DEN Enews

_{According to the Anglican Church of Canada: 2024 resources will be added in August. In the meantime, you are invited to visit the worldwide Season of Creation website and also to join the conversation by following the official Season of Creation channels: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Hashtags are #SeasonOfCreation and #SOC2023.}

Ever wonder how microplastics end up in our waters? 35% comes from clothing & textiles.

_{Do you remember your old top-loading washer with a filter trap sitting atop the agitator that caught a bunch of lint? Apparently,}

 “Most top load washers made after 2001 do not have washer filters in their drainage system. Instead, newer models utilize a more powerful drain pump and larger drain holes.”

_{Larger drain holes? Guess where that goes? It appears the front loaders are a better option to reduce shedding of microplastics but they are not eliminating it and Many modern, high-efficiency machines use a self-cleaning pump to remove lint instead of a traditional lint trap.}

_{What is the question here? If microplastics are such a huge issue, why are we not demanding machines be outfitted with proper filters that are easily accessible? According to one manufacturer of external filters that can be purchased on a subscription basis, “an integrated filter for washing machines was our first ever product (that we keep developing). We introduced this solution to all major washing machine manufacturers back in 2017 but sadly there was no interest by them to use the filter in their washing machines. Actually, an executive from one of the companies told our CEO that if we want to save the oceans, we should adopt a dolphin.”}

_{If you want more info on microplastics and your laundry, here is one article.}

 _{https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/nov-16-watching-wildfire-with-radar-the-return-of-race-science-and-more-1.5359599/your-laundry-and-plastic-pollution-which-fabrics-shed-the-most-microplastics-1.5359608}

If you want to read more on microfiber pollution, admittedly from a filter manufacturer, here is a link to 4 different blog posts.

_{https://community.davidsuzuki.org/index.php/email/emailWebview?email=MTg4LVZEVS0zNjAAAAGUn-2T9uIz50DmtNUrDXiRE1l8R3Gc9Te0F5Rt1HbCeBnsei1UsUJ4LIzoC69ONKP_dGTM5578e4td02lXpabIjykPmpKv2hS4cw}

Some Good News: On the morning of June 20th all content from the website of Canada's biggest oil lobby had disappeared except for a single paragraph of text. Pathways Alliance is a group of Canada's six biggest oil sands companies controlling _{95% of Canada’s oil sands production and about 63%of Canada’s total oil production. On the surface, Pathways have claimed to be on a mission to help fight climate change but in reality they make false or misleading claims that position oil companies as part of the solution, they hope to gain credibility, benefit from taxpayer funding, and continue destroying the climate. Pathways’“Let’s Clear the Air” campaign was a far-reaching advertising blitz that ran on television ads during the FIFA World Cup, the Australian Open and the 2023 Super Bowl. It appeared on trains, buses, and streetcars across Canada and all over Canadian social media. This and other advertising campaigns claimed the alliance’s “net-zero plan is in motion” — even though that plan fails to account for more than 80% of the members’ emissions. Early last year, the Greenpeace Canada climate team decided to file a complaint against Pathways with Canada’s Competition Bureau for misleading advertising. In response, the bureau announced it would launch an official inquiry into Pathways’ claims. If the inquiry finds that the ads to be false or misleading, Greenpeace and the other applicants have requested that any financial penalty be put towards cleaning up their oil sands pollution. We don’t yet know the outcome of that investigation, we do know that it’s got Pathways running scared. Their attempt to scrub their online presence is testament to that. In particular, Pathways and various other oil industry members have all deleted content related to the development of carbon capture and storage, because they know they can't back up their claims that it's a potential solution to their emissions. Pathways has left a single paragraph on their website, blaming the change on Canada’s new “truth in advertising” legislation, which forces companies to prove any environmental claims they make using an internationally recognized methodology. This legislation exists so companies can’t invent their own definitions of what it means to be “carbon neutral” or have “net zero emissions”. Organizations like Greenpeace and Ecojustice are holding companies accountable and making sure they can’t get away with making false greenwashing claims.} 

