Written by Sustainable Lafayette based on an interview with Joanne Tan (tan-toudic@comcast.net) in December 2007. Updated May 2008 with more details on lighting upgrades. See link below.
Challenge
Last year, during December, Joanne Tan was collecting all the toys from her home that her kids no longer used and bringing in new ones that she had just bought. It was then that she had her “aha” moment, thinking about all the resources and energy expended to produce, ship, wrap, and then dispose of these items that are used for such a short time. With this issue on her mind, Joanne decided to talk to her pastor at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church and basically said “Wouldn’t it be nice to have some sort of activity to remind people to conserve our natural resources and protect our planet for future generations.” Pastor Dan Senter agreed and asked her to write a summary of her ideas for the church debating club. But, once Joanne starting writing she couldn’t stop. She brought seven dense pages to Pastor Dan and he was quickly convinced that they needed a new task force dedicated to this issue. They were about to embark on a project with no guidebook. How do you help a Church to become more green?
Solution Details
After brainstorming together, Pastor Dan and Joanne came up with the name “Holy Planet Task Force” and a tag line to go with it—“Live Green, Conserve Energy, Save our Holy Planet.” The key idea being that the planet is holy, a precious and amazing gift that we’ve been given and that all living things depend on. Joanne explained, “The interdependence of our Planet and the human race, together with all creation on Earth, mandates us to moderate consumption, minimize waste, and prioritize energy conservation at all levels, - individual, institutional, community, and the world.”
Pastor Dan asked Joanne to lead the new Task Force, based on Joanne’s passion and past experience leading several public petitions. The other members of the task force include a treasurer (Bill Klaproth), an energy consultant (Greg Wikler), a lighting expert (Bruce Veenstra), a senior member of the congregation (Dick Anderson). Pastor Dan has also played an instrumental role, contributing his leadership and hard work to the cause. The Holy Planet Task Force had its first meeting in January 2007 and has been meeting regularly ever since.
During 2007 the Holy Planet Task Force launched the following initiatives to help the church and its congregation become more green:
Church Lighting Upgrade – In July, Joanne and the team submitted a $4,500 proposal to the Church’s foundation to upgrade selected areas of the church from incandescent bulbs (T-12) to more energy efficient CFL tubes (T-8), and also install motion sensors that automatically turn lights off when no one is present. Fortunately Bruce Veenstra had the expertise to install the new lighting and they were able to get a $1,700 rebate from the California Public Utilities Commission, through a Berkeley-based company called Smartlights. In October, they submitted a second proposal to the Foundation for $7,000 to convert most of the remaining areas of the church. More details on the completed lighting upgrades and the payback.
Organized an E-Waste Recycling Event – In the middle of the year, an inspired member of the Church (Dick Enger) proposed an e-waste recycling project. The Task Force, Pastor Dan, and Dick worked together to organize an e-waste recycling event that involved two months of preparation and promotion. The whole Church was mobilized to get the word out and Boy Scout Troop 204 helped distribute flyers at the annual Wine & Art Festival. All of their work paid off! In October, they collected over 15,000 pounds of old electronic equipment and raised about $4,000.
Educating the Congregation – Early in the year the Task Force began an educational program. Each month they publish a “Live Green To Do List”, as well as a “Live Green Quote of the Month”. “To Do Lists” are handed out from a new booth near the lobby, and then during the month members of the congregation can sign their names next to the items they’ve completed. Participants’ names are displayed on the monthly “Live Green Honor Roll” and by completing enough To Do Lists they are honored as “Live Green Gold Medalists”! In the spring, the Task Force also worked with the Lafayette Gardening Club to distribute information about drought resistant plants for the summer. Task Force member Bill Klaproth even found time to give a presentation on endangered species.
Selling Reusable Shopping Bags – Starting in the summer, Roberta Klaproth and the Task Force started to sell reusable shopping bags to church members and have sold almost 500 bags!
Distributed Free CFL Bulbs - Free CFLs were distributed to church members by local girl scouts as part of a PG&E campaign to give away 1 million bulbs.
The Holy Planet Task Force has learned a lot in its first year and produced a lot of materials. All of that has been shared with an alliance of over 200 Lutheran Churches in Northern California and Nevada.
Going into next year, the Task Force is aiming to complete the second phase of the lighting upgrade, launch a “Save For a Solar Roof ” campaign, and investigate upgrading the church’s heating and cooling system and water heaters.
Benefits & Payback
The efforts by Our Savior’s Lutheran Church have produced many positive results. The lighting upgrades, especially after Phase 2, are expected to noticeably reduce the church’s electricity bill. The e-waste event helped prevent 15,000 pounds of electronics from going to the landfill. And many members of the congregation have adopted new green practices at home.
The most important benefit may be the shift in the mindset of the congregation between the beginning of the year and the end of the year. Bob Miller told Joanne, “You have inspired the whole church. They’re all wired up!”
Joanne would have never guessed that so much could happen in response to an innocent pile of old toys in the yard.
Informational Links
Our Savior’s Lutheran Church – Web Site
Smartlights
