#creationcare

RABBLEWRITER! Creatively Exposing Wrong Things

christencciviletto

Apr 1, 2016
3 min

RABBLEWRITER! Creatively Exposing Wrong Things

Great fiction has sometimes changed the way the world thinks. Readers may have identified so closely with a character’s plight that inaction at the end of the story was not an option. Or, an author’s vivid portrayal of filthy housing conditions, chain gangs, or slavery sparked a movement that fostered social change. Books like Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle come to mind. (Sinclair’s novel about the unhealthy conditions in the meatpac

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The Microbead Ban: A Good Start, But Where’s the Corporate Accountability?

christencciviletto

Jan 3, 2016
3 min

The Microbead Ban: A Good Start, But Where’s the Corporate Accountability?

Microbeads are tiny plastic balls that are used in personal care products. They’re the muscle behind facial scrubs. They give toothpaste its shine. A single cosmetic product can contain up to 300,000 beads, each no larger than a grain of salt. Given their small size and widespread use, microbeads seem harmless enough. But they’re not. Microbeads are an environmental hazard that will have far-reaching consequences for the world’s waterways – and any living thing that relies up

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My Prayer for the "World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation"

christencciviletto

Sep 1, 2015
2 min

My Prayer for the "World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation"

YOUR Glory, Lord, is evident everywhere in Creation—from the graceful arches of the willow tree, to the deep, abiding peace that comes with the crash of ocean waves. You are the creative force behind the spider’s web, the artist’s eye, the mountain’s craggy silhouette. Thank you for the cicadas that provide the backdrop to summer nights. For the whitewash covering of snow. Thank you for crisp air tinged with the smell of decaying leaves. For spring’s earthy aroma that evokes

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THE POLITICIANS MISSED THIS ONE: The Link Between Environmental Degradation & Poverty

christencciviletto

Aug 21, 2015
6 min

THE POLITICIANS MISSED THIS ONE: The Link Between Environmental Degradation & Poverty

More jobs! For decades, politicians have harped on the need for more jobs as the remedy for poverty. It’s the way to revive dying cities, they say. The path for bettering your circumstances, paying for college, securing your family’s future. Jobs are the answer. But perhaps those politicos have overlooked something. It’s hard to work when you’re sick. It’s hard to ace the job interview when you’re loopy from pain meds. Or when your eyes are red from lack of sleep. It’s hard t

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ACTION & REACTION: Public Outcry Over Sewage Results In Change

christencciviletto

Jul 22, 2015
4 min

ACTION & REACTION: Public Outcry Over Sewage Results In Change

Last month, nearly seven million gallons of untreated sewage water were discharged into Scajaquada Creek. And that was just in one fourteen hour period. According to the EPA, Buffalo’s combined sewer system contributes over 1.75 billion gallons of sewage overflow to the Niagara River and its tributaries each year. You read it right. That’s billion with a “b.” Nobody wants to swim in a toilet. Yet, for many Western New Yorkers, that’s exactly what happens when they recreate al

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When It Comes To An Environmental Wrong, Which One Are You?

christencciviletto

Jul 14, 2015
3 min

When It Comes To An Environmental Wrong, Which One Are You?

Are you the Blamer, Fixer, Liar or Leaver? How would you respond to an environmental catastrophe? It depends, you might say. Is it close? Is there an immediate need, or is this a long-term problem? Are my children suffering? Are my pets having seizures? Does it affect my breathing? How much do I know? Good questions, all. In Green City Savior the main characters all had to decide how they would respond to an environmental disaster. And they each chose differently. Can you see

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CRUDE AND THE CROSS: What Does Environmentalism Have To Do With Faith?

christencciviletto

Jun 16, 2015
8 min

CRUDE AND THE CROSS: What Does Environmentalism Have To Do With Faith?

Christians haven’t exactly been known as the protectors of the planet. They’re sometimes maligned as narrow-minded capitalists who would sacrifice the last green tree on Earth for the sake of corporate profit. Or heartless monsters who would gleefully log the spotted owl into extinction. Stereotyping? Perhaps. But, then again, where was the Christian outcry when the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster rained down radiation on Northern Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, and Europe? When po

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christencciviletto

May 12, 2015
6 min

PLOW THROUGH: Eliminate Bureaucratic Obstacles When You’re Taking a Stand.

