Friday, November 6, 2009



CLIMATE CHANGE :THE CANARY HAS DIED

Over 2000 scientist from 150 countries have reached consensus that global warming is real and that it is caused by human activities. Dr. James Hansen, Goddard Institute for Space Studies, NASA, says we need to cut our atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide to 350 or less by 2016
(just seven years from now) if we are to avoid the most catastrophic and dangerous effects of climate change, such as: disrupted food and water supplies; the extinction of thousands of species of plants and animals; and seal level rises that would flood the homes of hundreds of millions of people.

Just last year two top scientists surprised their colleagues by projecting that the Arctic sea ice was melting so rapidly that it could disappear entirely by the summer of 2040. Now, NASA climate scientist Jay Zwally is saying at the current rates of melting “the Arctic Ocean could be nearly ice-free at the end of summer by 2012".

Why should we care? "The Arctic is often cited as the canary in the coal mine for climate warming," said Zwally, who as a teenager hauled coal.
"Now as a sign of climate warming, the canary has died. It is time to start getting out of the coal mines"

24 comments:

  1. Hi Frank-Alan,Dana,Eric,Fran,Joan,Susan and Barry,

    Thankyou for signing up for this "once in a lifetime" opportunity to change the way things are done.
    I hope you will also sign-on to the Einsteinian principle that "“We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

    With that said, I expect you would all like to get this Workgroup working to save the planet in some kind of "shape" for our children and grandchildren.

    I have spent some time checking the local scene for signs of life on this topic and the Good News is that we live in a hotbed of opportunity to understand the issues,discuss the solutions and create a response plan.

    I started this search expecting that "Greening the Church" would simply (??) mean promoting eco-friendly activities around COTTC, leading perhaps to installation of solar panels or a geothermal system to reduce our own carbon footprint when viewed from Space in 2025. This might turn out to be a feasible plan.

    On the other hand, I expect that you, like me, would want to know that what we decide to do will be based on an understanding of the topic which ensures that we dont spend our energies (what is left of them at any one time) relying on erroneous information.

    I guess I am revealing my bias as a scientist who needs to review the field before deciding if I can make a publishable contribution (:(:

    Anyway, before I become loquacious, I want to make a simple suggestion about how we could get started.

    1. Agree on a general time commitment for Workgroup members.
    Freely acknowledging that finding time for anything is always a problem, and that some individuals already have major time commitments to COTTC (and life in general), should we shoot-for/expect/hope/demand a meeting of some kind (could be at COTTC or at a home or on email etc) once a month ?

    Can I also suggest that responses to this question (and future deliberations) all be done with the "Reply to all" function so that any outcomes will be made only after reasoned online discussion.
    If we can (quickly) come to a conclusion on 1. above, we can then get started on the exciting stuff.

    I look forward to wrapping up the time commitment issue this week!!!!!!!!!!

    Best

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Frank-Alan,Dana,Eric,Fran,Joan,Susan and Barry,

    Thankyou for signing up for this "once in a lifetime" opportunity.

    I want to make a suggestion that we should agree on a general time commitment for Workgroup members.

    Should we shoot-for a meeting of some kind once a month ?

    Thoughts ??...YES/NO

    Best

    JDS

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks Eric and Susan..

    I agree...

    lets concentrate on the carbon footprint of the Church (maybe building and people) and what we can do about greening that before getting into the other ideas. This will be a great start to getting more interest from the members and the neighbourhood.

    JDS

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have a couple articles to share as well:



    In addition some thoughts around how everyone (at home, work and at the church) can help cut their carbon footprint
    In Your Home
    1. Install a Power Factor Optimizer This reduces the operating costs of ALL motors in your home by having them run more eficiantly, while giving them a longer lifespan before needing to be replaced. - Click here for more information
    2. Don't use the dryer. Whether electric or gas, less use of any energy to heat air to dry your laundry is less energy consumed. Certainly don't dry towels, as they contain a lot of water, and naturally dry by design.
    3. Wash clothes with cold water, hang dry your laundry rather than putting it in the dryer when it's warm outside. Clean the lint filter in the dryer every time.
    4. Take mainly cool showers if you are healthy or if you want to boost up your immune system and save energy and water at the same time.
    5. Replace any incandescent light bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFL) or Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs). bulbs are more expensive, but replacing just one incandescent light bulb will save 150 pounds of carbon dioxide and, because it lasts eight to 15 times longer than an incandescent bulb, save approximately US$30 over the course of its lifetime. CFLs contain small amounts of mercury and as such must be handled as hazardous waste when discarding. Some cities have hazardous waste pick up programs and companies such as Home Depot accept inactive CFLs bulbs for safe disposal. LED lights are highly efficient and are able to reproduce the soft light of incandescents. They also contain no mercury and last six times longer than CFLs. This will save on your power bill too.
    6. Use the microwave Microwaves use a lot less energy than conventional ovens and stoves, especially for heating water.
    7. Turn off your lights when they aren’t

