PhD Candidate University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX
People across the United States gather at churches, synagogues, mosques, and other places of worship each week. Energy consumption is an example of the environmental impacts of congregations. Members drive cars or ride public transportation from miles away to attend worship service. Energy is consumed in daily operations, educational classes are conducted during the week, and waste is generated. For years congregations have been making efforts to reduce their environmental impacts. Numerous books, websites, and organizations dedicated to supporting congregations that desire to engage, educate, and empower their members and surrounding communities in environmental stewardship. While congregations are taking steps to reduce their overall environmental impacts, there are few options for congregations to actually measure their impacts. In 2007, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published a resource guide, Putting Energy Into Stewardship: ENERGY STAR Guide for Congregations, to help congregations save energy and calculate savings, as well as offer additional ways to green the congregation, or reduce overall environmental impact. The intersection of environmental stewardship and sustainability continues to be important to many congregations. A 40-question survey was sent to 461 congregations in the United States that have been recognized for their environmental efforts, or Green Congregations. This study evaluates whether various factors, such as congregation size or congregation age, influence the environmental practices of Green Congregations.
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