Nov/Dec 2012

November/December 2012

&

FAITH

susTAiNAbiliTy

7

ways to green the

HOLIDAYS

Sponsor an

edible tree garden

$4.95 U.S.

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Publisher’s Letter

Faith and sustainability mix well for many

I

n a world that often seems divisive, it is encouraging to see so many different local faith communities finding common ground in caring for the Earth and encouraging sustainability efforts.

For this issue, we talked to a dozen church and synagogue leaders to find out how their congregations were assimilating sustainability into the practice of their faith. What we found were passionate groups of people working together to reduce their carbon footprints through energy efficiency, recycling and repurposing, native and edible gardens, waterway cleanups, tree-planting projects, renewable energy investments and even the use of “green” Bibles. In the process of adding a greener shade to their facilities, they were all educating their members on how to make similar changes at home. We’re passing on information and resources they shared with us that may help other non-profit groups make their own facilities more sustainable.

As we planned this issue, it was fortuitous that we learned of a new non-profit group tackling the local food issue in a creative way. The Giving Grove and its many local partners are planning replicable, edible tree gardens as a sustainable way to grow fruit and deliver it to hungry families living in food “deserts” without easy access to fresh food. Their first two orchards are plotted for a school and an urban farm. Organizers have big plans for dotting the Kansas City metro map with edible tree gardens. Think fresh peaches, apples and even figs. If you’re looking for a group to support during the holidays, this is one of many that would appreciate your help.

In this holiday season, the celebrating will begin in earnest at Thanksgiving and linger through the New Year. You can find several ways to minimize holiday

waste and simplify your festivities while spicing up old traditions. We especially like the idea of making natural, edible ornaments to hang in the trees outside to attract the birds. This time of year, we also encourage everyone to choose local food, cut an invasive tree and reduce, reuse and recycle when hosting family get-togethers.

Even though there’s a chill in the air, this past summer’s scorching heat and drought will not soon be forgotten. Many have asked if we are in a natural weather cycle or if global warming is giving us a nasty taste of what is ahead. For our commentary feature this issue, I am honored to share the writing of an international climate scientist. Dr. James Hansen, director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and adjunct professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University, thinks his grim climate-change warning to the U.S. Senate in 1988 was “too optimistic.” Read more about his concerns and ideas.

If you are looking for greener ways to spend your time this season, be sure to check our calendar at www.greenabilitymagazine.com. It’s loaded with seasonal events and greener holiday outings for the entire family.

This winter season, we invite you to join us in celebrating more by wasting less. Thank you for keeping Greenability in your life.

Julie Koppen Publisher

julie@greenabilitymagazine.com

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Volume 6, Number 6 November/December 2012

Publisher Julie Koppen julie@greenabilitymagazine.com

OPERATIONS & Circulation MANAGER Jared Cole jared@greenabilitymagazine.com

copy Editor Kim Broers Writers Mary Bush Jared Cole James Hansen Lisa Ousley Assistants James Gottsch Johannah Waldo Graphic Design Kim Tappan/Tappan Design Connie Saum

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Greenability

Photography Jared Cole Ric Cummings/Black & White Specialties Advertising Julie Koppen julie@greenabilitymagazine.com

website management Tim Gieseking Copyright All contents of this issue of Greenability are copyrighted by The Koppen Group Inc., 2012.

All rights reserved.

Greenability November/December 2012 (ISSN 1938-5749) is published bi-monthly (6 times per year) for $24 per year by The Koppen Group, Inc., 1600 Olive St., Kansas City, MO 64127. Periodicals postage paid (USPS 2020) at Kansas City, MO and at additional mailing offices.

Postmaster Send address changes to GREENABILITY, P.0. Box 414056, Kansas City, MO 64141-4056.

Subscribe online at www.greenabilitymagazine.com

or send subscription orders or address changes to P.O. Box 414056, Kansas City, MO 64141-4056. u.s. postal service 1. Greenability; 2. 1938-5749; 3. 9-26-12; 4. Bi-monthly; 5. 6; 6. 24; 7.8.9.10.

Julie Koppen, publisher; The Koppen Group, Inc, owner; 1600 Olive St., KC, MO 64127; 816-931-3646; 11. 0; 13.

Greenability; 14. 7/8-12; 15a.

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Cert no. BV-COC-963605

Contents November/December 2012

Features

11 31

8 ways to add a little green to your holidays Sustainable Success Stories announces winners

Departments

4 34 35

From the Publisher

Faith & Sustainability

17 Sustainability from pulpit to pew 25 Sustainable Sanctuaries:

Finding your way

Missouri non-profits can get 26 free energy audits Kansas interfaith group offers 27 $3,000 energy rebates 29 Church “Potato Drops” feed thousands

Green Pages

Commentary: Climate change is here – and it’s worse than we thought

37

Greenability Directory

7

The Giving Grove plants edible tree gardens

KANSAS CITY’S MOST EXPERIENCED SOLAR ENERGY COMPANY AS A MATTER OF FACT,

WE DID THEIR

SOLAR INSTALLATION.

CLEAN ENERGY. CLEAR CHOICE.

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The Giving Grove

to plant edible tree gardens

A contemplation area is planned for the Hale Cook Elementary garden site. Carisa McMullen, owner of Landworks Studio in Olathe, developed the inaugural designs for both the Hale Cook and Jerusalem Farm sites.

G

etting fresh food to the hungry in our community is a big job for many, and it’s one that convinced three volunteers in a church hunger-relief ministry to look for more sustainable options.

While packing boxes of food for pantries and making grocery deliveries to soup kitchens and shelters, Kevin Birzer, Greg Finkle and Ray Makalous of Church of the Resurrection saw the need for a more sustainable, long-term approach to fighting hunger. They were looking for ways to grow fresh, nutritious food for future generations as well as those in need today.

With the idea of a food forest in mind, the three called together key individuals in the fall of 2011 to discuss ways to adapt the growing model for the Kansas City area. The idea morphed from food forests to edible tree gardens of varying sizes and complexities, and incorporated the additional goals of educating and reconnecting people, especially children, with growing and eating healthy food, as well as beautifying urban areas.

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Greenability Greenability

Greenability Challenge

The Giving Grove was born as a way to provide hunger relief by planting perennial gardens once, and then developing a sustainable system for tending and harvesting. The mission of the organization is to help communities learn to grow their own food, while sharing a percentage of the produce grown at each garden with those in need.

And the need continues to grow. According to a Feeding America report on hunger, more than 66,000 people in the Kansas City area seek emergency food assistance each week. About one-quarter of the children in the metro area are at risk of food insecurity. Even as the Kansas City community seeks to establish community gardens and fresh food markets in areas classified as food deserts, founders of The Giving Grove wanted to further secure access to fresh food on a longer-term basis with orchards – or edible tree gardens.

Lisa Ousley, Jill Quigley and Rob Reiman joined the group in late 2011, and a team of six was formed to establish the organization. Seeking to complement the work of existing food growers, the group spent nearly a year exploring the metro-area food-production network.

The Giving Grove envisions food-producing tree gardens taking root on vacant lots, as well as in residential, school, church and community gardens and multi-acre plots across the metro area.

Organizers hope it will inspire people to come together to grow, tend, harvest, eat and share their own healthy food.

Partnering with experts in agriculture, nutrition, landscape design and education, The Giving Grove will develop replicable models for creating these sustainable tree gardens throughout the metro area. Projects will range in size from a few fruit or nut trees to complex plantings combining layers of trees, berry bushes, herbs and perennial vegetables like asparagus and rhubarb. The

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5

ways to get involved

Become a site steward or apprentice

If you are able to make a long-term volunteer commitment to provide regular, ongoing maintenance of an edible tree garden, The Giving Grove will provide the horticultural training you need to act as a site steward for The Giving Grove project. Or become an apprentice who learns by doing and assists the site steward.

2

Offer land for a tree garden project

Projects range in size from a few trees added to an existing vegetable garden to multiple acres with combinations of trees, brambles and perennial herbs. If you have a potential planting site, contact The Giving Grove.

