ACT Attorney General and Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction Shane Rattenbury will discuss the ACT’s progress toward 100% renewable electricity, the future of gas and environmental sustainability issues one year on from the 2020 ACT election.
He will be quizzed by young people in his electorate.
The event, part of the Sustaining Our Future Festival 2021 which is this year online, is hosted by the Social Justice and Environment Group, Holy Cross Anglican and St Margaret’s Uniting in Hackett, Canberra.
Welcome to our spring Sustainability Festival in partnership with St Margaret’s Uniting Church, which this year is entirely online. All events are free, open to all, and can be accessed via the usual Holy Cross Zoom link: https://adcg.zoom.us/j/5675297261
Saturday 16 October, time TBC – poetry reading with Geoff Page and John Foulcher
Sunday 17 October, 9.30am – joint service with St Margaret’s for Global Climate Justice Day
As part of the Festival, below you’ll find a gallery of images that celebrate nature / sustainability / the environment and/or the challenges of community during the pandemic. There will be a special section of the gallery especially for younger members, so please encourage our Holy Cross kids / youth to submit their photos and artwork. Please email contributions to gallery@holycrosshackett.org.au
Our Kids Church kids learn about what foods have the smallest impact on climate change
Our Carbon Action Project in the Home Kids’ Church activities and discussion groups with St Margaret’s have helped our church families take some important steps towards going carbon neutral. From learning about electric bikes to cooking smores in a solar oven (yes, even on a cold autumn morning!) we have learnt a lot and had great fun in the process.
If you missed out, don’t despair. You can have a look at the quick check lists on energy, food and transport on our resources page, to have a think about what changes (big or small) you might be able to make.
In the meantime, be sure to take a look at the presentation given by Rebecca from the Family Footprint Project on reducing food waste to land fill – with lots of great tips on reducing, composting and more…
This Easter season Holy Cross and St Margaret’s are engaging in deep discussions on bringing our carbon action project into the lives and homes of the families in our churches and wider community.
Discussion groups
Community members are invited to join our carbon action project in the home discussion groups–to learn from each other, hear from guest speakers, and share ideas, actions, inspirations and support.
7pm Tuesdays 4, 11 and 18 May;
7.30pm Thursdays 6, 13, 20 May.
Topics – with guest speakers –
will cover:
Transport
Home Energy and Solar (PV) Electricity
Food Chain in the Home
Whether you are taking your first tentative steps to reducing emissions, or are already a carbon-neutral household, all are welcome. Our discussion groups will provide a supportive environment to explore meaningful ways to make change, and to ask deeper questions about finding hope and caring for our sacred earth in the fact of climate change.
The discussion groups are part of a suite of activities in our two churches. The carbon action project in the home will be a focus during worship services and kids’ church throughout the Easter season, culminating in a joint worship service on Pentecost Sunday, 9.30am 23 May.
We will also be posting information, tips and guides. Keep an eye out for blog posts and check out our Carbon Action Project page for resources.
In a spirit of community building and healing, the faith communities of Holy Cross Anglican and St Margaret’s Uniting in Hackett in Canberra’s inner north recently hosted a festival focussed on sustainability.
A stallholder from Canberra Seed Savers shares the fruits of their work
The ‘Sustaining Our Future’ Festival on the weekend of September 19-20 brought together local groups and speakers to offer information on climate change and inspiration on how to reduce one’s individual or household waste and carbon footprint.
“During these pandemic times, it’s even more important we find ways to get together safely and discuss common concerns, be inspired and make a difference,” said Reverend Chris Lockley of St Margaret’s.
People were able to test ride electric bikes and learn about composting. There was also a concert in the church featuring singer-songwriter Lucy Sugerman and local youth bands, a visual arts exhibition, and an ecumenical ‘Celebration of Creation’ worship service.
Dickson College students facilitate the ACT Candidates’ Forum
The program included an ACT election candidates forum moderated by Dickson College students.
“It was a great opportunity for our young people, who have a lot invested in a low-carbon future, to quiz local candidates about their sustainability policies ahead of the October poll,” said Reverend Tim Watson of Holy Cross.
This event, the first of its kind in Hackett, demonstrated the potential of the venue for more community events in the future where people can gather for spiritual and personal resourcing, community development, and to encourage each other in working for the Common Good.”
The Festival was organised as part of Holy Cross/St Margaret’s joint Carbon Action Project, launched earlier this year. Both churches have committed to make their operations carbon neutral within two years, and to help church members and the local community take climate change seriously through local action and engagement.
The once-fixed pews in the ecumenical Hackett church were recently removed to allow for more dynamic and mixed uses of the interior worship space.
Audiences enjoying the live music concert at the end of a great day
“The event was joyful and inclusive, and it put our mandate to evangelise as followers of Jesus into practice in so many different ways. It was a real celebration of beauty (art, music, God’s creation), truth (political debate, scientific and practical learning) and goodness (community, social and environmental action)”, said Reverend Watson.
