Vatican gives environmental tips: From LED lamps to lawn clippings

The Vatican offers practical environmental tips for everyday life. In the magazine "Dal cuore dello Stato" (From the Heart of the State), the government of the smallest state in the world lists 29 pages of advice from its specialised departments on how to live sustainably and conserve resources - in line with Pope Francis' two environmental encyclicals, "Laudato si" (2015) and "Laudate deum" (2023).

For example, we should not overload fridges and freezers in the home, use low temperatures in the dishwasher and washing machine and use pressure cookers and aluminium pans, which are 14 times more efficient at conducting heat than steel. Standby switches and outdated or broken appliances should be taboo; instead, consumers are advised to use LED lamps, blackout curtains instead of air conditioning running at full speed and showers instead of baths with a maximum water temperature of 40 to 50 degrees.

Tips for the green thumb

The Vatican's garden and environment department has "tips for green fingers": Watering your plants evenly protects them from fungal infestation - without pesticides. Organic substances should be used when fertilising. And when it comes to lawn care, the experts recommend a cutting height of at least six centimetres: "This allows you to create a kind of natural shade on the ground and thus better preserve the humidity in the hottest hours," they say.

This simple measure can save a considerable amount of water and keep lawns in excellent condition. The magazine does not reveal whether the Vatican gardens - with their 23 hectares of lawns, flowerbeds and trees, they make up around half of the Pope's state - are also maintained and watered in accordance with the eco-suggestions. (KNA)