Picture this: it’s early morning and the deafening sound of chainsaws jolts you awake. Looking out, you see every tree on your street being cut down. Shocking isn’t it?
That unsettling picture is, in fact, the reality in Canada’s boreal forest, one of Earth’s greatest forests, where millions of trees are logged each year, mostly for paper.
But what does that have to do with us here at the Cathedral?
During The Season of Creation, August 31 - October 4th, we will be initiating a small change together. Guided by our Music Director, Dr Neil Cockburn, and supported by Cathedral staff, clergy and CATS (Climate Action Through Stewarding) ministry, we’ll return to using the hymnals in our pews (the large blue books found nearby in every pew) rather than printing every hymn in the Sunday 10:30 service bulletins.
This latest effort to reduce the size of the bulletin will not significantly affect the clear cutting of the boreal or old growth forests, but it is a reminder that paper, though easily recycled, still carries a financial and environmental cost.
Before the pandemic, the Cathedral’s paper expenses were $1,000 a month. With greater consciousness, our consumption has decreased. But in the meantime, paper costs have increased. Thus, savings are still needed.
More importantly, as stewards of creation, we are called to examine all of our activities and practices, and to continually assess how even small changes can reduce ecological strain.
The boreal forest is one of three remaining major forests around the world. They are the “lungs of the planet”, absorbing carbon dioxide, producing oxygen, and supporting vast, diverse eco-systems.
As we sing about the beauty of creation, our lungs will be thankful for the oxygen they inhale from clean air. Sing out, loud and clear!
* the boreal forest stretches from northern BC across the whole of Canada through Russia and into Alaska.
For further reading: NRDC - Counting on Canada’s Commitments. An analysis by NRDC and the Suzuki Foundation.