GreenFaith Action Team

Planning MeetingSeptember 22, 2013

Clean energy (energy efficiency & renewables)

Healthy indoor and outdoor air, water, soil Resource management Reduction of reliance on landfills Healthy and sustainable agriculture Environmental justice (equity)

What is Sustainability?

Investigation of high heating bills uncovered significant heat loss through the windows.

Identified easy-to-build thermal window inserts that form an insulating barrier to save heat.

Church members built and installed 26 of these window inserts.

That action, combined with other changes such as adding ceiling fans, saved them 25% in heating costs.

The project spread to church members who wanted the inserts for their homes

Project also spread to low-income families who received the inserts free of charge.

Window Dresser Project is now a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation.

First Universalist Church of Rockland

“Houses of Worship Take Their Environmental Leadership to the Next Level”

The GreenFaith Certification Program is turning houses of worship into environmental leaders. The benefits are clear:

Protect Creation: From eco-themed worship services, to 'greening' of the building, congregations are making significant changes.

Save Money: Action steps are designed to be no-cost, and often lead to big savings.

Foster Relationships: Interfaith and intergenerational. Learn Together: Resources, webinars, and

a virtual community space.

What is GreenFaith?

GreenFaith’s Mission

GreenFaith inspires, educates and mobilizes people of diverse religious backgrounds for environmental leadership.

www.greenfaith.org

What is the Certification Program?

2 year leadership program

Roadmap & structure for religious-environmental leadership

Institutions that have graduated the Certification Program

Trinity Presbyterian Church, East Brunswick, New Jersey

Stanley Congregational Church, Chatham, New Jersey

Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale, Bronx, New York

St. David's Episcopal Church, Austin, Texas

Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple, New Brunswick, New Jersey

Barnert Temple, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey

Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel, South Orange, New Jersey

Temple Shalom, Aberdeen, New Jersey Red Bank United Methodist Church,

Red Bank, New Jersey Christ Presbyterian Church,

Martinsville, New Jersey

St. James Lutheran Church, Coral Gables, Florida

Christ the King Evangelical Lutheran Church, Houston, Texas

United by Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church, Evergreen Park, Illinois

Peninsula Sinai Congregation, Foster City, California

54 others

Current List of Participating Institutions

What are the Benefits of the Program?

Support and Guidance: Structure, resources, one-on-one support, an engaged community. ELCA-specific resources & coach

Member Engagement: "Participation in the GreenFaith program has opened up to us a whole new way of expressing our commitment to service and our sense of responsibility to our community and the world.  In this way, the program has truly transformed our community not only physically but spiritually as well.".

Rabbi Barry Dov Katz, Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale

Savings: $6,000 to $40,000

Achieving More, Holistically: “The possibilities for collaboration and inspiration make GreenFaith an essential partner.”

Mark Niederman, Green Team Leader, Temple Beth Rishon

Get Credit for all Environmental Activities Spirit

Worship Education

Environmental Justice Interfaith Intergenerational

Stewardship Improving physical facility Educating congregants to improve their sustainability

Structure of the Program

Worship Examples

Religious Education Examples

Education Efforts

Creation rotation for kids.

Mural completed Book studies for

adults Video studies for

youth Sunday forums Breakfast events

Spirit Activities

• Outdoor worship services

• Hikes• Interfaith activities• Sermons with

environmental message

Spirit Activities

Interfaith forum on the environment

Jewish, Christian, Muslim representation

Over 100 people in attendance

Vegan meal

Stewardship Examples-Action

Grounds Improvements

• Butterfly garden that is a Wildlife Habitat

• Added 8 shade trees to cover parking lot. Grew watermelons, sunflowers and zinnias between the new trees.

• Established a woodland garden under existing large canopy trees

• Built a dry stream to help channelize rain run off and eliminate erosion.

CFC bulbs Green cleaners Systematized

recycling Eliminate

disposable dinnerware

Bike racks ‘Green’ classes for

children

Greening

Stewardship Examples-Education

Environmental Justice Examples

“Because we were working on the EJ requirement for the GreenFaith Certification Program, we recognized the need for a community forum to openly discuss concerns around the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, and to highlight why many of us in the faith community care about its potential effects. ‘Pipeline and Pie’ will be held shortly before the State Department comes out to hear Nebraskans testify about the proposed pipeline.”-Deacon Betsy Bennet, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Nebraska

Justice

Partner with EJ orgs

Established a farmers’ market in Alton Park, a food desert

EBT machine at existing farmers’ market

Annual CIPL Energy Oscars

Major retrofit of its lighting and heating systems.

