Download Additional Resources Contents: Climate Change: A brief overview

Additional Resources
Contents:
Climate Change: A brief overview. Background information and websites for further
investigation.
Faith Call to Action. Every major denomination has issued a statement regarding
climate change as an essential component of creation care. These pages contain quotes
from those statements, and a list of websites for more information on various faith
responses to climate change.
Engaging Your Faith Community. Suggestions for starting a “greening group,” getting
your congregation involved, and greening your sanctuary
Engaging community members in cutting costs and carbon dioxide emissions at
home. Outline of ideas for going beyond the Task of the Month program.
Cutting Household Carbon/Costs. An outline of a systematic approach to cutting
utility bills and greenhouse gas emissions.
An Ordered Checklist of Actions and Their Return on Investment. Compare the cost
and effectiveness of various actions.
Resources. A short list of service providers, suppliers, and information sources in the
Bloomington area.
Survey of Household Energy Conservation. A tool for finding out what your
congregational members have achieved and what they may be interested in pursuing
next.
Annotated List of Recommended Films. Brief descriptions of films related to creation
care. COMING SOON!
Climate Change: A Brief Overview
The earth’s climate is changing. Our planet’s climate is held relatively
stable (and conducive to life) by a layer of “greenhouse gases” -- gases like
carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, and nitrogen – that trap a certain amount of the sun’s
radiation and keep us warm. Scientists have been able to examine ancient geological
history by studying ice core samples, and have determined that increased levels of CO2
in the atmosphere coincide with increased temperatures, and vice versa. The problem
now is that human activity is releasing unprecedented levels of CO2 and other
greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and global temperatures are rising.
It’s not too late to act. While it is too late to avoid climate change altogether (it has
already begun), it is not too late to avert the most catastrophic outcomes. The
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts in its 'Third Assessment
Report' released in February 2001 that over the next 100 years, global average
temperatures will rise by between 2.4 and 10.4 degrees Fahrenheit. While that may not
sound like much, the consequences for the planet are enormous. That extent of warming
would cause the polar ice to melt and sea levels to rise by 1 meter1 over the next 100
years, displacing many millions of people.2 As glaciers melt and snowfall decreases,
drinking water supplies diminish. Weather patterns will shift, becoming erratic in many
places, changing rainfall patterns and other factors affecting food production.
For more information on the science of climate change, see the Climate Change Fact
Sheet (http://www.thegreatwarming.com/pdf/ClimateChangeFactSheet.pdf) and
Climate Change 101 by Terry Loucks, in Appendix A.
Additional resources:
The Union of Concerned Scientists on Global Warming 101:
http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/global_warming_101/
New York Times Science editors’ overview on global warming:
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/science/topics/globalwarming/index.html?inline
=nyt-classifier#
Five myths concerning climate change:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/12/five-dire-green-myths-causing-thegreatest-global-harm.php
Nature Conservancy Interactive Map on projected changes in temperature:
http://www.climatewizard.org/
1
2
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090108101629.htm
http://www.earth-policy.org/index.php?/plan_b_updates/2001/update2
Changes in governmental policy take years to debate, and years more to implement once they are passed.
Technological changes also take a long time to develop, and it takes additional time for new products to
become widely enough used to make a difference. But conservation is something we can do immediately,
with immediate results. Every time you change a lightbulb (or turn off a light) you are reducing the
amount of CO2 emitted into the
atmosphere. This is especially
significant considering that
CO2 lasts in the atmosphere
for approximately 100 years.
Whatever we put off doing, our
children and grandchildren and great grandchildren will likely experience the consequences.
If I reduce my electricity usage by 50%, that’s wonderful – except in Indiana, the remaining 50% is still a
problem. This is because in Indiana, over 95% of our electricity is produced by burning coal, which is the
dirtiest of all the fossil fuels in terms of greenhouse gas pollution. So, while we must conserve, we must
also work to shift Indiana’s energy policy toward more sustainable, earth-friendly practices. This might
involve leveling the playing field for renewable energy production, making it economically attractive for
homeowners and
businesses to generate
part of their
electricity
needs,
implementing incentives for efficiency and conservation, requiring a certain percentage of electricity to be
produced from renewable sources, and so on. Individuals can make a difference by contacting
representatives in support of sustainable initiatives, educating others, and supporting organizations
actively advocating for sustainable energy policy.
