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Awareness | Earth Letter | Supplemental | Energy Use
Energy Use Tips
Learn about the importance of energy efficiency.
Resources include:
q It’s God’s World: Christians, Care of Creation, and Global Warming is a five-session curriculum for youth and adults produced by the National Council of Churches of Christ; to order, call (800) 762-0968 (between 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. EST), ask for EJ 9701.
q The Interfaith Climate Change Network, provides a wide variety of educational, advocacy, and practical resources. To learn more, go to www.protectingcreation.org
q The Interfaith Coalition on Energy (ICE) has produced several publications to help congregations reflect on their energy use. These include: Energy and the Bible, Energy and Environmental Activities for Religious Congregations, and Energy Activities for Faithful Youth. Contact ICE at 7217 Oak Ave., Melrose Park, PA 19027.
q The Web of Creations’ energy conservation page, www.webofcreation.org/congregations/energy.htm, contains exceptional resources and ideas.
q The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has an Energy Star program for congregations, which includes resources and a certification process. Go to http://208.254.22.7/index.cfm?c=small_business.sb_congregations or call (888) STAR YES (782-7937) to learn more.
q Books, including Beyond Oil: The Threat to Food and Fuel in the Coming Decades, by John Gever, et al.; Hubbert’s Peak: The Impending World Oil Shortage, by Kenneth S. Deffeyes; select books on sustainable design by David Orr, Berry Commoner, William McDonough, or Bill McKibben.
Host an educational session in your congregation. Use a video, such as the twelve-minute God’s Creation and Global Warming (NCCC), produced by the National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Working Group. To order, go to www.webofcreation.org/ncc/climatechange/warmvid.html or call 800-762-0968 (between 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. EST) and ask for EJ 0-017.
Appoint an energy liaison or energy team for your congregation. The National Council of Churches of Christ’s Eco-Justice Working Group has produced an easy-to-use “Energy Stewardship Guide for Congregations.” It guides a congregation in creating an energy team and through basic steps to reduce energy use. The guide is 75 cents and can be ordered by calling (800) 762-0968 (between 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. EST); ask for EJ 9960.
Request a professional audit from your local electric or gas utility, state, or local government’s energy or weatherization office; organizations listed in the telephone directory under “Energy”; or the National Association of Energy Service Companies (www.naesco.org)
Take follow-up steps to save energy. For further information and guidance, consult the following very helpful program: “Electric Stewardship: Plug into Conservation: Encouraging Energy Efficiency as a Means of Christian Stewardship” (Presbyterian Church USA), www.pcusa.org/enough (to order brochures, call 1-800-524-2612 (PDS #74360-02-326).
Advocate for green energy: ask your legislators to support renewable energy through “renewable portfolio standards”; suggest to your utility that it purchase renewable energy on behalf of all its customers.
Purchase green energy, either through your utility (by paying slightly more to subsidize these renewables), or by purchasing green tags through the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (www.greentagsusa.org)
Build resource efficient church buildings.
Resources include:
q The Web of Creation’s Architecture and Building page, www.webofcreation.org/congregations/ARCHITECTURE.htm.
q The Sustainable Buildings Industry Council, an independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to “advance the design, affordability, energy performance, and environmental soundness of America’s buildings. To learn more, go to www.sbicouncil.org or contact them at (202) 628-7400.
q The Northwest EcoBuilding Guild is an association of builders, designers, homeowners, trades people, manufacturers, suppliers and others interested in ecologically sustainable building. They publish an annual “Green Pages” directory that you can find at www.ecobuilding.org or obtain in hard-copy by calling (206) 575-2222.