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The Need to be Green in a Changing World: What We Are (and should be) Doing About the Environment
Green has meant different things in different times. When I was a kid, green was the color of a famous frog – Kermit the Frog – whose signature song about being different and acceptance let kids and adults alike know that “It’s Not Easy Being Green.”
Today, green has taken on a new meaning. It is the color that signifies concern for the environment. More than just a color, green, in a short period of time, has become an important adjective. “Green” cars don’t describe a paintjob but cars with an engine that run on less fuel, or hybrid technology, or that get exceptional gas mileage. Green has even become a verb – “to green,” to make or develop something that is environmentally sound.
The reason for this focus on “greening,” as we know, has to do with what we have come to call “global warming” or “global climate change.” Movies and documentaries – like Al Gore’s award-winning An Inconvenient Truth – have shown us that our actions are placing our planet in peril. This is not a debate; the science is unanimous that human beings are systematically scorching our only habitat.
Let’s be honest – it is annoying to talk about global warming because we have heard about it so much in recent years. It seems misplaced to talk about global warming because our economy is a train wreck and there are so many other immediate concerns. And, besides, gas prices are low again. We were really ready to make changes before when they hit us where it counted – in our pockets – but now? And, you have to admit that it is tough to talk about global warming on a week when Greensboro closed down – as it often does – due to a brush of snow. Or when it is below freezing outside as it is tonight.
Along comes the Jewish holiday of Tu B’shevat, the 15th day of the Hebrew month Shevat. This year it falls on February 8th – 9th (which is this coming Sunday-Monday). For over 2000 years, Tu B’shevat has been the day Jews have marked as the “New Year of the Trees.” In recent years, Tu B’shevat has also become known as Jewish Earth Day!
In Israel, this marks the point of the turning of the seasons. Winter is truly giving way to spring. Unlike here, things are starting to warm up. But this Jewish Arbor Day is helpful to us as it gives us another opportunity to look at how we are and can “green” our world.
Because you really don’t have to look far to see how important trees and nature are to Judaism – or to any religion for that matter. The Bible is filled with reminders, like in Psalms that “the world is God’s and all that is in it.” Here are a few of my favorites:
• When in your war against a city you have to besiege it a long time in order to capture it, you must not destroy its trees, wielding the ax against them. You may eat of them, but you must not cut them down. Are the trees of the field human to withdraw before you into the besieged city? (Deuteronomy 20:19)
• When God created Adam, God led him around all the trees in the garden of Eden. God said to him, “See how beautiful and praiseworthy all of My works are? Everything I have created has been created for Your sake. Think of this, and do not corrupt or destroy my world; for if you corrupt it, there will be no one to set it right after you. (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:13)
• Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai said… If you have a sapling in your hand, and someone says to you that the Messiah has come, stay and complete the planting, and then go out to greet the Messiah. (Avot de Rabbi Nathan, 31b)
Hundreds of years ago, the Jewish mystics in northern Israel developed a seder for Tu B’shevat, just like the Passover seder. Four cups of juice, this time not symbolizing freedom but the four seasons of the year, as well as the four mystical worlds. In recent times, Tu B’shevat seders have become more than a look at the parallels between the human soul and nature. They have become opportunities to celebrate nature and to draw attention to all that needs to be done to keep our environment – and all life – safe.
We will be having a Tu B’shvat seder this Sunday evening at Temple. This is not the first time that we have done this. Yet, it’s been a few years. And judging by the response – over 70 people have signed up – we seem to be offering an opportunity that has caught people’s interest.
Here are a few other ways that our congregation is doing its part to be “green”:
A few years ago, Temple Emanuel created a Recylcing Committee. That committee helped moved forward a congregation-wide recycling program. The committee recently changed its name to the Teva Committee – Teva is the Hebrew word for “nature.” This group of volunteers is working hard to make our community part of the overall movement for environmental sustainability.
