Environmental Stewardship

Environmental Stewardship Work Area: Weed Prevention Study

April 5, 2013 - 11:16am

History:

Over the past two years the Environmental Stewardship Work Area (ESWA) at DGFUMC has looked for an area on the grounds of the church to take responsibility for general maintenance, planting, mulching, and overall appearance.  During the Spring/Summer of 2011 the group asked the church if they could be responsible for the semi-circle area between the main entrance/exit to the church off of Maple Ave (see picture).  After becoming responsible for the area, the ESWA gathered one Spring evening in 2011 to remove weeds, plant new Coral bells (Heuchera), and put down mulch within the area.  Over that Summer the group set up a bi-weekly weed removal schedule in which a member of the group would be responsible for removing weeds during their selected time slot.

Earth Day Celebration - April 28, 2013

Are we good stewards of our planet? On April 22, more than one billion people around the world will take part in the 43rd anniversary of Earth Day. Come to our Earth Day presentations sponsored by the Environmental Stewardship Work Area to see how you can live, work and move toward a responsible life on our planet. See how the church has responded to conserving energy and becoming a good steward. Exhibits will be in the parlor and the front parking lot after all worship services on April 28.

What do you do? What is your reason? Exhibits will help you look at various ways you can help. In your household, at your work and and as you move, there are many ways to become good stewards of the earth.

Date: 
Sunday, April 28, 2013 - 9:15am

We can all be Environmental Stewards...Just Outside Our Front Doors!

March 18, 2013 - 4:03pm

While it’s daunting to consider the global environmental challenges that we face, all of us can steward our little piece of land with some forethought and responsible decisions. From the plantings we choose to the hardscapes we create, nearly every decision we make about our property and landscape impacts our environmental footprint.

Forgetting about the "Reduce" in "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle"

March 1, 2013 - 8:50am

As Americans have gotten better at recycling over the past few decades many forget that recycling is just one of the steps in the sequential “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” process to try to minimize our impact on the Earth. In 2008, the recycling rate reached an all-time high of 33.2% for Americans (per data from 2010). This is great as recycling rates overall have risen steadily since the 1960’s. But with this it may not be apparent to everyone that the amount of waste sent to landfills has also risen dramatically since the 1960’s. Recycling doesn't have as direct an impact on the amount of waste sent to landfills as reducing what we buy, reducing our waste streams, or reusing items within our households. The 3 “R’s” of waste reduction are really a sequential process in which everyone should try to first reduce the amount of waste they procure or produce, then reuse the materials they have, and finally recycle materials left over from there. Even with recycling rates increasing, we as Americans and a global community will only see the amount of trash we send to landfills increase in the decades to come from increased consumerism and rising population numbers. With this we need to remind our children and generations to come about the importance of reducing our waste streams and how the 3 “R’s” all work together in a specific order.

Alternative Modes of Transportation to Minimize Your Carbon Footprint

February 19, 2013 - 2:08pm

Mass Transit
Whenever possible use mass transit, especially when commuting to work. In the suburbs Metrarail offers railroad service to downtown Chicago. Their website is www.metrarail.com. The schedules are posted on their website. When you arrive in Chicago use the RTA bus service. Their website is www.RTAChicago.com. For suburban bus service Pacebus provides a variety of bus services. They offer a vanpool program, paratransit service, a fixed route bus system, and a vanpool incentive program. For more information, go to www.pacebus.com. Mass transportation is good for the environment and it helps save money.

Benefits of Walking and Bicycling
Studies have found that walking and bicycling helps reduce your carbon footprint. Walking and bicycling produces no pollution, and helps make the roads safer. In congested areas cyclists and pedestrians breathe less fumes than drivers. Walking and bicycling also help reduce your waistline.

Benefits of Carpooling
Studies have found that carpooling helps reduce carbon dioxide. Taking your car off the road one day a week will help keep the air clean and remove congestion from the roads. Combine car trips instead of making separate trips throughout the day, combine errands to help reduce your carbon footprint. When possible, park in a central location and do all your errands. Also, be sure to bring reusable shopping bags when doing your errands.

A Little Conservation Goes a Long Way

December 27, 2012 - 7:08pm

What is Water Efficiency?

Water efficiency is the smart use of our water resources through water-saving technologies and simple steps we can all take around the house. Using water efficiently will help ensure reliable water supplies today and for future generations.

