Eco Blog - St. George's Berlin

 This Summer could have deadly amounts of heat, especially for older people and for the very young.  Greenpeace (Germany) offers a number of suggestions about how cities can deal with this: 1) More green spaces in the inner city: trees provides effective shade and significant protection.  2) Sealed spaces like roads should whenever possible revert to being green spaces. 3) Cities should design and implement intentional "Cool Spots".  4) Cities should develop and implement action plans that address bio-diversity and climate change. (from unsplash.com)

The Eco-Church committee would like to make more vegan and vegetarian recipes available for readers. Here is a start. Other recipes are very welcome. Home made Hummus Hummus is vegan and surprisingly easy to make with the right tools. You will need chickpeas (Kichererbsen) and Tahini (a sesame paste readily available at LPG or other bio-friendly stores). Typically I drain the liquid from the can of chickpeas, reserving some for later use, and mix in a healthy spoonful of Tahini. My recipe also adds lemon juice, oil, and a clove of garlic (NOT essential, but I love garlic). Some salt and pepper and other spices are also good additions, though not essential.  I use a Stabmixer to grind the mix into a paste, and add liquid from the chickpeas to make it reasonably smooth. WARNING: be patient, since it takes some time to process the chickpeas initially. With refrigeration it can last for several days. <!-- LikeBtn.com BEGIN --> <span class = "likebtn-wrapper" data-iden...

Investing is one of those topics which may often feel like one is trying to navigate the St George’s Maze - you have various options in terms of direction, some lead to dead ends, others lead you around in circles, and some help you to reach your goal in the center of the maze. Some may have a more pessimistic outlook, viewing investing as the Harry Potter Triwizard Tournament maze, with a lot of unpleasant surprises and unexpected obstacles to overcome. Add in a twist to try to make investing sustainable, then it is no wonder that many people may feel lost in terms of what to look for or where to start. In this article, I will try to simply outline key elements to look out for, in case the reader is interested in Sustainable or Green Investing. “Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start” - Sound of Music. The starting point to any investing is to select your stock broker. Compared to prior decades, this has been simplified by many brokers so that you can access a w...

According to a message from the Gewerkschaft der Polizei Berlin, over 3,250,000 people in Germany have signed a petition to ban fireworks. One reason is that fireworks release toxic chemicals, heavy metals, particulate matter, and various greenhouse gases that are bad for the environment. They also increase the risk of wildfire, and fireworks can harm the people setting them off. The danger is real: the US reports that fireworks injured 14,700 people in 2024 and killed persons.  According to the Guardian (9 Jan 2026): “Debates around banning end-of-year firework displays have heated up in several European countries. In Germany, which regularly reports firework-related deaths around the turn of the year, calls to ban private sales have gained support from doctors, green groups and police unions – with some environmental groups going further and calling for a ban even on licensed firework displays.”. ( LINK )  Now is the time take action to protect God’s creation!  Getty Im...

Green spaces are areas of land or vegetation within both urban and rural environments that are not developed with buildings and include features like grass, trees, plants, and water. These spaces range from small parks and community gardens to forests that harbour wildlife while offering an opportunity for recreation and other benefits.  How far are you from or close to a green space? Is it accessible, safe, or welcoming? Urban areas are far from forests and without a luxury of space between builds to create green spaces for recreation or a counter for the urban heat island effect . This exposes them to impacts of climate change like high temperatures among others.  The set-up of every city needs a balance between green spaces and other relevant infrastructure. These areas are core to our aspirations and inspiration for sustainable pathways. Like most innovations, nature ‘s inspiration is exhibited by biomimicry or just immersing oneself to its surroundings and create. One cou...

St. George's Anglican church plans to use heated cushions, heated backrests and an electric light called a "Strahler" in German. The device emits a bright, focused beam of light commonly using LEDs to provide ecologically efficient ambient warmth. The operating costs are expected to be a fraction of what it currently costs to run our inefficient and decades-old furnace that burns fossil fuel. In the end the parish will save a significant amount of money, and will do significantly less harm to the environment. But first the initial expenses must be covered.   The cost for the heated cushions, backrests and the Strahler will be  about € 78.000. The installation will cost € 22,000. The church still needs to raise € 14,000 €. Contributions should go to KD Bank DE78 3506 0190 1566 9230 21. The Church will issue receipts. Please contribute to help to protect God's creation.  

