The following outline is a simple environmental audit that you can conduct, to measure your church's progress in meeting our Christian commitment to the Earth. Anyone can conduct an audit. First, you must choose an audit team. Your team can be made up of members of your Vestry, of Your environmental committee, children from the Sunday School - or it can be any group of people from the church who will take some Lime to do it. To conduct your audit, the audit team should review your church procedures, and answer each of the following questions "Yes" or "No". Section I. Conservation. Part A. Energy conservation (electricity and gas): 1. Do you know how much gas you use? 2. Do you keep your thermostat at 68 or lower in the winter? 3. Are clean fuels (such as natural gas) used to provide heat? 4. Has caulking been applied around old windows? 5. Has proper insulation been provided in old buildings? 6. Do you keep your thermostat at 75 or higher in the summer? 7. Do you have vent fans to alleviate the summer heat? 8. Do you us e shades and other simple cooling devices? 9. Do you have trees planted for shade? 10. Do you turn your heat & air conditioning off when the church is not in use? 11. Do you know how much electricity you use? 12. Do you use energy-saving light bulbs? Part B. Water conservation: 1. Do you know how much water you use? 2. Do you practice water conservation all the time, not just when drought restrictions require it? 3. Do you collect rainwater for watering lawns and garden Section II. Pollution. Part A. Air pollution: 1. Have you declared your church a smoke-free zone? 2. Have you had your air checked for asbestos, radon, and other pollutants? Part B. Water pollution: 1. Do you use alternative cleaners such as baking soda, vinegar or lemon juice? 2. Do you use natural alternatives to chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers? 3. Do you avoid the use of toxic products - batteries, lawn chemicals, cleaning supplies, paint - whenever possible? 4. Do you dispose of toxic products through proper means, as designated by your local government? 5. Have you had your water checked for lead content and other pollutants? Part C. Solid waste pollution: 1. Do you recycle: paper & cardboard?
5. Do you have a compost center for your yard waste? 6. Do you recycle your own paper by using paper scraps? 7. Do you use products, such as paper products, made from recycled material? 8. Do you use permanentware or reusable plasticware at coffee hour, church dinners and other functions? 9. Is the amount of food served at coffee hours, church dinners and other functions consistent with need so that waste is minimized? 10. Do you buy your supplies in bulk in order to eliminate unnecessary packaging? 11. Do you return your junk mail with a notice to remove your church's name from their mailing list? 12. Do you make it a practice to buy products that can be reused, refined or repaired? 13. Do you discard products onlv after their useful life is over? Section III. Lifestyle. Part A. Natural resource preservation: If your church has large surrounding grounds: Is part of your land used as a wildlife sanctuary, with native trees, shrubs and ground cover chosen to provide food and shelter for birds and small mammals and to reduce the need for water and fertilizer? If your church has small surrounding grounds: Do you have wildflower patches or small areas dedicated to preserving the natural environment? Part B. Travelling 1. Does your parking lot contain bike racks? 2. Are parishioners encouraged to carpool and to walk whenever possible? 3. Do you keep resource conservation - such as travelling miles - in mind when selecting and planning church activities? Part C. Activities: 1. Do you discuss the needs of the environment on days such as the Rogation days and Harvest days, and throughout the year? 2. Do you sponsor coffee hour programs or other programs on the environment? 3. Do you sponsor joint environmental activities with other churches? 4. Do you support environmental organizations and activities in your area? Section IV. Summary. Total number of questions answered "Yes": Total number of questions answered "No": Each question that was answered "Yes" indicates that you are doing your part to uphold our Christian commitment to the Earth. Now the audit team should work with the Vestry to build a plan to attack the ones that were checked "No". And - save this audit and try it again in one year. See how much your score has improved by then. |
