Power of 1 - Sustainability for November 11th FORUM

Power of One

(written by Kelly Gauthier on behalf of our Sustainability Team.)

Some people think that "one person can't do much" to help the earth.  But as people of faith, we are called to care for God's creation and its deep distresses.   We all make choices every day that have an impact – good or bad.  And small choices can make a big difference.  For example:  if all Americans replaced just one light bulb in their home with a compact fluorescent or LED bulb, it would save enough energy to power 3 million homes for a year! 

A recent Yale study found that 70% of Americans believe global warming is happening.  Climate scientists agree beyond a reasonable doubt that climate change is happening, it's primarily human caused, and it has serious consequences for this and future generations.  The Catholic Church agrees with these scientists.

Our most important job is to reduce green house gases, which come from burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas).  They trap heat in the atmosphere (like a blanket around the earth) and pollute.  Coal puts mercury into our water and food.  Here are some ways that you can help:

·         Reduce, reuse, recycle (visit earth911.com to find nearby recycling centers)

·         Drive less; slow down; inflate your car tires

·         Eat less meat – the international meat industry generates about 18% of the world's greenhouse gas (even more than transportation)

·         Use re-usable bags at the store

·         Dress for the weather so you can dial the thermostat down in the winter and up in the summer

·         Shop locally and look for items that don't travel as far to get to you

·         Turn off the lights when you leave the room/office; turn off computers at the end of the day

·         Set your printers at home and work to print 2-sided

·         Participate in programs like DTE Energy's BioGreen Gas – to get natural gas from the methane that occurs naturally in landfills, instead of using dangerous methods like fracking

·         Use recycled paper products (made with 60% less energy), and products made from earth-friendly bamboo or hemp

Use re-useable water bottles and travel coffee mugs at work and on the road·         

Eat seasonal foods and buy from local farmers

Plant native plants in your garden; use compost instead of fertilizer and a rain barrel for watering

Create a rain garden in low-lying areas to reduce flooding and filter pollution from the water

In short:  Consume less, share more, live more simply.

Furnace & Boiler Test & Tune program

Furnace & Boiler Test & Tune
Refrigerator Replacement

FREE - Funding is Limited!!   Apply Now!! 
This program ends in December.

The Test & Tune program is designed to reduce energy costs for income eligible residents of Washtenaw County by providing energy efficient measures & repairs. These measures may include:   •  Furnace or Boiler Tune-Up; •  Minor Furnace and Boiler Repairs; •  Programmable Thermostats; •  Showerhead Replacement; •  Bathroom Faucet Aerators; •  Perform other small repairs that will increase energy efficiency; •  Eligible applicants MAY qualify for a FREE furnace; •  Eligible applicants MAY qualify for a FREE refrigerator replacement.

All services are FREE of charge to the applicant.   We use licensed contractors to complete all work.  Must be a DTE gas customer.  Program is only available to single-unit home and rental properties.   Eligibility is income based;  any household falling below the income levels outlined below are eligible for Test and Tune program.   The income threshold for a family of: •  1 is $45,500 ;   •  2 is $52,000 ;   •  3 is $58,500 ;   •  4 is $65,000 ; •  5 is $70,200 ;   •  6 is $75,400 ;  •  7 is $80,600 ;   •  8 is $85,800 .

Test &Tune applications must be received by Dec. 10th .
Refrigerator replacements only covered thru Nov. 21st .

Visit: www.ewashtenaw.org/testandtune
Or call (734-622-9025) Washtenaw County Office of Community and Economic Development.

Energy Specialists from Better Buildings for Michigan

Energy Specialists from Better Buildings for Michigan Program,
here at St. Francis PAC on Sunday, October 14 &  21, available in the PAC during coffee and donuts after the 8:45 and 10:30 Masses.

We had an energy assessment done at the St. Francis Parish Rectory.
All parishioners are encouraged to consider similar energy saving efforts at their own homes.

Are you considering improvements to make your home warm, comfortable, healthy and energy efficient before winter?  

As Kim Peoples, (a St. Francis parishioner, and, a Realtor in Ann Arbor), said,  "We had them over to our home and it's been a good experience, we're taking advantage of some great rebates." 

It's only $50 for St. Francis parishioners who sign-up before the end of December. 

Please, contact one of these local energy specialists:
--  Chelsea Lumber (734-475-9126), 
--  Ms. Green Construction (877-466-7473), 
--  Meadowlark Energy (877-652-7578) and 
--  Pro Energy (734-827-1003). 

