Diary of a climate sabbath.
“What if we didn’t use electricity, gas or petrol for one day in seven?”
That was the burning question I asked, Luke, the Eco leader in our church last Sunday. The vicar has shared a couple of highlights from a recent local talk of Bishop Olivia Graham and her statement, ‘It’s no longer Global Warming, it’s Global Heating’ had struck me.
As I chatted with Luke, I recalled working for a company in South Africa where the Jewish women left at 3 pm on a Friday to go and prepare the Sabbath meal. This is because practising Jews have a Sabbath rest from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. As a young impressionable worker who had seen Fiddler on the Roof a dozen times, seeing the outworking of the Jewish faith filled me with wonder. What if we translated this to a Climate Sabbath?
This madcap idea wouldn’t go away and this weekend, I decided to have a dry run to see if it was possible. All week I have been training myself to not turn the taps to the ‘hot’ position and washed my hands and face and rinsed some kitchen implements in cold water. Ablutions at night were the hardest as I associate cold water on my face as something to wake up to, but I slept well. From 7 pm on Friday, I recorded and either did what was necessary to avoid the generation of power, or I recorded what I would have to do next weekend.
Because you might agree to join me in this hair-brained scheme, I’m going to share what that twenty-four hours looked like so that you can see it’s not so hair-brained after all. Not only will it make a difference to the world, one household at a time, but it might change us and our behaviour. It won’t cost you anything but inconvenience, and it will most likely save you a couple of pounds. There was also a sense of calm and peace I experienced in making simpler choices.
Next weekend, and possibly thereafter, I’ll be doing this on my Sabbath equivalent: Saturday evening to Sunday evening, so some of the challenges will be different. I became painfully aware of how many devices I use that run or depend on power. I’ve not used the term ‘fossil fuel’ as we have solar panels and a battery, as well as using an energy company that exclusively uses renewable energy sources.
1. Water
We have a gas boiler and it takes several seconds to get the hot water from the tap. As it was summer, it was easy to just run cold most of the time. Doing without a shower is different, but on Saturdays, I play tennis until one so I have a shower in the afternoon. I plan to run a basin of cold water in the afternoon which will reach room temperature and keep this in the bath to use in the evening and the morning in the sink. It will just mean potentially using an extra facecloth.
I intend to fill two Thermos flasks with boiled water before 7 pm on Saturday to ensure adequate water for tea, coffee, meal preparation and some hot water for kitchen implements that are not dishwasher-friendly. With a little careful planning, we can ensure the dishwasher can be filled but doesn’t run during this time, unless it uses the battery from the solar panels.
We generally don’t wash clothes in this 24-hour period.
2. No TV or radio
I love a good movie and usually have a chat show, music or audiobook on the go. We can play backgammon, Scrabble or another board game on a Friday evening and I can think, write, read, hum or sing to replace external entertainment!
3. No phone charging
This means limiting my phone use and having it fully charged before 7 pm. This is not quite cheating as there are power points around the house where we leave them when not using our phones – not often enough before you ask! I practised minimal phone use and for one day in seven before lockdown, it will be a healthy motivation to get off my phone. I didn’t die. In fact, I practised a Digital Sabbath before lockdown and occasionally since. When people know you can only be reached by telephone at this time, the messages drop off.
4. Fridge and Freezer plugged out.
We have twelve solar panels and have the fridge off for a number of hours a day anyway. Andrew installed a couple of battery-run lights to illuminate the contents during these times. Recording how often I open the fridge door affirmed that it will stay cold enough in a twenty-four hour period if I think carefully about what I need from there.
We need to empty and defrost our chest freezer before implementing no power for the freezer. It’s uneconomical at the moment anyway due to the accumulation of ice on the inside. I’m not prepared to throw food out, so not buying freezer content is essential in the medium term.
5. Cooking and Microwave use
We’re going to be eating salads or cold-food platters on a Saturday evening. Any prep for this must be done in advance like my Jewish friends from that South African company. We ate out as it was my birthday weekend, but our main meal could be a braai (SA barbeque) or leftovers.
If we sustain this, I know it will be harder in winter, especially on the supper and washing front.
6. Driving
We are fortunate to have a Tesla and with the right planning, we don’t have to plug this in on Saturday nights, especially as my husband does a long cycle in the day and I can cycle to tennis. Sunday mornings are Church, which is cycling distance. Other trips can be more carefully planned, and my petrol car, Jezabel, can stay in the driveway, as she often does. Better organisation and more travelling time will be needed.
7. Nighttime
This was interesting. I found using candles calming while my husband found the flickering disconcerting. I need to trim the wicks! We generally read for a bit and play something on our phones, but this needs to be all paper-based now – very retro! I got a great sleep score in the morning so imagine the lack of artificial light was very healthy.
8. Charging
As well as not charging my phone, I didn’t charge my Mi-fit (Fitbit equivalent) or toothbrush. I need to ensure these are adequately charged or do without.
9. Sundry adjustments
In the morning, I opened the window for my toilet, instead of using a switch that turns on the light and fan simultaneously in the bathroom. A little air freshener goes a long way! Between tennis games, I had my usual mid-morning Nespresso and I’ll have to forego this next week or plan in advance. This may sound like cheating but it’s a start towards consuming less.
I’m committed to doing this, so I guess the only question is – will you join me in this mindful Climate Sabbath? If there’s enough interest, I’ll create an Eventbrite page for accountability and solidarity. Please spread the word if you believe this is something which will make a difference.
I know this article is wildly off-piste for an Audience Engagement expert, but isn’t it interesting what a conversation can start? And what are we communicating to the world if we make a difference with this initiative? In the words of Nancy Kline, “Everything we do begins with the thinking we do first.”
Great Western Park Church 