Green Team Gets Rolling
by Chris Plews and Kathy Watson, Co-chairs of the Green Team
From The Outlook, March 2008
The last General Convention of the Episcopal Church declared that Christian stewardship of God's creation requires response from the church of the "highest urgency." The Cconvention resolved to encourage all church institutions to use environmentally safe and sustainable energy sources, to reduce energy use through conservation and increased efficiency, and to incorporate respect and care for creation into worship and education.
Our own diocesan convention answered last October by passing a resolution requiring each parish and institution of the diocese to conduct an energy audit to determine the most efficient and least polluting type of heating and cooling system for their propertyand to report to the diocese by June 1, 2008. They also resolved that all diocesan institutions must recycle materials wherever possible.
The Episcopal Church's position is that response to the degradation of the planet is a deeply moral and spiritual issue and that we must take steps to improve our own practices and help decrease pollution, save energy and improve the environment for future generations.
A call for Trinity members and Saint Richards School staff to form a team to promote good environmental practices in the parish and school has produced an abundance of interest. Currently 15 people have joined the Trinity/St. Richards "Green Team."
At their meeting on February 3, the team developed an action plan for projects to undertake in 2008. Projects include:
- Energy audit: Conduct an energy audit of the church and school to identify areas to conserve energy and other resources.
- Recycling: Conduct a baseline survey of church and school recycling efforts to determine efficacy and opportunities for improved recycling.
- Green shopping bags: Procure reusable shopping bags with Trinity/St. Richard's logo for distribution to parish and school community.
- Low Carbon Diet education program: Implement educational program for parish and school community on the "Low Carbon Diet," a program to reduce energy consumption
- 3333 building renovation: Partner with the implementation team for Trinity's 3333 N. Meridian Street building to incorporate green technology into the renovation
- Campus landscaping: Partner with those responsible for campus landscaping to incorporate environmentally friendly ideas into the landscape plan.
- St. Richard's School bus: Explore options for replacing the school bus with higher fuel-efficient, low-impact bus or improving the bus.
Future projects will include recycling program enhancement and implementation, a green purchasing initiative, additional education offerings to encourage individual and community action and night sky preservation efforts.
The team is also working with other Episcopal parishes that are developing a green program, including Christ Church Cathedral and St. Paul's, and is sharing information with other denominations in the Indianapolis area, as they are with us.
The more people we have, the more we can do. If you have been asking yourself, "What can I do to protect the environment?" come join us and be a part of the solution.
Questions? Contact Chris Plews, (317) 255-9071; cplews@psrb.com or Kathy Watson (317) 257-3707; kawatson@spaldinglaw.net.
THE GREEN TEAM
Co-leaders
St. Richard's teachers
- Peter Connallon
- Ann Papachronis
- Tracy Hopkinson
St. Richard's parents/Trinity parishioners
Trinity parishioners
- Caran Keller
- Robin Cole
- Marshall Gibson
- Laura Cruise-Gibson
- Jeff Alexander
- Libby Scott
Trinity newcomer
Students
- T.J. Pettinga, St. Richard's 5th grade student and Trinity parishioner
- Savannah Edwards, IUPUI student and daughter of building manager Dirk Edwards
