Episcopal Power and Light Brings News
of "Green Power" to Area Church Leaders

The commander of the international space station recently remarked that the Earth looks much hazier today than it did only ten years ago. The spectacularly beautiful planet that God created for us is being degraded at an accelerating rate as a result of deforestation, pollution of air and water, and extinction of plants and animals - all the result of human activities.

The Episcopal Church has recently taken a prominent role in an ecumenical movement to acknowledge stewardship of Creation as an important mission of God's Church on Earth. One of the leaders in this movement, the Rev. Sally Bingham of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, will be visiting Knoxville November 7th and 8th, to meet with the public and religious leaders to discuss the role of churches in Environmental Stewardship.

Two years ago, Bingham and her diocesan commission for the environment received approval to form Episcopal Power and Light (EP&L), in order to allow churches to purchase "green power," produced by energy sources that do not pollute or destroy the environment, such as wind energy. Within a year, nearly 60 parishes in California had switched to "green power," and the program quickly became national and interdenominational. Steve MacAusland, of the Massachusetts Diocese is the co-director of EP&L with Bingham.

Episcopal Power and Light arranged for the 2000 Episcopal General Convention in Denver to become the first convention in the United States to be completely powered by wind energy. The impact of this was so great that the Democratic National Convention followed the Church's example and was also powered by renewable energy.

Recognizing the negative effects of our lifestyle and energy use on the environment is a new concept for many of us. As Americans, we use five times more energy per person than the global average - with four percent of the Earth's population we are responsible for twenty percent of the total energy use. Recently, the US Environmental Protection Agency released their national energy analysis, which showed that we Tennesseans use more electricity per person than residents of any other state. Unfortunately, many of the air quality and health problems that are becoming increasingly serious in Tennessee are the direct result of electric power production, both locally and in states upwind.

Bingham may be bringing her message about environmental stewardship and green power to the right place, at the right time. She will make a presentation to the public at 7:30 pm Wednesday Nov. 7, at the Good Samaritan Episcopal Church at Cedar Bluff. The following day, she will have a lunch meeting with church leaders of all denominations at St. John's Cathedral in Knoxville, co- hosted by the Diocese of East Tennessee and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. She will also be meeting with officials at TVA, who have recently initiated a pilot "green power" program in a few communities within the region, including Chattanooga, Knoxville and Oak Ridge. Individuals, businesses, and churches can pay a surcharge of $4 per 150 kilowatt hours to obtain power produced by TVA's three new windmills (more are on order), photoelectric panels, and natural gas produced in landfills.

Environmental Stewardship activities within the Diocese of East Tennessee are being encouraged and supported by the Jubilee 2000 Committee, chaired by the Rev. Paige Buchholz of St. Elizabeth's and the Rev. Pat Cahill of Thankful Memorial, Chattanooga. Contact the Diocesan Office for more information on the Bingham's visit.