Buy a low energy light bulb
This is another one that isn't too challenging. Privet Drive has low energy bulbs in every single standard fitting we own. since we've been using these for ages now. Sadly, I've totally failed to persuade the PCC that this is a route they should take in the church itself. With nearly every window in St M's being stained glass, it can be horribly dark during the winter months, and, since it is, thank God, an open church, it would be lovely to be able to leave lights on all day without too much guilt. However, embracing a green agenda still seems to be a bridge too far for the PCC. I hassle them about it fairly relentlessly, - now that we have a ramp I can stop shouting about accessibility and concentrate on this.
Today's "Praying Together in Lent" highlighted this theme, picking up the idea of conspicuous consumption in the story of Dives and Lazarus as it appears in The Message. Lots to think about as I plot my campaign to paint Charlton Kings green.
I haven't done this yet - but am going to very soon. I try to be environmentally conscious, but still have some improvements to make.
ReplyDeleteI did that last week, and the light fitting broke about a week later. So now I am saving SOOO much electricity while I wait for the electrician to come and fix it...
ReplyDeletehope you don't mind me commenting here. I am not a church person but I found your blog when I was googling George Herbert, and I'm rather taken with some of your LLLL ideas. Jules.
Oh dear, Jules..that probably wasn't quite what you had in mind!
ReplyDeleteOf course you're extremely welcome to comment: positively /no/ religious affiliation required! It's always good to have new people dropping in :-)
Yay! electrician came, fixed all the lights. Plumber came, fixed all the bathroom and shower stuff. I think we will be back in the 21st century by this afternoon.
ReplyDeleteOur parish church recently did an environmental audit.
ReplyDeleteEco-Congregation have some tips http://www.ecocongregation.org/englandwales/index.html
It seems to be linked to arocha.
CEL also have some useful info http://www.christian-ecology.org.uk/energy-church-buildings-bp.pdf
and http://www.christian-ecology.org.uk/la21-a5-brief.pdf
I don't know if you've already come across all this. Both groups seem to visit GB.
Best of luck with your efforts.
Home light bulbs is much simpler by comparison, although I've failed to find any decent low energy candle bulbs. The ones I did find only lasted a few weeks to a couple of months and they weren't cheap.
90497The local church near to nursing home where my trainee nurse is working is wonderfully light as most of the windows are clear glass. However I suspect that replacing the windows is a no go idea on three grounds 1) it will be even less popular than changing the lightbulbs, 2) the historic churches brigade would never countenance it and most importantly 3) all that building work would use up a load of environmental resources. COSTING it might work as an incentive to buy the bulbs though
ReplyDeleteWhat on earth do they give as reasons for not changing to energy efficient light bulbs? I guess they would be expensive to buy all in one go, but if you just buy them when the old ones need replacing surely can't be a financial reason.
ReplyDeleteCan you preach it from the pulpit, sistah?! I'm beginning to think this might be the issue in my church - the clergy are all very active on social and environmental issues but the sermons always focus on the spiritual and not how that works out in the practical.
Now why am I appearing as Clare instead of Cal again in your comments? I really don't understand how blogger is working these days.
ReplyDeleteEven if sermons are explicitly practical those in the pews can be extremely resistant to change. :(
ReplyDeleteTo be fair to my PCC it's not that they are ANTI, just that it takes an awful lot to make an ocean liner change course and they don't currently see any urgency for change(yes, I know...even after THIS winter)...The diocese asked all churches to do an environmental audit last year I think (curates don't always know these things) but it's slipped down the priority list...I do preach about eco issues, just as I preach about trade justice - and again, that's a hard one to actually move an elderly congregation forward on. There's still the awful tendency, for e.g., for the coffee ladies to come in with a jar of non FT coffee
ReplyDelete"Because it was on special offer"
Honestly not sure how to convert them...I do refuse to drink the non FT coffee, - but that seems like spitting in the wind, really.
All very wearing and sad.
Just popping over for a flying visit via Jo(e) and the national women's day blogging fest.
ReplyDeleteWe run a small (in terms of bedrooms) but big old hotel and get our low-energy lights from
http://www.commercial-lamps.co.uk/
All sorts of shapes and sizes that fit in all sorts of lights....