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Do Something Truly Transformative

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by The Rev. Jered Weber-Johnson on May 11, 2011

rev weber-johnson_250_292The Reverend Jered Weber-Johnson is Pastor at St. Alban's Episcopal Church.

Most mornings, you won't hear my voice on public radio. But last week, you may have on WAMU 88.5 FM aired a commentary where I got to talk about a passion of mine: turning individual efforts into something much bigger.

 

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St. Alban's newly weatherized rectory As a pastor, I'm concerned about transforming individuals and mobilizing them to do good in the world.I spoke about why our parish, St. Alban's Episcopal Church, chose to invest in energy efficiency measures through Groundswell. 

At St. Alban's, our faith compels us to never be complacent about the plight of what the gospel calls "the least of these": the poor, the marginalized and the unemployed.

Investing in energy improvements tied to a positive social outcome reflects our values.

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St. Alban's rectory after energy improvements were completed.

 D.C. needs to get big in its thinking about going green, and Groundswell gives community members an opportunity to do something truly transformative. 

Connect with Groundswell to learn more about how you can make a difference, and join me in making this a collective movement.

 
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Comments (4)

  1. The Revered Jered Weber-Johnson makes this comment

    Thursday, 12 May 2011

    So, the impact, as I note above, is three-fold. We see a small contribution being made to the cause of the environment - a cause that many at St. Alban's care deeply about. And, we see an impact being made in communities of poverty. Perhaps most important to me, I've seen this kind of work - advocating for the environment and for the poor - really engage some of our parishioners. This is how they live out their faith, and that's an impact I can get behind.

  2. The Revered Jered Weber-Johnson makes this comment

    Thursday, 12 May 2011

    I'm sure this doesn't cover every action taken, but ultimately based on the calculations of the contractor, we reduced energy use (or loss) in the structure by around 25%. Because this physical plant shares a meter with several other larger buildings, the cost savings are a bit more difficult to track. We rest in the knowledge that there are now no drafts, and that taking these measures moves us toward energy efficiency. Most importantly, St. Alban's cares a great deal about the plight of the poor and the marginalized. Because this effort through WeatherizeDC seeks to create jobs particularly for folks from marginalized communities and those needing work, it felt like this weatherization was directly in line with a greater mission of addressing poverty.

  3. The Revered Jered Weber-Johnson makes this comment

    Thursday, 12 May 2011

    Hi Steve. Our weatherization included several components. As with all weatherization, we sought to plug all leaks, and seal all points of air entry and exit (often called "sealing the envelope"). This required blown silicon insulation in the attic floor (essentially making the attic not weatherized) and higher grade insulation around the entrance of the attic. It also required the same measures in the basement. There were sockets to caulk and unused fireplaces to be capped (if they were to be used we would have opted for a more expensive damper) and we installed a better thermostat that could manage the temp based on hours of usage.

  4. Steve makes this comment

    Wednesday, 11 May 2011

    So what types of weatherization measures did you implement? What is the impact?
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