Read what Pope Benedict has to say on the environment in this book by Cardinal Turkson

We live in a world where one in eight people go to bed hungry each night, yet we produce enough food for everyone to have enough to eat.

In response, CAFOD has launched the Hungry for change campaign which calls on David Cameron to use his presidency of the G8 this year to tip the balance of power in favour of small-scale farmers who grow half the world’s food; to push for checks on the power of global food companies and look closely at own attitudes to food.

This campaign ties in perfectly with LiveSimply.

We can live in solidarity with people living in poverty by taking action for change at www.cafod.org.uk/hungry

We can live more sustainably, protect the planet and eat better by opting for fairly traded food, cutting back on meat and choosing local food.

We can live more simply, and tackle food waste, by not buying more than we need and using leftovers. You can get ideas at food-wasted and living-simply-at-christmas

The problem of global hunger is huge, but by living simply we can start to tackle it today in small ways, at home, at work and in our churches.

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Watch this short film clip about the livesimply award

Check out these great films by Mary Colwell designed for clergy in collaboration with Rt Rev. Vincent Nichols Archbishop of Westminster and Rt Rev. Rowan Williams Archbishop of Canterbury. They will give parishes considering doing the livesimply award the extra push they need

http://www.youtube.com/user/NurtureInHisName?feature=mhee

The Energy Saving Trust says our obsession with gadgets such as plasma TVs is pushing up bills and emissions. Photograph: Jochen Luebke/AFP/Getty Images

Energy-conscious home owners may religiously switch appliances off at the plug, insulate their houses and turn off lights in empty rooms, but our obsession with gadgets means energy bills and emissions are still rising, according to a report (pdf) on UK home energy use.

If we do not cool our love affair with gadgets and appliances such as smartphones, tablet PCs and electric toothbrushes we are likely to fall short of 2020 targets to cut domestic electricity emissions by 34%, says the report from the Energy Saving Trust, an independent organisation that advises on saving energy and lowering carbon emissions.

“If we look over the last five years a lot has changed and a lot of progress has been made making the most energy-sapping appliances more efficient,” said Dr Paula Owen, the author of the report The Elephant in the Living Room. “But where we still have a long way to go is with our gadgets and home entertainment appliances, which are using more and more electricity.”

A desire for energy-guzzling products such as extra large fridges and flatscreen televisions is pushing up home electricity bills and making carbon targets increasingly unlikely to be achieved, she said.

“What amazes me is that you wouldn’t buy a car without taking into consideration how fuel-efficient it was but people will buy electrical products without thinking about how much it is going to cost to run them,” she added. “As energy prices continue to rise they are eating up more of our money. People need to be more educated about what these gadgets cost.”

Among the main offenders are big plasma TVs, 600-litre fridge freezers, wireless routers that remain on all day, tumble dryers and 50W halogen spotlights. The number of domestic gadgets and appliances in the average UK household increased by three and a half times between 1990 and 2009, according to the report, and overall energy consumption from consumer electronic goods rose by more than 600% between 1970 and 2009.

“Human ingenuity knows no bounds and we will not stop finding you ways to entertain ourselves with new technology, and of course that is to be applauded,” said Owen. “But we are obsessed with gadgets and in these austere times people need to think about what they buy, if they need it and how they use it.”

The research comes five years after the Energy Saving Trust’s report The Rise of the Machines which found that the number of electrical appliances, products and gadgets people typically own has trebled since the 1970s. Although these appliances have been getting more efficient, electricity consumption from domestic appliances doubled between 1970 and 2002.

The new report finds that despite householders’ efforts to switch to energy-efficient products, we are actually consuming more energy than five years ago, with almost a third of all the UK’s carbon emissions coming from the home.

Progress has been made, said Owen. Lighting and fridges – traditionally the most energy-consuming products in the home – are becoming more efficient, while the phasing out of incandescent light bulbs has brought down the overall contribution of lighting, and is expected to lead to further reductions by 2020.

The proliferation of new gadgets such as laptops, tablets and powerful desktops shows no sign of abating, however. Between 2000 and 2009 electricity use from home computing more than doubled, and the number of devices in Britain’s homes rose from 30,000 to 65,000. Laptop ownership is expected to treble by 2020, and the report says this may help bring energy consumption down, as new models consume around 15% less energy than desktop machines.

But it warns that more should be done to help consumers make the right choices so emission targets can be met. “To achieve our targets for 2020 we are going to have to try harder … if we continue like this we are not going to make it,” said Owen.

Dr Sarah Wykes

Lead Analyst Environment and Climate Change

CAFOD

Climate Stewards is a Christian charity with the mission of reducing and counteracting the causes of climate change, using positive local action. They are passionate about carrying out this aim using projects which have direct benefits to both local people and biodiversity. In Ghana, tree planting projects are in designated sites to suit local needs. They currently have plantations located in Kumasi, in central Ghana and Damongo, in the drier North of the country and have also just started planting...

Its is 20 years since the first UN conference on Sustainable development in  Rio and they are back there again this year. CAFOD, Progressio and lots of other organisations will be there standing up for justice for the poor. You can help them by supporting their campaigns. As Holy Week is so close how about getting your church as whole to show their support. Go to http://www.cafod.org.uk/thirst or http://www.progressio.org.uk/backrio and take action

Transition Network helps communities deal with climate change and shrinking supplies of cheap energy (peak oil). This process, which we call Transition, aims to create stronger, happier communities. Towns and villages all over Britain are launching Transition initiatives. Could yours be one of them?

Lots of information, inspiration and resources on the Transition Network website.