"God Saw everything that he had made, and indeed it was very good." - Genesis 1:31

At Cooke's Portsmouth United Church were doing things a little bit differently.  Over the last year we have taken a number of steps to make our church more environmentally sustainable.  Through informal discussion and action we have learned that our church values living sustainably in creation, and so we think this is just the beginning of our green journey.  Some of our projects have included:

1.  Solar Project - In 2011, our Renewable Energy and Conservation Committee undertook a major project to evaluate the possibility of solar energy at our church.  Following extensive study of the options, our church voted unanimously to install a solar array on the roof of McColl Hall.  You can check out our solar energy production at this link.  Enter the following username and password.  Username:  cpunitedchurch  Password:  cpunitedchurch1

2.  Energy Conservation - Our Renewable Energy and Conservation Committee commissioned a third party energy audit of our church facility.  As a result of the audit, we are implementing a number of energy saving projects and monitoring the results.

3.  Food Packaging - We are making an effort to reduce food packaging like foam cups and plates for coffee hour and church functions.  Instead we are using reusable mugs and plates.

4.  Recycling and Composting - We are increasing our recycling and composting efforts.  Additional recycling bins have been placed around the church, and we now are participating in the City run composting program.

5.  Washroom Supplies - All of our paper washroom supplies are made with 100% recycled content and are Green Seal certified.  Our hand soaps and most of our cleaning products are also environmentally friendly and certified by a third party organization.

6.  Community Garden - In 2011, Cooke's Portsmouth entered into a partnership with the Calvin Park Community Garden Group.  We have converted our back yard into a beautiful community garden.  The garden group uses sustainable growing practices without pesticides.

These steps represent a significant commitment on the part of this faith community to take into account our environmental impact, and make significant changes in the way we do things to reduce our footprint.