Daniel Bird
Special to The Hamilton Spectator
(Dec 26, 2008)
The stained glass windows of Melrose United Church have brought light to worshippers for decades. They are now bringing something else in -- the cold.
No one knows how to fix the windows, said church member Mathew Xagoraris, but something will have to be done. Fixing the windows is part of a plan at the church on Homewood Avenue to save money by conserving energy. Other changes include replacing a 20-year-old industrial refrigerator for about $3,000.
In April, an environmental auditing company scoured the old stone building to find features that are driving up heat and hydro bills. The church is waiting for the results.
Saving cash isn't the only reason behind the push to cut energy use. "Reducing your personal footprint on the Earth is very much in line with religion and spirituality," Xagoraris said.
The church is also offering advice to members about cutting energy costs in their homes. Last month, about 50 people learned over breakfast how to fix a drafty house and cut their heating bill in half.
Beatrice Ekwa Ekoko is project manager for Environment Hamilton, a nonprofit group that put on the workshop. She said it is talking with 60 other faith groups about setting up similar programs.
2 comments:
The churches will have much work in dealing with the Peak Oil catastrophe.
Independent studies conclude that Peak Oil production will occur (or has occurred) between 2005 to 2010 (projected year for peak in parentheses), as follows:
* Association for the Study of Peak Oil (2007)
* Rembrandt Koppelaar, Editor of “Oil Watch Monthly” (2008)
* Tony Eriksen, Oil stock analyst (2008)
* Matthew Simmons, Energy investment banker, (2007)
* T. Boone Pickens, Oil and gas investor (2007)
* U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (2005)
* Kenneth S. Deffeyes, Princeton professor and retired shell Geologist (2005)
* Sam Sam Bakhtiari, Retired Iranian National Oil Company geologist (2005)
* Chris Skrebowski, Editor of “Petroleum Review” (2010)
* Sadad Al Husseini, former head of production and exploration, Saudi Aramco (2008)
* Energy Watch Group in Germany (2006)
Independent studies indicate that global crude oil production will now decline from 74 million barrels per day to 60 million barrels per day by 2015. During the same time, demand will increase. Oil supplies will be even tighter for the U.S. As oil producing nations consume more and more oil domestically they will export less and less. Because demand is high in China, India, the Middle East, and other oil producing nations, once global oil production begins to decline, demand will always be higher than supply. And since the U.S. represents one fourth of global oil demand, whatever oil we conserve will be consumed elsewhere. Thus, conservation in the U.S. will not slow oil depletion rates significantly.
Alternatives will not even begin to fill the gap. And most alternatives yield electric power, but we need liquid fuels for tractors/combines, 18 wheel trucks, trains, ships, and mining equipment. The independent scientists of the Energy Watch Group conclude in a 2007 report titled: “Peak Oil Could Trigger Meltdown of Society:”
"By 2020, and even more by 2030, global oil supply will be dramatically lower. This will create a supply gap which can hardly be closed by growing contributions from other fossil, nuclear or alternative energy sources in this time frame."
http://www.energywatchgroup.org/fileadmin/global/pdf/EWG_Press_Oilreport_22-10-2007.pdf
With increasing costs for gasoline and diesel, along with declining taxes and declining gasoline tax revenues, states and local governments will eventually have to cut staff and curtail highway maintenance. Eventually, gasoline stations will close, and state and local highway workers won’t be able to get to work. We are facing the collapse of the highways that depend on diesel and gasoline powered trucks for bridge maintenance, culvert cleaning to avoid road washouts, snow plowing, and roadbed and surface repair. When the highways fail, so will the power grid, as highways carry the parts, large transformers, steel for pylons, and high tension cables from great distances. With the highways out, there will be no food coming from far away, and without the power grid virtually nothing modern works, including home heating, pumping of gasoline and diesel, airports, communications, and automated building systems.
This is documented in a free 48 page report that can be downloaded, website posted, distributed, and emailed: http://www.peakoilassociates.com/POAnalysis.html
I used to live in NH-USA, but moved to a more sustainable place. Anyone interested in relocating to a nice, pretty, sustainable area with a good climate and good soil? Email: clifford dot wirth at yahoo dot com or give me a phone call which operates here as my old USA-NH number 603-668-4207. http://survivingpeakoil.blogspot.com/
Kia Ora from Aotearoa NZ.
Good to see some interest in this subject from a church group. I see the issue of Peak Oil as a catalyst for the faith. The snug security of consumerism is being shredded and the world is left to face the consequences of its grand idolatry.
The churches at least are locally based elements of infrastructure that have not been privatized and then sold off. Because churches are essentially networks of people with a similar world view they are actually very resilient. Crucially (pun intended), believers have access to the source of hope that will probably make all the difference as we enter the hard times. This along with spiritual resources such as the scriptures and fellowship is likely to be of inestimable value in the years ahead.
May the Lord bless your efforts.
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