online at: https://www.christianaid.org.uk/get-involved/campaigns/climate-justice-2021 

This coming Saturday (June 5th) is World Environment Day: a United Nations day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment.

This year, the theme for World Environment Day is “Ecosystem Restoration” and will see the launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Ecosystem restoration can take many forms: growing trees, greening cities, rewilding gardens, changing diets or cleaning up rivers and coasts. If you visit their website at https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/ there is information about different ecosystems, and what can be done to restore them. It contains case studies, and suggestions for individuals as well as large organisations.

 

 

Sunday 2 May

On Sunday 9th May, the Cathedral Eucharist will be a Climate Sunday service. The Climate Sunday initiative is calling on all local churches across Great Britain & Ireland to hold a climate-focused service on any Sunday before the COP26 summit in November 2021. Their vision is to leave a lasting legacy of thousands of churches better equipped to address this critical issue as part of their discipleship and mission and to make a significant contribution to civil society efforts to secure adequate national and international action at COP26. The collective action and commitments from local churches across Great Britain & Ireland will be presented to UK Government at a Nations Climate Sunday Service in Glasgow on Sunday 5th September 2021.

During the service, members of the Cathedral Environmental Working Group will outline what actions have been taken to secure an Eco Church silver award, and the plans of the cathedral community to raise awareness before COP 26. This service is at 10am in the cathedral, or available to livestream from the cathedral website.

 

Sunday 11 April

Cathedral Eco Working Group - Cycling

I have been asked to write something about cycling for this month’s entry.  I don’t like categorising people as cyclists or motorists or pedestrians.  Many of us are all of these three in just one day.  However to help tackle the climate crisis those of us who are able need become cyclists or pedestrians more often and drivers less often, particularly within the city limits.  The opportunities for cycling in the city are increasing.  There are now Beryl Bikes in many locations that can be hired quite cheaply and there is also section of the Council’s website (https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/cycling-1) dedicated to cycling. It has very helpful information, including maps showing the many (but not enough!) cycle paths around the city.  It is possible to get around the city by cycle path and quiet back roads and this is often the quickest way to travel with the bonus of no time wasted looking for a parking space upon arrival.  Cycling to the Cathedral I always know exactly how long my journey will take and that I will be able to park easily.  I cannot say that when I drive.  Once we are out of lockdown the Council will resume the cycle training they offer and this can be a help to those who feel nervous on a bike.  Knowing how to ride safely in traffic is important and can be learned.  The recent introduction of e-bikes has made cycling even easier and that motor really does help, but it only works when you are pedalling, so some effort is still needed.  Some of the Beryl Bikes are e-bikes and they provide a good way to try one.  The Cathedral has a few cycle racks that are mainly for staff but there is a large rank of racks outside the public library that can be used when visiting the Cathedral.  So give cycling a go if you are able and you may get a pleasant surprise. 

Canon Graham Bennett

 

 

Sunday 7 February

Some of us may like to begin Lent by ‘Taking the Jump’. Don’t worry, no physical jumping is required, although some of the six ‘shifts’ suggested on the website of takethejump.org are quite challenging. Choices include committing to keeping our electronic products for at least seven years, limiting new items of clothing to three per year or helping to change the system by making at least one energy or financial shift (switch to a green energy supplier, move to an ethical bank etc).

 

Sunday 17 January

As you will know from the 6 December pew sheet, Hereford Cathedral has recently been awarded the A Rocha UK Eco Church Award (Silver). A Rocha have congratulated us on being the 1000th UK church to receive an award!

As a Cathedral Environmental Working Group, part of our work towards the award scheme involves suggesting ways we can encourage ourselves as a Cathedral community to live more sustainable lives. In the December pew sheet it was suggested that we could all work at making our shopping more "LOAF" (Local, Organic, Animal welfare, Fairly traded).

Following on from your efforts with that, we hope you will find this month's suggestion helpful: it's to have a go at the World Wildlife Fund's "environmental footprint calculator" at https://footprint.wwf.org.uk

 

Sunday 10 January

A Rocha UK have announced that Hereford Cathedral is the recipient of its Eco Church scheme’s 1,000th award for creation care.

The scheme presented its first award in January 2016. Since then, Eco Church has continued to receive award applications for Bronze, Silver and Gold award levels and offer practical guidance to an increasing number of churches opting to care for God’s earth. To gain awards, churches must prove high environmental standards in each of the areas covered by the Eco Church Survey. These areas are: Worship and teaching, management of church buildings, management of church land, community and global engagement and lifestyle.

“We’re delighted that Hereford Cathedral is the recipient of our 1,000th Eco Church award, not least because it demonstrates that even historical buildings can make great progress towards being more sustainable. The Cathedral land includes both gardens within the cathedral complex and some farms in the local area which are managed in a sustainable way. Eco Church is for all church communities regardless of where or how it meets and whether or not it owns land.”.

 Helen Stephens, Church Relations Manager for A Rocha UK

EVENTS - click to find out more

Whilst the events programme which we had planned for 2020 has not been able to run due to Covid-19, you can view the online version of our 20210 Lent talks here.

FIND OUT MORE

To find out more about the Eco Church committee at Hereford Cathedral please contact William Talbot-Ponsonby by email: [email protected]