DEN Enews

The Anglican Communion Environmental Network has a wonderful newsletter this month jam packed with news of global celebrations, videos and inspirations to help you celebrate within your own parish /community. There is even an app you can download to carry with you.

Our Advocacy Editors write: On September 20th, Canadians and people around the world are demanding to draw the line between corporations hoarding massive wealth and the climate collapse, violence, and exploitation currently occurring. Division is often used as a tool for distraction and overwhelm, but we can come together to make change and support interconnected issues. Whether you’re passionate about the environment, Indigenous rights, migrant rights, economic justice, or the anti-war movement, just locate a protest and join those standing for the rights and needs of people and our planet.

Local events will focus on these 5 premises:

1. Economic Justice: Put people over profit – Fund our families and communities

2. Indigenous Justice: Refuse ongoing colonialism – Uphold Indigenous sovereignty

3. Migrant Justice: Stop blaming migrants – Demand full immigration status for all, now

4. Peace & Anti-War: End the war machine – Stand for justice and peace

5. Climate Justice: End the era of fossil fuels – Protect Mother Earth

Many thanks to The Rev. Lorraine Otto for representing DEN at a press conference for the Healthy Bays Network.

The Ecology Action Centre have a petition to the NS Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, the Minister of Energy and the Minister of Natural Resources. Nova Scotians didn't ask for fracking. The 2014 moratorium on hydraulic fracturing was put in place following years of work from communities across the province, a full independent review and extensive public consultation that included 1,200 attendees at public meetings and over 745 written submissions. Fracking poses serious risks to our water, health and climate. As a greenhouse gas, the methane gas extracted from fracking is up to 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide in the short term, and roughly 30 per cent of today’s global warming is driven by methane from human actions. Pollution from fracking threatens key industries like farming, fishing and tourism, and as the world transitions away from fossil fuels, fracking will lock Nova Scotia into an outdated and economically volatile market.

KEPCO’s coal plant in the Philippines has resulted in children developing severe respiratory diseases, massive environmental pollution and locals losing their livelihoods because they're catching less fish. This coal plant is funded by South Korea’s National Pension Service (NPS) which has a $900 billion in assets and has committed to phasing out financing coal. But so far it’s all talk. Eko.org wants to change this. KEPCO was desperate for an injection of cash in June. But together with allies Eko mounted a massive public pressure campaign. More than 43,000 people like you signed the petition calling on banks like JPMorgan to stop financing KEPCO’s toxic coal plans. Eko took your demands directly to the banks. And it worked! No bank financed KEPCO’s June bond. Now, let’s do it again and make the National Pension Service stop financing coal.

For years, the Kakataibo people in Peru’s Amazon region have been fighting to stop the invasions of the outside world, which includes drug trafficking routes and illegal crops in their ancestral forests. Kakataibo Indigenous Guards have taken to patrolling the rainforest, burning crops, coordinating locations with law enforcement, and risking their lives trying to protect their communities. This situation is affecting their way of life and there are hidden airstrips in and surrounding their territories. Some of the Kakataibo are Indigenous People in Isolation and Initial Contact (PIACI). They want to be left alone but their land is being taken over. There is some recent progress with land titles and boundary agreements, but global support would help build pressure and momentum. Add your name to support this courageous work against narcotrafficking in the Amazon and to demand the Peruvian government hold firm and complete the titling of Kakataibo communities.

It’s been a devastating year for rhinos in South Africa. Since the start of 2025, 195 rhinos in this country have been killed by poachers. There are poaching groups who exploit weaknesses in protection and enforcement, and use advanced methods to smuggle rhino horns and bypass security measures. The poached animals are often trafficked internationally; meaning one country can't solve this issue alone. A solution is found in the United Nations Development Programme dedicating more energy and resources to address the poaching crisis at a global level. Lend a hand to help ensure every rhino is protected by signing this petition asking the United Nations Development Programme to prioritize and fund international anti-poaching programs.

Flash Food

We had to head to Bridgewater for appointments, and Lorn suggested we grab another Flash Food parcel. Honestly, those boxes are like mystery grab bags for grown-ups. You are never sure what's all in there, but it’s always fun to figure out what to do with it.

This week’s box? Eight peaches, two pomegranates, two limes, an apple, a Japanese pear, four avocados, six tomatoes, and one big, beautiful plum. Not bad for five bucks!

So, what did I make?

Tomatoes to Tomato Soup or maybe stock for sauce (not sure yet)
I’d never made tomato soup before, but how hard could it be? (Famous last words.) First, I boiled the tomatoes to get the skins off, tossed them in parsley and Italian seasoning, cooked them down, then ran the whole thing through the food processor. Only after did I think, “Hmm, maybe I should look up how to actually make tomato soup.” Turns out you can roast the tomatoes first or add cream later, but what I already had was tomato soup. And you know what? It tasted pretty darn good. It also stored well for other recipies.