3

Volunteer to plant or glean

If you want ‘hands in the soil’ work, you can volunteer for a specific project or be on-call to help when you are needed. You can even take ownership of a project by getting your own group of volunteers involved with a site.

Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H groups and church organizations are potential volunteer partners.

4

Help teach classes

If you have expertise in soil preparation, planting, creative irrigation, nutrition, food preparation or other related skills, The Giving Grove is looking for volunteers for its educational resource bank and teachers for its classes.

5

Donate

Contributions of money will be used for plants, soil enrichment, building materials, equipment, educational materials, workshops, etc. Or make in-kind donations of printing, design work, computer skills or marketing. Make taxdeductible donations online designated to The Giving Grove on Kansas City Community Garden’s website (www.kccg.org) or mail a check to: Ben Sharda, executive director of Kansas City Community Gardens (left), shows a Chicago hardy fig to Rob Reiman, a founding organizer of The Giving Grove.

Kansas City Community Gardens – The Giving Grove 6917 Kensington, Kansas City, MO 64132. greenabilitymagazine.com greenabilitymagazine.com

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Greenability Challenge

Giving Grove will provide plants, growing expertise and other resources to individuals and groups for growing their own tree gardens in both urban and suburban areas.

The Giving Grove has begun work on two projects in the metro area: a tree garden on the grounds of the former Hale Cook Elementary School in Brookside, and a tree garden at Jerusalem Farm, near the intersection of Independence Avenue and Prospect Boulevard.

The Hale Cook project is part of Learn Grow Give, a sustainable agriculture education project involving community vegetable gardens and tree gardens on a vacant elementary school property that the neighborhood is trying to revitalize and reopen. Four organizations are partnering in this effort: The Giving Grove, Kansas City Community Gardens, Friends of Hale Cook and the Centurions of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. When complete, the project will establish 12 raised vegetable garden beds, 20 fruit trees and about 50 berry bushes, as well as a rain-barrel water collection system and a contemplation area.

The project is intended to unite the neighborhood while providing an educational opportunity for area residents along with food for residents and area pantries feeding needy Kansas Citians.

The Jerusalem Farm project is a partnership between The Giving Grove and the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. Jerusalem Farm is a Catholic intentional community located in Kansas City, MO, in which volunteers learn about the importance of sustainability and stewardship of the Earth while tending to home repair in the local area. Jerusalem Farm recently installed its first community garden, and is now working on its inaugural edible tree garden in partnership with The Giving Grove.

Partnerships are critical to the success of The Giving Grove projects.

Ben Sharda, executive director of Kansas City Community Gardens; Daniel Dermitzel, adjunct faculty at University of Missouri-Kansas City; Steve Mann, site developer for Cultivate Kansas City; and Matt Bunch, horticulturalist at Powell Gardens, helped develop a recommended plant list and will assist with the design of the replicable models. A number of local landscaping companies have agreed to assist with the development of tree garden sites. Carisa McMullen, owner of Landworks Studio in Olathe, has developed the inaugural designs for both the Hale Cook and Jerusalem Farm sites. The Giving Grove is working to finalize a strategic alliance with Kansas City Community Gardens. Another critical partnership has been established with the Society of St. Andrew’s Western Headquarters (SoSA West), a local hunger-relief organization that focuses on gleaning orchards after the harvest. SoSA West has agreed to provide gleaning at the tree gardens to gather food to take to food agencies at the end of production each year.

Each tree garden project will have a steward and an apprentice in place before planning begins. The Giving Grove horticulturalist will train stewards and apprentices using available community resources whenever possible. Volunteers from the community will assist with the plantings, and the steward and apprentice for each site will be responsible for the maintenance and care of the tree garden as it grows. The community will help with, and enjoy, some of the harvest. But each garden will provide a portion to a food pantry.

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Greenability Greenability

HENDRICKSON TREE CARE

The Giving Grove team envisions tree gardens scattered across the metro area. They hope the gardens bring the surrounding neighborhoods together to learn about and eat the fresh food the gardens provide while enjoying the beauty of the plants and trees. The goal is to have several tree gardens of varying sizes in place before the end of 2013.

The Giving Grove executive team combines the development expertise of its key organizers. Kevin Birzer is the senior managing director of Tortoise Capital Advisors, an investment management firm headquartered in Leawood that specializes in listed energy investments.

He chairs the group and adds organizational and financial expertise.

Greg Finkle is president of Finkle/Williams Architecture in Overland Park, KS and guides the group in marketing and design. Ray Makalous has a background in banking and coordinates the group’s fundraising and community networking. Lisa Ousley is the director of the Western Headquarters of the Society of St. Andrew, an organization that fights hunger by securing fresh produce for food banks and feeding agencies.

She is helping the group make connections with hunger relief organizations and area growers. Jill Quigley is a nurse and a former Kansas state representative. She is working on the community’s use of the produce, education programs and community volunteers. Rob Reiman is a retired principal of Deloitte Consulting. He offers an environmentalist’s perspective, group facilitation and strategic planning skills, and will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of The Giving Grove.

For more information about The Giving Grove, see www.givinggrove.org or contact the organizers by email at givinggrove @gmail.com.

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Reflection Educational Area Rendering

Plans for The Giving Grove’s first edible tree garden at the former Hale Cook Elementary Orchard Site Rendering School site include raised vegetable garden beds, fruit trees and berry bushes, and a rainbarrel water collection system. Design: Carisa McMullen, Landworks Studio

Graphics & Planning by

Learn Grow Give

Hale Cook Elementar y / 2012 Centurions Legacy Project

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Green Holidays

8

T

ways to add a little green

to your holidays

By Jared Cole

his holiday season, try spicing up your festivities with locally grown food, a holiday decoration swap party, or activities that will get you and the kids outside. It’s better for the environment, and can add more meaning and

simplicity to the celebrations.

1 Recycle old Christmas lights, shine with LEDs

Incandescent Christmas lights use loads of energy. Recycle them by finding a drop-off center at www.kcrecyclelights.com. Then replace them with LED (light-emitting diode) lights, which use 80 to 90 percent less electricity than incandescents. Light up your holiday with an energy-efficient string of LEDs.

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Greenability

a prairie, cut a tree 2 Help Remove an invasive Eastern Red Cedar from a native area and take it home for your Christmas tree. Kansas City WildLands will host its annual tree-cutting event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. December 8 near the Theatre in the Park, Shawnee Mission Park in Johnson County, KS. After Christmas, be sure to check www.recyclespot.org to find the closest recycling center or drop-off spot so your tree can be chipped into mulch for another use.

3 Wrap it reusable

(or at least recyclable)

Wrapping paper is not recyclable, which means all the paper goes to waste in a landfill. During the holidays, household waste increases by 25 percent, which adds an additional one million tons of waste to landfills, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. So instead of using wrapping paper, try wrapping presents in an old map, newspaper or glossy magazine pages. Or use a new dishtowel, canning jar or reusable containers such as Gift it Green (www.giftitgreen.com) reusable cotton gift boxes.

While you’re looking for ways to reduce waste, consider cloth napkins and placemats that can be reused. If you don’t have a holiday set, MYdrap (www.buymydrap.com) napkins and placemats come on a perforated roll of 12 cotton or linen squares and rectangles that tear off as needed. They can be washed and used multiple times, and are biodegradable and recyclable.

4 Taste local flavors at your holiday meal Think the cold weather prevents food from being local? Several local farms offer meat, eggs, milk, cheese, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, nuts and other produce during the winter months. Consider serving a meal or a dish that gifts the environment, reducing carbon emissions and pesticide use while supporting local people and connecting with the land. If you don’t want to cook, check out Kansas City Food Circle (www.kcfoodcircle.org) for a list of restaurants that use local food. Or consider a caterer like Bistro Kids that specializes in preparing food from local farmers like Good Natured Family Farms.

The Eat Local for the Holidays campaign by the Greater Kansas City Food Policy Coalition asks everyone to take an Eat Local Pledge to serve at least one locally grown food during holiday celebrations. Make your pledge at www.eatlocalkc.net, and find a list of farmer’s markets and restaurants with local food during the season.

