Ecological Sustainability Resolution

Approved by Community Chapter
March 3, 2007

RESOLUTION (adapted from the Leadership Conference of Women Religious resolution)

Grounded in the monastic tradition and recognizing that peace is the wholeness created by right relationships with God, oneself, other persons, other cultures, other life, Earth, and the larger whole of which all are a part, we, the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, acknowledge the unjust effects of our consumer lifestyle and firmly resolve to move toward ecological sustainability. (Italics taken from the Earth Charter)

Embracing our Benedictine values of stewardship, humility, and hospitality, we commit ourselves individually and communally to:

• Conserve energy, reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, and promote the use of renewable energy sources.

• Reduce the amount of carbon dioxide added to our atmosphere by more responsible use and care of our vehicles.

• Practice eating habits that promote optimal health, share limited resources, and promote sustainability.

• Conserve water and promote the availability of clean water for all.

• Maintain a simpler, more sustainable lifestyle by reducing, reusing, and recycling consumable materials.

• Advocate eco-justice through involvement in local and global public policy and education of ourselves and others.

• Consider the cost to the environment and the deprivation of the poor of the world in our purchasing decisions.