ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE

We as God’s people are not the owners of this planet but merely the stewards for future generations. It has become increasingly clear through many scientific studies that the health of our planet is greatly imperiled. The threats of pollution and global warming will undoubtedly have significant and possible irreversible effects on the many generations still to come. We must act today to assure the healthy future of all of God’s creations. Your browser may not support display of this image. The Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) stands ready to guide the Emanuel congregation and the community at large to understand the effects of global warming, pollution and the depletion of the earth’s natural resources. As a member of New York Interfaith Power and Light (NYIPL) we join congregations of all faiths in protecting the sacredness of the earth in our own small way by taking practical steps to make our own church facilities environmentally friendly and energy efficient.

If anyone would like to join or has ideas for future projects please contact a committee member - Gerry Falco, Susan Molnar, Carol Johnson, Marianne Dietrich, or David Mendenhall.

RECENT NEWS:

Our PV (solar panel) project was finally completed at the end of June and is producing lots of energy from the Summer sunshine. Thanks to our new source of renewable energy we will be keeping carbon and pollution out of the atmosphere and saving money that can be used in other ministries of our church! The new array is featured in the ELCA New York Synod's website. The article is entitled “Going solar”. (http://www.mnys.org/default.asp?contentID=704). (You will need to cut and paste this link).

Green Tip for the Month - Looking for a new refrigerator? Refrigerators made currently use about half the energy of refrigerators made just 15 years ago. The most energy efficient frigs are top- and bottom-freezer styles without ice or water dispensers. Side-by-side models use the most energy. Energy guide labels can be misleading. To find the most efficient model go to ShopSmart.org, GreenerChoices.org, or ConsumerReports.org.greenheartshop.org, globalexchangestore.org, ecoexpress.com.

One of the first goals of our brand new committee was to recently undergo a New York State Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) energy audit to learn what cost effective steps we can take to make our church facilities more energy and cost efficient. The report has been completed and we are presently working with the Property Committee to determine if there are any capital improvements we can make in the future. The double benefit of this process is that we can reduce our carbon footprint while saving money for other important ministries operated through our congregation.