Pre-shabbat action
Make climate action a regular habit, and connect that action to your Jewish values and practices.
Pre-shabbat action of the week
Shabbat Shalom! After a COLD winter, it seems that spring has arrived, at least temporarily. (It has also just dawned on me that Pesach is coming in a few weeks, and perhaps I shouldn’t have bought quite so many bags of pretzels…) After taking a break to enjoy a bit of warmth and sunshine, take a few moments for some quick, meaningful climate action (maybe I’ll do mine while having a snack of pretzels)!
This week, we’ll be advocating for the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (PRRIA), a bill that would require companies to develop a packaging reduction and recycling plan. This legislation would require manufacturers to reduce the packaging they use by 30% and would also improve recycling infrastructure, prohibit processes that produce toxic byproducts (including advanced recycling), reduce toxins in packaging, and financially support municipal recycling programs. This is not only an environmental issue, but a public health issue; microplastics can now be found in our air, water, and in human bodies, and the toxic chemicals resulting from plastic incineration are disproportionately responsible for health impacts in already vulnerable communities. Click here to send a message to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie urging him to support PRRIA and bring it to the floor for a vote.
Bonus action: yes, we’re still focused on defending the Climate Law! If you’ve always wondered what a rally day in Albany looks like, now is your chance to find out: sign up with Renewable Heat Now to attend an emergency rally to protect the CLCPA on Wednesday, March 25.
Idea to Ponder:
On Shabbat we will observe Birkat HaChodesh, which welcomes the new month of Nissan in the upcoming week. We pray for a month of blessing: life. peace, joy, deliverance and consolation. Nissan augurs the holiday of Pesach, Passover. This Rosh Chodesh functions as an alarm, waking up many Jews to the myriad of tasks the holiday requires, notably, cleaning, food shopping, and considering who to invite or who will invite them to the Seder.
Some of us get so caught up in the material aspects of the holiday that we forget its essence. Pesach was originally an agricultural festival. In that vein, we may think about blessing the environment when shopping for the meals. For example, resist buying extra paper goods and processed foods. A little more elbow grease – using ceramic or glass dishes, limiting aluminum foil, cutting back on meat, etc. can result in a celebrating the spirit of the holiday while also honoring Mother Earth. May your purchases and preparations over the next few weeks reflect your values.