Have you ever heard of the gopher tortoise? They reside in the Southern U.S. and can live more than 40 years. Gopher tortoises are known as a keystone species - excelling at digging burrows which provide temporary or permanent refuge for at least 360 other species!Males are known to travel long distances to visit females, and some females have been sighted visiting the burrows of specific females repeatedly in what may be a friendship. These unique and social creaturesare in a fight for their lives as urban sprawl continues to destroy their dwindling habitat. Gopher tortoisesare listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Habitat degradation is the primary reason. Add your name to help push for the protection they need to survive.  

Outdated municipal bylaws and enforcement policies can limit the potential of habitat gardens positively transforming Canadian communities. This type of garden contains native plants and natural features that support insects and birds at all life stages. Several partnering organizations, such as the Canadian Wildlife Federation and David Suzuki Foundation, have created an open letter you can sign. The goal is to ask our local leaders to bolster existing efforts and engage in ecological stewardship. The 4 key points are reforming municipal bylaws, bylaw enforcement training, leading by example, and committing to community outreach and education. Express your support for bylaw reform in the name of biodiversity and climate protection by sending a letter to your mayor and councillor. 

Deforestation kills countless animals. It fuels climate change, pollutes rivers, damages natural areas, and pushes threatened species to the brink of extinction. Australia is a global deforestation hotspot that is driven primarily by the beef industry. Every two minutes, a large football field-sized area of forest and bushland is bulldozed. Beef buyers have the ability to fix this problem by ensuring their supply chains are conversion and deforestation-free. With just one email, we can tell these corporations to clean up their act and start taking their impact seriously! This petition also offers a Beef Industry Rating report and the option to join the campaign to protect animals such as the koalas from losing their home.

Time is running out for the world's smallest and most endangered marine mammal. The vaquita is a small porpoise found only in the Gulf of California, and they are on the brink of extinction. Only 6 to 8 of these precious animals remain. The vaquita have declined due to entanglement in deadly gillnets. Despite a ban, fishermen continue to use gillnets and the area is littered with discarded nets. Shrimp boats and poachers also operate inside the vaquita refuge area. Send a letter today insisting that Mexico's government step up enforcement and permanently remove all dangerous gillnets in vaquita habitat.

Brilliant!

Saw this on Facebook first but there are a multitude of articles. Keeps the sun, rain and snow off the vehicles. It makes electricity just sitting over parking places. Seems like a win-win for me.

_{Let us Pray:}

_{For Those in the Path of Fire}

_{Almighty God, who is our strength and our refuge; be with those who are besieged by fire, guide those who evacuate so that they may find care and comfort in a safe place; protect their homes and their pets, their neighbors and their friends, so that they may return home to a loving community. We ask this in the name of Jesus your son, who abides with you and with the Holy Spirit.}

_{For First Responders}

_{O God, whose love encircles us; sustain those who respond when wildfires roar, keep them safe from harm and hold them in your sheltering embrace so that they may complete these burdensome tasks, return home to their families, and keep the lives and homes of all they protect safe from harm, in the loving name of Jesus, who gave his life for all.}

_{For Those Who Have Lost Their Homes to Fire}

_{Loving God, our strength in times of despair, be with all those who have lost their homes to wildfire, comfort them in their distress, strengthen them for the journey ahead, and sustain them with your loving embrace, that they may find a sense of home once again. We ask this in the name of your son Jesus Christ, who heals the sick and restores the lost.}

 _{For Those Who Minister in Time of Wildfire}

_{Loving and merciful God, wherever we go, you are there with us; strengthen those who serve in the time of wildfire; buoy their spirit as they encounter despair; strengthen them as they comfort the displaced; and guide them as they guide others to safety and security. We ask this in the name of Jesus who is our strength and our safe place.}

Amen

 _{https://www.episcopalrelief.org/church-in-action/worship-resources/let-us-pray/wildfire-prayers/}