Environmental Concerns

Creation Care

Aldersgate has received the Creation Care Church award since 1997. We would like to encourage our members to become Creation Care Families. Print and fill out this survey; once you have reached 70 or more points, return it to the office. Creation Care Families will be recognized on Earth Day.

Compact Florescent Light Bulbs

The Environmental Concerns committee will pick up compact florescent light (CFL) bulbs for recycling every first Sunday of the month in the office.

CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing – an average of 4 milligrams. By comparison, older thermometers contain about 500 milligrams of mercury – an amount equal to the mercury in 125 CFLs. Mercury is an essential part of CFLs; it allows the bulb to be an efficient light source. No mercury is released when the bulbs are intact (not broken) or in use.

Even though they do contain a small amount of mercury, switching from traditional light bulbs (called incandescent) to CFLs is an effective, simple change everyone in America can make. Making this change will help to use less electricity at home and prevent greenhouse gas emissions that lead to global climate change. Lighting accounts for close to 20 percent of the average home’s electric bill. CFLs use up to 75 percent less energy (electricity) than incandescent light bulbs, last up to 10 times longer, cost little up front, and provide a quick return on investment.

If every home in America replaced just one incandescent light bulb with a CFL, in one year it would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes. That would prevent the release of greenhouse gas emissions equal to that of about 800,000 cars.

Saving Electricity

Thanks to electricity, the Dog Days of Summer are not as hot as they used to be (at least inside). During the summer electricity use usually goes up. Because electricity seems so clean and quiet as it goes into our appliances, it is easy to forget that it has to be created somewhere. Most of our electricity comes from coal fire power plants which some consider to be harmful to the environment. There are some simple things you can do to help keep your electricity usage (and bill) down. If you really want to save go after the real electricity guzzlers:

Air Conditioner: Believe it or not, you can live without it. If you are like most people however and it is just too hot, try raising the temperature so the AC does not run until it gets to 76 or 78 degrees. Each degree lower may use 3-4 percent more electricity. Close the AC vents in rooms that are not in use. Place a timer on your AC thermostat so the temperature will automatically go up when you are not at home. Clean the air filters on your AC unit so the unit does not have to work as hard.
Ceiling Fans: Make sure they are spinning the right direction; the fan should be blowing the air down towards your body in the summer. Most fans have a switch on them that is easy to change each season.
Lights: The average house uses about 11% of its electricity on lights; using compact florescent bulbs can cut this percentage. Use motion sensors inside and outside of your house so that lights will only be on when you are in the room or area. Turn off lights when you are not in the room. If you are already thinking about Christmas being just around the corner, start purchasing LED lights; they use 80-90% less electricity than standard holiday lights.
Washing and Drying: Front loading washers can use 40-75% less water and 30-85% less electricity than top loading machines. Wash in warm or cold water; up to 90 percent of the energy used by washing clothes may be due to heating the water. Your clothes dryer can account for up to 12% of the electricity used in your house. When possible, hang your clothes outside to dry; you will save 100%! Clean the lint filter on your dryer each time, as your dryer takes longer when it has to push air through lint. If you use dryer sheets, clean your lint screen with a toothbrush and water occasionally to get rid of the build up on the lint screen.

Together we can make a difference protecting this beautiful planet that God gave us, as well as our pocket books.

Go Green!

Find local activities with low environmental impact, like a trip to a local park, zoo, ballgame, or lake.
Air conditioning can offer respite from the heat and help make sweaty nights bearable, but be sensitive to overuse.
Love to BBQ? Propane burns cleaner than either wood or charcoal.
Use reusable dishes rather than disposables.
Look for eco-friendly products when you shop.
Pick up a solar backpack to take with you on day trips.
Use products like garlic barrier, instead of poisons, to ward off mosquitoes.
Make sure your car is road ready. Clean junk out of the trunk and remove anything not needed in and on the car. Every extra 100 pounds results in 2% fuel economy. Make sure your tires are properly inflated. Drive the speed limit. The EPA says that most cars run at maximum efficiency at 60 mph.
Sign up for email newsletters and automatic deposits. Forms are available at the welcome booth. Return them to the church office, or drop them in the offering plate on Saturday night or Sunday morning. You can also do online deposits by following the Donate menu item above.
Say no to paper and plastic. Bring reusable bags shopping. (Plastic bags take up to 1,000 years to degrade. Dillon's Grocery Stores will give you 5 cents off your bill for each reusable bag you use.)
Bring your own table service to church functions instead of using disposable items. (It will take over 500 years for one Syrofoam cup to dissolve.)
Replace three incandescent bulbs with compact florescent bulbs. (Reduce your electric bill and cut 300 pounds of carbon emissions from the environment by changing 3 light bulbs.)
Recycle your aluminum cans and printer cartridges at the church. (Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to keep a 100-watt bulb burning for almost four hours, or to run your television for three hours.