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Ideas to consider for future initiatives
The following are ideas, under each of the six Green Action Areas, from our
March 25th "Taking Action" workshop and from the Jan/Feb "Making Connections"
seminar series, and from our Feb. 2008 workshop "Focus on Fairlawn".
Have people think "I want to be part of this community because they are
leaders in the right way to be Christian".
Expressing our opinion
- Expressing our opinion for going carbon
neutral (done, ongoing)
- Raise awareness of “ethical investing” for our trustees and members of
the community
- Petitions for environmental protection causes (done, ongoing)
- Leverage the Fairlawn Neighbourhood Centre to co-sponsor programs and
encourage its membership to go green (done, ongoing)
- Car pooling for church events
- Publicize that the church is easy access from the subway (done, e.g., added to
the home page, location page and the footer of every page on our website)
- Say the Creed more often in church ~ 'To live with respect in Creation'
(we have an ongoing commitment to social justice and green action as part of our weekly
worship services)
- Invite a well-known guest speaker to speak at our church service (done,
ongoing)
- Networking connections to other churches and organizations in the
neighbourhood who are also doing green activities (done, ongoing)
Buy locally-grown foods
- Encourage local suppliers to stock locally-grown foods (done, ongoing)
Communications
- "Green Quiz of the Week" at the Green Table highlighting a green topic
(done ~ started on April 1st with a recycling quiz of a variety of discarded
material. People who dropped by the Green Table guessed the correct
recycling category ~ e.g., recycling, organic/compost, garbage, re-use,
etc.)
- Promotional campaigns to help educate members of the Fairlawn community
regarding green topics using events such as: seminars, guest speakers,
weekly bulletin, web site, bulletin board postings, handouts, church
announcements, green table, Community Life, email notes to the green
distribution list, etc. (done, ongoing)
- Guest speaker to discuss how to be “green” in a condo or apartment
- Guest speaker to discuss how to insulate/caulk your home
- Guest speaker to demonstrate bike repair to encourage biking rather than
driving (done as part of village day)
- Guest speakers (done, ongoing)
- Community Life articles (done, ongoing)
- Find links to websites on the internet that provide lists of
sources and companies that are “green” ~ for a variety of products (done in
non-specific, non-advertising way, ongoing)
- Provide links from the Green Page
to other useful web sites (done, ongoing)
- Get other green web sites to link to or be able to search and find the Fairlawn web site
(done, ongoing)
- Emphasize environmental protection in prayers, Sunday School, connection
with the rest of the world and with spirituality (done, ongoing)
- Sermons on the topic of environmental protection each year (done,
ongoing)
- "Minute" for green topics in some services (done, ongoing)
- Green tips in the Bulletin (done weekly, ongoing)
- Publicize that we are a green church ~ e.g., add to our street sign,
participate in seminars, workshops and conferences in the Toronto community (done,
ongoing)
- Publicize environmental heroes in our community
- Films on environmental issues during or after worship service (done,
ongoing)
Gardening
- Tree planting (done, ongoing annually)
- Plan something for Earth Day or Earth Hour (done, ongoing annually)
- Sustainable plantings in our gardens (done, ongoing annually)
- Vegetable garden
- Urban garden
- Obtain rain barrels to water our Fairlawn gardens
- More composters (done)
- Encourage a spiritual connection with nature with outdoor walks and
activities (done, ongoing annually)
- Plan an outdoor service; bring friends and family
- Incorporate nature studies into Sunday School program (done, ongoing)
- Christmas tree activities
- Community garden on church property
- Sponsor an Environmental Incentive Day (done, ongoing annually)
- hand out plants or other
reminder
Property Improvements
- Use Environmentally friendly cleaning products in the building (done,
ongoing)
- Guest speaker on environmentally friendly cleaning products for home use
- Organize a bulk purchase and fundraising sale with the sale of green
products such as:
- Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs
- Environmentally friendly cleaning products
- LEED certification (Leadership in energy and environmental design) or
use the key ideas from LEED
- Use solar collectors on the roof of the church
- Improve insulation on the roof of the church (done)
Recycling
- Capitalize on the Environment Day municipal hazardous waste depots that
are opened throughout the city on various dates (done, ongoing)
- Improved signage on existing
recycling bins (done, ongoing) for the recycling program called 'Put Waste
in its Place'
- Staff job descriptions to include handling compost and recycling (done,
ongoing)
- Carry over recycling and other ideas to our work places (advertised and
shared tips)
- Organizing a “refurbishing day” or participate in an existing “Furniture
Bank” where people exchange household things instead of discarding and
buying new ~ e.g.
http://www.furniturebank.org (advertised and shared tips)
- Organize Fairlawn folks to Give our "stuff" away to those in need; e.g.,
CRC, swap shop, depots in Toronto (done, ongoing)
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