Lo-Watt Shabbat’s Green Living Tips

From Green Right Now

The Jewish Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life, formed in 1993 and now representing 29 national Jewish organizations, offers extensive information and lists of experts to help Jewish groups become better environmental stewards, including an online guide for individuals and synagogues called Lo-Watt Shabbat.

Lo-Watt Shabbat doesn’t mess around, but gets right to the specifics, asking Jews to consider eating less meat, to replace incandescent light bulbs with CFLs and to use beeswax candles, instead of those made with petro-chemicals, to help stem greenhouse gases.

During Shabbat, Jews “are asked to slow down and remind ourselves that we are part of God’s creation.” It is a good time to practice conservation and “understand where our water, food and electricity come from,” according to the document.

Lo-Watt Shabbat suggests these tips:

• Move your thermostat down two degrees in winter and up two in summer – save about $98 a year and 2000 pounds of carbon dioxide

• Take shorter showers

• Run the washer only when the load is full

• Use natural light, open blinds and drapes to warm your home naturally; do the opposite to cool your house

• Use non-toxic Shabbat candles made of beeswax, which do not use petrochemicals

• Replace incandescent light bulbs with CFLs

• Walk, ride a bike or rollerblade as you participate in community activities on Shabbat

• Eat outside, but use recyclable or paper plates, not Styrofoam

• Use cloth napkins instead of paper

• Decorate your Shabbat table with decorations made from recyclable material such as magazines

• Consumer less meat and increase vegetarian servings (Almost one-fifth of greenhouse gas emissions come from raising animals for food, according to a UN Report.)

• Buy organic or locally grown food (because it doesn’t use petroleum based fertilizers).

• Run an outdoor service

• Invite an elected official, scientist or Rabbi knowledgeable about the environment to speak during a service or Oneg Shabbat.

For more, go to Green Right Now.

Source: Green Right Now

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