Environmental Justice in the Pews By Cassandra Carmichael Each
Sunday millions of Americans attend church, sitting, singing,
praying, and worshiping in spaces built to honor the sacred.
Yet, in these same spaces congregants may be exposed to harmful
chemicals found in carpeting, lead in paint, and toxic residues
from cleaning products. Often the materials that are used to
build these sacred spaces are manufactured in processes that
create pollution in nearby communities. When I traveled to New
Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane
Katrina, I met with numerous pastors, many of the them leaders
of black churches. The one resounding comment I heard was that
churches and their worship spaces should be built on foundations
that promote ecological sustainability and purity. These
religious leaders are not the first to express this sentiment.
Many clergy and lay leaders have taken up the cause to “green”
their house of worship—with energy efficient measures, by
reducing, reusing, and recycl