It takes a great deal of persistence and fortitude to stand up to wrong things, especially when you’re sure to encounter major obstacles along the way. Obstacles like half-answers or non-answers. Here’s some tips on plowing through those barriers and getting something done: ● Keep the Goal in Mind. It’s easy to get sidetracked when you’re pressing for information, or trying to dig deeper to figure out what’s happening around you. You can get lost on a rabbit trail and emerge

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christencciviletto

May 12, 2015
5 min

WHAT LIES BENEATH? Start Here to Learn What's Buried Near You (part II)

I wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard someone say “I can only imagine what’s buried in THAT landfill,” or “I wonder what poisons are flowing through THAT creek.” Or, worse, “we’re probably living on top of a dump and don’t even know it.” I’d be a rich woman. So, instead of nodding my head in agreement about the unknowables, I’ve adopted another response: Let’s find out. Let’s stop wondering. Let’s start researching. Some of the answers we seek are readily available.

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christencciviletto

May 2, 2015
4 min

WHAT LIES BENEATH? Start Here To Learn What's Buried Near You (part 1)

Have you ever wondered what’s buried in the ground near your house? What toxins are polluting the air in your neighborhood? What’s flowing through the water in the creek outside? Maybe you’ve questioned whether a toxic landfill is artfully hidden in the open, grassy area near your workplace. Wonder no more. New and old online sources of information hold some of the answers you need. It just proves that sometimes technology really can be … healthy. I’ve written before about wa

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christencciviletto

Apr 20, 2015
3 min

YOU CAN FIGHT CITY HALL ... AND WIN

I’ve heard this saying more times than I care to count. “You Can’t Fight City Hall.” Essentially, people are saying that it’s foolish to fight a battle you’ll inevitably lose. You’ll get tangled in a bureaucratic nightmare from which you’ll never emerge unscathed. You can’t, so you shouldn’t even try. I think that’s ridiculous. Let’s be clear: When you’re standing against wrong things, you can fight City Hall. And win. Let’s start with having the right frame of mind. Thinking

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christencciviletto

Mar 20, 2015
6 min

#9 – Reasons Not to Stand Up To Wrong Things

There’s lots of reasons why you might not want to take a stand against something wrong. You’ll be criticized, ignored, hushed. You’ll make people uncomfortable. I highlighted a few of them in last week’s post. But today’s reason to stay quiet deserves a paragraph or two of its own: 9. You Will Face Obstacles. You’ll encounter obstacles of every type once you decide to stand up to wrong things. You will be frustrated. Tired. Annoyed. Expect it. Don’t speak up if you are easil

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christencciviletto

Mar 7, 2015
3 min

11 Reasons Not To Stand Up For What's Right.

Your responses to the first two posts continue to pour in. Bring ‘em on. I want to hear from you, but, more importantly, others need to hear from you, too. I’m not exactly sure what form that should take, but I welcome your suggestions. I’ve already contacted one health agency, and, despite a few obstacles, I’m in the process of providing some follow-up information to it. If you’ve observed unusual levels of illness in your neighborhood or your family, or if you’ve noticed so

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christencciviletto

Feb 28, 2015
4 min

THE END OF COMPLACENCY: It’s Time to “DO” and Here’s Why.

I’ve heard from a whole lot of people since my first post about my “wake-up call.” Like me, many of you noticed that Niagara Falls has far too many stories of sickness and heartache. You’ve been wondering why you and your siblings, aunts, uncles or friends are dealing with so much illness and disease, and perhaps now you’re looking at things with a broader perspective. I’ve heard from people in their forties who are bedridden. People who have two or three different, unrelated

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christencciviletto

Feb 20, 2015
5 min

MY WAKE-UP CALL: I Had To Move 900 Miles Away to Understand that Niagara Falls Had a Problem … or Tw

Living in Niagara Falls, New York, means that you hear a lot about cancer. It’s a fact of life in this corner of New York State. Your grandparents or parents may have had it. More likely, your cousins, friends, or aunts and uncles were diagnosed with it. Maybe even you. All normal. Or so I thought. In my early twenties, I moved away from the Falls to attend law school and start my career as an attorney. I lived in Nashville, Tennessee, and then Atlanta, Georgia. I developed

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LAW OFFICES OF

Christen E. Civiletto, Esq.

Attorney & Mediator