Why one church embarked on a $250,000+ solar panel project

Solar Energy at Limestone Presbyterian Church

Climate Change, Children and Grandchildren: We all want the best for our children and grandchildren in the future. Climate Change is no longer debated among the vast majority of the scientific community (see online reports of the National Geographic, the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), National Academies of Sciences (Sciences, Engineering, Medicine), American Chemical Society and others). Newsweek reported in its July 7-14, 2008 issue that Global Warming Is a Cause of This Year’s Extreme Weather.

There is genuine concern about the world's worsening condition and its impact on future generations.

Solar panels are one way we can make the world better for our children and grandchildren, for everyone. "The American Academy of Pediatricians is calling upon the nation's government and physicians to recognize the impact global warming has on children's health and develop strategies to protect children from potential harm. Beyond increasing the risk of heat-related conditions like heat stroke and dehydration, researchers say global warming exacerbates common childhood diseases such as asthma and allergies. Children are also at risk of losing a parent or caregiver due to extreme weather. According to the group's report, examples of the effects global warming could have on children's health include:

• Increased susceptibility to injury or death, posttraumatic stress,
  loss of caregiver, disrupted education and displacement as a result of weather events such as floods, hurricanes, and droughts.
  
• Damage to lung function and growth due to increased air pollution.
  
• Increased waterborne and food-borne illnesses, including
  infectious diarrhea, from increased temperatures and disrupted food supplies.
• Increase in infectious diseases spread by mosquitoes and ticks, such as West Nile virus, malaria, and Lyme disease.
  
• Increased exposure and vulnerability to heat-related conditions such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion." ( WebMD, October 27, 2007)