St. Pauls Green Team Update Feb 5th

Here's an update on Green activities in the church.

1. Boiler Replacement And The Energy Bills

Chris Fisher and I are assisting Rick Gamble and Bryan Wyckoff in gathering information to enable the Trustees to replace the boiler before the next heating season. A comfortable sanctuary is essential for the ministry of the church. The current boiler is the original (circa 1963) and is fading quickly. We really don't want to have to respond with a very expensive temporary solution if it dies. So, pray that it lasts for the remainder of this season.

A lot of work remains but here is what we're discovering in our research around boilers and energy efficiency:

a. There are obvious dollar savings with a higher efficiency boiler.
b. The next big area of opportunity regarding energy in the church is probably around more efficient and better management of lighting.
c. The next big opportunity is probably around behavior modification. In a building that is intermittently used, it is critical to keep energy using equipment OFF when not needed. You've probably all noticed times when the church is over-heated or over-cooled or over-lighted for no apparent reason. We can all use the building more wisely.

2. Innovative Ideas

Chris will be providing expertise around the potential use of roof solar panels. This takes a back seat to resolving the boiler issue but is going to be studied. No promises.

The Trustees are taking the lead, and we're reinforcing this behavior, of using less paper in the church. Committee leads are encouraged to use email to notify their members of activities vs postcards. Spread the word.
If you're getting paper that you don't need, tell the office.

3. Green vs Efficient Energy Usage

More efficient energy usage saves natural resources and money. Green energy uses the right energy sources so that both the earth's eco systems and future generations benefit. Our current boilers use natural gas. It's more "green" than oil or coal. If and when we use solar panels, they would be more green than buying Delmarva electricity, which is about 2/3 from coal and 1/3 from nuclear power. So, we're trying to move to both efficient and green energy.

4. The First Gift

Christians believe Christ is the biggest gift we have. But the Earth was the first. I fully expect questions at the Gates about how I treated it. It will be uncomfortable.


5. Answers to the questions posed in the Grapevine:

a. Responders said that recycling and solar panels were their most effiective green behaviors

b. 61 Years - is the time required for the earth's population to double at the current population growth rate. So, at about 2070, we'll have about 13 billion folks on the planet. May or may not taper off before then. But we've seen the effects of all the people from the start till now.

6. Please send me your green suggestions!


Regards
Mike Rominger
For the St. Pauls Green Team

How can we be more Green?

We are interested in capturing as many ideas as possible. We will evaluate them later. Remember "The only way to get GREAT ideas is to get LOTS of ideas!.

Here are a few suggesitions we may be able to do:

Plan room usage to minimize energy consumption
Turn off lights
Use Lo-flow toilets and urinals
Walk to church
Bike to church
Pick up trash
Have recycling containers in each room
Construct the recycling containers for cans as "targets"
Post signs: such as "Turn off lights", etc.
Post sign: "Reduce/Reuse/Recycle"
Stop using plastic and styrofoam
Reduce heat and A/C use
Encourage walking and biking to church
Carpool
Pick up friends enroute to church functions
Promote a manual wheelchair instead of electric
Build a compost pile
Don't use lawn fertilizers
Unplug electronics when not in use
Install electric hand dryers in washrooms
Encourage hand pumping of air mattresses on youth outings (vs electric pumps)
Use candles
Hold daytime meetings to avoid lighting expense
Use rain barrels
Build a "community" garden
Use rechargeable batteries in the church
What if everyone brought their own energy source to church on Sunday?
What if everyone pedalled a bike during church to generate enough power to run the church?
Turn off lights when not needed
Don't automatically turn on lights if they are not really required
Do not flip multiple switches to light an area if only one circuit is needed
Have a VBS program with an environmental awareness theme.
Provide more heat-repelling window treatment for the church(awnings, films, blinds, etc).
Encourage the use of reuseable water bottles vs single-use cups.
Install solar panels on the room of the "new wing" and the "old wing".
PUt a big real-time energy meter in a prominent place in the church.
Publish the amount and cost of the church energy consumption in the Grapevine.