Attention to water usage (through plumbing and land irrigation)

Recycling program Environmental

education Community

outreach activities

St. Mary’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, Pacific Grove

La Verne Church of the Brethren

On September 19, 2012, the church went live with a 57kWh solar system consisting of 200 285 watt panels. This system will generate about 90,000 kWh of electricity each year, an amount equal to what the church has used for the last several years.

The dashboard shows real time information on what the system is doing.

Modesto Church of the Brethren

reuse and recycling of building materials required all contractors to follow

rigorous guidelines for deconstruction, recycling, and integrated waste management

new windows to save energy and heating/cooling expenses and

new energy-efficient systems for heating and cooling the facility

solar-powered hot water heaters programmable thermostats attic and wall insulation low-flow toilets lighting upgrades new composting unit chose an accredited organic land care

professional Mercy Center saved significant costs

over constructing a new building, which would have been three times more expensive.

Madison, Connecticut, Sisters of Mercy, CIPL “Cool Congregations” 2012 Energy Winner

On-site storm water infiltration pit which prevents storm water from entering and polluting city streets and sewers

25% fly ash content in concrete mix Formaldehyde-free plywood High efficiency heating and

cooling systems Thermal Break aluminum window

frames with low-e coating Bamboo flooring Low VOC paints Drought-tolerant, locally-

sourced planting including original San Fernando Valley citrus trees and an edible vegetable garden

Temple Judea, West San Fernando Valley

The Team embarked on a “year of water” in conjunction with a storm water management project.

A mandate from the City of Minneapolis required the roof drains of the church to be disconnected from the sanitary sewer and redirected to discharge outside onto grade or directly connected to an available storm drain.

They determined that a more extensive storm water management system would be a more environmentally responsible course of action.

With the receipt of a grant for $50kfrom the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization to assist with the project, a detention system was installed underneath the parking lot which allows storm water to soak into and be naturally cleaned by the soil.

This reduced flow of water in to the City’s storm water system is helping to extend the life of the City’s system

Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis

Temple Beth Rishon

500 families Wyckoff, NJ Multi-use: Preschool, Hebrew School,

Synagogue Their Story: Taking energy seriously pays off!

Big Results.

Reduced Electricity Usage by 30% Reduced Natural Gas Usage by 19 % Avoided 128 tons of CO2 emissions Equal to planting 321 trees,or taking 11.2 cars off the road for an entire year!

$34,494.14 in 2 years.

Brainerd Community Garden

• 20 pesticide free beds open to community and parishioners for modest fee

• Education classes to support gardeners

• Free berry garden

• Notice board

• Pavilion with green roof, tool shed and rockers

Brainerd Community Garden

23 non-church gardeners, 15 churched Parishioner donations and volunteers,

$1500 from outside the church Compost bin open to neighborhood

We are already doing and planning to do many of these activities.

Work through existing committees and ministries

Identify mentors who have experience with these types of activities

Identify new volunteers who will bring new energy to the activities

Approach

Draft and pass a Council resolution Pastor to make oral and written statement

supporting the GF campaign Fill out application Submit application by December 1 Volunteers to spearhead certain activities Plan for Kickoff (January)

Next meeting: Mid October

Next Steps

Get Credit for all Environmental Activities Spirit

Worship Education

Environmental Justice Interfaith Intergenerational

Stewardship Improving physical facility Educating congregants to improve their homes

Structure of the Program

Things We are Already Doing or Could Do

Recycling labelingRenovationUsing dishes instead of paperSunday bus serviceFix sidewalkPG&E Smart DaysFlex AlertsImprove lights in sanctuary: logging usageEnvironmental TitheLandscaping: LEED CreditTest drive electric and hybrid carsProgressive dinner at environmental housesClotheslinesYouth group install clothes lines

Food and faithSunday school gardenCycle second SundayLetter writingWindows in sanctuary, bike

racksWorship: Season of CreationEnvironment and faith eventAdopt a highway: won awardCoffee grounds/compostRecyclingIdeas for home and church in

coffee alleySustainable Landscaping Hiking club: Putah Creek hike