Chefs Shad Schmutz (right) and Logan Daniels (left) of Bistro Kids prepared local food for a Greenability party. Diana Endicott and Good Natured Family Farms provided the ingredients for mini roasted free-range chicken tartlets, roasted squash hummus, butternut squash soup and mini pumpkin pies. Photo: Jared Cole

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watch for the feathered decorations to arrive: colored in red (Northern Cardinal), blue (blue jays), and black-and-white (black-capped chickadees. Any seed that falls to the ground will attract dark-eyed juncos and white-throated sparrows.

a holiday swap party 6 Plan Reduce waste and clear cluttered closets by

5 Make a bird-feeding ornament

Simple bird feeders are easy and enjoyable to make, and can serve as a family project for the holidays. The feeders help birds during the winter, and decorate outdoor trees with living ornaments. And they are simple to make. Using a pinecone as a base, smear peanut butter in all the open spaces and then roll each cone in sunflower seed and cracked corn. Use a ribbon or string to hang them in your trees, then

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organizing a holiday swap party with friends.

Collect all your usable, but unwanted, holiday decorations, ornaments, greeting cards and wrapping paper. Get your friends together and swap. You’ll give new life to unused decorations while cleaning out the house. If you don’t want to be the party organizer, let All Things Organized, a Kansas City business, coordinate the swap party.

Attendees submit unwanted items of quality. At the swap party, guests peruse items and then claim them in an auction-style process. Leftovers are donated to charity or recycled responsibly.

“People get stuff they’re really excited about,” said Joanie Nicholas, owner of All Things Organized.

Every timber has a story Old barns, abandoned warehouses and fallen oak trees all have their own stories.

By reusing antique wood, we preserve the past, protect our environment and allow historic timbers and lumber to share their heritage with future generations.

If you’re considering the beauty and appeal of reclaimed wood for your next home, retail or office project, look to Beaver Timber as your resource.

Supplied by Nature:Reclaimed and Restored

913-831-2518 www.beaver-timber.com

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Greenability

7 Enjoy a “Green Friday” after Thanksgiving

The mad shopping season officially starts on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.

Malls will open in the middle of the night, crowds will get unruly waiting for openings and consumerism will be at a frenzy. As an alternative this year, make a plan to spend the day out in nature or on a family outing.

If holiday shopping is on your schedule, plan to make it a “Green Friday” by supporting local businesses, artists and entrepreneurs who offer recycled and organic products that are kinder to the Earth.

of people around the world turn off their electric lights to show a commitment to energy conservation, let the candlelight alone give you an opportunity to reflect on how to use less electricity.

8 Turn off lights

while candles are lit

When celebrating religious traditions such as lighting Advent candles before Christmas or the Menorah on Chanukah, turn off your electric lights. Like the symbolic Earth Hour at which hundreds of millions

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Give Greenability magazine this holiday season.

Give a Greenability magazine subscription.

Greenability is for everyone. With a gift subscription, you’ll be giving a year of ideas, inspiration and resources for a greener lifestyle. And now, your $24 gift includes both paper and digital issues.

November/December 2012

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It’s easy on you and the environment.

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sustainablity

SUSTAINABILITY from pulpit to pew

By Mary Bush

I

ncreasingly, local churches and synagogues are making the connection between their faith and caring for the Earth. Their efforts are reflected in the creative ways they are tackling environmental issues from the

pulpit and in the pews.

From Ohev Sholom’s summer KosherFest showcasing electric and fuelefficient cars in Prairie Village to the sustainable holiday event where Unity Church of Overland Park members swap cards and ornaments, today’s congregations are committing to environmental efforts through renewable resources, energy efficiency and sustainable living.

At Saint Andrew Christian Church, members volunteer to care for areas planted with many native species in an Adopt-a-Garden Bed project.

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Greenability

gWe recently checked in with local houses of worship to

Saint Andrew’s land has been designated by the National

see what is happening on the congregational green front.

Wildlife Federation as a certified wildlife habitat. Its four

Read on to see how these ecological difference makers

basic elements — food, water, cover and a place to raise

connect faith and environmental responsibility in unique and

young — make it home to hundreds of happy birds and a

effective ways.

peaceful oasis for bird watchers.

Another recent undertaking for Saint Andrew and SAGE

Faith, stewardship and creation

is the Joplin Tree Project. With more than 20,000 trees lost in last year’s devastating tornado in Joplin, MO, St. Andrew

In 2005, Saint Andrew Christian Church in Olathe formed

supplied trees for six newly constructed home sites. In

SAGE (Saint Andrew Group for Ecology), and recently added

October, about 50 church members, homeowners and other

a tag line to the environmental group’s logo — “Committed

volunteers teamed up to plant them.

to Stewardship of God’s Creation.” According to Tandy

“With so much home and commercial building going on

Wood, an original member and current chairman of SAGE,

in Joplin, landscaping has generally not been provided for,”

those words guide the organization’s activities.

said Wood. “Trees play such a role in our ecosystem and we

“We believe we are called to care for our Earth and seek ways

want to help replace them.”

to honor nature and inspire others to do the same,” said Wood.

That work recently included the restoration of a stream bank on Indian Creek that runs along the northern property

Changing habits and changing lives

line of the church. Over the years, a curve in the creek caused

During Lent, Platte Woods United Methodist Church’s

massive soil erosion, resulting in the loss of several large trees

Green Team addressed both plastic waste and promoted

and threatening the church’s parking. Though there were less

a clean water initiative when congregants were challenged

costly (and less environmental) solutions, church members

to give up bottled water and drink tap water. Dollars saved

hired a firm to shore up the bank with 6,600 tons of limestone

were used to purchase water filters for Haiti, which has one

— equivalent to the weight of 7,000 Volkswagen Beetles. All

of the worst water supplies in the world. To encourage

areas disturbed by construction were restored and replanted.

church members to “drink sustainably,” the green team sold

“It was a huge financial outlay,” said Wood. “But it was the

BPA-free water bottles, with proceeds adding to the water

right, long-term thing to do ecologically for both the creek

filter fund. Along with donations from church members, the

and our property.”

Northland congregation raised $8,000, enough for 80 water

Since its inception, SAGE has grown to include 16

filters — to be delivered to Haiti in December.

“branches” of activity, including an environmental lending

This fall, green team leaders turned to social media with

library located in a high-visibility space, a “Food for Thought”

its “ipickeditup” campaign, encouraging church members

group that visits area producers that use environmentally

to pick up litter throughout their daily activities, keeping it

sound food and drink practices, a point person who keeps

from ending up in a waterway. Participants are spreading the

up with and implements Deffenbaugh’s latest recycling

word through social media’s Instagram and Twitter with the

opportunities, a Blue River clean-water monitoring project

popular hashtag (#) communication tool — all linked to a

for the adjacent Indian Creek and an “adopt a bed” program

Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ipickeditup and church

that provides 14 different garden beds for church members

website, www.plattewoodschurch.org/ipickeditup.

to adopt and maintain.

“Participants can share photos of litter with the tag

SAGE also oversees the church’s popular bird ministry.

‘#ipickeditup’ and have fun with the whole thing,”

The Saint Andrew property has multiple bird feeders and

said Carol Adams, a charter member of the church’s green

houses, a natural water stream, native trees and bushes and

team, which began in 2006. “By using social media, we are

a continuous supply of seed donated by church members.

engaging media-savvy adults and youth within and beyond

In recognition of its excellent natural vegetation for wildlife,

our congregation.” greenabilitymagazine.com

18

To

promote

the

anti-litter

campaign,

the

church

distributes carry-along trash bags and organizes service

the Earth. Preceding the biblical text is a wealth of environmental essays and quotations from noted theologians and scholars.

projects to clean up parks and trails and stencil storm

“It is a visual representation of our belief that faith and

drains. Additionally, the green team posts informational

caring for the Earth and environment go hand in hand,’’ said

messages on Twitter and Facebook about Water.org

Jerry Rees, who heads up the church’s environmental group,

(www.give.water.org/f/ipickeditup/), a Kansas City-based

started in 2007.

water charity that supports sustainable, safe drinking water and sanitation projects.

