Letters to Share

“What canst thou say” about spirit-led efforts on behalf of Earth, about your own stirrings toward care for the planet, in relation to the vision and thoughtful action of Quaker Earthcare Witness as a whole? We’d like to hear from you. Send your letters to Katherine at katherine@quakerearthcare.org, and share your thoughts and leadings with Friends and caring others throughout North America.

December 23, 2013

Dear BeFriending Creation,

It’s heartening to see that many Friends realize that selling fossil fuel investments is only a first step in full divestment—we have to stop using all fossil fuels. Gradually and without delay. Like the XL pipeline, replacing fossil fuel investments with other stocks or funds is symbolic. Not meaningless, but incomplete.

But many of us seem to suffer from a sort of attention deficit disorder—unable to stay focused on this huge climate weirding slow disaster because after all we have to go to work to put food on the table and pay the utility bills. Yet fundamental and tangible changes are in order. We need investment alternatives that are fundamentally different and truly sustainable, such as permaculture gardens and home renovation for self-sufficiency.

In engineering, there’s a principle that the way to build a complex system that works is to start with a simple one and evolve it. But in this case, we need to go from a complex system to a simple one that will still work. This latter may not be easier to do.

I am very interested in the investments Friends Fiduciary will select to replace the divested ones. The Permaculture Credit Union is one option for individuals.

—Muriel Strand