In March 2025 Russell Parton published an article ( link ) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences claiming: "Tree planting is still the best way to remove carbon, despite climate and economic risks, say researchers". Part of the economic impact comes from reducing the amount of land for crops, but reducing cropland is not the only option. The author notes that "a 'portfolio' approach to tree planting—diversifying species and planting locations—helps balance risks and moves beyond planting strategies that simply hope that everything will be okay." An important alternative to reducing farmland could be reducing the area cemerted over for highways and for parking spaces. Parton suggests that a balanced approach involving trees is "a far more cost-effective strategy for carbon removal than alternatives like biomass energy with carbon capture and storage or direct air capture technologies."  Children's book author Liz Pichon writes ...

According to a 21 August 2025 article by Anthony King in the EU Research magazine Horizon , "Researchers are testing a new method of capturing CO2 from energy-intensive industries and converting it into valuable chemicals and fuels."   The process involves multiple steps including  the creation of potassium carbonate in order to lock the gas into liquid form, then to use electricity to make the solution more acidic to release CO2, and finally to turn the CO2 into formic acid, which is the simplest carboxylic acid. A related process is being used in Denmark to make the creation of cement more environmentally friendly.   Even though the process works, this article makes it clear that working out cost-effective CO2 capture remains difficult, and will continue to require significant  European Union investment. Such initiatives are important to protect God's creation.  

We have long known that bee populations are in decline due to climate change, but climate change is not by any means the only reason.  Bee-killing pesticides are an important factor which countries could and should control. Habitat loss is another factor. Governments traditionally encourage groth, and growth often means paving over land for buildings and streets and even bicycle paths. A few cities like Berlin have been trying to protect successful green areas like Tiergarten in the city's centre, but pollution from automobile traffic remains a problem despite a vote in 2022 that favoured restricting cars inside the core city. Courts have ruled that holding a new  referendum to ban cars within the S-Bahn ring is legal. Forests are also suffering despite efforts in many countries to protect forests from developers.   Nonetheless a 2025 article by Madina Tussupov gives a reason for hope, because  the population of bees is actually growing in some areas in Asia. Ch...

Plastic waste in water has long been one of the major pollution problems, but there may now be a solution in sight, according to a Reuters article by Irene Wang   ( LINK ):     “Researchers in Japan have developed a plastic that dissolves in seawater within hours, offering up a potential solution for a modern-day scourge polluting oceans and harming wildlife. … [T]he new material is as strong as petroleum-based plastics but breaks down into its original components when exposed to salt. Those components can then be further processed by naturally occurring bacteria, thereby avoiding generating microplastics that can harm aquatic life and enter the food chain.” A key factor will be persuading commercial users to adopt in this form of plastic.   Doing so will likely take both social pressure perhaps financial incentives. Nonetheless, water soluble plastic could be important for preserving God's creation.    

A 20 May 2025 report from the University of Reading entitled "Bees face new threats, putting our survival & theirs at risk"  discusses  the alarming state of the bee population. ( LINK ) It warns:   "Pollinators like bees, butterflies, some birds and bats are vital to nature and our food supply with almost 90% of flowering plants and over three-quarters of the world’s staple crops depending on them. But habitat loss, pesticides, climate change and invasive species have caused their severe decline, including the extinction of some bee species." Among the key problems are pesticides, but other risks loom large, including air pollution, micro plastics,  artificial light for those that pollinate at night, and wildfires that are destroying their natural  habitats. The report emphasises that "finding ways to protect pollinators early is key to prevent preventing further major decline." Protecting bees and other pollinating insects is important if we...

The EU’s Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) was launched in October 2021 as "part of the EU’s broader effort to help cities use resources more efficiently and reduce waste. ... This initiative is also a key part of the European Green Deal – the EU’s overarching plan to grow the economy while protecting the environment. " ( LINK )  Reuse is an important environmental measure. "“The carbon footprint of reused elements is just 5 % of that of newly produced ones,” said Huuhka, who coordinates the ReCreate initiative."  ( LINK )   These kinds of initiatives need to be publicised and encouraged in protect God's creation. (from Horizon: the EU Research & Innovation Magazine :    LINK )

A 5 May 2025 Guardian article by Tom Perkins has the title: "Plastics in everyday objects may disrupt sleep in same way as caffeine, study finds:" ( LINK ) "The biological process of how the plastic chemicals affect the body is similar to caffeine in its effects on the circadian rhythm and adenosine receptor. ... But when the adenosine receptor is activated by the chemicals, it may not relay the message, delaying the body’s natural physiological processes. ... The findings of each new study will be used to pressure lawmakers to enact regulations, and to try to convince industry to remove the chemicals from the plastic, Wagner said."  This is in addition to the other environmental damage that plastic does to fish and animals. If we care about God's creation, we should minimise out use of plastic, even when that is challenging today.

