On Thursday, January 3, 2008, Lt. Governor Pat Quinn will join Faith in Place to distribute 500 compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) to lower-income seniors and commend Illinois religious congregations for beating their Texas counterparts in a competition to purchase energy-efficient products. LaSalle Street Church purchased more than $1,300 in energy-efficient light bulbs to help Illinois win the Faith in Place competition. To commend the congregation�s energy-saving efforts and raise public awareness of simple, thrifty ways to save energy, Quinn will distribute the CFLs to low-income seniors at the church�s Senior Center, at LaSalle Street Church Cornerstone Center, Leslie Hall, 1111 N. Wells St. "I salute LaSalle Street Church and congregations throughout Illinois for taking part in this competition to promote a new, greener way of thinking,� said Quinn, who chairs the Illinois Green Government Coordinating Council. �Your commitment to energy efficiency and protecting the environment shows true leadership within Illinois� religious community.� The four-month competition between Illinois and Texas was led by Faith in Place, a Chicago-based not-for-profit group that has helped more than 300 Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Zoroastrian, Baha�i and Unitarian congregations statewide to adopt environmentally sustainable practices. Faith in Place is a member of Interfaith Power & Light, a nationwide coalition dedicated to motivating a religious response to global warming through the promotion of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and conservation. Congregations taking part in the competition bought energy-efficient products, such as CFLs, rechargeable batteries, and water heaters, through Interfaith Power & Light�s website, ShopIPL.org. When the contest winner was announced on Dec. 31, Illinois congregations had purchased nearly twice as many CFLs as Texas. In total, congregations in the two states bought more than $4,000 worth of CFLs and water conservation tools, according to ShopIPL.org. Quinn will be joined by the Rev. Laura Truax, senior pastor at LaSalle Street Church, and the Rev. Clare Butterfield, director of Faith in Place. |