Yesterday a crowd of nearly 80 in shul celebrated our very own Eco Shabbat, following the disturbing news that this had been the warmest January in record, 1.75℃ above pre-industrial norms.
Lester Wagman, who chairs our Eco Team, told how time was running out for a safer future and how every one of us holds the power through our individual choices and especially our purchasing decisions. True he said that China was the world’s biggest polluter but their industry is largely fed buy the things we buy in the West!
He spoke of the four pillars on which the NRUS approach is built: education, energy, travel & food, the last of which is of course very dear to the Jewish psyche! No surprise then that the service was rounded off with a sumptuous kiddush embracing the fundamental principles:
- high nutritional value
- lower food miles
- reduced packaging
- minimum waste
It was however full of tasty but sustainable treats like home-made humus and guacamole, falafel, pittas, salads, olives, dates and figs, all painstakingly prepared by our dedicated team: Ingrid Segal, Andrea Batsman, Judy Lyons, Jenny Wagman and Barbara Hutchinson.
For the occasion we also inugurated the Shul’s SodaStream to replace single-use plastic bottles of carbonated drinks (this blog post from BubbaBubble explains why this is a good environmental choice).
For more information about our activities and initiatives see Eco Synagogue and bookmark our Eco Tips page which is updated regularly.