Eco Schools
Since September 2002 I have been acting as Environmental Advisor to the
Bishop of Ely. I am a parish priest with environmental management and auditing
expertise. My job is to inform and encourage as many as possible to make a space
for this area of mission in their personal, school and congregational life. I am
also keen to work with others who are already active in this area.
My title is misleading because the majority of my advisor’s time is spent
working in the diocese as a whole. I am available to offer general environmental
advice and support however I am particularly keen to promote two national
initiatives. The first is Eco Schools and the second is a sister initiative
focused on churches called Eco-Congregation.
It is Eco Schools that I want to talk about here. I am currently working to
encourage the 82 church schools in the Ely Diocese to adopt the Eco Schools
programme as a practical expression of their Christian ethos.
What is Eco Schools?
Eco Schools is a programme with free resources to help children and their
school address environmental and sustainability issues. Eco Schools is
applicable to all schools but my work is focused on Ely’s church primary
schools.
What is in it for schools?
Through adopting the Eco Schools programme schools are helped to gain
recognition and publicity through an internationally recognised award scheme,
financial savings, enhanced curriculum provision, help in developing School’s
Councils, community links and partnership opportunities with the local Church
and faith groups.
What is expected of schools?
For the Eco Schools programme to be effective the headteacher and governors
need to give their agreement and support. A school will need one enthusiastic
adult (usually but not necessarily a member of staff) and be willing to involve
pupils in school decision-making and action.
How does it work?
Eco Schools is driven by an Eco Schools’ Council very like the more well
known School’s Councils. If you already have a School’s Council then this can
take on environmental issues. An Eco Schools’ Council can be the first stage
towards a full School’s Council or large schools can have two separate councils.
Through the Eco Schools’ Council the children learn about the complexity and
interdependence of life on this earth and put what they learn into practice
through action. Eco Schools targets action on 7 areas: Litter, Waste, Energy,
Water, Transport, Healthy Living and School grounds but it is up to each Eco
Schools Council to decide where to start and what is most important.
Each school can go at its own pace, doing what is important locally. When
ready a school can apply for an Eco Schools award. The awards are in increasing
difficulty beginning with the Bronze Award, followed by the Silver Award and
finally by the Green Flag. In this way with only a little progress the children
get the encouragement and recognition that go with a Bronze Award and each stage
can be successively rewarded. Awards or no awards it has been good to see the
enthusiasm and growing self-confidence of the children resulting from being part
of an Eco School.
Why Church Schools?
Eco Schools is a secular, government funded initiative yet I said earlier
that through adopting the Eco Schools programme a school would find a practical
expression of their Christian Ethos. To make this more explicit I have been
working with Ely Diocese’ Board of Education and Training and the Keswick Hall
RE Trust to provide RE and Collective Worship resources for our primary schools.
These will be published in September and should be freely available online
shortly after that. I have also been collating and collecting resources for the
rest of the curriculum. If you would like to know more please have a look at our
Eco Schools website or contact me directly.
But the question remains: Why should Christians bother with the environment?
Why should we bother when so many adults and children are totally ignorant of
the Gospel? After all we already have the great commission - "Go therefore and
make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have
commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." Matthew
28:19-20 (RSV) Why should we be wasting precious time on environmental issues
when there is so much to do to teach Christians the basics of the faith, there
are so many people around us who know nothing of God’s care, there is such
injustice to fight and we are so busy and tired? These are important questions
and I have attempted to address them here.
It's a Christian concern
Firstly there are theological reasons for Christians getting involved in
environmental issues. Turning to the Bible, the early chapters of Genesis tell
us of God creating our world, our environment. What is more, Christians read of
the God we worship caring enough to create a world that was good, a world that
He delighted in. The same passages of Genesis also portray humanity as having a
unique part within creation. God has put us, all people that is, over the rest
of creation: A special responsibility not given to the animals, birds or other
creatures. We, the image of God, the crown of creation, have been given control
or dominion but dominion under God, the only ruler and owner of the earth.
Then comes the fall which leaves us with a good but fallen, perverted world.
We, as a species, were created in the image of God. But sought to be God, to
rule as though we were the creator and as a result all creation suffered. We are
creatures but with a special significance within, not above creation. We are the
perverse ones not creation.
Then we have Jesus himself. God cared enough to send his Son to die not only
for us but for the restoration of the whole of creation (Rom. 8:22-23).
Christians need therefore to see that the saving work of Jesus is in community
not alone. We are saved not as individuals, not as a species but as part of the
salvation of creation as a whole. We are all bound up together. “In Him we live
and move and have our being.” Acts 17:28 (RSV). Christ is the Alpha and the
Omega, and everything in between. All creation, including us, continue because
God so chooses. God did not stop creating at the dawn of time. God Father, Son
and Holy Spirit keeps on creating, sustaining the life of all that is.
Lack of concern for the environment is now affecting the well-being of all
people on earth, but with the weakest and most vulnerable being hardest hit.
Therefore environmental action is also social action (Mt. 25:31-46). I therefore
consider environmental action by Christians as part of the response expected of
us to the great commission mentioned above because the God we are called to
baptise people into is the God who created and cares for our environment. I feel
that it is important for Christians to show that secular issues, such as the
environment, are important to us and that we have something unique to
contribute. In that way we show by our words and action that there is a creator
God and that He cares.
There is also a powerful, practical reason for all people, including
Christians, to be concerned with environmental issues. The reason is
self-preservation or self interest because if we don’t care for the environment
we all depend upon then we all suffer. |
