The Environmental Protection Agency

Christian Century, Oct 24, 2001

* The Environmental Protection Agency has recognized five energy-efficient religious communities around the country with its 2001ENERGY STAR for Congregations Award, including Bethesda Lutheran Church, an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America congregation in Ames, Iowa. Houses of worship nominated for the award are judged according to "the number of energy-efficient upgrades made, cost savings per square foot, creativity and innovation," the EPA said.

Winners demonstrate "exemplary energy-efficient stewardship of the Earth." One success story, the EPA said, is Congregation Beth El-Keser Israel in New Haven, Connecticut, which won its second award this year. The synagogue recently replaced a 40-year-old air-conditioning unit with a recommended model, saving $6,000 this year and preventing 61,642 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually.