environment and future

How to encourage the members to minimize the use of water and electricity. I am in the Philippines and any meeting we have to use the air-condition and lights. Most of the members don’t have any idea about the electric bill every month. (they do not close the doors, don't of the lights always). Also the same problem about the use of water. Even if the church is the one who pay those bills, we also have to think about the environment and future.

I am from the Netherlands and learned there how to be careful about it, but even if I tell here many times to think about it, nothing change. Can anybody help me with this to tell me about how it is in your building.

Thanks

In 1974 or so, I heard in a meeting that it cost over $1,000 (in 1974 dollars) to heat/cool + lights, etc., to run a large stake center of the standard plans common at the time for a month, the one this was specifically mentioned about had been built two years before, and was wider in the middle than at the ends, meaning the cultural hall was sidewise to the chapel although the stage was straight back. This was not the 'dogleg' design used in some buildings more common from the 50s and early 60s.

pgm44 wrote:How to encourage the members to minimize the use of water and electricity.

If a mention is not enough, perhaps it will take more encouraging. The bishop may need to mention it. The bishopric may decide to make this the subject of a 5th Sunday discussion. Elders quorums and Relief Societies may decide a special mention during home teaching and visiting visits would help.

Perhaps a simple note near the light switch would help to remind members to straighten chairs and turn off the lights when leaving the room. Or an announcement in a program or bulletin from time to time, if those are being prepared.

These are a few suggestions. Others in the forum may have more.

This would also be a wonderful topic for discussion in ward council, where those closest to the problem will be inspired to use the most effective solutions available in your area to address the challenge of conserving the valuable resources of the Church.

pgm44.. There is a Ward Building Representative who should be called for each building to coordinate this type of teaching and training for wards in a building. Depending on the building you have there will be big differences. Our new stake center is almost exculsively lit by motion sensitive fixtures. When a room is not in use and there is no motion inside, the lights turn off. Many other items in our churches conserve energy. you can heat or cool specific parts of the building without heating or cooling the entire building, less grass is being put in favor of rock. All ways the church is saving money and limiting their use of resources.

Here in the states, we are nowhere near as conscientious as I noticed Europe is. That will take time, and will take culture changes in the States. It is also a better approach to use a cost-justification rather than a carbon footprint argument (just an observation here)... But I like the general direction of buildings... I like that the church is focusing on it. also, I might mention at the Stake Level the Facilities Management group will send out yearly an analysis of the building usage of electric/gas/water, etc... the report is helpful to priesthood leaders to spot unusual usage patterns or a non-matching pattern.

Thank you all for your quick replay and I will follow some of your suggestions. I will post in a few months the results.