“It also resonated with Bishop Mark’s encouraging comment about enabling people to return to church after lockdown: ‘re-integrating people to community through community, and helping us think about how we could implement similar steps with people who’ve never been part of our gathered worship’,” Rev. Watson added.
The two ministers also thanked volunteers who worked hard to make it happen.
“So many people made the event work. There were many hours served planning it and then during – to ensure it was safe and kept the festival moving along,” said Rev. Lockley.
Canberra’s inner north will this weekend host a Sustaining Our Future Festival that seeks to reduce our carbon footprint and build resilient communities.
The churches of Holy Cross Anglican and St Margaret’s Uniting in Hackett have put together an afternoon of talks, demonstrations and tips for action.
“If you want to do something about climate change but aren’t sure where to start, the festival can help identify simple ways to reduce your carbon footprint, tell you how much CO2 you would save and inspire ideas for the future,” said Reverend Chris Lockley of St Margaret’s.
“During these pandemic times, it’s even more important we find ways to get together safely and discuss common concerns and to ways to make a difference.”
The program includes an ACT election candidates forum moderated by college students.
“We think it’s great and appropriate that our young people, who have a lot invested in a low-carbon future, will have this opportunity to quiz local candidates about their sustainability policy ahead of the October poll,” said Reverend Tim Watson of Holy Cross.
Also speaking will be Australia’s Ambassador for the Environment, Jamie Isbister.
The full program is as follows:
Saturday 19 September
12.00 noon – 12.20 pm Welcome to Country by Aunty Vi Sheridan
12.25 – 1.00 pm Australia’s Ambassador for the Environment and head climate negotiator, Jamie Isbister in conversation with author, Toni Hassan
1.05 pm – 1.35 pm Brook Clinton from Capital Scraps Composting on “The science of composting”
2.05 pm – 2.45 pm Mia Swainson from Zero Waste on “How to halve your household waste”
3- 4 pm ACT Candidates’ Forum run by students from Dickson College, with Kurrajong candidates including Elizabeth Lee and Shane Rattenbury. To book https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=659164
4.30 – 6 pm Free concert with Lucy Sugerman (The Voice / National Folk Festival Youth Ambassador 2020) pluslocal bands including Northbourne Flats and Pig Dog To book: https://www.trybooking.com/654789
All afternoon – stalls by Society, Environment and Economy (SEE) Change, Canberra Seed Savers, Switched on cycling, ENJO & Women’s Climate Congress, photography on display, art for kids and food/coffee cart
Sunday 20 September
* 9.30am Ecumenical “Celebration of Creation” outdoor worship service
On 19-20 September, Holy Cross Anglican Church and St Margaret’s Uniting Church, Hackett, are running a community sustainability festival, as part of our joint churches Carbon Action Project. This is a COVIDSafe event, and is open to all.
Saturday
12.00 noon to 12.20 pm. Welcome to Country by Aunty Vi Sheridan
12.25 to 1.00 pm. Australia’s Ambassador for the Environment and head climate negotiator, Jamie Isbister in conversation with local writer and journalist, Toni Hassan
1.05 pm to 1.35 pm. Brook Clinton from Capital Scraps Composting on “The science of composting”
2.05 pm to 2.45 pm. Mia Swainson from Zero Waste on “How to halve your household waste”
3pm to 4pm. ACT Candidates’ Forum run by students from Dickson College, with candidates for Kurrajong, including Elizabeth Lee and Shane Rattenbury. To book for this event please go to: https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=659164
Stalls by Society, Environment and Economy (SEE) Change, Canberra Seed Savers, Switched on cycling, ENJO & Women’s Climate Congress.
12 noon to 4 pm. Photography exhibition with photos from lockdown
4.30 pm to 6 pm. Concert with Lucy Sugerman (The Voice / National Folk Festival Youth Ambassador 2020) and local bands including Northbourne Flats and Pig Dog. To book for this free concert go to: https://www.trybooking.com/654789
Sunday
9.30am: Ecumenical Creation Service outdoors under our flowering cherry tree
To help reduce energy usage and save money around the home the Holy Cross and St Margaret’s Carbon Action Project team have produced an information package entitled ‘Energy Smart Actions.’ It includes:
a list of tips for saving energy
the link for using the on-line Australian Greenhouse Calculator (for those wanting a closer look at their cartoon footprint); and
a Data Sheet to make a carbon action plan and record results.
Our hope is to support and inspire households in North Canberra to reduce our emissions and go carbon-neutral. Please use these resources and let us know how you go.
No one wanted to look at each other. No one wanted to speak, to be the first
to speak…
Carrie Fountain
Holy Cross and St Margaret’s have recently moved to a weekly “Eco-Minute” in our Sunday worship, to ensure that we pray regularly for our Carbon Action Project, which forms part of our wider commitment to God’s mission in the world.
On 24 May, Ascension Sunday, our “Eco-Minute” was a poem by Carrie Fountain, published in the online journal ECOTHEOREVIEW. You can read it here: http://www.ecotheo.org/after-the-ascension/