That belief is well-represented at the Tillotson Building, the church’s outreach facility and food pantry, located at

Platte Woods United Methodist, under the leadership of

99th and Mission Road. The building, constructed in 2008,

Dr. Steve Breon, is an enthusiastic supporter of Water.org,

utilizes sustainable design techniques such as high-efficiency

and wants to raise $10,000 by Valentine’s Day for clean

lighting, geothermal heating and cooling, solar-powered

water projects. The church kicked off its campaign this fall

electricity, heat-reflective roofing, water-efficient systems,

by donating $10 to the organization for each pledge card

interior finishes without harmful VOCs and a sub-drainage

returned during its stewardship campaign.

system to return rainwater to the ground.

“Because of its energy efficiency and environmentally

Green Bibles and green values

sound design, the building falls between the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) silver and

Each new, pastoral staff member at Village Presbyterian

gold certification,” said Rees. “Since it takes time and money

Church in Prairie Village receives a special gift from the church’s

to document the certification points, we haven’t pursued

environmental action committee: a Green Bible. The testament,

official certification. Instead, we are spending our resources

crafted from recycled materials and printed with soy ink,

on mission work. But we’re proud knowing this building

highlights in green every verse relating to creation or caring for

reflects our values.”

Like many congregations, Village Presbyterian has an ongoing paper, plastic, aluminum and cardboard recycling program. The church recycles an average of five tons of material a month, much of it from members’ homes, and also advocates purchasing paper with pre- and post- consumer recycled content.

Several years ago, the church made a giant leap in the reduction of overall trash by purchasing 500 reusable melamine mugs, 400 dinner plates and corresponding casserole and dessert dishes. With the number of weekly events and suppers the church sponsors, the reusable dinnerware eliminates about 10 55-gallon trash bags of Styrofoam a week.

As a result of these activities and more, Village Presbyterian was re-certified this year as an Earth Care Congregation by its national organization, the Presbyterian Churches Department of Environmental Ministries. To achieve the ecological certification, churches must achieve points in four areas that focus on the environment: worship, education, facilities and

Brightergy Solar installed a thin-film solar system on the Tillotson Building, the outreach facility and food pantry of Village Presbyterian Church.

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outreach. This is the second year Village Presbyterian has attained the Earth Care designation.

A sustainable beacon of light For almost 20 years, the Beacon of Hope Church in Raymore has provided food for the less fortunate from its food pantry. About four years ago, the church added chickens and goats, and these days, the food pantry’s recipients enjoy the freshest eggs, milk and cheese available. The organization acquired the animals in part to educate themselves about the raising of livestock so they could share that knowledge with a ‘sister’ church in Haiti. Kathy and Russell Bruton care for the animals, along with son Ben Bruton, an electrician.

“We have about 130 chickens which provide many dozens of eggs each week and about 35 goats that provide fresh milk and cheese,” said Ben, whose mother makes the cheese for

Beacon of Hope Church members tend goats and chickens so its food pantry recipients can enjoy fresh, local eggs, milk and cheese.

the pantry.

The church’s food pantry (which includes other donated items) currently feeds about 250 families a month, with enough left over to help out the Harrisonville and Pleasant Hill food pantries.

To further promote sustainability, the church installed two 24kW solar systems on the roofs of both their church and food pantry, which cut electricity costs in half. Bruton and

“Our long-term goal is to become totally self-sustaining,” said Bruton. “In these uncertain times, if a world catastrophe should occur, we want to be a light to the community and help others find their way.”

Garden bounty galore

other volunteers donated their time to install the units, which

Mitzvah Garden KC started in 1999 when volunteers

were supplied by SunSource Homes in Kansas City, MO.

from Beth Torah built 10 raised beds for gardening at

The church also dug its own well and is now off the city

Village Shalom. Over the years, the garden has expanded

water supply.

and today, includes grounds at The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah.

“We have gone from 640 square feet to 10,640 square feet and now, 15,640 square feet,” said Larry Lehman, who oversees the garden along with Ken Sonnenschein and Andrew Kaplan. “This year we will harvest about 8,000 pounds of vegetables.”

The garden’s crops include lettuce, onions, yellow squash, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, sweet potatoes and more. Volunteers mulch the garden with dead leaves and lawn refuse and one more interesting component: animal manure compost from the Kansas City Zoo. “The zoo has been wonderful,” said Lehman. “We used elephant manure which the zoo had turned, so by the time we got it, it was wonderful compost.”

SunSource Homes installed two 24kW solar systems on the roofs of the Beacon of Hope Church and food pantry building, which cut electricity costs in half.

The garden’s bounty is donated to the Simchat Box program, a Jewish food pantry, the Grandview Assistance greenabilitymagazine.com

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Volunteers from Beth Torah started Mitzvah Garden KC in 1999 with 10 raised garden beds at Village Shalom. Today, the garden includes grounds at The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah and totals 15,640 square feet.

Coalition and the Blue Valley Multi-Service Center. More than 400 volunteers take turns working the garden.

Reduce, reuse, recycle, rejoice

The Mitzvah Garden contains a 16-by-16 foot, fenced

That is exactly what happens in the congregation every

space where gourds grow and hang from the walls and

month thanks to the Lee’s Summit Christian Church Green

ceilings. Lehman explains the gourd house pays homage to

Team. The team sends e-mails and builds activities and

the Jewish festival Sukkot and is reminiscent of the fragile

educational opportunities around one of the ‘R’ words every

dwellings where Israelites dwelt during their 40 years of travel

month, encouraging the congregation to live responsibly and

in the desert after fleeing Egypt to escape slavery.

sustainably.

The garden will soon be more water-independent through

A recent undertaking is the church’s Welcome Garden,

a process called rainwater harvesting. Plans include building

which consists of eight beds of corn, kale, Swiss chard,

a structure that helps collect rainwater in 275 -gallon barrels

tomatoes, squash and more. Volunteers grew more than 1,000

(the garden has 12 ready to go) that can then be distributed

pounds of vegetables that they donated to Lee’s Summit

to the garden. The drip irrigation process has significance

Social Services.

because it was invented in Israel.

“We focused on some of the higher-end nutritional

Two years ago, Mitzvah Garden KC started another

vegetables so people without means could experience and

nature-oriented project: beehives. Currently, there are

enjoy them,” said Charlotte Skeens, a charter member of the

two hives on the property, and even though this summer’s

church’s green team that began in 2009.

drought slowed honey production, members hope for more next summer.

“They’re incredible creatures,” said Kaplan. “It’s like having 50,000 employees who work 24/7.”

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To celebrate Recycling Day last November, the church donated more than 550 pairs of shoes to Soles for Souls, a market-based charitable program designed to provide impoverished people in developing nations with the

Charlotte Skeens, who leads the Green Stewardship Team at Lee’s Summit Christian Church, gives the preschool children a taste of radishes and lettuce from the Little Welcome Garden. Church members also grow a larger community garden and donate much of its harvest to Lee’s Summit Social Services.

Sarah Jurcyk, a member of the Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church Green Team, helps make pizzas from local ingredients at a church “Grill Out” event that encourages sustainable eating practices.

resources to start and maintain their own businesses. The

“A popular event for our members is the French Toast

church also recycles cell phones, printer cartridges and “just

Breakfast, where we try to use all local foods,” said Jackie

about everything we can,” said Skeens.

Palmer, a member of the team since 2007.

The youngest members also participate in the church’s

Palmer said this year’s breakfast featured New Traditionalist

ecological mission. In addition to the brightly colored mural of

Bread made from locally harvested wheat, Campo Lindo

creation and Earth care that decorates the halls of its preschool,

farm-fresh eggs and Shatto Dairy butter. The green team

Stepping Stones, the children grew their own “Little Welcome

also sponsors a local-food “Grill Out” in late spring.