For information on how to conserve, see the following sections of this Guide:
Engaging Your Community (p. 9) and Cutting Household Carbon/Costs (p. 12)
Of course, while each individual’s actions are essential, they are not sufficient. What we need is lots of
individuals, households, and communities to take significant action; our cumulative impact can be huge.
Earth Care supports communities of faith in mobilizing their members to cut household and
congregational energy use. We believe that if congregations work to involve 50% of their members in
reducing energy use by 25 – 50%, together we can quickly reach a tipping point in Bloomington.
Faith communities can help members cut their energy use by
- hosting Cut Your CO2ST workshops
- establishing a greening group
- publicizing Earth Care events and encouraging attendance
- informing members through film showings, presentations, bulletin board displays, etc.
Meanwhile, Hoosier Interfaith Power and Light (H-IPL) is forming to serve faith communities throughout
Indiana. H-IPL will be an affiliate of Interfaith Power & Light, a national organization mobilizing a faith
response to climate change.
Every major denomination has issued a statement regarding climate change as an essential
component of creation care. What follows are quotes from some of these statements.
We call upon The Church “to respond to the perils that now threaten the integrity of God's creation and
the future of God's children.”
“The United Methodist Church… endorses the work of the National Religious Partnership for the
Environment, and the World Council of Churches Climate Change Program and urges conferences and
congregations to support their activities and programs.”
United Methodist Church, U.S.
“At its core, global climate change is not about economic theory or political platforms, nor about partisan
advantage or interest group pressures. It is about the future of God’s creation and the one human family.”
U.S. Catholic Bishops
“In dialogue with Christians of various churches, we need to commit ourselves to caring for the created
world, without squandering its resources, and sharing them in a cooperative way.
Pope Benedict XVI
“Climate change’s impact already falls, and will continue to fall, most heavily on the people around the
world who are least able to mitigate the impacts - people living in poverty in the U.S. and in developing
countries. As a leading industrialized nation that has disproportionately contributed to greenhouse gas
emissions, it is incumbent upon us to rectify this injustice through national legislation to reduce global
warming.”
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
“Based on our faith in the Creator God who makes us a part of a unified creation, (we call on American
Baptist institutions and individuals to build and renovate) our homes and church facilities to be energy
efficient and beginning programs of energy conservation and awareness… (and to) address the causes and
reverse the consequences of global warming by advocating the passage of legislation at all appropriate
levels to reduce carbon dioxide output…”
General Board of the
American Baptist Churches, USA
“We heed the call to be faithful stewards… of God's creation…(by ensuring) that efforts to curb climate
change prevent further environmental and societal tragedies… (and by addressing) our patterns of
acquisition and consumption… (We encourage) the church to educate themselves, their communities and
their… elected officials on the consequences of climate change.”
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the U.S. and Canada
Statement upon adopting the recommendation for Presbyterians to Live Carbon Neutral Lives:
“The Christian mandate to care for creation and the biblical promise of the restoration of right
relationships between God, human beings, and the rest of creation impels and inspires us to act to reduce
our energy usage… the urgency, injustice, and seriousness of this issue calls us as Christians to act NOW
and to act boldly to lead the way in reducing our energy usage.”
Presbyterian Church, USA
We as Unitarian Universalists are called to join with others to halt practices that fuel global
warming/climate change, to instigate sustainable alternatives, and to mitigate the impending effects of
global warming/climate change with just and ethical responses. As a people of faith, we commit to a
renewed reverence for life and respect for the interdependent web of all existence.
Unitarian Universalist Association
As people of faith, we are encouraged by the emerging understanding of the need to protect our most
vulnerable brothers and sisters at home and around the world from the impacts of climate change as we
attempt to live up to our obligation “to till and to tend” God’s earth (Genesis 2:15)… We also know that
well-crafted climate and energy legislation creates opportunities to enhance the lives of those with the
greatest need through good, green jobs, and increased access to clean, affordable sources of energy.
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
and Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
We call upon Friends to examine their own lives to see if their own patterns of consumption reflect selfcenteredness and greed rather than a concern for living harmoniously in the creation, that we might
witness to the world that harmony. We call upon the nations of the world, and in particular our own
governments, to enact laws and reach agreements which will protect the creation from the effects of
human exploitation, greed, and carelessness.”