Pomegranates + Lime = Juice.
I thought, “I’ll just use the food processor.” Ha! Pomegranate juice sprayed everywhere like a crime scene. (Note to self: use a blender next time.) Still, with a squeeze of lime, a second lime for good measure, and a little sugar, then strained through a sieve, oh, that juice was worth the mess.

Avocados, who knew you could use ripe avocados like butter? I mashed two into brown sugar, oats, and flour for a cobbler topping. Underneath went the peaches and the juice of one lime. Delicious. The other avocados went into the freezer, waiting for the next cobbler.

The plum, apple, pear and extra peach to the Snack Bowl.
Perfect for grabbing on the go or tossing into brunch.

So for five dollars, here’s what came out of our Flash Food box: homemade tomato soup, a few days’ worth of fresh juice, a peach cobbler, fruit for snacking, and even a few things tucked into the freezer for later.

And honestly, the produce prices lately? They’re shocking. That’s why I’m sold on Flash Food. A little app magic, and suddenly you’ve got bags of produce that stretch into meals, snacks, and even a kitchen experiment or two. Plus, it saves the stores from tossing perfectly good food in the garbage. Win-win.

There’s another app, Too Good to Go, that’s more bakery-oriented (croissants count as survival food, right?). Between the two, it feels like modern-day foraging. No spears, no caves, just a phone and a grocery bag. If you know of other apps or places to save tell Grandma at [email protected]

Seed Saving

Grandma is not an expert in seed saving, but I’m learning. This week, I spotted my neighbour’s daisy patches and asked if I could have some seed heads. Bees love daisies, so I dry the heads in paper bags, then tuck them away until January when I’ve got time to sort and store them for our Seed Share project.

Nasturtiums are another easy one—those pea-sized seeds sitting right in your flower bed are ready to be gathered and dried. What else should we add to next year’s Seed Share packets? Send your ideas to Grandma at [email protected].

Gatherings

Like our tea party, Nana and I want to bring more people in. If Lorn has a bad day, her bed is close by. If she’s feeling well, even better, more company. Either way, I get to fuss in the kitchen, and friends get to visit.

The next get-together? A “Girls’ Night In” for the October birthdays. Four neighbours have birthdays that month, so we’re inviting them for supper.

The cake (yes, carrot cake is non-negotiable) is getting baked in a collection of old tins I’ve hoarded, bigger than salmon cans, once full of lobster meat. I’ll make a six-inch centre cake and arrange five or six little cakes around it, sunflower style. That way, each birthday girl gets to take home her own mini cake.

I’m still working out the rest of the menu. After the tea party, I learned everything has to be made ahead of time and easy to reheat or assemble. I’m eyeing a recipe for wonton covers pressed in a muffin tin and then filled with sausage, cream cheese, and onions. My brain immediately thought, “Perfect! Cook them ahead, zap in the microwave, serve as if I really know what I am doing.”

Got any air fryer or make-ahead recipes up your sleeve? Send them to [email protected]—Grandma is always looking for ideas.

Fall Cleaning

Ah yes, fall cleaning. Not quite the full spring overhaul, but definitely more than a quick sweep. In my day (cue the “back in my day” voice), fall cleaning meant: sweep ceilings, wash light fixtures, scrub walls and floors, empty every drawer, and shake the dust mop out the window. Every room, every surface. All before Christmas. And yes, there was still Saturday cleaning on top of that.

These days? Nobody has time for that, and honestly, house cleaning doesn’t exactly sparkle at the top of anyone’s to-do list. So I break it down into little pieces. One closet, one drawer, one task at a time. Progress is progress.

I like the website Flylady.net for organising cleaning into bite-sized steps. Do you have a go-to cleaning system? Let Grandma know at [email protected].

Need to Hear from You

If you missed the theme here: I want to hear from you. Maybe you’ve got a local event, a gardening victory (or disaster), or just a clever shortcut that made life easier. We’re your environment team, and “environment” doesn’t just mean advocacy or climate, it’s also the joy we create at home or any defined space.

Here’s one bit of news: St. Luke’s in Hubbards is hosting a “Repair Day” on September 20th, 9AM–3PM, at 10 Shore Club Road (down from the library, across the bridge). For the full poster, check the church news at twocoves.ca/parishnews.

Now that’s an “R” word worth celebrating: Repair. I’ve always wanted a workshop like that in Blandford. Fingers crossed that I can go and pick up some tricks to bring back.

Till next week, everyone, Grandma is sending hugs (and maybe a slice of cobbler if you show up at the right time).