133rd Synod of the Diocese of Niagara

Greening of Niagara

Russ Kelk z from St Alban the Martyr Hamilton and Laura Marie Pieotrowic from Church of the Ascension, Hamilton:

• Our temperatures were higher
• Wells were lower
• Lakes were lower
• Agriculture of our diocese has been hurt
• continued drought has hurt corn and fields
• air water land have been polluted
• creation has been misused
• These concerns have caught the concern of many organizations
• Programs are available to help us in our concerns
• Motion: That this Synod calls upon each parish in the diocese to curtail green house gas emission by setting targets for reducing energy consumption and asks that achievement be reported to the annual Vestry meeting of the parish and further request our Bishop to appoint a committee to support and encourage this work by developing a Green Parish Accreditation Program along the lines of that developed by the Diocese of New Westminster in 2006

• Comments:
• Amendment: We should not use encourage - this gives outs to people. The youth synod did not only want this motion - youth synod proposes:
• A) EACH PARISH IN THE DIOCESE TO IDENTIFY THE CURRENT LEVELS OF GREEN HOUSE GAS EMMISSIONS AND REDUCE THEM BY 15% OVER THE NEXT YEAR AND ASKS THAT ACHIEVEMENTS BE REPORTED BOTH TO THE ANNUAL VESTRY MEETING OF EACH PARISH AND TO THE SYNOD.
• B) and that this synod further request our bishop to appoint a committee to support this work by developing a green parish accreditation program along the lines of that in new westminster and that each parish form a committee to work to this end in that parish.
• Our parish has already cut back 40% - cannot find another 15%. This wouldn't work for us.
• I support the amendment with the target
• Why 15% - why not 20% why not 10% - and what about the proactive parishes. THere needs to be latitude in the amendment.
• How is this measurable?
• On one hand I support the motion - how can we measure 15%? SOme of the things we do - cannot take the visible emissions out of our building - but by cutting out consumption - we cut out emissions 500 miles away. I look around at synod and we are using paper and paper and electricity - it needs to start here.
• Lets set a goal of 15% and see how we do. WIth regards to paper - it's true - we can save lots of energy by not using this paper.

Amended motion is carried.

Energy Break time!

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