Changing the conversation to conservation

That’s what EnergyNOW found in this segment (originally aired in August) on Kansas towns that have embraced renewable energy and conservation efforts in large part by avoiding politically divisive conversations about global warming.

Take, for example, Father Kerry Ninemire of Salina, who was heavily involved in the formation of Interfaith Power and Light, a religious group formed to fight climate change. Ninemire was unable to convince his own congregation to sign on with the organization (“It got associated a little bit more with the Democrat party. And Kansas is very Republican.”), but they nevertheless adopted efficiency measures that helped the church cut energy use by 10 percent.