Friends United Meeting
“Daunting environmental issues frame our current reality. Knowingly and unknowingly, through personal
and corporate failures, human beings have injured the world God loves. We have degraded the earth’s
systems, harmed other species and caused the poorest and most vulnerable human beings to suffer the
greatest environmental consequences… We envision a Church that embraces stewardship of God’s good
earth and joins the Creator in the work of sustaining creation.”
Mennonite Creation Care Network
Keizan Zenji taught that "the ordinary mind is the way." This teaching makes us realize that when a truth
is discovered in everyday life and put into practice, such is the way of Buddhism. The atmosphere is what
preserves the delicate balance for all life to exist, but mankind is on the verge of upsetting that balance.
There is no other way to protect the environment than to do so in our daily lives.
Soto Zen Green Plan
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON VARIOUS FAITH RESPONSES TO CLIMATE CHANGE:
Catholic Conservation
http://conservation.catholic.org/
Catholic Coalition on Climate Change
http://www.catholicsandclimatechange.org/
Web of Creation: Prayers, sample sermons, resources, liturgies http://www.webofcreation.org/
COEJL: Jews, Jewish Texts, and Nature: A Brief History
http://www.coejl.org/climatechange/cc_resources.php
Evangelical Environmental Network: Scripture
http://www.creationcare.org/resources/scripture.php
Islamset
http://www.islamset.com/env/index.html
Lutheran (ELCA) Church Statement
http://www.elca.org/What-We-Believe/Social-Issues/Journal-of-Lutheran-Ethics/Issues/February2009/8-Human-Rights-and-Climate-Change.aspx
Unitarian Universalist Statement of Conscience
http://www.uua.org/socialjustice/socialjustice/statements/8061.shtml
Quaker Earthcare Witness
http://www.quakerearthcare.org/
United Methodist Women
http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umw/work/socialaction/environment/climatechange/?lid=30221&%26n=308&adid=475
some suggestions for…..
STARTING A GREENING GROUP
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Talk to people you think share your interest in caring for creation
Organize an informational event, such as a film showing or panel discussion
Set up a regular monthly meeting time; publicize to congregation
Establish priorities, goals, mission, plan
Arrange for a minister to speak on creation care from the pulpit
Plan a special event for Earth Day or another significant day
GETTING YOUR CONGREGATION INVOLVED
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Provide information about your Greening Group’s activities in your congregation’s
newsletter
Post information on a bulletin board
Set up a table during coffee hour, to share information with congregation members
Conduct a survey of household energy use, interest in creation care topics, or willingness
to attend particular types of events, in order to gauge where to focus your group’s energy
Make it possible for people to volunteer to help with activities without necessarily
attending organizational meetings
Host a letter-writing campaign during social hour: provide pens, paper, stamps,
addresses, and key points about a particular issue
GREENING YOUR SANCTUARY
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Start a recycling program
Start a composting program
Install programmable thermostats
Switch to energy-efficient lighting
Use reusable coffee mugs instead of Styrofoam
Switch to “green” cleaning products
Lower thermostats in winter (raise them in summer)
Participate in a WALBICUS weekend
Start a ride-sharing program
Seal air leaks
Install window shades
Arrange an energy audit
Contact Earth Care to arrange a Green Team visit
GENERAL APPROACHES
Organize a workshop
- Use Low Carbon Diet or other self-explanatory guides to cutting energy use
- Support participants in reaching goals
- Expect each participant to recruit community members for next workshop
- Identify at least two participants to facilitate the next workshop
Host a brainstorming session
- Gather key members of your community to brainstorm best approaches
- Organize the ideas brainstormed, and propose a plan
- Engage individuals and groups in carrying out the plan
Start a carbon-cutting club
- Start with workshop participants and/or others interested in creation care
- Establish individual or group goals
- Support each other in reaching goals by sharing resources, information, ideas
- Publicize results to recruit more participants
Organize House Parties
- Show & Tell: how households have addressed particular problems
- Support: brainstorm suggestions for challenging situations
- Lend a hand: share skills and abilities where needed
- Celebrate: we’re all in this together!
