St. Michael’s Parish and school in Grand Ledge is extending its civic obligation to the environment, pledging to reduce its energy use by 15 percent within the next few years.
“We don’t pretend that we’re breaking huge new ground,” says Pastor Jim Eisele. “We just really think that care for the environment and the church fit well together.”
The St. Michael Parish joined the Michigan Interfaith Power and Light group, which focuses on global climate change and reducing one’s carbon footprint through energy efficiency and green building.
The church has a list of about 26 actions to reduce its impact on the environment. Some of them are small items, such as shutting off the refrigerators in the summer time, while others are more expensive and labor intensive.
“The low hanging fruit you can do pretty easily with little or no cost,” Eisele says, adding that many of the efforts will also save the church money.
Parish members have divided up into separate groups to focus on certain aspects of changing the church’s environmental impact. One member is in charge of the Michigan Green School designation, which the state gives to schools that commit to green activities.
St. Michael’s has won this designation by meeting 12 of the 20 criteria created by the state.
Source: Mitzi Luttrull, St. Michael’s School
Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.
All Photographs © Dave Trumpie
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