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GREEN CONGREGATION PROGRAM ACTION
PLAN
1. Energy for lighting:
Retrofitting current lights with new and improved lighting saves fossil fuels
and money. Replacing just one incandescent light bulb with a compact
fluorescent light saves the burning of five hundred pounds of coal over the
ten year lifetime of that bulb.
Resources:
Lowes & Menards have bulbs that gives off a warm color, wonderful
for track and dimmable lighting.
www.efi.org/ipl
& 1000bulbs.com have a large
assortment of energy efficient lighting fixtures/bulbs including dimmable
cfl bulbs and offers discounts to churches.
2. Energy for heating and cooling:
An energy audit for heating may also turn up some feasible ways in which you
can conserve in the production of heat and air conditioning. Local and state
energy companies are often eager to do free audits and make recommendations.
CWLP will do an energy audit for churches.
3. Renewable
energy:
Get off the non-renewable energy grid altogether. Some congregations have
gone to renewable energy. This is especially worth considering if you have a
school or day care in your building or other programs that make extensive use
of the facility. Some are turning to a geothermal energy source. Others are
using solar energy for heating water or for outside lights. Due to advances
in technology and the shorter times for payback, all of these options are
becoming more attractive. It is worth looking into these options. Again,
energy companies or state/federal organizations may offer incentives to
assist with the upfront costs.
Churches with day cares or educational programs sometimes qualify.
www.sustainablespringfield.org
has information on recent local green building resources in the Springfield area.
4. Recycling:
Seek to develop a comprehensive recycling program for the church
buildings—plastic, cans, glass, office paper, card board, among others. You
may also want to set up a small recycling corner for members to recycle items
at church that they might otherwise throw away, such as cell phones, printer
cartridges, household batteries, plastic bags, and so on. Post instructions
near the receptacles.
5. Lawn maintenance:
Avoid pesticides and herbicides; avoid chemical fertilizer; where feasible,
mow with a hand mower that is battery powered or electric mower. Consider
planting low maintenance grass; avoid watering, especially during a drought.
6. Green Cleaning products:
Do an inventory of products used in the maintenance of the church. Reduce or
eliminate toxic products used in the maintenance of the buildings.
Environmentally safe products are now available for most cleaning jobs.
Masco Packaging & Gilsons are two
companies in Springfield
that sell hydrogen-peroxide cleaners which the schools now use as non-toxic
cleaner.
7. Coffee Hour and Potlucks:
Offer Fair Trade/shade grown coffee and tea; provide snacks that are healthy;
offer organic and/or locally grown food. Make efforts to reduce or eliminate
the use of Styrofoam, plastic, and paper products (the ideal solution is a
dishwasher). Provide a mug rack. Wash dishes and utensils with eco-friendly
dishwashing solutions. Consider cloth napkins.
Find local foods online at: (a year round farmers market will be starting soon in
Spfld)
http://www.illinoisfarmdirect.org/
www.localharvest.org
www.marketmaker.uiuc.edu
Eco friendly dishwashing powder—Seventh
Generation-works well.
Steep n Brew has an affordable shade grown fair trade coffee product
available online ($6 a bag).
8. Paper products:
Do an inventory of paper purchases and seek to purchase recycled/
post-consumer waste paper for office use as well as for bathroom and kitchen
use. Develop guidelines for the use of office paper by staff and
volunteers—to reduce, use fully, and recycle. Make use of paperless
electronic means of communication where feasible.
Wisconsin company: Wausau
Bay West has a Bloomington, IL
resource outlet for ecofriendly toilet paper through Central Supply
309-828-5081.
9. Green Your Worship Practices.
Here are some ideas
to make your worship practices more earth-friendly:
Place plants on the altar
instead of cut flowers
Use recycled paper for printed materials;
Reduce/reuse/recycle
or eliminate bulletins.
Place recycling baskets at the exits;
provide reusable glasses (not plastic).
Use beeswax candles instead of oil based candles.
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