Eco-Christians are wary of carbon sin
A group of Christians staying vigilant over their carbon footprint for Lent is just one example of what the religious sect is doing to stay conscious of their eco-impact. Jennifer Collins reports on the effectiveness of a carbon fast.
Catholics follow Lent in New York City (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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Steve Chiotakis: And on this Christian holy day, this weekend marks the end of Lent. It's a time when many Christians stay away from meat, sweets or alcohol. But some have gone on a 40-day eco-fast. From the Marketplace Sustainability Desk, Jennifer Collins reports.
Jennifer Collins: For lent this year, Mary Hetherington went on a carbon fast. She bought organic produce, she paid for a high-level cleaning of her furnace, and she learned a lesson:
Mary Hetherington: It's a little bit more expensive sometimes to be more conscious of what you're buying.
Hetherington also helped lead a class of more than 20 people at her parish in Fresno, Calif. Instead of just cutting out meat on Fridays, they tried to trim their carbon emissions everyday. She's one of many Christians around the globe going eco-friendly for Lent this year.
Businesses are starting to notice. Marketing consultant David Almy says Christians are talking much more about sustainable consumption:
David Almy: Any time you hear about any group getting ready to go green it's exciting.
So does that mean priests will start hearing: Bless me father for my carbon footprint is too large?
Hetherington: I don't know that I would actually count that as one of the things that I would go into confession on at this point.
But Hetherington says she plans to make the carbon fast a permanent part of life.
I'm Jennifer Collins for Marketplace.
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