Pope Benedict XVI Inspires Long Island Churches to Take Environmental Action

Some local religious institutions are going green, motivated by current Pope Benedict XVI’s positioning of climate change as a moral issue. Last month, the Vatican added environmental degradation to the Church’s list of sins and, last year, the Pope announced that 1,000 solar panels would be installed on the roof of Vatican City’s main auditorium. Melanie Griffin, a Sierra Club spokeswoman, told Newsday that Pope Benedict’s “vocal support particularly for climate solutions could really tip the balance in world action.” During his upcoming visit to the United States, the Pope will celebrate Mass at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.- the first LEED-certified baseball stadium in the country.

Inspired by the Pope’s initiatives, The Long Island Interfaith Environmental Network recently held a workshop to encourage religious congregations to install solar panels on their buildings and increase energy efficiency through audits by the Long Island Power Authority. Keith Mainhart, co-chairman of the Network, said that he’s “very excited about the pope getting on the bandwagon.” Molloy Collage, a Catholic school in Rockville Centre, is planning a $28 million green student center, and two years ago St. Philip and James Catholic Parish in St. James installed solar panels on top of its school.

• Pope Takes Lead in Effort to Save Environment (Newsday)
• Nationals Open Gates at First Green Ballpark (gbNYC)

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