“Buildings, not cars, produce the most CO2 in the U.S. The average new house is 45 % bigger than it was 30 years ago.” According to National Geographic Magazine, a 2007 survey of Americans showed that “...60% said they didn’t have enough savings to pay for energy-related renovations. If given an extra $10,000 to work with, only 24% said they would invest in efficiency. What did the rest want? Granite countertops.”
Source:"Saving Energy; It Starts At Home" by Peter Miller, National Geographic, March 2009
To find more information about how to green your living space, visit www.oslcgreen.blogspot.com.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Spring Cleaning? Consider turning your “trash” into a tax-deduction
The cities of Fargo, West Fargo, and Moorhead will hold their Spring Cleanup week June 1-5, 2009. Before placing your items on the curb, consider donating them to Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore.
Habitat ReStore helps area homeowners get quality construction materials at bargain prices. Donations also benefit the environment since the items are put to good use instead of ending up in a landfill. Donations are good for the community because they allow Habitat ReStore to provide cost effective solutions to remodeling. In addition, by donating accepted building materials you can receive a tax deduction.
Habitat ReStore gladly accepts the following items in good condition: cabinets, plumbing, electrical, windows, hardware, lumber, doors and door accessories, roofing, carpet, tools, flooring, millwork/trim, furnaces and air conditioners, large appliances, paint (full gallons less than two years old), kitchen and bath fixtures, and bricks.
For a complete list of acceptable and unacceptable items, or to arrange a pickup, please visit http://www.lakeagassizhabitat.org/restore/ or contact Habitat ReStore at 218-284-5253. Drop-offs are also accepted during store hours. We are grateful for donations from community members like you. Before you drop your items at the curb, remember ReStore!
Habitat ReStore helps area homeowners get quality construction materials at bargain prices. Donations also benefit the environment since the items are put to good use instead of ending up in a landfill. Donations are good for the community because they allow Habitat ReStore to provide cost effective solutions to remodeling. In addition, by donating accepted building materials you can receive a tax deduction.
Habitat ReStore gladly accepts the following items in good condition: cabinets, plumbing, electrical, windows, hardware, lumber, doors and door accessories, roofing, carpet, tools, flooring, millwork/trim, furnaces and air conditioners, large appliances, paint (full gallons less than two years old), kitchen and bath fixtures, and bricks.
For a complete list of acceptable and unacceptable items, or to arrange a pickup, please visit http://www.lakeagassizhabitat.org/restore/ or contact Habitat ReStore at 218-284-5253. Drop-offs are also accepted during store hours. We are grateful for donations from community members like you. Before you drop your items at the curb, remember ReStore!
Blessing seed, soil and animals on Rogation Sunday
In rural York County, Pa., Pastor Tom Shelley leads a Rogation Sunday worship service, on the Sixth Sunday of Easter, with the blessing of seed, soil and animals.
Traditionally Rogation Days were agricultural celebrations, where priests blessed land at the beginning of the planting season. Rogation Days were celebrated during the 50 days of Easter on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before Ascension Day. The word, rogation, has its roots in the Latin word which means to “ask” or “petition” and comes from the ancient introit for the Sunday preceding the Ascension. In some places, the celebrations of Rogation Days were quite elaborate and included processions from the church to and around fields while asking for God’s blessing.
Churches that have maintained the practice of celebrating Rogation Days no longer mark these days specifically before Ascension. Instead, Rogation Days are celebrated at times and places that meet local needs. With more emphasis placed on the need for the stewardship of creation, the themes of thanksgiving for the land and petitions for a fruitful earth may be referenced at any time of the year.
In the practice of Zion (Shaffers) United Lutheran Church in York, Pa., the blessing of the animals is part of the service. The congregation processes out of the church building and is met by children and parents who have assembled a host of young farm animals and household pets. These have included hedgehogs, chameleons, turtles, young rabbits and the obligatory cats and dogs. A tree farmer once brought a bucket of seedling evergreens.
Reprinted from Seeds for the Parish
Traditionally Rogation Days were agricultural celebrations, where priests blessed land at the beginning of the planting season. Rogation Days were celebrated during the 50 days of Easter on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before Ascension Day. The word, rogation, has its roots in the Latin word which means to “ask” or “petition” and comes from the ancient introit for the Sunday preceding the Ascension. In some places, the celebrations of Rogation Days were quite elaborate and included processions from the church to and around fields while asking for God’s blessing.
