Last Thursday, September 13th, I joined other PCUSA colleagues, Leslie Woods (Office of Public Witness) and J Herbert Nelson (Office of Public Witness), at a fabulous EPA ENERGY STAR program on “Greening America’s Congregations through Energy Efficiency” at the White House. Members of 5 local Earth Care Congregations also attended, as well as an Earth Care Congregation in Montevallo, AL (being recognized for being ENERGY STAR certified). I was invited to present on a panel about dynamic denominational campaigns and did so by sharing the PCUSA Earth Care Program with the audience. It was wonderful to be able to share the news of great Presbyterian congregations with this interfaith gathering. The whole day was an incredible experience for learning, celebrating, networking, and remembering our continued call to work for caring for creation. (A few pictures from the day are available on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pcusa.environment).
Our charge from ENERGY STAR and the White House is:
- To measure now where each house of worship stands (create a benchmark)
- To reduce current energy usage by 20%
- To apply for ENERGY STAR certification
Consider taking up this charge in your community. If you do, please let me know.