For a limited time they are offering $50 assessments to show you ways you can make your home more energy efficient. Enrollment in the Better Buildings program is available through ... 
Better Buildings for Michigan Program Extended!

Enrollment in the Better Buildings has been extended to March 31, 2013 or until funds run out.

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BetterBuildings for Michigan is a state government-backed program that identifies ways for homeowners to reduce energy consumption. The program’s home energy assessments (also called audits) are discounted from the typical price of $350 for such inspections.

The Certified Building Analysts who conduct the assessments can install energy-efficient lightbulbs, showerheads, faucets and programmable thermostats – at no extra cost – and suggest additional cost-effective, energy-saving improvements, such as insulation and energy-efficient appliances. Homeowners are under no obligation to act on the Certified Building Analyst report. However, BetterBuildings for Michigan offers financial assistance to those who choose to install additional energy-saving measures, including rebates totaling up to $5,000. 

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As Catholic Christians here at St. Francis Parish we serve our less fortunate sisters and brothers with so many outreach programs, just to name a few… hot meals, food drives, home repairs, Christmas gifts, and shelter programs.   And, our St. Francis Parish sustainability efforts are rooted in this same belief and concern.  Here in Michigan we are blessed with an abundance of material goods like fuel-energy for our homes.  (Written by Scott Wright on behalf of St. Francis Parish Sustainability Team 2012-12-03.)

Our religious tradition has always urged restraint and moderation in the use of material goods.   “We must not allow our desire to possess more material things to overtake our concern for the basic needs of people and the environment.” (USSCB: “Faithful Stewards of God’s Creation: A Catholic Response for Environmental Justice and Climate Change”).

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Home Energy Audit: We had a Better Buildings Home Energy Audit recently : to save energy and to save money.  It was very exciting until the night before the appointment.  I panicked.  What had I done?  We had just done many renovations to our home and I did not need a contractor to mess it all up.  My husband urged me to relax; it was a good thing to do.  As promised, the contractor arrived with a lot of equipment and checked our stove, furnace, water heater, faucets and insulation. He informed us that even new stoves and heating /air conditioning systems can have problems emitting carbon monoxide or may not be hooked up properly - so there was another reason for the evaluation - safety.  He did a door blower test to find leaks in the house and provided and installed energy efficient light bulbs (even cleaned some lamps that were out of my reach!) and noted that we had a programmable thermostat and lowflow faucets (renovation unharmed!).  He told us the results but also sent a report with estimates and available rebates.  It was a great experience that I highly recommend.    Kim Bonenberger, of St. Francis Sustainability Team 

Signs

Check this photo of our setup for Saturday's party. 

This was the setup in the gym. This setup was duplicated in the PAC. There was a sign for every serving item the guests would use during their evening. The signs also indicated where the used item should be discarded. In short, there was a general trend toward sorting but by the end of the night 5 of our 6 bags ended up in the trash. 

After the party Saturday evening one reasonably "good bag" was brought home to sort into compostables and trash. Lots of discarded cake, miscellaneous wrappers, beer bottles and other items mixed with the compostables. Saturday didn't work so well.  

For large events we might need "recycling officials" at each of our discard stations.

Sunday morning's coffee & donuts was a better experience of sorting recycling and compostables. The bins were perfect! Compostables in one, recyclables in a second and trash in the third. It literally could not have been better. Apparently, the moral of the story is people who are into recycling can pull this off with no issues.       - Steve 

Michigan Interfaith Power & Light's annual Sustainability Conference

Sustainability Conference Reflection 

(article written by Kelly Gauthier)

Members of the St. Francis Sustainability Team attended Michigan Interfaith Power & Light's annual Sustainability Conference, which was held at Madonna University on 10/4.  Workshop topics were diverse.  For example:  "greening" our homes and buildings, integrating sustainability into the school curriculum; using solar power for both on-grid and off-grid power solutions; creating rain gardens; and the ability for organic farming techniques to produce healthier soil and greater year-over-year yields in DTE's "urban farms".  We hope to apply what we learned in upcoming projects at St. Francis.

Most importantly, the afternoon keynote speaker, Dr. Thomas Gladwin from the UM Business School's Erb Institute, reminded attendees of our potential to create a better world.  Governments and the business community will not solve the earth's environmental problems, he said.  But education, science, and faith communities (who are called to protect God's creation) might.  He challenged all of us to ponder three critical moral questions:

·         What do we owe to future generations?

·         What do we owe to the currently deprived?

·         What do we owe to the rest of life on earth?