Look for the food connection around holy days of feasting or fasting

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1 #. 2:/, CONGREGATION CAN DO Organize a film screening and ::' :.'/ & event Use the Cool Harvest tools provided (Nourish DVD, Discussion Guide, Event Flyer, Cool Potluck Ideas, and Handouts) to host a film screening and cool potluck event. You would be amazed at how many people will perk up when the conversation turns to food! Sustainable, healthy food is a hot topic these days, and people want to learn more, especially if they can join in activities with others. Have tables outside the screening venue for local farmers, CSA s [Community Supported Agriculture], grocery stores, non-profits, etc. to share their message and/or goods with your members. They might even be interested in participating in an after-film discussion panel. Look for the food connection around holy days of feasting or fasting Capitalize on the food restrictions inherent on fasting holy days to discuss the ethics and faith-based principles in restricting certain foods. This might include activities/education around reducing meat (and dairy) consumption; or having a carbon fast to increase awareness about food choices and how they impact the climate. Days of feasting could be used to teach how food celebrations can go hand-in-hand with the topic of filling one s tummy while at the same time leaving a small carbon foodprint and why that s important. Consider climate-friendly food and supplies Examine food and sacrament purchases to ensure they re climate-friendly. The Archbishop of Canterbury announced that Anglicans would be using organic bread and wine for Holy Communion. Examine if your sacramental foods, wine, baked goods, coffee and cream are locally sourced and organic. Reduce waste by using reusable, recyclable, or compostable cups and napkins. Be sure to let your members know! Your actions to help heal the climate provide an important role model for congregants. Grow something big Use Cool Harvest as the centerpiece of Earth Day or other outdoor activities by planting an organic garden or becoming the hub of an organic Farmers Market or CSA. These are all activities that will bring members closer together and help them to make the food, faith, climate connection.,) (:, 2 0$-$.$)".# ::', $.!:, $ - ) $)-*$,.$:){ ::',0 -. Making the food faith climate connection A program of Interfaith Power & Light CoolHarvest.org

2 IDEAS There are many variables that go into determining if a meal is climate-friendly or not. Here are some guidelines to help you prepare a dish for the upcoming film screening. The lists of foods below will give you a general sense about which to increase (more climate-friendly choices), and which to decrease (foods with a high climate foodprint). These lists were gleaned from the experts over at the Cool Foods Campaign and Climate Friendly Food, and can be used as a general guide. Favor these ingredients Local when possible of all Organic, seasonal veggies and fruit Organic grains Organic, grass-fed meats Organic dairy Organic corn and soy Select seafood* Whole foods Reduce these ingredients Imported or far-away foods Conventional veggies and fruit Factory farmed animals Factory farmed dairy GMO grains, such as corn and soy Processed foods Heavily packaged and/or frozen foods Select seafood* *For guidance with seafood choices, consult the Seafood Pocket Guide Making the food faith climate connection A program of Interfaith Power & Light CoolHarvest.org

3 FILM SCREENING Food connects us to some of the most important questions of our time. The food choices we make individually and as a society affect not only our health, but the health of the planet and all of Creation. Our food system is also one of the leading contributors of greenhouse pollution causing climate change. DATE: TIME: LOCATION: Making the food faith climate connection A program of Interfaith Power & Light CoolHarvest.org

4 FILM SCREENING Food connects us to some of the most important questions of our time. The food choices we make individually and as a society affect not only our health, but the health of the planet and all of Creation. Our food system is also one of the leading contributors of greenhouse pollution causing climate change. DATE: TIME: LOCATION: Making the food faith climate connection A program of Interfaith Power & Light CoolHarvest.org

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10 Ideas for Action from Nourish Teach and Learn Ask questions. Exercise your right to know the story of food. Find out what produce grows in your area and what is in season. Have a conversation about your family s food choices. Grow Your Own Start an urban or school garden. You can even grow some vegetables and herbs at home. Create Community Make a meal with others and begin your own tradition of good food. Meet the people who grow your food. Support local farmers and food artisans. Change the Menu Ask for more local and organic options in schools, restaurants, and workplaces. Request seafood that is good for the oceans and for you. Eat more vegetables, grains, and fruit. You ll feel better and live longer. And stay active. Eat well and play hard. Shop Wisely Select certified organic foods that are grown without harmful chemicals. Choose fair trade certified products. You ll improve the lives of farmers and farm workers around the world. Understand what s in processed food. Check out the ingredients: fewer is usually better. Take a Stand Amplify your voice by joining an organization working on food issues. Become an informed citizen. Learn how your government s policies affect the food you eat. insist on healthy food for all. Copyright WorldLink

