Faith and Mission

Care for our Common Home 

Sustainability

Environmental issues present major concerns and challenges in the 21st century. The Judeo-Christian foundations call on us as stewards to care and protect the natural world around us.  But we are required to be more and do more than simply ‘being a steward’. Humanity’s relationship with the ecosystem calls us to take action. We also need to look at the insights from the First Peoples of this country around how we see our relationship with land, water and air, and how we interact with the environment. Our College takes his challenge seriously as we navigate to find ways to care for God’s created world in a more sustainable way. 

Vy Pham from Year 10 explains that the Marian Sustainability Council initiated a new and exciting project called ‘Breadtags for Wheelchairs’ established by recycler Brad Scott (pictured here from ABC News). Each homeroom was provided with a bag for plastic bread clips that will be collected, counted and sent to Robe, South Australia. There, they will be recycled into a range of products and money raised will be used to assist in the purchase of wheelchairs for the disadvantaged in South Africa. With student, teacher and family support, we are confident in reaching our goal of over 1000 plastic bread clips albeit it is affected by the recent Covid-19 lockdowns.  So keep collecting those bread tags!

A major goal created by the Council at the beginning of the school year was to investigate and create a new waste management system at Marian. With the help of our Lamp Bearer Renee Scothern, we have been able to survey students, communicate with staff and the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). This information has helped us to begin creating a proposal for waste management. This proposal includes:

• More convenient and accessible recycling bins by printers of year level common areas, the library, staffroom, and DE building
• New composting units, offered by members of Brimbank Community and Civic centre, which students can actively involve themselves in
• New, simple and informative signage consistent with out waste bins provider; Suez

We will continue with these projects and aim to work towards a more sustainable and environmentally aware school. 

For more information about Brad Scotts ‘bread tags fro wheelchairs’ see https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-26/recycling-bread-tags-into-bowls/11342298

Climate change

Image: Sr. Brigid Arthur. Sight Magazine.  

 Image: The Whitehaven Coal Mine NSW. The Australian.

In an article written by Michael Taylor from Sight Magazine, we learn about the incredible fight that former Principal of Marian College, Sr Brigid Arthur (pictured above), has taken on. Sr Brigid, along with eight teenage students, who are between 13 and 17 years old,  have taken on the Australian Government in seeking to block the expansion of Whitehaven Coal mine in New South Wales. (pictured above)

She says the "smart kids" involved in the Melbourne lawsuit had all taken part in the global youth climate strikes - launched by teen activist Greta Thunberg - and they hoped to create a "tipping point" for governments to take climate action. "Young people getting energised are capable of energising adults too," she said, adding that the next big wave of asylum seekers would be the result of climate change.

So in this year of Wonder, let’s look for ways we too can support these students on their quest for a better future.

To read the full article, see the link below.

Meet the 86-year-old nun who's standing with Australian teens launching a major climate lawsuit

Bernadette Casey

Faith & Mission