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Barry,Dana,Eric,Fran,Frank-Alan,Susan and Joan,

    We are planning a first meeting of the greengroup for Monday November 16 at 7.30 pm at COTTC.
    This will be the first,and last, meeting for 2009 so it is VERY important to attend.

    The big-picture objective for the meeting is to decide on the details of a eco-plan for the greengroup in 2010.

    In other words, if we are planning to meet once a month, as generally agreed, what will happen at those 12 or so meetings in 2010?

    How can we be sure we are not just "spinning our wheels" with little or no impact on the important green issues of our time.

    How can we get to know each others green interests ?

    Do the established facts jive with our understanding?



    So a Draft Agenda for November 16 might go like this:

    1. Welcome and Introduction
    John S...2 mins

    2.
    Presentations: (Titles are all open to change or elimination as you wish,1-page hand-out printed on the back of used paper encouraged)

    Summary of our current understanding of issues such as Global Warming and Biofuels...Is it hopeless or can we hope to fix it ?...
    John S ...5mins

    What (if anything) does the Bible say about Mans relationship to the Earth...
    Dana ...5 mins

    Biodiversity..threats to the Plant Kingdom..which (if any) local plants are going extinct?... Barry.... 5 mins

    The Carbon Footprint and other Eco-issues..where does the Lutheran Church in Chicago stand ? ...Susan ...5 mins

    Our Chicago Wilderness..What features can you see from the 22nd floor at 505 NLSD..
    Fran Dutton.... 5 mins
    http://www.chicagowildernessmag.org/issues/summer2009/toc.html

    Are Corporations Aware of the Important Green Issues?
    Eric....5 mins

    The Drama of an Eco-friendly Life Style .....
    Frank-Alan, ...5 mins

    Sustainability..what does it mean and how can we get there ?
    Joan..5 min

    ROUND-UP:
    Where do we go from here?
    Should we choose a single issue or multi-task it?
    Should we Green the Church Environment first ?..How could we do that ?

    Other Important Issues:

    Date of Next Meeting?..Third Monday of January ?

    Thoughts anyone ?

    GreenPeace
    - Show quoted text -

    JDS

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sounds good to me… My personal opinion is that the titles you sent out are great but I think our biggest impact will be to look in our own carbon footprints first at COTTC to see what we can do to truly make an impact (perhaps based on what we share at this initial meeting).

    See you Monday!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Eric,

    1. Announce (bulletin and notice on "greenwall" at COTTC) the relative contribution of common annual activities on C02 production:

    For example (based on data from the website carbonfootprint.com) each of the following 3 items (a-c) generate the same amount of CO2 (about 3.6 tonnes)

    a) 2 xcoach return flights for 3 people from Chicago to Orlando
    b) 1xToyota Camry driving 10,000 miles
    c) 1xPower-bill (electric+gas+oil etc) of $130 per month.

    2. Teach printing paper conservation by choosing 2-sided and 2 shhets per side (4 pages become 1 page)

    3. Run a series of Educational Seminars (Sunday morning?) on " Living the Sustainable Good Life".

    4.Each Sunday morning take turns to announce some good news about individuals/groups/corporations/cities/countries/celebrities etc who have changed to a sustainable life style.

    5. More to come

    ReplyDelete
  8. See you all then. I agree with Eric that our first order of business is to look at Three Cross's carbon footprint and see what we learn from greening it as far as we can, while bringing more members and the neighborhood on board by promoting the green steps we're taking.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I tend to agree with Eric and Susan. We need to be aware of the global issues but will probably have more of an impact on our own global footprint. Can we touch on both at our first meeting and then determine how we can be practical in what we can accomplish?

