Rev. Dr. Neddy Astudillo

When my husband and I started making our changes on the way we eat, seeking to live a life that would manifest our ecological values; we did not consider its climate impact. We acknowledged that less transportation time for our food and eating organic from a local sources meant: supporting local economies and farmers (rather than bringing our food from 1300 miles away which is the average in the US), eating more fresh products, higher in vitamin content and minerals due to growing in healthy soils, avoiding nitrogen runoffs going into the sea, protection oceans, learning to eat what our local place produces, living more gently on the earth. So many benefits! Our own health improved! Today we understand that this type of eating is climate friendly, not only reduces carbon release from transportation, but healthy soils are capable of sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. We need more and more people eating locally, connecting to the natural world around them, living simply and grateful for what Earth provides in its due season. When we moved to a new city a couple of years ago, the first thing we did was connecting with local farmers. We did not want the city life to determine how we related to the new place but to discover its hidden treasures, what grew, when, including learning about new plants that would not grow in colder climates we came from. We are happy to say, we now have fruit trees in our yard, joined a community garden and have one of our own. Feeling nurtured by the place we live in, and learning its ways is key to living a climate friendly life. A climate friendly life is one that leads us to love ourselves, and the places we live in. 

As an immigrant, Jeremiah 29 is a good guide to anyone seeking to learn how to live in a new place, one that political, economic circumstances, or even love may had lead us to: “Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters ... Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (Jer 29:5-7)

Author: Rev. Dr. Neddy Astudillo, Christian, Venezuela/United States of America