11 FOODPRINT Eat less meat and dairy Animals raised for meat consumption and dairy create about 1/5 of manmade greenhouse gas, even more than all transportation combined. That s because 10 billion animals a year means a lot of manure and droppings around 5 tons of waste for every man, woman and child. That adds up to a lot of methane and nitrous oxide gases, two very potent greenhouse gases. Factory-farmed animals also eat high concentrations of carbon-intensive grains, such as corn, instead of grass. Eat less meat and dairy, and when you do, look for grass-fed organic. Chicken and fish have a much lower foodprint. Calculate your meal s foodprint with the Bon Appétit calculator. Choose fish wisely Fish is a great substitute for meat, but only if from sustainably sourced seafood. Many fish populations are stressed from overfishing and destructive fishing practices. Oceans that are in balance are vital to controlling global warming according to researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Healthy ocean ecosystems absorb a tremendous amount of greenhouse gas. Look for sustainably sourced seafood. Identify sustainably sourced seafood. Buy local, organic produce in season Long-running studies show that organic farming is far more effective at removing greenhouse pollution from the atmosphere and fixing it as beneficial organic matter in the soil than current industrial farming practices. Eating organic local produce in season also reduces the number of food miles necessary to get food onto the table. Fewer miles means less greenhouse pollution. Consuming a 30-mile salad has a much lower carbon foodprint than a 3,000 mile salad. Use the Eat Well Guide to find local, organic, sustainably produced food. Reduce packaging Overly processed and packaged foods take a lot of energy to produce. Choose foods with eco-friendly packaging. Get in the habit of bringing your own reusable produce and shopping bags to the store. When done eating and cooking, recycle packaging as best you can. 15 ways to reduce packaging. Reduce waste Nearly half of all food in the United States is thrown away before it s consumed. Per capita food waste has progressively increased by about 50% since It s now estimated that 25% of all freshwater and 4% of all oil consumed in this country are used to produce food that is never eaten. Get in the habit of buying only what you plan to eat. Make room in the menu for leftovers, and practice composting to turn inedible food into nutrient-rich dirt for the garden. Learn how to waste less food. Making the food faith climate connection A program of Interfaith Power & Light CoolHarvest.org

12 FARM BILL in 2012? Our chance to get this right! Every few years, Congress passes a massive spending program called the Farm Bill. The tens of billions of dollars in subsidies and supports apportioned by this bill have a tremendous influence on the foods we eat, where they are grown, how much they cost, and the state of conservation in farm country. For decades the Farm Bill has been dominated by big AgriBusiness. Its narrow focus on factory farms, corn, cotton, wheat, rice, and soybeans has given us a high-carbon, processed food diet, produced by mega farms and mega feedlots. Things don t have to be this way. Join the Interfaith Power & Light Cool Harvest program and we ll provide you with educational materials keep you updated on opportunities to get involved. Sign up at coolharvest.org today! Locate your senators and representative AND Tell them you support a climate-friendly farm bill that includes More funds for organic farming and grass pastured livestock operations Programs that link farm families with new markets such as local schools, cafeterias, and community food projects A Farmers Market Promotion Program Full funding and endorsement of Country of Origin Labeling (to encourage consumers to buy local) An expansion of conservation programs that protect waterways, habitats, and natural resources Read Diet for a Hot Planet, by Anna Lappé Food Fight: A Citizen s Guide to a Food and Farm Bill, by Daniel Imhoff Watch Nourish Dirt Fresh Food Inc. Follow Interfaith Power & Light s Cool Harvest coolharvest.org Sustainable Agriculture Coalition sustainableagriculturecoalition.org Inside the Beltway farmpolicy.com Free Range Studio foodbattle.org Union of Concerned Scientists ucsusa.org National Family Farm Coalition nffc.net Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy agobservatory.org Community Food Security Coalition foodsecurity.org American Farmland Trust farmland.org Public Health Action on the Farm Bill publichealthaction.org Making the food faith climate connection A program of Interfaith Power & Light CoolHarvest.org

13 Date City, State Congregation Name Address City, Zip Phone No. Please return to Interfaith Power & Light. Fax: or Mail: 220 Montgomery Street, Suite 450, San Francisco, CA 94104