June 5, 2008

Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) commemorates World Environment Day June 5. The slogan for 2008, "Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy," is a call to action to safeguard the earth against the destructive impact of climate change and to protect the health and well-being of all people.

By working to achieve Millennium Development Goal 7 – ensure environmental sustainability – ERD has said it is committed to protecting the earth's threatened ecosystem. The organization's programs to alleviate hunger, create economic opportunities, promote health and fight disease, and respond to disasters "are implemented with respect for the earth and defend against environmental degradation while alleviating the suffering caused by poverty," an ERD release said.

"Episcopal Relief and Development's programs strive to help individuals to address and to counteract the devastating effects of climate change at the local level," says Abagail Nelson, ERD's senior vice president of programs.

ERD's worldwide programs implement forestry projects, create tree nurseries and maintain woodlots. Families are provided with smokeless stoves that require minimal wood to burn and protect against the severe respiratory infections caused by the smoke from open fires. Farmers are taught innovative techniques that safeguard the land while improving the food supply. For example, in Ghana, ERD is working with the Anglican Diocesan Development and Relief Organization (ADDRO) to counter the effects of erratic rainfall which has been made worse in recent years by climate change.

Mariama, a 48-year-old mother of six, was struggling to grind out an existence from a small farming plot in a part of Ghana that is plagued by persistent drought. Thanks to a local partnership between ERD, the Diocese of Tamale and ADDRO, Mariama was trained in soil-replenishing dry season vegetable gardening and given $100 to become a member of a farming cooperative. Within one year, the group tripled its initial investment and added new crops to its rotation.

"Before the program we could hardly feed ourselves," said Mariama. "Now we can feed, clothe and educate our children."

To help ERD protect the environment while alleviating suffering, make a contribution online at http://www.er-d.org/, or by calling 1-800-334-7626, ext. 5129. Gifts can be mailed to: Episcopal Relief and Development, P.O. Box 7058, Merrifield, VA 22116-7058.

Episcopal News Service