Garden” of lettuce, carrots and Easter-egg radishes, and

“We pull a few grills together in the parking lot, members

enjoyed a salad celebration in the fall. To celebrate Recycling

bring their own food and we cook everything on the grill,”

Day this year on November 15, the children are learning about

said Palmer. “It’s a fun way to encourage reducing electricity

one more important ecological activity.

usage at home.”

“We will have a worm compost in the classroom for the remainder of the school year, so the children can see firsthand, God’s natural recycling,” said Skeens.

Learning about local In addition to sponsoring rain-barrel workshops, selling

The team sponsors field trips to local farms such as Shatto Dairy in Osborne, MO, Parker Farms in Richmond, MO and Urbavore Urban Farm in Kansas City, MO. Each green gathering ends with a meal from a local restaurant serving local foods, such as Cafe Gratitude, The Farmhouse or Westside Local.

cloth shopping bags, reusable mugs and fair-trade coffee,

To reduce food waste from church events, Saint Francis

Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church’s Green Team encourages

Xavier invested in two solar cones, which compost all food

members to think local when dining in or out.

scraps, including fish bones and animal fat. The team greenabilitymagazine.com

22

encouraged other members to purchase the units for their

its national organization, the Presbyterian Churches

home use at the same time in order to encourage home

Department of Environmental Ministries. Rolling Hills

composting and take advantage of discount pricing for all.

Presbyterian in Overland Park also has been designated an Earth Care Congregation.

Putting energy in stewardship

Jo Randolph, a Grace Covenant Green Team member, is poised to continue the church’s ecological mission as

Grace Covenant Presbyterian’s Green Team is aptly named

she recently completed a one-year program at McCormick

Kairos, a Greek word that means “now is the opportune

Theological

time.” The team exemplifies that definition in its “Adopt a

environmental ministry and leadership.

Seminary

in

Chicago

certifying

her

in

Light” program, which launched in August and encourages

“Part of the program was online and some of it was on the

members to donate the cost of retrofitting the church’s

Chicago campus,” said Randolph, who teaches sustainable

fluorescent lights into an energy- efficient system — one light

design at Johnson County Community College. “It’s a

at a time. When all lights have been retrofitted, the church

wonderful course, and I’m excited to share what I’ve learned.”

will reduce its electrical costs by 66 percent and its carbon output by two tons.

Green lifestyles The Saint Pius Catholic Church Green Team in Mission believes that caring for the Earth and living simply are closely linked. Hence, the group has sponsored several educational gatherings, including a seven-session Lenten discussion series based on the book Christian Simplicity, A Gospel Value that green team member Carol Meyer obtained from the Earth and Spirit Center in Louisville, KY. “It is one of the most impactful things we’ve done,” said Meyer. “Each educational session ended with an action item that focused on reducing your lifestyle that week. Buying only local foods, carpooling, eliminating bottled water, whatever the item was, it underlined the focus of that week’s meeting.”

Meyer, who heads up the Sustainable Sanctuary Coalition, recently helped present a symposium at St. Pius called “Awakening the Dreamer” that focused on environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling and socially just behavior

Volunteers from Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church installed new energyefficient lighting throughout the church facility in late September.

Photo: Ric Cummings, Black & White Specialties

and actions. The Sustainable Sanctuary Coalition has several trained facilitators to conduct the symposium, which was developed by the Pachamama Institute. It is available to all congregations.

This spring, the church rented a garden plot in Overland

Meyer said Saint Pius also promotes its simple living

Park’s Community Garden and grew about 120 pounds

philosophy at “no waste” events for gatherings such as

of fresh produce to be donated to Valley View Methodist

potluck dinners.

Church’s food pantry. Grace Covenant has been recognized for the second year as an Earth Care Congregation by

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“We use cloth napkins and reusable dishes, and leftovers are taken home by people who compost,” said Meyer.

Featured Faith Communities Platte Woods United Methodist Church 816-741-2972 www.plattewoodschurch.org

Lee’s Summit Christian Church 816-524-3616 www.lschristian.com

Saint Andrew Christian Church 913-764-5888 www.sacchome.org

Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church 816-523-5115 www.sfx-kc.org

Village Presbyterian Church 913-262-4200 www.villagepres.org

Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church 913-345-1256 www.gcpc.org

Beacon of Hope Church 816-322-1177 www.beaconofhopechurch.org Congregation B’nai Jehudah 913-663-4050 www.bnaijehudah.org

Saint Pius Catholic Church 913-432-4808 www.spxmission.org

I EAT

COMPOST

FOR BREAKFAST DEFFENBAUGH

Every day, tons of grass clippings, tree limbs, leaves, and food waste from area residents, businesses, and the Shawnee Mission School District are hauled to our 27-acre compost facility located within the Johnson County Landfill. This waste is ground, placed in windrows, and turned regularly with the Scarab machine (above) to break down the material. 60 days later, the waste has finished the transformation into rich black compost and is ready for use in your garden. Deffenbaugh is proud to eat compost for breakfast and turn tons of waste into nutrientrich treasure in the process.

See the composting process in action: www.youtube.com/DeffenbaughInc Find out more! www.DeffenbaughInc.com/Green

November 8, 2012

Connect

Lunch, Noon – 1:30 p.m.

Exhibits, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Marriott of Overland Park 10800 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, KS

www.kcinterfaith.org greenabilitymagazine.com

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sustainablity

C

Sustainable Sanctuaries: Finding your way

ongregations looking for ways to connect their faith with environmental health and caring for the Earth can turn to the Sustainable Sanctuaries Coalition for ideas, encouragement and collaboration.

The non-profit organization provides direction and assistance for congregations just getting started, as well as those already on their ecological journey. The 44 members include congregations from Baptist, Catholic, Christian, Episcopal, Jewish, Lutheran, Mennonite, Presbyterian, RLDS, Unitarian Universalist, United Church of Christ, United Methodist, Unity and non-denominational faiths. The group partners with congregations to teach and advocate for sustainable living and ecological justice.

Lee’s Summit Christian Church is among the many faith organizations in the metro area that utilize the services and resources of the coalition.

“I can’t say enough about this organization,” said Charlotte Skeens, a member of the Lee’s Summit Christian Church

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Greenability

By Mary Bush

Green Team. “They have offered a huge amount of creative ideas and help, and allow all faiths to come together for a common purpose.”

The Sustainable Sanctuary Coalition provides green team training that helps congregations move forward in their Earth-care efforts, including making their facilities more sustainable. In addition, the organization provides laity and clergy educational programs, such as the “Awakening the Dreamer” series, that highlight the connection between faith and Earth stewardship.

Carol Meyer, executive director of Sustainable Sanctuaries, said the ‘greening’ of a congregation starts with one person willing to take the initiative.

“Once the process has begun, efforts multiply — much like yeast in dough — until the congregation is permeated with an Earth-care consciousness,” she said.

To learn more, visit www.ssckc.org. To get involved, contact Meyer, at Sustainable Sanctuaries, info@sustainablesanctuary. org or 913-677-8692.

Missouri non-profits can get free energy audits

C

By Jared Cole

ommunities of faith and other non-profits in Kansas

Communities of faith or non-profits interested in learning

City, MO can receive a free energy audit and other

more can contact Burnett at 816-365-6664. Funding for the

incentives to improve energy efficiency or install

audits and matching funds expires in March 2013. For more

renewable energy systems.

information, visit www.mec-portal.greenenergycompass.org.

With assistance and funding from Energyworks KC, any non-profit organization, including churches and synagogues, can receive a free energy audit from

There are also incentives on both sides of state line for non-profit groups interested in further reducing energy costs with the installation of a solar system.

a commercial auditor. Using the information

Because federal tax credits do not apply to

from the audit, a plan for energy efficiency

non-profits not required to pay tax, some local

improvements is developed. If improvements

solar companies are offering lease programs to

can be made that will save 15 percent of

help churches offset the initial capital expense.

energy use in the first year the improvements are

Additionally, in Missouri, organizations can take

made, the organization can receive up to $3,000 in matching funds. However, the non-profit group is not required to make the improvements in order to qualify for the free audit.

