|
For Bill Kroesser of Charleston’s Temple Israel, environmental
conservation didn’t start with modern oil crises, but goes back to
the Bible’s story of creation.
“We have to be good stewards of the planet that was given to us,”
said Marcia Leitch, coordinator of the West Virginia Interfaith
Climate Change Campaign.
A panel representing several Charleston faith groups met Monday
evening at Temple Israel for a discussion on faith organizations’
role in stopping the rise in global temperatures caused by
greenhouse gases.
It’s a moral decision to drive a Toyota Prius hybrid car and
switch out his incandescent light bulbs for energy-saving
fluorescents, Kroesser said. “My faith has pointed me toward this
way of life,” Krosser said.
An increase in global temperatures could intensify storms and
draughts in different parts of the world, panelists said.
“The data is overwhelming. We’re seeing a [rise in temperature]
cycle greater than anything we’ve seen in 10,000 years,” said Allan
Tweddle, an engineer and steering committee representative for the
climate change campaign. “And if you chart the increase over the
years, it’s identical to the increase in fossil fuel use.”
Panelists said reducing fossil fuel use fulfills another aspect
of their faith, treating other living creatures with respect. The
global climate change would harm people living in poorer nations and
leave problems for future generations. “I have to ask whether I’m
leaving the earth in decent shape for my grandchildren,” Krosser
said.
The panel also noted the practical side of using “green”
products, as most energy-saving measures can lower electric bills.
“The economics of doing the right thing are very positive,” Tweddle
said.
The group will also ask drivers to turn off vehicles while
waiting to pick up or drop off their children at schools, said Tonya
Adkins, regional coordinator of the Interfaith Climate Change
Campaign. Exhaust fumes from idling cars can enter a school through
the ventilation system, and lower the air quality inside the
building, Adkins said.
The state Legislature passed a bill in the last session that
required school buses to turn off engines when loading students,
Adkins said. About 87 percent of West Virginia’s school buses have
diesel engines, Adkins said, which produce more of the air
pollutants that contribute to asthma than gas-powered engines.
To contact staff writer Mandy Rorrer, use e-mail or call
348-5163.
|
More Today
