Latter-day Sustainability

Commentary: I really should stop buying cheap toy cars

2009-07-19T11:45:00.006-06:00

I just listened to an interview with Ellen Ruppel Shell, author of Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture. In the interview she mentioned that the price tag was invented by John Wanamaker, an American merchant born in 1838. The price tag is such a ubiquitous part of my own economic experience that I had never considered that price tags have only been around for about 150 years. It amazes me how quickly some ideas can transform the world.

Ellen Ruppel also talked about how the American consumer has been trained to not expect much of the items we purchase, especially when those items are inexpensive. I'm thinking of the cheap toy cars that I buy my son. The axles always bend after just a short time of play. Do I take the broken toy back demanding a replacement? No, I just do as I have been trained -I rationalize the poor quality by admitting that it only cost a dollar or two. I am sad to report that I have also been known to buy poor quality furniture, clothes, tools, electronics, etc, all in the name of low cost. Even my housing choices are governed more by cost that by value and quality. How did we ever get to the point where cheap junk is acceptable as long as it has a low price? Such waste of money and resources. My grandparents are rolling over in their graves!

Resource: FHE Idea, Financial Stewardship

2009-04-03T09:47:00.004-06:00

Jenny Whitcomb wrote a nice guest post at the Segullah Blog about a recent Family Home Evening wherein she taught her children about financial stewardship:

"So FHE became a Consumer Awareness 101 group therapy session centered on two visuals: a credit card, and a piggy bank. We shared thoughts, from youngest to oldest, starting with the credit card, and taught each other everything we knew about that little piece of plastic."

"It takes discipline to manage the card, more than it does to make purchases from a piggy bank. The key? Embrace the principle of work and save in order to consume. Not that owning a credit card or desire equals entitlement, but understand that the credit behind our credit cards is actually cash. To have the money in our pockets before we spend it is a worthy guideline."

SLC Temple Earth Hour and LEED Chapels

2009-03-28T06:11:00.002-06:00

Hat tip to Green Mormon Architect.

The Salt Lake City Temple will go dark for Earth Hour.

The first LEED certified (environmentally considerate) LDS chapel will be built.

Conclusions?

Commentary: Upcoming Chances to Discuss Earth Stewardship in Sunday School

2009-02-22T11:10:00.006-07:00

Important first thought: I don't want to promote any kind of "activism" at church...except of course Christian activism.

With that out of the way, I want to remind everyone of some great opportunities to discuss Earth Stewardship in upcoming Sunday School classes. Lesson 22 The Word of Wisdom "A Principle with a Promise", and lesson 38 "In Mine Own Way" both include some material regarding with Earth Stewardship.

Lesson 22 includes D&C 59:17-20 as source material. This lesson will probably be taught sometime in May.

Lesson 38 includes D&C 104:13-18 as source material. This lesson will probably be taught sometime in October. BTW, The late Elder Maxwell had some interesting words regarding these scriptures.

If you find it appropriate,
and if it fits into the content of your class discussions,
and if it adds to the spirit of your class,
and if it brings glory to God,
then please consider sharing your feelings about Earth Stewardship during one or both of these lessons.

Final thought: Please don't abuse this as a chance to prove a point or advance a political agenda. Nobody likes it when people abuse church meetings for their own purposes.

Resource List

2009-02-03T08:30:00.000-07:00

Scriptures

Luke 12:15
Doctrine and Covenants 59: 18-20
Doctrine and Covenants 104:17
Helaman 3:5-11
1 Nephi 11:25

Talks/Lectures

Moffat Lecture
Kimzey Lecture

Quotes

Maxwell Quote
Beck Quote
Hinckley Quote
Hinckley Quote II
Maxwell Quote II
Monson Quote
Kimball Quote
ProvidentLiving.org Quotes on Materialsim
Perry Quote

Articles

Burton Article
White Article
Otterson Article

Other Media

Kawasaki Comic
ASU Sustainability Definitions Web page
Mormon Enviro-Bloggers
LDS Hymnbook

The Ground Hog and a BYU Prof Weigh-in on Climate Change

2009-02-02T19:14:00.003-07:00

I have intentionally avoided all climate discussion on this blog. The Gospel has nothing to say about the climate explicitly, and I have chosen to focus on things the Gospel does say. There are so many other reasons to be kind to the Earth. Plus, I think that for many of us, talk of climate change is a real turn-off. Having said all that, I couldn't stay away from this topic forever.

