St.

Marks Environmental Stewardship Committee Mission Statement

The parish of St. Mark's is committed to the responsible environmental stewardship of the resources God has given to all of us. As Christians, it brings us joy and grace when we recognize the sacredness of creation and when we live our lives in a manner that respects and cares for the natural, environmental, cultural and human resources we have been given. Without losing focus on
our mission to proclaim the Good News in Christ, St. Mark's is committed to the development, implementation, and ongoing improvement of a Christcentered Environmental Stewardship program as a parish and as individual parishioners. Our focus is on the efficient use of energy and materials, the reduction and prevention of pollution, proper waste management, and the protection of all of God's Creation. A healthy and sustainable environment is important to all of God's creatures as well as to the economic, physical, and mental health of all people, now and in the future. This parish will become a model of environmental stewardship for other parishes and local entities. St. Mark's encourages each individual member to actively practice environmental leadership through the following Environmental Stewardship Principles:

Energy, Water, and Resource Conservation and Pollution Prevention- to actively explore, create, implement, and communicate new ways to reduce and prevent pollution and to conserve natural resources for future generations. Cooperation-to build partnerships, inside and outside of St. Mark's, whose goals are to sustain and enhance the environment and to improve the health and well-being of all of God's Creation. Sustainable Development- to recognize the fundamental interdependence between environmental quality, economic prosperity, and social justice, as articulated in the Millennium Development Goals, http://www.er-d.org/MDGs/ which we will adopt as a parish. Restoration- to promptly and responsibly correct conditions that degrade the environment, waste resources, and hinder the sustainable use of Creation. Continuous Improvements- to create and achieve increasingly ambitious environmental objectives and targets. We also commit to review the progress of our efforts and to identify and implement improvements for future activities. Communication and Documentation- to ensure that this policy is documented and communicated to the parish and the community, and that our plans and reports are available for review. Education- to commit to making learning opportunities available and to provide practical examples of how to maintain, protect and enhance the environment.