“This gives them the roadmap for future improvements,” said Scott Burnett, commercial buildings manager at the Metropolitan Energy Center.

advantage of a Kansas City Power & Light Co. rebate program of up to $50,000 per solar installation. For more information, contact:

✵ Brightergy Solar, www.brightergy.com, 816-866-0555 ✵ SunSource Homes, www.SunSourceHomes.net, 816-783-3863

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816.531.SAVE n EnergyWorksKC.org Save energy. Save money. Save now.

greenabilitymagazine.com

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E

Kansas interfaith group offers $3,000 energy rebate

ven people who do not consider themselves environmentalists can find a common connection to nature in the practice of their religious faith.

Kansas Interfaith Power and Light (KIPL) helps make the connection for individuals and religious organizations by offering help to faith communities interested in greening their churches and synagogues. In its biggest effort yet, KIPL is offering up to $3,000 in matching grants for faith communities in Leavenworth, Wyandotte, Miami and Johnson counties that undertake an energy audit and improve the energy efficiency of their space by 15 percent. So far, three congregations have participated, and funding is still available for 12 more groups.

Through the energy audit process, congregations will be shown the easiest and most cost-effective paths to energy efficiency, often with lighting upgrades and thermostat controls.

“When there is no one in the church, there is no reason to cool it to 65 degrees,” said Rabbi Moti Rieber, KIPL director.

Members can receive discounts on compact fluorescent light bulbs, programmable thermostats, Energy Star-certified appliances and motion-control switches and power strips.

KIPL also sponsors programming to educate congregations about environmental issues and becoming advocates for energy efficiency policy. Currently, 36 congregations from central and eastern Kansas participate.

“All religions have texts that connect to stewardship and caring for creation,” said Rieber, referring to biblical direction to “till and tend” the Earth and protect the works of creation.

By Jared Cole

Rieber said faith communities are motivated to be good stewards by caring for natural resources, which also saves money for their communities.

“All the money spent on energy is less that can be spent on their religious mission,” said Rieber.

Among other programs, KIPL offers a three-hour “Cool Congregation” training session which encourages congregations to lower their carbon footprint by 10 percent over a 12-month period (a “carbon tithe”). The organization also offers a “Cool Harvest” program that focuses on the connection between food, faith and climate change.

KIPL is the Kansas affiliate of the national Interfaith Power and Light. The overall mission of IPL is to build a faithbased response to climate change. For more information on programs and resources available to congregations, check KIPL’s website at www.kansasipl.org or contact Rieber at rebmoti@kansasipl.org.

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www.cfmdistributors.com 27

Greenability

Find a green job!

GREENABILITY JOB NETWORK greenabilityjobs.com Discover Kansas City’s only green job network offering a free, online search service for job seekers, and a targeted, affordable place for companies to post jobs.

JOB SEEKERS Search for green jobs Post a resume

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Job Network

&

sustainablity

Church “Potato Drops” feed thousands

By Lisa Ousley

More than 100 volunteers from seven Christian denomination churches helped bag and load potatoes at the St. James United Methodist Church Potato Drop.

A

s the summer sun rose over Kansas City one

This event is repeated all over the country hundreds of

Saturday, a dusty tractor-trailer truck eased

times each year. The Society of St. Andrew (SoSA) began

through the narrow entrance of the parking lot

organizing Potato Drops more than 33 years ago as a

at Old Mission United Methodist Church with its load of

way to partner with faith congregations to feed people

precious cargo.

in need with nutritious fresh produce. SoSA’s western

Several volunteers from Old Mission were already

headquarters (SoSA West) was established in Kansas City

assembled, steaming coffee cups in hand, and one of

in 2008, and has moved more than 13 million pounds

them approached the truck, motioning to the driver

of produce since its inception. While the majority of its

where to park. The truck driver maneuvered the big rig

tractor-trailer loads of fresh produce are delivered to

into position, shut down the engine and opened the

Harvesters and other food banks across the west, SoSA

back. A forklift pulled up to the truck to unload pallet

West hosts an average of 10 Potato Drops a year with

after pallet of 2,000-pound bins of sweet potatoes. The

faith congregations.

Potato Drop had begun.

29

Often several congregations of different faiths in an

Over the next four hours, more than 100 volunteers

area will work together to host a Potato Drop. SoSA

from area faith congregations sorted, bagged and loaded

West asks the groups to cover the cost of the freight for

43,000 pounds of sweet potatoes into waiting pickup

moving the load to the drop location, while SoSA West

trucks that delivered them to food pantries, soup kitchens

pays the packaging costs. White potatoes and sweet

and shelters in the Greater Kansas City metropolitan area.

potatoes are almost always the types of vegetables

Greenability

delivered during these events, hence the name, Potato

More than 75 percent of all emergency feeding programs

Drop. The congregations pick a site for their drop — usually

across the United States are staffed and run by faith

one of their parking lots — and organize volunteers to

congregations and their volunteers, according to research

sort, bag, load and drive the potatoes to various feeding

conducted by Feeding America, the Nation’s Food Bank

agencies.

Network. This statistic holds for the Kansas City metropolitan

In addition to Potato Drops, SoSA West offers faith

area, as SoSA West partners with Harvesters and area faith

congregations a unique volunteer opportunity to glean the

congregations in helping to provide the most nutritious

fields. Gleaning is the ancient Biblical practice of going

produce to feed our neighbors in need.

into a field or orchard that has already been harvested and gathering what was left behind by harvesting equipment

To organize a Potato Drop, contact SoSA West at 816-921-0856 or sosawest@endhunger.org.

or field hands. It’s a fun, hands-on way to teach gleaners where their food comes from while helping to feed folks in need in the community. SoSA West engaged more than 1,500 volunteers in gleaning activities last year. Gleaners are invited to take produce back to the agencies their

Lisa Ousley is director of the Society of St. Andrew West, a non-profit, faith-based group that gleans food from fields and donates it to food banks, soup kitchens and food pantries throughout Missouri and Kansas and other states west of the Mississippi River.

congregation supports.

imagine... a region that is more connected vibrant

and

green

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a series from Kansas City Public Television and the Mid-America Regional Council about how local communities are working to become sustainable and vibrant places to live, work and play.

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greenabilitymagazine.com

30

CELEBRATE

Sustainable Success Stories The Midwest Regional Alternative Fuels Project of Kansas City Regional Clean Cities deployed more than 375 alternative-fuel and advance-technology vehicles, replacing gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles with those run on compressed natural gas, B20 biodiesel, E85 ethanol, propane autogas, and hybrid electric and all-electric.

S

even organizations will receive Sustainable Success Story awards from Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) on November 30 at the Kauffman Foundation, 4801 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, MO. Four years ago, the MARC Board of Directors adopted a vision of sustainability for regional policy and planning work. Each year, MARC selects success stories in the community to honor. This year the projects were chosen for their ability to advance sustainable development. The 2012 honorees focus on energy efficiency, waste diversion, local food and conservation. They are:

on-the-job training

• Common Ground, a City of Lawrence community garden and orchard • Lenexa Guidebook of Quality Community Development Strategies • Midwest Region Alternative Fuels Project, Kansas City Regional Clean

Cities and Metropolitan Energy Center • Shawnee Mission School District School Cafeteria Waste Diversion Project • City of Lee’s Summit Sustainability Action Plan • University of Missouri-Kansas City and Kansas City Area Transportation Authority student U-Pass program • Williams York Residence, Davison Architecture + Urban Design The event is free and open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Registration is required at www.marc.org or 816-701-8234.

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Greenability

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Book Reviews

The Green Pages Love God, Heal Earth By Rev. Canon Sally G. Bingham and 20 contributors Rev. Canon Sally G. Bingham, founder and president of the national Interfaith Power and Light, asked religious leaders to share their perspectives on the connection between religion and environment and answer the question: Can we save the Earth?