Today is Ground Hog's Day. The Ground Hog saw his shadow, and thus we will have six more weeks of winter, and thus the globe is not warming. OK, I made that last part up. And for the record, I am against asking rodents for advice in scientific matters. I am also against asking politicians for scientific advice. (Politicians and rodents in the same category?) You know who is a good source for all things science? I'll tell you who: scientists. Like this guy who gave a lecture at BYU.

Survey Results! At least partially...

2008-12-04T16:34:00.002-07:00

Thanks to everyone who participated in LDS Environmental Survey! The results are available here.

Only the results of the individual questions are currently available, correlated results are not yet available. So for instance, you will be able to see how many survey takers were from Australia, but you won't be able to see how they answered the other questions. In the upcoming weeks (months?) we hope to upload additional analysis, including possible correlations between demographic characteristics and environmental thought.

The data does not represent a random sample. So just because 30% or so of the survey takers are politically moderate, that percentage is meaningless for any other group of people.

There is a wide spectrum of views out there. Just look at the data.

My favorite responses came from the political identity question. One of the respondents claimed to be a "Jedi" politically. Another responder wrote that they do not belong to any political ideology, but rather they take good from wherever they find it. I couldn't agree more.

Enjoy!

Finally, thanks again to Bryce and Peter. Their help made the survey possible!

Please take a survey

2008-10-20T06:54:00.004-06:00

As you can read in my previous post, I have been working on a survey that aims to learn about LDS attitudes towards the environment. As of 9 am (Eastern Time) the survey was not yet live. But I am told that it will go live today.

Please take a few minutes and participate in the survey.

Here is the link: http://tinyurl.com/environmentsurvey

If you click on the envelope icon at the bottom of this post you can also invite others to participate.

I'm not allowing comments until after the survey is finished. If you have questions about the survey, e-mail ldssurvey at gmail dot com.

Why not put together a survey?

2008-10-20T06:41:00.004-06:00

Last Summer I participated in J Nielson-Seawright's survey Experiences of the Book of Mormon. After taking the survey, I asked myself why not put together a survey to learn about LDS attitudes towards the environment? I answered my question with two good reasons why I shouldn't take on a survey project:

1. I'm lazy. Surveys take a lot of work.
2. As a Mormon/Environment blogger, I have a distinct point of view that limits both my ability and credibility for conducting an unbiased survey.

Not too long after taking the JNS survey, Bryce Hammond published this post on the Millennial Star blog. I summarize Bryce's post in a sentence: The Pixar movie Wall-E is part of a Satan-inspired scheme to trick people into sin by baiting them with calls to save the planet. Before you think harshly of Bryce, read on...

Bryce's post led me to an AHH-HAH moment: I should ask Bryce to team up on the survey! His involvement would solve both of my problems. Bryce could share the workload, and his "opposing" point of view would add balance and credibility to the survey. I sent an email to Bryce, and he agreed to join the project.

Wanting some additional help, I also petitioned the LDS Earth Stewardship group for assistance. Peter Ashcraft, a member of the group, agreed to be the third member of the survey team.

Bryce, Peter and I have been working for the past few months to create what we hope is an unbiased and meaningful survey. My main contribution to the survey was putting the team together. Peter and Bryce provided the brains and brawn behind the project. My next post will give a link survey. Stay tuned.

The survey writing process wasn't always smooth, but it did provide ample learning opportunities. For example, I learned that Bryce Hammond is a nice person who is great to work with. Another important lesson: Different points of view can be a great blessing if they are viewed as such.

Just don't get me started on the Gospel Principals that are affirmed by Wall-E. ;)

Thanks Bryce. Thanks Peter.

Resource: Perry Quote

2008-10-09T16:05:00.002-06:00

I don't read too much into this quote. But it is post-worthy when an Apostle mentions sustainable energy, if only in passing.

