Church takes environmental building seriously

NORTH CAROLINA: Raleigh church proud of environmentally-friendly addition

Members of Raleigh's Pullen Memorial Baptist Church chose to add an environmentally-friendly two-story addition to their 1950s brick Romanesque-revival church. The contrast is dramatic -- small windows in the old vs. large windows and brick vs. recycled metal shingle exterior. But that's not the whole story.

It boasts of other environmentally-friendly practices. The new building is heated with geo-thermal pumps (20 wells overall were drilled to handle the size of the building), a 3,500 gallon cistern has been installed to catch rainwater runoff, and a rooftop garden gives further savings on heating. Plus, the land on which the building was constructed used to be part of the church's parking lot, meaning undeveloped land was left alone.

This church has taken green technology and practices further than any other church in the Triangle area. As noted in "Getting Greener: Progressive environmental ideas for the American South," green building practices are encouraged for public buildings, such as schools and government buildings, because they conserve water, use better materials for the environment, reduce toxic air emissions and promote sustainability. The Pullen Memorial Baptist congregation is to be commended for taking the initiative and building green.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: State legislature to convene Tuesday with questions on leadership, budget

ARKANSAS: State Rep. Beverly Pyle authors bill to allow concealed weapons in church

FLORIDA: House Speaker Sansom steps down from post following legal, ethical questions

GEORGIA: Lawmaker calls for overhaul of state and local tax system

KENTUCKY: Pension plan backed by Gov. Beshear faces opposition

LOUISIANA: Private schools concerned about effect of economic downturn

MISSISSIPPI: Free legal aid grows scarcer as economy gets worse

SOUTH CAROLINA: River pollution list names Columbia as worst offender

TENNESSEE: Cuts to mental health care harms state, cities, people

VIRGINIA: Restrictions on payday lending pass Senate unanimously

If you have a news story about public policy to suggest, send an email to: info@bettersouth.org.