SHAH ALAM — The Church of The Divine Mercy (CDM) held its first ever Environment Fair 3-4 August. This was organised by CDM’s Care For Creation Laudato Si’ Ministry, a recently formed team that serves to lead CDM’s environment-related programmes and activities.
The fair was conceptualised and held in conjunction with Earth Overshoot Day, the date when humanity’s annual demand on nature exceeds what our Earth’s ecosystems can regenerate in a given year.
Since its inception in 1970, the date has moved up by two months and this year it fell on 29 July, the earliest ever. This means that we are currently using nature 1.75 times faster than our planet’s ecosystems can regenerate, equivalent to 1.75 Earths.
The Environment Fair featured more than 20 environmental NGOs and green product vendors displaying their important conservation work and selling their environment-friendly produce.
Leading environmental organisations such as The Malaysian Nature Society, WWF-Malaysia, TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers and Management and Ecology of Malaysian Elephants showcased their field conservation work, ongoing campaigns and solicited financial and other support from CDM’s parishioners and visitors.
Equally important was the participation of local community groups and the sale of their beautiful handicraft, especially that from the Bario community in Sarawak, the Orang Asli from the Peninsula and the Rohingya Women Development Group.
Companies involved in recycling and the reduction of waste generation such as iCycle, EcoBricks, Kloth Cares and those promoting green, healthy and sustainable products such as Kunyit Organic Grocer, Speedy Zero Waste, Tossa, Enerworldwide and Kangen educated the public on sustainable consumerism, among other things.
The sale of pre-loved clothes and glass and metal jewellery by Cassie Teo and friends was popular, as was the delicious cakes and cookies by Sr Bertha, Daniel Gomez and Datuk Ann Marianthony. CDM’s environment team sold metal straws and cutlery sets, and organic duck eggs. It also ran a demonstration on composting.
The feedback received from the vendors, NGOs and patrons of the fair was encouraging – people were glad to see such an event at CDM and the environmental awareness it created.
CDM’s Care For Creation Laudato Si’ Ministry will continue to create programmes and activities that can help enliven the message of Pope Francis to care for the environment as defined in his encyclical Laudato Si’.
Dionysius Sharma (Herald)