Quote from Let Him Do It with Simplicity, General Conference 10/08, L. Tom Perry:

"We have been hearing a lot about fuel and energy—about their high cost and limited supply, our unsafe and unpredictable dependence on their suppliers, and the need for new and sustainable sources of energy. I leave the discussion of these complicated issues to leaders of government and industry. The fuel I want to discuss is spiritual fuel." (italics added)

He certainly wasn't antagonistic towards sustainable energy. Your thoughts?

Commentary: Time, Postponement, Teaser.

2008-09-28T15:26:00.003-06:00

Time flies. Nuf' said. To the kind few who actually read my blog, sorry I've been absent. Moving across the country will do that.

To borrow a phrase from the world of political candidates, I may be "postponing" my involvement in this blog for a little while. My new job is demanding a lot of me. Also, my new job is more fulfilling than my previous one, so I don't have such a need to blog.

Finally, I'm working on a big project that will surely be of interest to anyone reading this blog. The project is the result of lots of work from an super-orthodox Mormon, a super smart Mormon, and a lazy blogging Mormon (me). The project will give you all a chance to be heard!

More later.

Resource: Materialism Quotes from Providentliving.org

2008-07-18T15:48:00.002-06:00

Providentliving.org is a website from the LDS Church that provides self-reliance and welfare resources. Among theses resources is a list of quotes dealing with materialism.

Just one of the many quotes:

"Of course, none of us ever has enough. At least that is what we think. No matter our circumstances, we want to improve them. This, too, is good if it is not carried to an extreme. I am satisfied that the Father of us all does not wish His children to walk in poverty. He wants the best for them. He wants them to have comforts and some of the good things of the earth. . . . It is when greed takes over, when we covet that which others have, that our affliction begins. And it can be a very sore and painful affliction."

(Gordon B. Hinckley, Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley [1997], 252).

Commentary: Praise from the Sierra Club? WWJD?

2008-06-25T13:08:00.002-06:00

If you haven’t heard, the Sierra Club has praised the LDS Church for the Church’s role in developing the City Creek Center in Salt Lake City. You can read about the Sierra Club’s praise for City Creek in this Deseret News Article, or in this post at the Green Mormon Architect blog.

GMA has done a great job highlighting these exciting developments. Rather than rehashing what has already been written, I’ll just refer you to GMA’s blog –highly recommended.

After studying the reader comments to the Deseret News article, I am a little shocked at the responses to the Sierra Club. In my shocked state I came up with a few questions:

What is an appropriate response to the Sierra Club’s praise for the Church and the City Creek Center?

What would Jesus do if he were praised by the Sierra Club?

-This is the part where I jump into controversy by suggesting how our Lord would respond.-

I believe that Jesus would humbly acknowledge the praise then continue to quietly watch over His stewardship. Jesus knows that His disciples include those who in good faith love the Sierra Club and those who in good faith loathe the Sierra Club. (His discilpes also include great many, including your's truely, who fall somewhere in between.) Because one’s attitude to the Sierra Club is not a litmus test for discipleship, Jesus would continue to embrace those on all sides of this issue. Just like His Church is doing, Jesus would continue to build buildings that are spiritually, fiscally, and environmentally responsible.

Don’t believe me? Check out this release from the Church’s newsroom. Oh, and be sure to listen to the audio files in the press release. I guess the Mormon Church is "green".

Commentary: EXPENSIVE GAS, what is the cost of convenience?

2008-06-20T15:35:00.003-06:00

Today I drove to a nearby town to do a little work. My drive was great. The sun was shining bright, and the grass and trees were green and beautiful. I wasn’t in a big hurry so I just turned on a little talk radio and enjoyed the drive.

The talking heads on the radio were all concerned about the high gas prices. I too like to complain about high gas prices, so I enjoyed the ranting. One of the radio voices suggested a return to the 55 MPH speed limit as a way of conserving gas. Liking the idea of saving gas (money), I slowed down to a more energy efficient speed. It made me feel very much like my grandmother -she always seems to be going a speed very different from everyone else on the road (at least I stayed in the right hand lane).

So there I was, in the right lane, driving slow, and listening to the radio go on-and-on about gas prices. In my mind I was imagining the other drivers on the road were also complaining about gas prices. Then I asked myself the obvious question: If these other drivers are also mad about high gas prices, why don’t they slow down too?

