EarthKeepers II, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative-MI/WI Interfaith Goal to Reduce Airborne Mercury
Channel: EarthKeepersII
Date: 05/07/2013

Thanks to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, EarthKeepers II is helping reduce airborne mercury -- by assisting northern Michigan religious communities as they reduce energy consumption in their homes and Houses of Worship.

EarthKeepers II (EK II) is an interfaith community garden and energy conservation initiative across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and Northeast Wisconsin.

The two-year project is funded by the EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in cooperation with Anishinaabe Native American tribes and 10 faiths representing 250 churches and temples.

EK II supports the planting of 30 interfaith community gardens that include vegetables -- and pollinator-friendly native plants.

Reducing airborne mercury is the goal of energy conservation audits at 40 houses of worship -- completed by the fall of 2013.

The in-depth reports will help churches and temples plan ways to reduce energy consumption.

EK II helps fund faith community energy conservation measures suggested by the inspections.

To further reduce airborne mercury - EK II educates congregations about ways to make their homes more energy efficient.

Founded by the nonprofit Cedar Tree Institute in Marquette, the EK II team includes the EPA, the U.S. Forest Service and Delta Green, a Marquette based nonprofit corporation.

10 faith traditions sponsor EK II: Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Jewish, Lutheran, Presbyterian, United Methodist, Bahá'í, Unitarian Universalist and Zen Buddhist.

Among the urgent lifesaving issues addressed by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and its strategic partners:
Cleaning up toxics
Combating invasive species
Protecting watersheds from polluted run-off
Restoring wetlands and other wildlife habitat

That's why EK II cares about the Great Lakes -- and why you should too.

I'm Greg Peterson, the EK II Volunteer Media Advisor

http://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/glri
http://glri.us
http://greatlakesrestoration.us
http://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/basicinfo.html

Delta Green
Marquette, MI based nonprofit corporation
Douglas Russell, Executive Director
906-250-7461
drussell@deltagreenusa.org
http://deltagreenusa.org
http://deltagreenusa.org/epa-faith-based-energy-audits.html
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/douglas-russell/32/b8b/647

G-ENERGY LLC
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Kevin Cook, owner
EK II energy audit contractor
G-ENERGY, LLC
616-301-4037
http://www.g-energy.com
kevin@g-energy.com

ENERGY STAR and faith communities
ENERGY STAR is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) voluntary program that helps businesses and individuals save money and protect our climate through superior energy efficiency.
The ENERGY STAR program was established in 1992 by EPA under the authority of the Clean Air Act Section 103(g)
Look for the ENERGY STAR to navigate efficient lighting options with confidence
Use ENERGY STAR qualified light bulbs
http://www.energystar.gov
http://www.energystar.gov/congregations

EarthKeepers II website
http://EarthKeepersUP.org
Social sites
http://EarthKeepersII.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/EarthKeepersII
https://vimeo.com/EarthKeepersII
http://www.twitter.com/EarthKeeperTeam
http://pinterest.com/EarthKeepersII/
http://pinterest.com/EarthKeepersII/EarthKeepers-II-and-the-EPA-Great-Lakes-Restoratio/

Rev. Jon Magnuson
Nonprofit Cedar Tree Institute (CTI)
403 E. Michigan St.
Marquette, MI

906-228-5494
906-360-5072 (cell)
magnusonx2@charter.net

http://www.CedarTreeInstitute.org
http://www.wingsandseeds.org

Kyra Fillmore Ziomkowski
Project Coordinator
906-250-7643
kyra.fillmore@gmail.com

Greg Peterson
Volunteer media advisor
906-401-0109
EarthKeepersII@gmail.com

Jan Schultz,
USFS Eastern Region Botanist
414-297-1189 (wk)
jschultz@fs.fed.us

http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/invasives
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/ethnobotany

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC)
http://www.kbic-nsn.gov
http://www.ojibwacampground.com

A few weeks after the energy conservation inspections, G-ENERGY sends report to the faith communities that is lengthy and in depth but easy to understand and includes a summary page

EK II Energy Conservation Audits Finished as of 7-4-13

St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Marquette, MI

St. Matthais Episcopal Church
Pickford, MI

St. James Episcopal Church
Sault Ste. Marie, MI

Temple Beth Sholom
Jewish Synagogue
Ishpeming, MI

Messiah Lutheran Church
Marquette, MI

St. Mark's Church
Marquette, MI

Grace Lutheran Church
Pembine, WI

Trinity Lutheran Church
Rhinelander, WI

Emmanuel Lutheran Church 
Skandia, MI

St. James Lutheran Church
Rudyard, MI

Pickford United Methodist Church (UMC)
Pickford, MI

First UMC
Marquette, MI

Newberry UMC
Newberry, MI

Paradise UMC
Paradise, MI

Hulbert/Taquamenon UMC
Hulbert, MI

Marquette Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Marquette, MI

Lake Superior Zendo
Zen Buddhist
Aurora Dharma Temple
Marquette, MI