In Love God, Heal Earth, the author contends the answer could hinge on the efforts of the fast-growing interfaith religious environmental movement.

Bingham makes the case for environmental stewardship despite old divisions of faith and politics. She presents 20 fellow religious

leaders and eminent scholars representing voices from Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism.

Each author contributes an original essay with personal stories of awareness of the urgent need for environmental education and action. The contributors cross the religious and political spectrum, but find common ground in why caring for the Earth is a spiritual mandate. The authors offer action plans that go beyond religious congregations and include the broader community.

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Henderson Engineers Key Lighting Roberts & Dybahl, Inc. Illumination Sales Elements of Green The Hayes Company The Jeske Company Trex KCP&L Smart Grid Habitat For Humanity Kansas City Restore Loma Vista Nursery MARC Solid Waste Management District PPG Industries Missouri Gas Energy WaterFurnace International Missouri Department of Conservation Missouri Department of Natural Resources LaFarge Patti Banks Associates Heartland Utilities for Energy Efficiency Rothers Design-Build Hermes Nursery Platte Clay Electric Cooperative Solar Solutions of Kansas City Vanderford & Assoc. University of Missouri-Kansas City United Heating and Cooling University of Kansas School of Architecture Aggrand Mark One Electric SFE Enterprises York International UPG greenabilitymagazine.com

34

Commentary

Global Warming

Climate change is here – and it’s worse than we thought

By Dr. James E. Hansen

W

hen I testified before the Senate in the hot summer of 1988, I warned of the kind of future that climate change would bring to us and our planet. I painted a grim picture of the consequences of steadily increasing temperatures, driven by mankind’s use of fossil fuels.

But I have a confession to make: I was too optimistic.

My projections about increasing global temperature have been proved true. But I failed to fully explore how quickly that average rise would drive an increase in extreme weather.

The deadly European heat wave of 2003, the fiery Russian heat wave of 2010 and catastrophic droughts in Texas and Oklahoma last year can each be attributed to climate change. And once the data are gathered in a few weeks’ time, it’s likely that the same will be true for the extremely hot summer the United States just suffered through.

These weather events are not simply an example of what climate change could bring. They are caused by climate change. The odds that natural variability created these extremes are minuscule, vanishingly

These weather events are not simply an example of what climate change could bring. They are caused by climate change.

In a new analysis of the past six decades of global temperatures, my colleagues and I have revealed a stunning increase in the frequency of extremely hot summers, with deeply troubling ramifications for not only our future but also for our present.

This is not a climate model or a prediction, but actual observations of weather events and temperatures that have happened. Our analysis shows that it is no longer enough to say that global warming will increase the likelihood of extreme weather and to repeat the caveat that no individual weather event can be directly linked to climate change. To the contrary, our analysis shows that, for the extreme hot weather of the recent past, there is virtually no explanation other than climate change.

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Greenability

small. To count on those odds would be like quitting your job and playing the lottery every morning to pay the bills.

Twenty-four years ago, I introduced the concept of “climate dice” to help distinguish the long-term trend of climate change from the natural variability of day-to-day weather. Some summers are hot, some cool; some winters brutal, some mild. That’s natural variability.

But as the climate warms, natural variability is altered, too. In a normal climate without global warming, two sides of the die would represent coolerthan-normal weather, two sides would be normal weather, and two sides would be warmer-thannormal weather. Rolling the die again and again, or season after season, you would get an equal variation of weather over time.

But loading the die with a warming climate changes the odds. You end up with only one side cooler than normal, one side average, and four sides warmer than normal. Even with climate change, you will occasionally see cooler-than-normal summers or a typically cold winter. Don’t let that fool you.

Our new peer-reviewed study, published by the National Academy of Sciences, makes clear that while average global temperature has been steadily rising due to a warming climate (up about 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit in the past century), the extremes are actually becoming much more frequent and more intense worldwide.

When we plotted the world’s changing temperatures on a bell curve, the extremes of unusually cool and, even more, the extremes of unusually hot, are being altered so they are becoming both more common and more severe.

The change is so dramatic that one face of the die must now represent extreme weather to illustrate the greater frequency of extremely hot weather events.

Such events used to be exceedingly rare. Extremely hot temperatures covered about 0.1 percent to 0.2 percent of the globe in the base period of our study, from 1951 to 1980. In the last three decades, while the average temperature has slowly risen, the extremes have soared and now cover about 10 percent of the globe.

This is the world we have changed, and now we have to live in it - the world that caused the 2003 heat wave

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in Europe that killed more than 50,000 people and the 2011 drought in Texas that caused more than $5 billion in damage. Such events, our data show, will become even more frequent and more severe.

There is still time to act and avoid a worsening climate, but we are wasting precious time. We can solve the challenge of climate change with a gradually rising fee on carbon collected from fossil-fuel companies, with 100 percent of the money rebated to all legal residents on a per capita basis. This would stimulate innovations and create a robust clean-energy economy with millions of new jobs. It is a simple, honest and effective solution.

The future is now. And it is hot.

Dr. James E. Hansen has directed the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies since 1981 and is a leading international climate scientist. He is an adjunct professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University.

This?

orThis?

It’s YOUR choice.

Millions of tons of American electronics are shipped overseas annually, where they are processed in dangerous, primitive conditions that contaminate our world. The Surplus Exchange, however, recycles all of its electronics in the United States and guarantees that no harm comes to the environment or the workers.

The

Surplus Exchange Electronics recycling done right right.

816-459-4800

9600 NW Prairie View Road, KCMO

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518 Santa Fe Street • Kansas City, MO 64105 816-472-0444 • Open Tuesday-Saturday 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

www.SurplusExchange.org greenabilitymagazine.com

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GREENABILITYDIRECTORY BUILDERS/REMODELERS Bennett Home Improvement & Building 708 NW R.D. Mize Road Blue Springs, MO 816-564-1251 cell 816-229-4711 office

Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) 600 Broadway, Suite 200 Kansas City, MO 816-474-4240

www.marc.org

www.homeimprovementandbuilding.com

MARC is a non-profit association of city and county governments and the metropolitan planning organization for the bi-state Kansas City region.

Bennett Home Improvement installs “green” technologies that will enhance your home’s value while saving you money and protecting our environment.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES McCarthy Olathe Nissan

SunSource Homes Inc. 7832 Rosewood Lane Prairie Village, KS 816-783-3863

www.SunSourceHomes.net Sun Source Homes offers net-zero design/build construction services, solar PV system design/installation, net-zero energy design, architectural services and sustainable remodeling.

EDUCATION Johnson County Community College Center for Sustainability 12345 College Blvd.

Overland Park, KS 913-469-8500

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NISSAN LEAF

683 N. Rawhide Road Olathe, KS 913-232-2625

www.mccarthynissan.com Find the widest selection of Nissan vehicles, including the allelectric, plug-in Nissan Leaf, at McCarthy Olathe Nissan.

Randy Reed Nissan

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www.randyreednissan.com Randy Reed Nissan offers fast, friendly, simple and fair service and is now featuring the 100-percent electric Nissan Leaf.

www.jccc.edu/sustainability Want a new “green” career? Explore JCCC’s sustainability programs and train for a career in the growing “green” industry.

Your Company Name and Color Logo Here

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Greenability

Metropolitan Energy Center

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

3810 Paseo Kansas City, MO 816-531-7283

cfm Distributors, Inc. 1104 Union Ave. Kansas City, MO 816-842-5400

Metropolitan

www.kcenergy.org

ENERGY CENTER

The mission of the Metropolitan Energy Center is to help create resource efficiency, environmental health and economic vitality in the Kansas City region.

www.cfmdistributors.com Cfm Distributors is the Midwest’s employee-owned provider of sustainable heating, cooling, and refrigeration solutions for home, office and industry.

Missouri Gas Energy www.missourigasenergy.com

EnergyWorks KC

Missouri Gas Energy offers an energy efficiency rebate for customers who purchase a qualifying energy-efficient, tankless natural gas water heating system.

