First Church continues to deepen its commitment to environmental stewardship through the work of our Earth Care Action Group, improvements to the sustainability and energy efficiency of our historic buildings, and efforts to align our investments with a more sustainable future.
Down to Earth is a weekly feature from First Church’s Earth Care Action Group, shared in First Matters. Each edition offers a brief reflection, resource, update, or practical way to care for creation, from environmental news and sustainable living to opportunities for advocacy and action.
For the last year and a half, a team of First Church staff and volunteers have been participating in an energy management program funded by the state agency New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). We received grant funding to work with the energy consultant VEIC to brainstorm projects that will both save money and cut unnecessary energy usage. One project we’ve already completed: insulating exposed HVAC piping on the roof to avoid harsh UV exposure and prevent refrigerant leakage. Without this insulation, the heating and cooling system would be forced to work harder to keep the building at a comfortable temperature, using excess electricity. This quick upgrade will pay for itself through lower utility bills and less frequent equipment repairs. Watch for more Green Buildings updates in this space soon!
Not all decarbonization projects have to be big and complicated. One easy win: fighting “vampire energy,” which is power that electronics and appliances draw when they are plugged in, even when turned off. With the energy consulting company VEIC, we estimated that First Church can save up to 2,770 kWh per year just by unplugging things like laptops when not in use. Overall, this step is a straightforward way that we (and you!) can reduce energy consumption.
With the arrival of autumn, you may have noticed a draft near some First Church doors—especially in the Mellin MacNab entrance These drafts—caused by small gaps between the doors and their frames—waste energy and raise our utility bill. To combat this, First will be installing weather stripping on all exterior doors. This rubber sealing is estimated to save p to 500 kWh of energy per year as well as 200 therms per year of natural gas used for heating. The weather stripping will make the church feel more comfortable too.”
Enjoy a fun and eco-friendly Halloween by avoiding single-use plastics. You can also:
· Skip cheap store-bought costumes— thrift, borrow, or swap instead
· Decorate with compostable items like pumpkins, hay, corn, and homemade scarecrows
· Create spooky scenes with upcycled materials and use lower-impact LED lights
· Buy candy in bulk and use paper or cloth bags
Find out more about these tips and more at Beyond Plastics—and Happy Halloween!
https://www.beyondplastics.org/holiday-guides/halloween
The conventional wisdom on battery disposal can be confusing. Here are some guidelines.
· Traditional alkaline (AA, AAA, and AAAA) batteries: Dispose of in regular household trash bins—not recycling bins as they can jam recycling machinery and induce sparks.
· Non-alkaline batteries (rechargeable, lithium, “heavy-duty,” “long-life,” small button-cell/coin): Require safe disposal—they pose a major fire hazard in regular trash bins. This BatteryNetwork.org map will help you find a safe disposal drop-off site for non-alkaline batteries. There are half a dozen possibilities within a few blocks of First Church alone.
Still have questions? Check out the Department of Sanitation’s Get Rid of Batteries page.
https://www.nyc.gov/site/dsny/collection/get-rid-of/batteries.page
https://batterynetwork.org/locator/
