Cool Congregations Winners of 2015 ENERGY SAVER WINNER St. Mary’s Catholic Church of Johnson City, Johnson City, TN Our challenge was to step up to Pope Francis’ direction for all to help green the world. We have been doing recycling, turning off lights when not using, and have installed thermal heating system. Now to expand […]
Cool Congregations Winners are leading the way to a more resilient future
Filed Under: Cool Congregations
Energy saving volunteers in North Carolina work at nexus of climate and poverty
Community Inspiration Winner – Good Shepherd Episcopal Church Hayesville, North Carolina CO2 Reduction: 33 metric tons/year Prevents: 35,000 lbs. of coal from being burned Families helped: 40 and counting Percent CO2 Reduction: 10-20% per household A group of around ten climate concerned volunteers from Good Shepherd Episcopal Church and the Hayesville community are answering a […]
Re-created native habitat replaces lawn, reduces CO2, prevents runoff
2014 Cool Congregations Challenge Winner SAGRED GROUNDS STEWARD Category St. Peter’s United Church of Christ Carmel, IN Faith tradition: United Church of Christ Cost Savings: $2,000 annual savings CO2 Reduction: 3.7 metric tons CO2 per year St. Peter’s UCC has approximately 2.5 acres of ground surrounding the church building, much of it having been planted […]
Filed Under: Cool Challenge 2014 Stories, Grounds and Water Conservation
Largest community-supported solar system in West Virginia
2014 Cool Congregations Challenge Winner RENEWABLE ROLE MODEL Category Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church Shepherdstown, WV Faith Tradition: Presbyterian Cost Savings: Will own system in 5 years CO2 Reduction: 132 metric tons/year Generating: 19,000 KWH of electricity Estimated savings per year: 50% reduction in energy use In West Virginia the true costs of cheap energy are impossible […]
Filed Under: Cool Challenge 2014 Stories, Renewable Energy
Green to Deep Green with Energy Efficient Straw Bale Eco Center
2014 Cool Congregations Challenge Winner ENERGY EFFICIENCY Category The Eco Center at Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center Little Rock, AR Faith Tradition: Presbyterian Cost Savings: $7,626 annual savings CO2 Reduction: 319 metric tons CO2 per year Energy Savings: 956 kWh/year Reduction in CO2 footprint (over standard construction): 95% Ferncliff is a summer camp and year […]
Filed Under: Cool Challenge 2014 Stories, Energy Efficiency
First 20 Certified Congregations Announced
Interfaith Power & Light (IPL) and its 40 state affiliates, encourage congregations of all faiths to save energy, go green, and respond to climate change. IPL is excited to announce the first 20 Certified Cool Congregations. These exemplary houses of worship have proven that they are reaching significant carbon pollution reductions in response to global […]
Filed Under: Certified Cool Congregations
Meet the 2013 Cool Congregations Challenge Winners
Congregations Model Climate Solutions April 17, 2014 – As the world prepares to celebrate Earth Day, religious institutions in the U.S. have kicked their activism into high gear, modeling climate solutions and stewardship of Creation in dozens of inspiring projects. The Cool Congregations Challenge, an annual contest by Interfaith Power & Light (IPL) to recognize […]
Filed Under: Cool Challenge 2013 Stories, Cool Congregations
Cool Planner Winner
2013 Cool Congregation Challenge Cool Planner Winner St. Andrew’s School Student-led Energy Audit Middletown, DE The students and staff of the St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Middletown, Delaware, guided an impressive energy audit on half of its school buildings in an effort to reduce its carbon footprint by 18%. The school is presently implementing 4 […]
Filed Under: Cool Challenge 2013 Stories, Cool Congregations
Energy Saver Winner
2013 Cool Congregation Challenge Energy Saver Winner Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church Adopt-a-Light Overland Park, KS “Peace and justice is God’s plan for all creation. The earth and all creation are God’s. God calls us to be careful, humble stewards of this earth, and to protect and restore it for its own sake, and for the […]
Filed Under: Cool Challenge 2013 Stories, Cool Congregations
Community Inspiration Winner
Community Inspiration Winner Red River Unitarian Universalist Church Texoma Earth Day Festival Denison, TX Red River Unitarian Universalist Church (RRUU) Green Team hosts an annual educational environmental festival called the Texoma Earth Day Festival that is helping to inspire the surrounding community on the border of Texas and Oklahoma to save energy and live more […]
Filed Under: Cool Challenge 2013 Stories, Cool Congregations