Churches that have maintained the practice of celebrating Rogation Days no longer mark these days specifically before Ascension. Instead, Rogation Days are celebrated at times and places that meet local needs. With more emphasis placed on the need for the stewardship of creation, the themes of thanksgiving for the land and petitions for a fruitful earth may be referenced at any time of the year.
In the practice of Zion (Shaffers) United Lutheran Church in York, Pa., the blessing of the animals is part of the service. The congregation processes out of the church building and is met by children and parents who have assembled a host of young farm animals and household pets. These have included hedgehogs, chameleons, turtles, young rabbits and the obligatory cats and dogs. A tree farmer once brought a bucket of seedling evergreens.
Reprinted from Seeds for the Parish
We will celebrate Earth Sunday at Our Savior’s on Sunday, June 28, 2009.
Watch bulletins and the Creation Care Committee blog for more details!
It pays to think green
For Ginger Vanderveer, it all started with a light bulb.
“Some years back, we had a fundraiser selling energy-saving kits at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (Oak Park, Ill.),” Ginger remembers.
This was the first project for the congregation’s newly formed Green Team and, as a member, Ginger was happy to do her part. She had no idea how purchasing a kit would change her life.
Ginger began using the bulbs at home and says, “I was hooked on the immediate savings from the compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs in the kit.” So was Good Shepherd.
“We stated adding bulbs in high-use areas at church and pre-programmed our thermostats. The savings in the first year (2001) were over $1,000.”
That was how Ginger discovered that caring for the environment makes good business sense.
Excited by how effective and affordable the CFL bulbs were, Ginger shipped a boxful to her sister, who was maintaining Northside Valley, the family’s estate on the island of St. Croix in the United States Virgin Islands.
Northside was Ginger’s childhood home. Her sister rented the seven villas on the property to local business people.
“[Those bulbs were] our first eco-friendly endeavor at Northside,” says Ginger, but it wasn’t their last. By November 2007, she had transformed the estate into an eco-friendly resort with the help of her brother Philip.
The villas, built over 40 years ago by Ginger’s father, are tucked under the shade of luxuriant native trees. They benefit from the cooling Caribbean trade winds thanks to generously sized windows and high ceilings.
Guests compost, recycle, conserve water and help out with local beach cleanups, all while enjoying St. Croix’s tranquil beauty and Ginger’s green hospitality.
When she’s back in the States, Ginger remains an active and enthusiastic member of the Good Shepherd Green Team.
The Team’s verdant prairie garden in front of the church, lush with native plants and frequented by butterflies and hummingbirds in the summer, has become an Oak Park landmark.
Ginger believes that garden is the Team’s greatest success. She also feels that it’s “a symbol for all that we need to treasure in the environment” and a sign of God’s presence in the community.
“The generosity of the garden is like God’s love: always growing, always providing.”
“It’s also an energy saver in ways that are not so obvious to the naked eye. The roots of the plants go as deep as five feet, thereby sinking carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into the earth. This helps keep our building cooler. The roots also filter and absorb water when it rains, saving energy for the water reclamation utility...”
Members are excited about saving money in challenging economic times and freeing up funds for other vital programs at Good Shepherd.
Ultimately, going green isn’t just about the money for Ginger. An eco-friendly philosophy is also a remarkable tool for evangelism and a way to make God’s love more tangible and concrete for visitors.
“[Newcomers] are intrigued by our devotion [to the prairie garden],” she says. “Many walk in to see what type of congregation would be so bold as to love a prairie garden.
“When nonmembers see how much love we give to the environment without expecting anything in return, they realize we can give that same love to them. They become eager to be a part of that community.” Good Shepherd is eager to welcome them.
-Marianne Griebler
Associate Director for Marketing-
Member Communications and Storytelling
ELCA Communications Services
“Some years back, we had a fundraiser selling energy-saving kits at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (Oak Park, Ill.),” Ginger remembers.
This was the first project for the congregation’s newly formed Green Team and, as a member, Ginger was happy to do her part. She had no idea how purchasing a kit would change her life.