 Tom Perkins of the Guardian writes: "Three essential things to know about microplastics – and how to avoid them" with the subtitle: "Microplastics can’t be avoided completely, but even small steps in the right direction can help significantly." Here are some quotes from the article: "... plastic kitchenware is a major source of contamination at home. It all adds up: by one estimate, we on average ingest about 3.8m microplastics annually, many through food." "...Some plastic will almost certainly end up in your food, no matter what you do. ... prioritize the easiest steps you can take to avoid the chemicals, like swapping out plastic kitchen utensils with items made with safer alternative..." "... single-use paper coffee cups can shed trillions of bits of plastic when hot liquid is added. Similarly, tea bags can release billions of particles, and microwavable plastic is also a problem."  As a tea drinker I find the news about tea bags e...

  Sustainable Suggestions for Lent Lent will soon be starting and why not consider making it sustainable.You could choose to do one of these suggestions each week, or some / all of them for the whole of Lent. 1. Go vegetarian / vegan for Lent  Genesis 1:29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.  If you decide to give this a go, we can suggest the following websites for recipes to start you off. (As always before starting any new eating plan, please consider your own nutritional needs and if you are unsure, consult a professional) https://www.deliciouslyella.com/en-eu/category/recipes https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/diets/vega   2. Don't buy anything new during Lent (except food and toiletries)  Matthew 6:19-20 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up fo...

 It is important to involve school-age people so that they understand the world they are inheriting. This work by Dougie Paynter comes with  strong recommendations by members of the Eco-Church group. Here is a LINK . Plastic is one of the threats to God's creation that we can all help to avoid with our own small choices. In the end, it is often the small choices we make during daily life that matter.

 The amount of plastic in the environment puts God's creation at risk. "The Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) explores the Arctic, Antarctic, and the seas and coastal regions of the  temperate latitudes, from the atmosphere to the deep sea. It has researched  plastic pollution in the ocean for 15 years and developed state-of-the-art methodologies for the standardised detection of small microplastics in different environments. The work aims to unveil the distribution of plastic pollutants as well as its impacts on marine life and trends over time to provide scientific data that are needed to combat plastic pollution in the oceans." ( Link ) "If entangled underwater, air-breathing animals cannot return to the sea surface to breathe and die of suffocation. But even gill-breathing animals are affected: if fish or invertebrates remain entangled for too long, they starve or are eaten. The odour of carcasses attracts further anima...

Many of us travel for business, some for pleasure. In both cases the flights have a climate impact, as calculated "by the Federal Ministry for the Environment and a joint initiative by the travel industry association forum anders reisen and the environmental and development organization Germanwatch." ( LINK ) Here are some sample results for round trip flights in kg of CO2: Berlin (BER) to London (LCY):   Climate impact: 477 kg  Berlin (BER) to Paris (CDG): Climate impact 424 kg   Berlin (BER) to Newark (EWR): Climate impact: 3,182 kg Berlin (BER) to Beijing (BJS): Climate impact: 3,792 kg Readers can check other results with this  LINK .

A violent storm alert went out "at  6.45pm on Friday to 3 million people in areas covered by the Met Office’s rare red warning for wind in parts of Wales and south-west England."  (Guardian, 7 Dec 2024 LINK )   (PHOTO SOURCE LINK) The Guardian does not say so explicitly in the article, but we know that violent weather of this sort is a consequences of environmental change. The website "Earthjustice.org" ( LINK ) warns that " Human activity is causing rapid changes to our global climate that are contributing to extreme weather conditions".  (Earthjustice,org, 1 October 2024).  In order to protect God's creation, we need to remind people that reliable scientific evidence links the causes of violent storms to environmental changes that are not inevitable if people reduce pollution. 

Our planet needs help. Those of us with concerns need to work more closely and actively together. Several parishes in the UK, Germany, and France have shown an interest in sharing information and initiatives.  Neal Whitaker (Manchester) writes: "The Manchester diocese has an Eco-Diocese Facebook group where people can share things that have been happening in terms of Eco Church and action towards climate justice."  Here is the LINK .  Rev Canon Andy Salmon ( Salford ).  writes: "One of the things we’re looking at across our Mission Community is doing “Eco Stepping Stones” ( LINK ) with 4 sessions in 4 of our churches.  Alison Wale from Christ Church Episcopal Church in Clermont Ferrand, France, also writes that that parish has a FaceBook page ( LINK ) We must all work together to save God's creation! (Photo credit: m.seadle)