Comment - July 2009
Things are happening ....
David Shreeve the Church of England's National Environment Adviser
Whilst there may be many churches which still have to make the simplest changes to help them reduce their environmental footprints, others are taking major steps.
This week the media has been reporting how a remote church in Devon has installed a compost loo. Such is the significance of the installation that it warranted a blessing from the Bishop of Crediton.
How nervous clergy and petrified choirs have coped over the centuries in some churches without any plumbed facilities we can only imagine, but now the wonders of modern science involving a pit, straw bales and chicken wire can bring much relief without any running water, plumbing or electricity.
For full details and a picture of the blessing click here. http://www.shrinkingthefootprint.org/press.php?id=50
Vicar Cate Edmonds and the Bishop of Crediton bless the toilet
Meanwhile in Sleaford in the Lincoln diocese celebrations are in hand following the installation of 56 PV cells on a Grade 1 parish church bucking all the regulations there seemed to be banning any form of panels on listed buildings. St Denys' Church is aiming to beat the 4.5 Tonnes of CO2 savings that are advised as the national guidelines thanks to Lincolnshire's splendid location as the wind will not detract from the sunshine for once!
Again it's a development important enough for the Bishop of Lincoln to stop by and dedicate the panels. One day, hopefully, such a development will be so common place that it will no longer warrant such a ‘do'.
In the meantime part of Shrinking the Footprint's job is to spread the word as much as possible to get ideas started, plans drawn up, money raised and coverage by the media...
Do keep StF posted with your news.