    I am particularly interested in seeing if our open, flat roof would work for solar panels. The cost is probably out of reach for us right now, but we may discover grants that are available at this early stage of community self-powering.

    Barry

    ReplyDelete
  10. See you all then. I agree with Eric that our first order of business is to look at Three Cross's carbon footprint and see what we learn from greening it as far as we can, while bringing more members and the neighborhood on board by promoting the green steps we're taking.

    Susan

    ReplyDelete
  11. I've mentioned the group Faith in Place before - they assist churches, temples and synogogues with green initiatives... determing how to start green initiatives or getting financial support to act on them. It turns out that Katie's friend at school is doing her student pastor work with them! She mentioned that she could possibly get us in touch with her. If you think it would be appropriate for our first meeting, I could see if she could join us next week...

    Sent from my iPhone
    Dana*

    ReplyDelete
  12. Dana,
    Thats a great connection which we should certainly work thru as we get going.

    Their WebPage is very interesting....

    "Since 1999, Faith in Place has partnered with over 400 congregations in Illinois—Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Zoroastrian, Baha'i and Unitarian. We're also part of the national Interfaith Power & Light campaign ..." oriongrassroots.org

    here are some of their projects so far..

    • Creating a direct market for African-American organic farmers in Pembroke, Illinois by organizing the first organic Black Farmer’s Market on Chicago’s westside;

    • Starting a well-loved urban agriculture program for kids in Logan Square;

    • Helping five congregations switch to wind power at their houses of worship;

    • Initiating “Voluntary Simplicity” discussion groups in prosperous suburbs;

    • Building a native-planted labyrinth for meditation at a convent in LaGrange;
    and
    • Impacting public transportation and housing policy in Evanston.

    Dana, this looks like the kind of program we would relate well to...

    Since we have started a good conversation online about our interests, it would be great to have Katies friend visit on next Monday to get us on the right track.

    Lets ask Katie if that is possible..I am sure we could provide transportation

    Lets speak further on Wed nite

    JDS

    ReplyDelete
  13. John, you are right, there are a lot of great links and resources on their website. I will print (on recycled paper) some information to share at our meeting on Monday (checklists for conserving energy and calculating your congregation's carbon footprint, etc.). These may serve as some starting points for figuring out how we can begin. I will also check with Katie on Wednesday night to see if she can contact her friend on our behalf.

    Peace,

    ReplyDelete
  14. I think getting this speaker is a great idea but wondering if we should wait until 2010 and use our first meeting to share ideas and possible goals and pose questions as to what we need to find out more information on. Just thinking out loud...

    Barry

    ReplyDelete
  15. If this person is available on such short notice it might help us get some ideas to think about and organize for our first meeting in 2010.

    Fran

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi Erica,

    Following our greengroup meeting last Monday, could we have a small section in the Bulletin (not an insert) this week or next which says the following ?

    ReplyDelete
  17. The inaugural meeting of the greengroup@COTTC was held on Monday Nov.16, here at COTTC.

    The discussion focussed on " Going green at COTTC in 2010...What should be our first priority ?"

    Many ideas were put forward and if you would like to have your input and be part of greengroup@COTTC please email EricMraz@thenovogroup.com and he will get you on the emailing list so you can be part of our ongoing discussions.

    You can also post your ideas at our Blog which is at http://greengroupcottc.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi Eric,

    1. Announce (bulletin and notice on "greenwall" at COTTC) the relative contribution of common annual activities on C02 production:

    For example (based on data from the website carbonfootprint.com) each of the following 3 items (a-c) generate the same amount of CO2 (about 3.6 tonnes)

    a) 2 xcoach return flights for 3 people from Chicago to Orlando
    b) 1xToyota Camry driving 10,000 miles
    c) 1xPower-bill (electric+gas+oil etc) of $130 per month.

    2. Teach printing paper conservation by choosing 2-sided and 2 shhets per side (4 pages become 1 page)

    3. Run a series of Educational Seminars (Sunday morning?) on " Living the Sustainable Good Life".

    4.Each Sunday morning take turns to announce some good news about individuals/groups/corporations/cities/countries/celebrities etc who have changed to a sustainable life style.