Ginger began using the bulbs at home and says, “I was hooked on the immediate savings from the compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs in the kit.” So was Good Shepherd.
“We stated adding bulbs in high-use areas at church and pre-programmed our thermostats. The savings in the first year (2001) were over $1,000.”
That was how Ginger discovered that caring for the environment makes good business sense.
Excited by how effective and affordable the CFL bulbs were, Ginger shipped a boxful to her sister, who was maintaining Northside Valley, the family’s estate on the island of St. Croix in the United States Virgin Islands.
Northside was Ginger’s childhood home. Her sister rented the seven villas on the property to local business people.
“[Those bulbs were] our first eco-friendly endeavor at Northside,” says Ginger, but it wasn’t their last. By November 2007, she had transformed the estate into an eco-friendly resort with the help of her brother Philip.
The villas, built over 40 years ago by Ginger’s father, are tucked under the shade of luxuriant native trees. They benefit from the cooling Caribbean trade winds thanks to generously sized windows and high ceilings.
Guests compost, recycle, conserve water and help out with local beach cleanups, all while enjoying St. Croix’s tranquil beauty and Ginger’s green hospitality.
When she’s back in the States, Ginger remains an active and enthusiastic member of the Good Shepherd Green Team.
The Team’s verdant prairie garden in front of the church, lush with native plants and frequented by butterflies and hummingbirds in the summer, has become an Oak Park landmark.
Ginger believes that garden is the Team’s greatest success. She also feels that it’s “a symbol for all that we need to treasure in the environment” and a sign of God’s presence in the community.
“The generosity of the garden is like God’s love: always growing, always providing.”
“It’s also an energy saver in ways that are not so obvious to the naked eye. The roots of the plants go as deep as five feet, thereby sinking carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into the earth. This helps keep our building cooler. The roots also filter and absorb water when it rains, saving energy for the water reclamation utility...”
Members are excited about saving money in challenging economic times and freeing up funds for other vital programs at Good Shepherd.
Ultimately, going green isn’t just about the money for Ginger. An eco-friendly philosophy is also a remarkable tool for evangelism and a way to make God’s love more tangible and concrete for visitors.
“[Newcomers] are intrigued by our devotion [to the prairie garden],” she says. “Many walk in to see what type of congregation would be so bold as to love a prairie garden.
“When nonmembers see how much love we give to the environment without expecting anything in return, they realize we can give that same love to them. They become eager to be a part of that community.” Good Shepherd is eager to welcome them.
-Marianne Griebler
Associate Director for Marketing-
Member Communications and Storytelling
ELCA Communications Services
Reprinted from Seeds for the Parish
Friday, April 24, 2009
GREEN LIGHT go and take action
The ePV
Are you interested in helping the church protect God’s creation? Sign up for the ePV—the environmentally-friendly, electronic version of the church newsletter. Email oslc@oursaviorsmoorhead or stop by the Welcome Center in the East Narthex of the church and ask to be added to the email list!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
GREEN LIGHT go and take action
The Powered House
Electricity is the biggest source of power for U.S. homes - and for every kilowatt-hour used, 2.2 are "lost" as that energy is generated and sent over transmission lines. So, even small changes in our habits can scale up to big reductions in carbon emissions.
Energy Used per Home (2006, in millions of BTU*)
Electricity is the biggest source of power for U.S. homes - and for every kilowatt-hour used, 2.2 are "lost" as that energy is generated and sent over transmission lines. So, even small changes in our habits can scale up to big reductions in carbon emissions.
Energy Used per Home (2006, in millions of BTU*)
- Electrical Loss = 89.3
- Electricity used in the home = 41.0
- Natural Gas = 40.0
- Petroleum = 11.1
- Renewable = 3.6
If we converted half of all lightbulbs to compact flourescents, we would reduce CO2 from lighting by 42.4 million tons a year, or 36%.
If we turned off home computers when not in use, we would cut their CO2 impact by 8.3 million tons a year, or 50%.
CO2 amounts measured in metric tons
*The British Thermal Unit (BTU) is used to measure the energy content of fuels and the power of heating and cooling systems. One kilowatt-hour of electricity is equivalent to 3,412 BTU.
Source:"Saving Energy; It Starts At Home" by Peter Miller, National Geographic, March 2009
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