Cutting Household Carbon/Cost
Where to start? What to do? How to decide?
1. Baseline and Goal
a. Calculate your carbon footprint and determine how many pounds of CO2 to
reduce; OR
b. Start with your utility bills and decide by how much you will reduce your energy
use.
Once you find out where you are starting, you can set a goal based on a percent reduction
(i.e. reduce your electricity use by 25%) or based on a fixed amount (i.e. use no more than
180 kWh/month).
2. Plan:
a. Start with “low hanging fruit” (choose the easiest, cheapest, fastest actions, like
turning off unnecessary lights), OR
b. Use the Ordered Checklist (see next page) to figure out what action is most
effective, and start there; OR
c. Have a professional Energy Audit done on your house to figure out what action is
most urgently needed; OR
d. Use the Low Carbon Diet as a systematic guide, or follow the plan(s) suggested at
www.builditsolar.com
Once you have a plan in place, you need to act on it in order to accomplish anything! Tell
your friends, and invite them to hold you accountable. Some other possible strategies for
keeping yourself on track:
3. Track your results:
a. Pay attention to your utility bills to see how your actions affect your usage;
b. Set a schedule for accomplishing changes, so they are not forgotten or put off
forever;
c. Use a power monitor for immediate feedback on household electricity use;
d. Use your cost savings to pay for additional energy saving improvements
Amplify your results by inspiring others to act as well! For many of us, changes become
much more real and seem more in reach when someone we know has already achieved
them. Tell your story!
4. Report your results
a. If your congregation’s greening group is tracking household carbon/cost savings,
report your progress to them.
b. Share your stories with Earth Care, your greening group, your neighbors, family
members, or anyone else who will listen!
An Ordered Checklist of Actions and Their Return on
Investment (draft 10/4/09)
Actions with Immediate
Return on Investment (ROI
= ∞)
$$/Year Cost 
Saved
ROI
CO2/year Energy
saved(lbs) Type
1. Reduce weekly garbage from 35
gallons to 20 gallons/wk
2. Set thermostat to 65-68F (day)
and 55-58 (night)
3. Smart driving (55mph, steady,
planning your route)
4. Reduce driving by 10% from
15,000 miles/year
5. Shower reduction to <
5min/shower for family of three
6. Eat on less meat-based meal a
week
7. Reduce clothes drying by 1
load/week
8. Reduce dish washer use by 1
load/week
9. Set water heater thermostat to
120 oF
$ 52.001
$0.00  ∞
1,560
$ 91.00
$0.00  ∞
1,400
N Gas
$ 108.00
$0.00  ∞
1,100
Gasol.
$ 98.00
$0.00  ∞
1,000
Gasol.
$ 58.50
$0.00  ∞
900
N Gas
$ 68.602
$0.00  ∞
700
Gasol.
$ 11.44
$0.00  ∞
260
Electric
$6.50
$0.00  ∞
100
Electric
$7.80
$0.00  ∞
120
Electric
10. Install and use a
programmable thermostat (See
#2)
11. Repair air leaks with weather
stripping & caulking3
12. Replace 5 incandescent bulbs
with CFLs
13. Replace Filters in Heating & Air
Conditioning
14. Install faucet flow restrictors
$ 91
$100 
1year
1,400
N Gas
$ 52
800
N Gas
500
Electric
350
Elec/NG
400
N Gas
15. Professional furnace
maintenance
16. Sealing/Insulating warm air
ducts
17. Install lighting motion sensors
in 5 rooms5
$ 50
$50  1
year
$25  1
year
$25  1
year
$50  6
month
$100  2
years
$150  3
years
$100  3
years
800
N Gas
800
N Gas
600
Electric
Actions with High ROI (6
months - 3 years)
$ 22
$ 25
$ 25
$ 52
$ 33
Actions with Medium ROI
(3 years – 10 years)
18. Increase ceiling insulation
(R11  R 19)4
19. Increase wall insulation (R0 
R11)4
20. Seal/ Insulating warm air
ducts4
21. Install low flush toilet
$ 78
22. Replace pre-1993
dishwasher/fridge with Energy
Star
$ 75
$ 39
$ 52
$ 75
$400  5
years
$400  9
years
$200  4
years
$400  5
years
$500  7
years
800
N Gas
400
N Gas
800
N Gas
Water
2,000
Electric
Actions with Longer ROI (≥
10 years)
23. Install Photovoltaic Array
$ 500
24. Geothermal heat-pump
$ 1000
25. On-demand water heater
$ 150
$10,000
12,500
20 yr
$10,000
16,000
10 yr
$1500  10 4,000
yr
Electric
N Gas
Elec/Gas
1 Reducing garbage saves gasoline (9.8 cents/pound CO2) and reduces greenhouse gas generated by
anaerobic decomposition. At $2.00 per 35 gal container, reducing trash to one container every two weeks
saves $52.00 a year.