That is when it hit me…

Complaining about the high cost of gas is really just complaining about the high cost of convenience. I want to drive fast, but I don’t want to be burdened by the additional cost of fuel associated with that convenience. I want to a drive big comfortable car, but I get annoyed by the cost of that convenience too.

My rants about the price at the pump are just rants about the cost of the convenient and comfortable lifestyle that I have chosen. I am blessed that rising fuel costs are only an annoyance for me.

30 years ago...

2008-06-08T16:55:00.002-06:00

This is a little off my primary topic, but I want to commemorate a wonderful thing that happened 30 years ago this week. You can read about it in this post, or this document.

Resource: Kimball Quote (A retro localvore!)

2008-05-29T21:43:00.003-06:00

President Kimball has so many quotes on subjects germane to my blog that it was difficult to choose one for this post. I chose the quote below because it shows that President Kimball was a pioneer in the now popular "localvore" movement! Mormons are way ahead of the times yet again.

Quote from The Stone Cut Without Hands, General Conference 4/76, Spencer W. Kimball:

"We commend to you the garden fever. If every family had a garden and rural families had a cow and chickens, some fruit trees, and a garden, it is amazing how nearly the family could be fed from their own lot."

And many more quotes from President Kimball to come...

Resource: Luke 12:15

2008-05-19T21:24:00.001-06:00

The words of Jesus, Luke 12:15:

Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Resource: Hymns (Music and nature show God's glory)

2008-05-12T20:41:00.004-06:00

Few things can communicate God's glory and love like music and nature. We find the best of both in the LDS hymnbook. Here are just a few examples:

#33 Our Mountain Home So Dear

The streamlet, flow’r, and sod
Bespeak the works of God;
And all combine,
And all combine,
With most transporting grace,
His handiwork to trace,
Thru nature’s smiling face,
In art divine.

#62 All Creature of Our God and King

All creatures of our God and King,
Lift up your voice and with us sing,
Alleluia!

#92 For the Beauty of the Earth

For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

What are your favorite hymns (from the LDS hymnbook and beyond) that celebrate God's glory and creation?

Commentary: Gospel, Consumption, and Algebra

2008-04-28T21:41:00.007-06:00

If you haven’t seen Saturday’s Warrior, don’t. If you have, you know all about “Zero-Population.” Rather than learning about the Mormon tenet of “multiply and replenish” from a cheesy Mormon musical, how about using algebra?

Let ‘R’ equal average consumption per person.
Let ‘P’ equal the total population.
Let ‘C’ equal total capacity for consumption.

R x P < C

For those who understand numbers better than letters, let's say that we have 50 apples and 10 people. Using a little algebra and little division, we can conclude that each person gets an average of no more than 5 apples:

50 apples / 10 people > 5 apples per person

Taking this equation (or “inequality” to the math guru -but let's just call it an equation) to a global scale, we can multiply the average individual consumption by the total world population to find the total resources consumed. However ‘R x P’ must not be larger than ‘C’, because we cannot surpass the Earth’s capacity to sustain life.

The Restored Gospel teaches us about each term in the equation. We learn about ‘C’ from Doctrine and Covenants 104:17. This scripture teaches that the Earth has enough capacity ‘C’ for everyone:

"For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves."

We learn about ‘P’ from (among other places) “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.” This document says that for now, we (at least the Latter-day Saints) are commanded to multiply and replenish (increase ‘P’):

“We declare that God's commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force.”

Considering that the Earth’s resources (‘C’) are "enough," but finite, and that population (‘P’) is to continue growing, the equation demands that our rate of consumption (‘R’) be limited. The gospel also demands that we limit our rate of consumption. Elder Neal A. Maxwell, referencing the Doctrine and Covenants 104:17 said this:

“The resources so necessary to sustain human life are so generously provided on this particular planet; unless they are mismanaged, we are told that there is ‘enough and to spare’.”

Using the language of the equation, we can restate Elder Maxwell’s statement in this way: ‘C’ is so generously provided on this planet, that unless ‘R’ is mismanaged, we are told that there is enough and to spare for all of ‘P’.

I am convinced that our current rate of consumption is taking a serious toll on God’s Earth. I pray we can all enjoy God’s creation, but not in excess (see Doctrine and Covenants 59:18-20).

