Policy/pledge: We agree to assess the destructive impact that our activities and the use and maintenance of our property may have upon creation—in such matters as energy use, toxic products, paper use, water use, waste, transportation, among others. We will strive to make choices that lessen our negative impact on the earth and that serve to renew and restore earth community.
People: Director of Building and Grounds; Maintenance staff; head of the cafeteria; all members of the community—students, faculty, staff.
Goal: To reduce the ecological imprint of the seminary in regard to every aspect of the physical area of the seminary that has an impact on the environment.
Actions: Here are some things that can be done to carry out these commitments.
A. Consultation: Find ways to become an integral part of the maintenance and remodeling projects of the seminary. Request to be represented at some staff meetings that address issues impacting the environment. Meet annually with the head of the building and grounds to go over various areas to address in the action plan for each year. Develop a respectful and collaborative relationship. Remember: maintenance people are often working with severe limitations of time and money. They do not need more pressure or public criticism of their efforts.
B. Do a Comprehensive Environmental Inventory. This is perhaps the most important thing you can do. There is an Comprehensive Environmental Guide soon to be available on the Web of Creation site that could be used for this purpose. Determine what areas it is feasible to address and revisit the inventory regularly to assess what new actions can be taken.
C. Here are some specific areas that might be addressed:
1. Energy for lighting: It is amazing what fossil fuel burning can be averted and what money can be saved by retrofitting lights and by replacing current lights with new and improved lighting. Replacing one incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light saves the burning of five hundred pounds of coal over the lifetime of that bulb.
2. Energy for Heating and cooling: An energy audit for heating may also turn up some feasible ways in which you can conserve in the production of heat and air conditioning.
3. Renewable energy: Some seminaries have gone to a geothermal energy source. Others are using solar energy for heating water or for outside lights.
4. Recycling: Seek to develop a comprehensive recycling program for the main buildings and the living units—plastic, cans, glass (of several colors), different kinds of paper, cell phones, printer cartridges, household batteries, plastic bags, and so on. Encourage members of the seminary community to participate actively. Post instructions near the receptacle bins and in the living units (in the language of the occupants).
5. Lawn maintenance: Avoid pesticides and herbicides; void chemical fertilizer; where feasible, mow with a hand mower; consider planting low maintenance grass.
6. Green Cleaning products: Reduce or eliminate toxic products used in the maintenance of the buildings. Environmentally safe products are now available for most cleaning jobs.
7. Food: Work with the head of the cafeteria to seek ways to purchase organic and/or locally grown food. Make efforts to reduce or eliminate the use of Styrofoam and paper products. Increase the availability of meatless meals. Provide a mug rack.
8. Paper products: Do an inventory of paper purchases and seek to purchase recycled/ post-consumer waste paper for office use as well as for bathroom use. Develop guidelines for the use of office paper by faculty, staff, and students—to reduce, use fully, and recycle. Make use of paperless electronic means of communication where feasible.
9. Best practices: Consider environmentally safe practices for coffee hours and served lunches.
D. Institutionalize It! : If some new imitiative begins as a voluntary effort of students, seek to institutionalize the effort as quickly as possible, so that it becomes part of the regular work of the paid staff. Students come and go and have periods when they cannot do extra volunteer labor. The cycle of student availability means that volunteer labor simply cannot be counted on for consistent and long term commitments.
E. Promote what you do! Be sure to announce actions to the community. Use each environmentally-friendly practice that is adopted as a means to educate people generally to the importance of greening your institution. If the seminary building and grounds function as laboratory and model for students, then you need to demonstrate the efforts being made. Remember also that the frequent turnover of students in the seminary community makes it is necessary to re-announce seminary actions and efforts each year.
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