816-531-7283 www.EnergyWorksKC.org www.kcmo.org/EnergyWorksKC EnergyWorks KC provides resources to help you make smart, easy, energy-efficiency improvements to your home or business to save energy and enhance comfort.

Small Step Energy Solutions Shawnee, KS 913-708-8004

The Hayes Company

www.smallstepenergy.com

Kansas City, MO 816-444-6352

www.thehayesco.com

Small Step Energy Solutions specializes in home energy auditing and green energy building consultations for both new and existing homes.

The Hayes Company offers Home Performance services for energy efficiency through energy audits, insulating, duct sealing, weatherization and HVAC balancing.

FINANCIAL SERVICES First Affirmative Financial Network

Heartland Utilities for Energy Efficiency (HUEE)

913-432-4958

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www.HUEE.org HUEE promotes energy efficiency through Atmos Energy, Independence Power & Light, Kansas City Board of Public Utilities, Kansas Gas Energy,Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative and Metropolitan Energy Center.

First Affirmative Financial Network is an independent, fee-only, fiduciary investment management firm specializing in socially and environmentally responsible investing.

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When you open a Count on More® Rewards Checking account, your normal every day purchases will earn points you can use toward donations to select environmental organizations like Bridging The Gap in Kansas City. Donation gifts are available in $50 increments. The feeling is much bigger.

UMB Financial Corporation

HOME IMPROVEMENT

1010 Grand Boulevard Kansas City, MO 816-860-7000

Habitat ReStore

www.umb.com UMB offers complete banking, asset management, health spending solutions and related financial services to personal, commercial and institutional customers nationwide.

GREEN JOBS Full Employment Council

4701 Deramus, Kansas City, MO 303 W. 79th St., Kansas City, MO 816-231-6889

www.restorekc.org Habitat ReStore collects quality, new and used building materials and sells them to the public at a discount. Proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity home building.

LAWN & GARDEN

1740 Paseo Blvd.

816-471-2330 Kansas City, MO

Hendrickson Tree Care Company

www.feclc.org

Your Workforce Is Our Career™

The Full Employment Council, Inc. (FEC) supplies employers with a skilled workforce and job seekers with successful training in greater Kansas City.

913-381-6339 (KS) 816-523-1181 (MO)

www.hendricksontreecare.com Take the guesswork out of maintaining your trees by consulting an ISA Certified Arborist for all of your tree care needs.

Missouri Organic

Greenability Job Network www.greenabilityjobs.com The Greenability Job Network offers a free, online search service for job seekers, and a targeted, affordable place for companies to post jobs.

GREETING CARDS Posty Cards, Inc.

7700 East 40 Highway Kansas City, MO 816-483-0908

www.missouriorganic.com Missouri Organic offers a convenient and affordable facility for customers to drop off green waste and purchase quality compost, topsoil and mulch.

LITTER REMOVAL

1600 Olive Street Kansas City, MO 816-231-2323

Adopt-A-Highway Litter Removal Service of America, Inc.

www.postycards.com

800-540-8694 ®

Featuring Sustainable Sentiments locally grown, green greeting cards. Build client and employee relationships with environmentally inspired cards for birthdays, holidays and other occasions.

Larsen & Associates

sarah@adoptahighway.net www.adoptahighway.net Sponsor a section of Kansas or Missouri highway and promote your business through Adopt-A-Highway, a litter removal service.

Air Sealing Insulation

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Greenability

FAMILY OWNED SINCE 1978

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3133 Merriam Lane Kansas City, KS 913-831-2518

www.beaver-timber.com Beaver Timber provides reclaimed, recycled, restored and salvaged wood building materials for architects, builders, contractors, designers and homeowners.

Hen House Market 13 locations

www.henhouse.com Hen House is locally owned, specializes in Buy Fresh Buy Local food, and offers customers a seasonal Community Supported Agriculture membership.

MOVING SERVICES

Deffenbaugh Industries 2601 Midwest Drive Kansas City, KS 913-631-3300

www.deffenbaughinc.com

Vic’s Moving and Storage

Deffenbaugh is Kansas City’s hometown hauler for more than 50 years and the first to launch weekly residential and business recycling.

113 E 13th St. Kansas City, MO

www.vicsmoving.com Kansas City’s favorite local mover since 1991 now offers a 100-percent “green” move with zero-carbon emissions with bicycles.

REAL ESTATE

The Surplus Exchange 518 Santa Fe Kansas City, MO 816-472-0444

www.surplusexchange.org

Platinum Realty Dan Martin Green certified realtor 816-686-3959

RECYCLING

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The Surplus Exchange responsibly recycles electronics locally and offers pickup from metro commercial locations. Visit the Tech Shop and furniture showroom.

danknowskc@gmail.com Kansas City’s expert in green homes helps buyers find their perfect homes and sellers market their homes with green features.

Sustainable Investment Solutions™ We help socially and environmentally conscious investors manage their money to make a positive impact on their own lives and our whole world.

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Jim Horlacher MBA, AIF® TreeHuggerJim@FirstAffirmative.com | 913.432.4958 | www.firstaffirmative.com First Affirmative Financial Network, LLC is an independent Registered Investment Advisor registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Jim Horlacher is an Investment Advisory Representative of First Affirmative Financial Network.

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SunSource Homes Inc.

RENEWABLE ENERGY

7832 Rosewood Lane Prairie Village, KS 816-783-3863

Brightergy Solar 1617 Main Street, 3rd Floor Kansas City, MO 816-866-0555

www.SunSourceHomes.net

www.brightergy.com Brightergy is the region’s most experienced solar design, installation, financing and leasing firm with hundreds of commercial and residential installations across the Midwest.

Sun Source Homes offers net-zero design/build construction services, solar PV system design/installation, net-zero energy design, architectural services and sustainable remodeling.

WORKSHOPS & RETREATS Arborview Stables

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FreeEnergy is a full-service sustainability company. We design and install solar PV, solar thermal hot water and geothermal GSHP.

Promoting individual growth through non-mounted activities with horses and interaction with nature. Offering workshops, counseling, retreats and team-building events.

Larsen & Associates, Inc. 785-841-8707 Contact: Jessica Pryor

www.larsenenvironmental.com Larsen & Associates provides geothermal installation services including loop installation, line purging and charging, pressure grouting, thermal fusion and drilling.

Do you want your green business or service to be seen by environmentally conscious readers? List it in the GREENABILITY DIRECTORY. For information, contact Julie Koppen 816-931-3646 or julie@greenabilitymagazine.com

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Greenability

816-483-0908

Solar Solutions The Solar Technology Assocate’s Degree and Solar Technician Certificate at JCCC prepares students to sit for the NABCEP entry level exam and provide the design and fieldwork experience to qualify to take the installer exam.

The program’s foundation is rooted in courses that apply to a wider range of job opportunities in industrial maintenance and electrical work.

Learn It. Live It. Save It. For information, call Dan Eberle at 913-469-8500, ext. 3388, or visit www.jccc.edu/solar-technology.

Johnson County Community College 12345 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS 66210

Exclusively At

Reclaim The Heritage The Perfect Thanksgiving Requires

Heritage Turkeys

Buy Fresh Buy Local ® is part of the FoodRoutes Conservancy, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to building a new sustainable local food system for generations to come.

Definition of a Heritage Turkey: • Naturally Mating • Long Productive Outdoor Life Span • Slow Growth Rate Frank Reese, Jr. raises Heritage Turkeys on the Good Shepherd Turkey Ranch in Lindsborg, KS.

Heritage Turkeys from Hen House are the newest and oldest sensation for a sumptuous Thanksgiving Dinner. Descended from the original turkey cooked by the Pilgrims on the very first Thanksgiving, these birds are extremely tender and flavorful.

Frank Reese, Jr. is a leader of a growing movement to save from extinction the magnificently hued, flavorful turkey varieties our forefathers enjoyed. The Heritage turkey has a more pleasing texture: firm, almost steak-like, not fine grained like most mass produced turkeys.

Stop by Hen House today, and experience our fresh, never frozen Heritage Turkeys.