In addition to our recycling program – in offices, classrooms, and in our kitchen – we also conducted a congregational energy audit. Together with experts in the field, members of our staff and board walked around Temple looking for small and larger ways that we could save energy. One change, for example – we only light our Religious School hallway during the hours when classes are in session. This might sound obvious, but by auditing ourselves we found that by changing a small practice – like changing to CFL lights in our homes – we could lower our carbon footprint. In the process, we also lowered our energy bills.
Temple has a Mitzvah Garden – a small plot of land on which we grow vegetables to give to local hunger relief projects. There is nothing like working the land to create additional connections to how to help our planet. Volunteers have now requested that we start a composting program with scrap items from our kitchen. In addition, we are investigating installing a rain barrel to collect water from one of our down spouts to use in our garden.
Some have advocated installing a bike rack at Temple to encourage people to bike there.
Our monthly bulletin is now available to those who request it exclusively in electronic format. Each month, an article in our bulletin highlights “green tips” for our congregation.
Tu B’shvat should be a time to take account of what we are doing and what we should be doing. In my opinion, we are doing a great job. Of course, so much more can and should be done.
Let me suggest three things:
First, just as we cannot just recycle at home and then do whatever is convenient on the road or at work, so too – what we have created at Temple needs to find its way into our own lives. Everyone who comes to our Tu B’Shvat seder will receive a list of 9 things they can do to help the environment. From bringing reusable bags on shopping trips to giving the environment a break on the Sabbath day by walking or biking instead of driving or shopping, we will be providing practical next steps. This list will also be posted to Temple’s website. Let’s do them.
Second, we should all plant a tree. Many will do this via the Jewish National Fund – planting a tree in Israel. If you haven’t yet done this, please do so. Especially after the recent conflict there. Plant a tree in honor of someone, in memory of someone. Plant a tree in Israel, plant a tree anywhere. The world needs more trees.
Finally, we as human beings need to free ourselves from reliance on energy sources that are literally choking life on Earth. Thomas Freidman in the New York Times has been writing about the importance of going green for a long time now. It is not just us individuals reducing our consumption, reusing our resources, and recycling more – although these things are important. It is also about the big players – corporations and governments – changing the way that they do business. Friedman writes about how the financial bailout plans – for banks and for auto makers – need to be green.
So, as we ready ourselves for this Jewish green holiday, let’s also do our part to help our planet. Take a few minutes and write a letter to our representatives in government. Or call them. Tell them – “Here’s what I am doing to help stop global warming. How are you going to address this critical problem?”
The story is told of a wise old Rabbi—a sage—who lived in a small village. The kids of the village enjoyed visiting him, spending countless hours listening to his stories and lessons. Whenever they had a perplexing question, they could always depend on their Rabbi to give them a correct answer. They were never able to stump him.
But you know how kids are… One day, they decided it would be fun to construct a question that even their wise Rabbi could not answer. They captured a bird one day, and this gave them an idea. The oldest kid said, “Here’s what we’ll do. We’ll go to Rabbi and I’ll hold the bird in my hands, and we will ask him this question: ‘O Rabbi, our teacher, I have a bird in my hands and we would like to ask you one question: ‘Is it alive or dead?’ And if the old man replies that the bird is dead I will uncup my hands and the bird will fly away, as proof that the old man is wrong. If the old man replies that the bird is alive, I will simply crush the bird to death, then open my hands to reveal the dead bird as proof that he is wrong.”
The other kids liked the plan, so they made their way up to the Rabbi’s home. When he came out to greet them, the oldest approached with the bird cupped in his hands. “O Rabbi, our teacher, I have a bird in my hands. Is it dead or is it alive?”
After a moment of deep thought, the old man replied, “Young man, the answer – as you well know – is in your hands.”
Let’s change our ways, let’s plant new trees, and let’s talk to our representatives, before it’s too late. Our children – our grandchildren – and their grandchildren – will thank us for being so green.
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