The Lake Chatuge GreenFaith Team, (LCGFT), a group of environmentally concerned churches from Northern Georgia and Western North Carolina, will be publishing environmental “tips” in local papers and radio outlets as well as church bulletins aimed at showing how simple energy saving practices can save money and make a big difference in reducing environmental damage due to carbon emissions.
“If every home would institute just a few energy saving practices, we would reduce the need for fossil fuel generated electricity by as much as all the energy now being generated by all the solar units in the country”, according to Brad Rouse, Chair of the Green Team at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Hayesville and a Hiawassee resident.
Dr. Vernon Dixon, chair of Hayesville’s Immaculate Heart of Mary GreenFaith Team and a Hiawassee resident, pointed out that recent proposed regulations for reducing fossil fuel sources by utilities is not a big issue for TVA, as it has encouraged the use of solar and other energy producing alternatives as well as energy saving home practices. “The fact that they have done so much makes it much easier for them to meet the proposed guidelines” he said.
Much of the impetus for this movement comes from Good Shepherd’s Energy Saving Voluteers program which makes small changes in the homes of lower income clients to help them save electicity costs, which are a major burden in maintaining their homes in the winter. Rouse, who heads up the project, says it is the simple things that can make a big difference for the families they have assisted. Hinton Center’s summer home repair program is also working to help these families improve their lifestyle.
The public information project is aimed at taking the lessons learned from these and other programs and making them available to all living in our mountain area.
For more information on the Energy Saving Volunteers program, contact Rouse at 404-754-0892.
For more information on the Lake Chatuge GreenFaith Team, contact Jim McMichael at 850-445-3881 or spiritfilledpress@gmail.com.
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