    5. More to come
    - Show quoted text -

    JDS

    --

    ReplyDelete
  19. Here are some ideas I was thinking about:

    Make recycle cans more prominent in the building

    Evaluating the bulletin to see if we can reduce the paper consumption

    Always ordering recycled paper

    Continue to stress at “eating” events – the use of items we can use over and over such as the cups, plates, etc.

    Check out the lighting (bulbs as well as fixtures) to see if we are maximizing our energy savings

    Check out the heating and cooling systems for efficiency

    Check to see if doors are sealed and not letting in cold or hot air.

    Checking out cleaning products to see if we are using “green” products

    Evaluating the insulation in the building

    Evaluating the use of our roof space to make the building more energy efficient

    Cutting back on envelopes in the bulletin – as well as other inserts and the like which would cut down on copying

    Installing the rain barrel that we have

    ….more as I think of them

    ReplyDelete
  20. Species Extinction Video
    Feb 7, 2008 - 09:18
    For a documentary on Species Extinction, LiveHistory was hired to contribute international stock footage and production assistance. With an extensive collection of global imagery, a commitmen...

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hello All,

    Two things.

    My suggestions for the list Eric is compiling.
    (It was hard to think of little things, because the church is off to such a good start. It's down to the bigger things now, I think.
    *Prominently placed recyle bins--both floors, or a small transfer-bin on the 2nd floor to separate into the bigger 1st-floor bins.
    *Encourage members not to put their offering checks in envelopes; just fold checks in half before dropping into offering plate. Offering envelopes could/should still be used for cash for recording member's contribution, providing member is filling out the front of the envelope.
    *Foam-pumping soap dispensers in bathrooms and at kitchen sink.
    *Replace humming balast in 1st floor East Room (sound pollution).
    *Create an Adopt-a-Bulb program to replace all incandescent bulbs with fluorescent, even the costly flood lights in the East Room.
    *Create an Adopt-A-Paver/Plank fund to get going on covering the east lawn with permeable or off-set pavers or faux-timber decking materials--whatever is deemed to be the best material for covering the area.
    *Replace all garbage can liners with better degrading products.
    *Evaluate the two-refrigerator set-up in the kitchen--is there a better solution that would still accommodate Art Fair needs? (Don't know)
    *Install rain barrels for collecting downspout water for watering gardens and diverting from city run-off water system.
    *Convert sections of lawn to indigenous plants that require only the naturally occurring regional rainfall--to reduce need to water during dry stretches. (Perhaps a "prairie look" here or there would discourage dog pottying?)
    *Explore converting a section of roof to green and/or solar.

    A green month leading up to Earth Day--from the Sunday following St. Patrick's Day through Earth Week (actually, it would be 5 weeks)
    *Encourage driving members (and I'm speaking to my family especially) to pick any one of these Sundays to get to church without a car--walk, PT, etc.
    *Hold an online fundraiser through Greenraising--where Three Crosses is already registered--and Let's Go Green--where I still need to register us. I could/would order product samples to display during Fellowship time
    http://www.greenraising.com
    http://letsgogreen.biz
    *Unveil a new church-greening effort each Sunday
    *Show the Disney "Earth" movie after church one Sunday (or another thematic movie)
    *Identify a green event that could be open to the public

    Well, that's my 2-cents worth. Can't wait to hear your thoughts.

    Susan

    P.S. I know I still need to call Faith In Place. I still plan to do this

    ReplyDelete
  22. For LED lighting info go to

    http://www.ledlight.com/led-converters.aspx

    ReplyDelete
  23. by Jeff from Chicago, IL on 11/27/2008
    Recommends it to Friends: Yes
    I ordered a few of these for my outdoor lanterns. They arrived quickly via standard shipping and were packed well. Theyre about the same size as standard incandescent bulbs. Their light output is a little better than the 15-watt bulbs they replaced. Too weak for any real household use, but adequate for illuminating my front pathway without any harsh glare. Its the perfect amount of low-level decorative light. I ordered the "warm white" color, which is less yellow than the incandescents. There is no blue tint like you see with regular LED lights. I hope they can withstand the elements. So far so good, but its only been a few weeks. The product description indicates outdoor use. However, the warning label in the product picture states they "must be operated in ambient room temperature". This is confusing, I would like to see some clarification

    ReplyDelete