Environmental Policy Statement
We of Park Slope United Methodist Church believe that human beings are called by God to the task of stewardship, the taking care of the earth respectfully for its own sake, and so that present and future generations may live on it and enjoy its fruits. The gifts of creation and the responsibility of stewardship were given to all of humanity.
God calls upon the church to participate in the redemption of individuals, all of humanity, and the whole of creation. Therefore, ministries of environmental stewardship and environmental justice are significant in the mission of our congregation. We thus promise to become engaged in or to continue to be engaged in these ministries by following Programs and Practices that are consistent with our mission. These include, among others:
Programs
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Worship: We will celebrate God’s creation and declare that God calls upon us to participate in the redemption of the world by cherishing, protecting, and restoring creation.
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Learning and Teaching: We will seek opportunities for ourselves and our children to learn more about the wonders of creation, the threats posed by humans to the survival of creation, and the possibilities of our participating in God’s redemption and justice.
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Lifestyles: We will form habits of consuming, conserving, and sharing that will serve to protect and restore the environment. In particular, we will reuse and recycle as many materials as we can and seek ways of limiting our consumption of fossil fuels.
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Community, National, and Global Involvement: In our community, the nation and the world, our congregation will witness to and participate in God’s redemption of creation by supporting public efforts and policies which support vulnerable people and protect and restore the degraded earth.
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Each year, we will review our previous year’s work on environmental justice and consider other ways we can participate in God’s redemption of creation.
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We will become active participants in these efforts by considering affiliation with such other similarly oriented groups as Eco-Justice Ministries, the National Council of Churches U.S.A.’s Eco-Justice Programs - Adamah Covenant Congregations, Greenfaith, and Interfaith Power and Light.
Practices
In our attempts toward ecological sustainability we will pursue accepted practices in Purchasing, Operations and Capital Improvements including but not limited to the following steps:
Purchasing
· Replace standard light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights. Dispose of used bulbs responsibly.· Use organic, shade-grown, fair-trade coffee during events and in the office.
· Free the congregation from unnecessary mail by such means as electronic communications when possible.
· Buy post consumer waste, recycled, process chlorine-free office paper.
· Eliminate pesticide use on the church and parsonage grounds.
· Use environmentally friendly cleaning products.
· Use recycled content, process chlorine-free paper towels and toilet paper.
· Purchase electricity from renewable sources such as wind power
Operations
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Take all reasonable steps to insulate and weather-strip the building.
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Use zones for heating and cooling efficiently.
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Avoid energy-wasting practices such as propping open a door instead of unlocking it.
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Replace energy-inefficient appliances such as refrigerators and freezers more than ten years old.
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Provide and use recycling options for aluminium, office paper, glass, etc. Reduce environmental impacts from the lawn and garden in terms of water usage, chemicals, etc.
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Work to inspire other faith communities to participate in responsible purchasing and sustainable ecological practices.
Capital Improvements
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Use green construction practices such as those specified by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) in renovation or new construction projects.
Adopted by the Church Council on November 8, 2007