Hopeful signs

Yesterday we got a fair amount of media coverage concerning verbal gaffes by politicians and other news from the federal campaign trail. Then there was the provincial news conference about a cabinet shuffle with several portfolios dosey-doeing their partners.

Lost in all of this was energy minister George Smitherman's announcement about Ontario's deepened commitment to alternative forms of energy. There was nothing on the CBC today, nor anything I could find in the Globe and Mail. Yet it was an important announcement about a shift of thinking in this province.

Instead of staying the course with nuclear energy megaprojects and vast transmission lines the government will encourage smaller developments more widely spread across the province. And it will explore using biomass, the leftovers from agriculture and forestry as a source of fuel to replace coal.

I am encouraged by this development, if it translates from photo op to reality. We know that several European countries have already adopted this sort of diversification with success. They also buy energy produced by individuals. This happens now in Ontario, although for years private production of power was actually discouraged. Perhaps this green shift (where have I heard that term before?) will take hold in our province.

We are all getting greener in our outlook, including in our Christian communities. It's a matter of translating our hopeful faith into faith in action.

I'll get in a plug here. Our son, Isaac, is the coordinator of the Green Church project in Montreal, an interesting interdenominational initiative to help congregations become more environmentally responsible. These churches are doing everything from reducing throwaways to installing geothermal heating and cooling. They have just launched their website. Take a look at Greenchurch.org