Westchester religious leaders preach energy efficiency

ABOVE: Rabbi Jason Naverez handed out nearly 1,000 flyers in support of the “Care for the Earth Starts at Home” campaign during Yom Kippur services at Temple Shaaray Tefila.

Bedford, N.Y.’s Energize Bedford program recently partnered with local sustainability organization Bedford 2020 to launch a unique energy efficiency campaign with eight local houses of worship.

The “Care for the Earth Starts at Home” campaign, which kicked off earlier this month, brings together an interfaith coalition of religious leaders in Westchester County, who promote the tenets of energy efficiency to their congregations. Collateral materials developed by SmartPower help raise visibility and awareness of the campaign across several towns.

The best part: These religious leaders aren’t just promoting energy efficiency. They’re leading by example and getting home energy audits and comprehensive upgrades of their own. Rev. Bill Weisenbach of the First Presbyterian Church of Katonah, and his energy upgrades, were featured in a recent article from the Bedford-Katonah Patch:

“My house was as tight as a screened-in porch,” said Bill Weisenbach, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Katonah. Last winter, thermostats in the manse—his church-owned home on Bedford Road—registered somewhere between 63 and 68 degrees, depending on where they were placed.

During the recent cold snap, the thermostats all read a steady 68 degrees—and the heat never had to be turned on. That’s because the three-story, 100-year-old manse was assessed for energy deficiencies and retrofitted with $8,500 in insulation. According to Weisenbach, the project will pay for itself in 8 years and is calculated to save the church 30 percent in annual energy costs.

We salute Rev. Weisenbach, Rabbi Nevarez and their peers in Westchester. Thank you for leading by example!