Save Water, Save Money

The average household spends over $700 per year on its water and sewer bill. By making just a few simple changes to use water more efficiently, you could save about $200 per year. Also, when we use water more efficiently, we reduce the need for costly investments in water treatment and delivery systems.

Drops to Watts: Save Water, Save Energy

It takes a considerable amount of energy to deliver and treat the water you use every day. For example, letting your faucet run for five minutes uses about as much energy as letting a 60-watt light bulb run for 14 hours.

Heating water for bathing, shaving, cooking, and cleaning also requires a lot of energy. Homes with electric water heaters, for example, spend one-quarter of their electric bill just to heat water.

With climate change concerns, pervasive droughts, and high energy prices across the country, nearly everyone is looking for ways to conserve resources and cut costs. The good news is that by using a little "water sense" we can all save water, energy, and money.

The preceding information is a direct citation from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Wastewater Management. Read more on the EPA website.

Battery Recycling - Where Can You Recycle and What Must You Recycle?

November 15, 2012 - 10:44am

Battery Recycling    
Improperly disposed batteries may produce the following potential problems or hazards: pollute lakes and streams as the metals vaporize into the air when burned, contribute hazardous heavy metals that infiltrate our water supply, expose the environment and water to lead and acid, contain strong corrosive acids, cause burns or danger to eyes and skin.  All of these are a high cost to individuals and society.

An excellent website that gives recycling information for all types of batteries and many other recyclable items is http://earth911.com/. Not only does this website provide information on specific products, it provides locations near your home where you can take your recyclable items. 

Each of us can make a difference and collectively we can change the world for the better. 

Going Green with Your Vehicle - Are You Ready?

Environmental StewardshipIf you are like many, the idea of going green with your vehicle is appealing, but the challenge of understanding the technologies and picking out the right vehicle feels a bit overwhelming. You may be asking:

  • What is the difference between an electric vehicle and a hybrid?
  • What happens to the battery at the end of its life?
  • What is the true lifecycle cost of these vehicles and will I really save any money in the long run?
  • What is my true environmental impact if I choose one of these vehicles?

If you would like to hear the answers to these questions, please join us on Wednesday, September 26 at 7:00 p.m. in Room 213, where Ken Poindexter, church member and retired 40+ year employee at Electro-Motive Diesel/GM will lead a discussion about green vehicle technologies

Location: 
Room 213
Date: 
Wednesday, September 26, 2012 - 7:00pm

Environmental Studies at DGFUMC and at Home

May 2, 2012 - 11:49am

Environmental StewardshipThe Environmental Stewardship Work Area at DGFUMC took responsibility for an area on the church's grounds over the past year to maintain its landscaping and vegetation. This area (south of the main parking lot between the main entrance and exit) is visible to everyone from Maple Street and is seen as everyone enters/exits the main parking lot from Maple.  Over the past year our group has planted more than a dozen Choral Bells, put down mulch, and ensured those pesky weeds don't overtake the tulips, bushes, or other plants.

12 Ways to Save Energy

March 13, 2012 - 9:58am

Finding energy efficiency improvements in your home has been shown to be the most cost-effective way to reduce our energy use and capture cost savings. At the same time, one will achieve improvement to the environment by reducing the pollution that is released when electricity is produced or fossil fuels burned. Energy costs have been and are projected to keep increasing. Jesus taught us to love your neighbor as yourself. By reducing our energy consumption we can demonstrate love to our neighbors by reducing toxic air emissions better protecting public health and by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, helping to mitigate the climate chaos created by such emissions. In our nation alone last year we had at least a dozen severe weather events that each resulted in over a billion dollars in adverse economic impact to our nation plus the loss of many lives.

On Sunday March 11, 2012 we enjoyed a discussion on 12 easy and practical ways to reduce energy consumption in your home. James Cavallo, Principal at Kouba- Cavallo Associates and a former research economist at Argonne National Laboratory, led a discussion on how to conduct a simple energy audit of your home's energy use and how to implement simple yet meaningful measures to reduce energy consumption and realize significant savings in your energy bills. This program followed earlier Environmental Stewardship programs on choosing an alternative electricity provider and installing solar and geothermal renewable energy systems.

A copy of the presentation is available below.

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