By the Rev. Dr. Patricia “Trisha” Tull
Reducing our household energy footprint isn’t everything, but it is the one thing that only we can do to prepare ourselves for a carbon-free future. Doing so lightens our impact; it is an act of environmental justice toward all who innocently suffer from climate disasters—the poor, the young and other species. It also communicates hope, and models for neighbors and friends what is possible. And, despite the challenge of up-front financial outlays, changing our household systems saves money. With recent technological gains, tax breaks and rebates offered through the Inflation Reduction Act, getting our homes to net zero is easier than ever.
Few of us remember cultural shifts as massive as those we are now contemplating. Our society has not been asked to act together for the common good in many decades. So aware is the U.S. government of how common-good averse Americans can be that in order to save us from ourselves, it has offered households tens of thousands of dollars each to change the ways we drive, cook and power our homes so that we can cease burning fossil fuel. Some people will do this to forestall climate change; others, to save money or acquire cooler stuff. One way or another, part of our role as Third Actors is to be early adopters, to model changes we all must make.
When my spouse, Don Summerfield, and I first learned of the need to reduce our carbon load in 2006, the prospect seemed so daunting that we first made a plan: while juggling work and kids, we could manage to introduce just one change per month. We began with an energy audit to learn what made sense for us. One month we installed a clothesline; another, we bought our first Prius. In our first six years, we caulked cracks and insulated the walls and attic of our 100-year-old home, replaced the water heater, installed LED lights, a smart thermostat, and several ceiling fans, and changed a host of small habits. By 2012 we were using less than half the gas and electricity we had before, and in five more years we reduced to just over one-third. Planning and patience made it doable. This work saved us money, relieved some middle-class guilt and gave us a more comfortable home.
At the same time, I was convening a Green Team in the congregation Don pastored, First Presbyterian Church of Jeffersonville, Indiana. We started by recycling, including holding electronics recycling drives, and went on to energy conservation measures both small and large, selling fair trade products, conducting earth-centered worship and environmental religious education, starting a partnership with Christians in eastern Kenya to plant trees for schools, congregations and hospitals, and installing two large solar arrays to power most of our building. Through this work, I learned some of the whys and hows of larger-scale energy conservation. I learned both how difficult it is to begin and how rewarding it is for congregations to start seeing themselves as earth care leaders.
Above left: The Rev. Don Summerfield and student pastor Courtney Brown survey the church’s second installation of solar panels (2017). Above right: Interfaith Power and Light is now accepting applications for its annual Cool Congregation Challenge to encourage religious communities to become "sustainable leaders in their communities." The deadline is Dec. 15.
By 2018, I had retired from teaching at Louisville Seminary and had written a book for Westminster John Knox Press called Inhabiting Eden: Christians, the Bible, and the Ecological Crisis, and was being invited to speak to congregations and groups across the country. Don had moved to a part-time church position, and we had four grandchildren to enjoy. We were no longer tied to the Louisville area and wanted to live in the country amidst gardens and wildlife. It is not everyone’s chosen path, but we love the outdoors and had each dreamed of country living long before we met. We decided to build an all-electric, zero-energy home that could generate as much power as it used and even charge the electric car that would take us to town.
I was all about straw-bale walls and compostable toilets, but Don wisely objected, and we ended up with a house that looks conventional but isn’t. With the help of Ted Clifton of Zero Energy Home Plans and local contractor Nick Romeo, by July 2019 we were moving into a kilowatt-sipping solar-paneled home with energy-star appliances, including an induction cooktop. We received a 30% federal tax credit for the solar system (including the panels, carport they sit on, solar inverter, and batteries), as well as for the ground-source heat pump and everything connected with it — heating, AC and hot water. We had no idea that by 2022, much of what we paid cash for over the years would be subsidized by the Inflation Reduction Act. We would not have waited for this, but now that it’s here, we hope it will help everyone, in every state, at every income level, to free themselves for energy independence since it is structured to give the most to lower-income households.
From our home, we nurture vegetables, fruits, herbs, flowers and now seven grandkids. We’ve created wildlife habitats of native trees and perennials, and increased our forest. We’ve become on-the-spot consultants for others who come to see how the house works and what tools and practices they might try. Many more have read about our place or watched webinars. Last spring a colleague and I taught a seminary class in our home that combined Bible study, theology, ecology and digging in the garden together. Some of the students are already passing this learning on to their churches — and recently several of their members showed up at our doorstep.
What I teach has changed with the times. A decade ago I began with the basics: what is climate change, why is it happening, what will occur if we continue business as usual. But now most Americans accept that climate change is happening and that we are responsible—and wish to help reduce emissions. So now I begin elsewhere: Yes, it is happening and it is bad, and there is and will be loss. Yes, the timeline is short and we must act. And no, it’s not too late, but we can’t put it off. Success isn’t certain, but it is still possible. And chances are good that in the process we will also clean up our industries, air, land, and water, and improve public health.
It’s time for everyone who cares to act — and to talk about it to others. It’s our obligation and privilege to clean up our own lives, to advocate with legislators and those we do business with, and to model bold action for others who are in danger of losing hope. It’s true that many people here and elsewhere are already suffering consequences of what the wealthy have enjoyed. But it’s also true that there is a growing movement of dedicated, conscientious people who are working for the common good by implementing technologies, by improving systems, by overcoming roadblocks, by persuading governing bodies, by refusing to be intimidated by naysayers and delayers.
It's time, especially for those of us who are older and have some time available, to roll up our sleeves, electrify everything we can with heat pumps, induction stoves, battery yard equipment, and EVs, and power these with renewable energy, and then show others what we are doing. Rewiring America and Interfaith Power & Light offer information on tax credits and rebates that are available now for homes, businesses and congregations. We might even find a Green Mortgage helpful. As we anticipate the new year, it’s time to make a plan.
About the Author
Patricia K. “Trisha” Tull is an environmental theologian and author of Inhabiting Eden: Christians, the Bible, and the Ecological Crisis and other books on the Bible and theology, including the forthcoming Horizons Bible Study Let Justice Roll Down: God’s Call to Care for Neighbors and All Creation (2024). She teaches, preaches and leads workshops on earth care and helps congregations seek practical, effective ways to address climate change. An ordained Presbyterian minister, Trisha is A. B. Rhodes Professor Emerita of Hebrew Bible at Louisville Presbyterian Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. She is a GreenFaith Fellow, Climate Reality presenter, certified permaculture designer, 2019 distinguished alum of Austin Seminary, former program director for Hoosier Interfaith Power and Light, and 2016 recipient of the William Gibson Eco-Justice Award for faith-based environmental work. Trisha is also a Third Act Faith member, serving on our Coordinating Committee and as our working group’s liaison to Third Act’s Democratizing Energy Campaign.
“Going Deep” is one of two newsletters published by Third Act Faith. Our other newsletter, Third Acts of Faith, provides our members and subscribers with the month's latest “News & Views.” It is usually published on the third Thursday of each month.
As co-facilitator of Third Act Maine I am disappointed that there was not one mention of the role the money well off Americans have in the big dirty banks plays in increasing ones carbon footprint. As Bill McKibben likes to say, 150 K in a Chase savings account is like having 3 Cadillac Escalades idling in your driveway all year long. Here in Maine, the faith community has not been willing to challenge the corporations for fear of alienating their fellow members. Just emphasizing personal carbon footprints is just what BP and Exxon-Mobil want us to do. It's well past time to throw the money lenders out of the temple!