United Methodists at the General Board of Church and Society on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. are proud of their eco-friendly workplace which reflects the church's core beliefs on environmental stewardship. Advocate John Hill describes the building's green roof.
Script
(Locator: Washington, DC)
(Video courtesy of UMC Justice)
(Voice of John Hill) "It is a series of sort of squares that are succulents. So there's nothing that we need to do to upkeep it."
Top to bottom, the United Methodist Board of Church and Society in Washington, D.C. is committed to saving the Earth. This green roof was installed in 2013, says staffer John Hill.
John Hill, Board of Church and Society: "It covers the entirety of the flat roof and it has a number of benefits. It is an outward layer of insulation so it reduces our energy consumption. So it's cooler in the summer, warmer in the winter. As all plants do, they take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. In the cities as Washington, D.C., we understand the heat island effect. So, there's a lot of black roof around the city. The city temperatures tend to be warmer in the summer than the outlying areas where there's more green. So, it helps with that. I think most importantly, it reduces storm water runoff. On rainy days it actually keeps the water in the roof rather than it contributing and then adding pollutants into our watershed which feeds into the Chesapeake Bay."
This United Methodist agency on Capitol Hill is leading by example. They also switched to 100 percent renewable energy and installed water bottle fillers to reduce waste.
John Hill: "The vision that God has for this world is very different than the world we're living in. And I think our job as Christians is to try to close that gap between what we say and what we believe."
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The United Methodist Building in Washington, D.C. is a Heritage Landmark and the only non-governmental building on Capitol Hill. For almost 100 years, this has been a space for the denomination to advocate for the values of United Methodists. That commitment continues today through the work of the Board of Church and Society.
Learn more: United Methodists Care for Creation.
This video was produced by United Methodist Communications in Nashville, TN in partnership with the Board of Church and Society. Media contact is Joe Iovino.
This video was first posted on April 12, 2018.