Commentary: Happy Earth Day

2008-04-22T07:11:00.003-06:00

Last night my three-year-old son prayed, "thanks for the Earth." I guess he must be learning from his Primary class?

I am also thankful for the Earth. What an amazing blessing.

Happy Earth Day.

Resource: Monson Quote

2008-04-08T20:33:00.003-06:00

Quote from That All May Hear, Ensign Magazine, May 1995, Thomas S. Monson:

"Does the world in which we live stand in need of the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Almost everywhere one looks there appears an erosion not only of the environment but, even more seriously, an erosion of spirituality and of compliance with eternal commandments. One sees a blatant disregard for the precious souls of mankind." (Italics added)

I look forward to following President Monson as we work to counter this "blatant disregard for the precious souls of mankind."

Resource: Kimzey Lecture

2008-03-24T23:34:00.008-06:00

IS THERE ENOUGH? The Law of Scarcity vs The Law of Consecration Bruce W. Kimzey

1997 David O. McKay Lecture at BYU Hawaii

Hat tip to GMA for alerting me to this lecture. I don't have any proof, but I suspect that the quality of this lecture may be linked to the fact that Dr. Kimzey was born in Wyoming. On a more serious note, this is one of my all-time favorite readings.

Some excerpts:

"While there is no scriptural guidance to dictate the level at which wants become nonessential, it would seem safe to argue that many, if not most, American LDS church members have reached that level. In place of the desire for more and better material goods and services, a desire for sharing and strengthening others must be substituted. After generations of scarcity indoctrination and the lifestyle it creates, even the most active members may have difficulty reducing their desires for more goods."

"Is there enough? Under modern economic principles there is enough to create growth in rich nations and some growth in poor ones, but the gap between rich and poor will grow over time. Is the best economic system one that creates inequalities in the name of efficiency, and creates output without regard for conservation of resources? Or is there an alternative system which can create both efficiency and equity, where there are no rich and no poor, where cooperation can replace competition, and where workers and owners share the rewards of production?

The law of consecration is actually the only way to ever solve completely the problem of scarcity. A market economy is an efficient way to allocate scarce resources and to produce goods that maximize current satisfaction, but by definition markets cannot solve the problem created by unlimited wants and limited resources. No level of efficiency and economic growth will ever eliminate scarcity, or create equality between rich nations and poor."

Please read the entire lecture. It is excellent.

Resource: Otterson Article

2008-03-12T21:56:00.002-06:00

Conscience, Not Religious Dogma, is the Motivator, by Michael Otterson. From Washingtonpost.com On Faith.

An excerpt:

"Statements are on record from virtually every president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints back to the mid-19th century. Many of them are wrapped up in the powerful concept of stewardship - that the Lord has given us dominion over the earth, but that we are occupiers rather than possessors and that we will be held accountable for its use."

Michael Otterson has served as director of media relations for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1997.

Commentary: Blog Life Meets Real Life

2008-02-24T16:37:00.004-07:00

This post is off topic and without relevance to my stated purpose. I needed a diversion. Enjoy.

My worlds collided last week. A business trip took me to Gainesville, Florida, home to Mellifera of the MFE blog. After finishing the business portion of my trip, I had some extra time and took the opportunity to meet in-person with Mellifera. This was the first time I had ever met in-person with a previously virtual-only acquaintance. The outcome? It was great. Mellifera and Mellifera’s spouse are delightful. They are great company and wonderful tour guides. They showed me the pinnacle of modern American culture, a strip mall with a Wal-Mart and a Target. It was almost unbelievable. Thanks Mellifera.

Apparently, Gainesville is a magnet for Green Mormon Bloggers.

Resource: Maxwell Quote II

2008-02-16T16:44:00.002-07:00

Quote from A Wonderful Flood of Light, p. 103 (as reported by this website), Neal A. Maxwell:

"This restored work not only involves the things of eternity but is also drenched in daily significance. True disciples, for instance, would be consistent environmentalists-caring both about maintaining the spiritual health of a marriage and preserving a rain forest; caring about preserving the nurturing capacity of a family as well as providing a healthy supply of air and water; caring for both the prevention and the treatment of the miseries caused by the diseases of transgression." (Italics added)