2 We assume that the majority of the saving is in the form of gasoline (6.5¢/pound CO2) for transport and
tilling.
3 Assuming 125 watt leakage and $1.20/therm of natural gas = $45/yr
4 In average California house
5 Assuming sensor saves 100 watts, 5 hours/day
RESOURCES
(Bloomington area)
Where to go for supplies
Black Lumber
… 1710 South Henderson, Bloomington
332-7208
Bloomington Hardware …. College Mall Road, Bloomington
339-7575
Kliendorfers … 1401 W. Kirkwood, Bloomington 332-0487
Bender Lumber … 611 W. 11th, Bloomington 339-9737
A quick list of contractors
Master Carpenter of Bloomington. Weatherstripping, windows, doors, insulation problem solving,
carpentry. Email: [email protected] 812-325-0902
Eccentric Enterprises. Handyman Services. 812-333-2771
General:
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Earth Care (www.EarthCareIndiana.org) - interfaith organization supporting energy conservation
and other actions to stop climate change
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Caldwell EcoCenter, 323 S. Walnut (http://thecaldwellcenter.org/)
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Center for Sustainable Living: http://www.simplycsl.org/
Energy Audits:
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Sherlock Homes Inspection (Dan Killion, David Williams, Matt Fischers) – 4118 Deckard Dr.
Bloomington, Tel: 812-339-5828
Solar Photovoltaics & Water Heating:
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Salas O’Brien Engineers (Ted Mendoza, [email protected], Tel: 812-961-1900) 412
University St., Bloomington
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SIREN (Southern Indiana Renewable Energy Network) (www.siren.org) – Terry Usrey 4293 E.
Farr Road, Bloomington, Tel. (812)334-1247
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Mann Plumbing, 1750 W 17th St., Solar Thermal, Radiant floor heating, dual flush toilets, solar
water heaters
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Dick Stumpner, 8700 West Gardner Lane, Cell:(812)327-0909, Tel:(812)825-3484: PV
installations, energy efficient homes
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Alex Jarvis, Solar Systems of Indiana, Inc. (www.solarsystemsofindiana.com) Tel:(812)336-2785,
Certified specialist: PV panel assessments and installations
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American Solar Energy Society (www.ases.org) – Excellent information on solar energy
installation
Geothermal Heating
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Keller Heating
… 332-1161
Commercial Services
318 N. Rogers, Bloomington
Lighting
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Kirby Risk … 332-9435
1622 W 3rd St., Bloomington
Green Architecture:
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BobGewein (http://www.in,gov/oed/files/John_Hewett_Building_Green_in_Bloomington_Indiana.pdf)
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Carol Gulyas (http://carolgulyas.typepad.com/green_build_indiana./2008/08/bloomington-ind.html)
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Green Building Incentives Web Site
(http://bloomington.in.gov/documents/viewDocument.php?document_id=2163)
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Evergreen Village Bloomington
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Indiana Natural Builders (http://www.buildwithnature.com/) Passive solar, straw bale, cob-earth,
radiant floor design…
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Herndon Design (http://www.russherndondesign.com/green.html) Radient heat, on-demand hot water,
dual-flush toilets, heat pumps solar heating.
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U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Bloomington branch
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Companies_Go_Green_Indiana (http://articles.directory.net/Companies_Go_Green_Indiana-r934377Indiana.html)
Excellent Information on the Web:

Build It Solar (http://www.builditsolar.com) – a superb web site for all manner of projects and
design information
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Energy Efficiency & renewable Energy: (U.S. Department of Energy, www.eere,energy.gov)
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Indiana Office of Energy Development (www.in.gov/oed)