In a news release issued Wednesday, the Salt Lake City-based faith acknowledged the unprecedented drought gripping the West. As a response, the church noted it is working to reduce water consumption in all its buildings and facilities in the region, including outdoor irrigating.
“Watering of lawns and landscapes at temples, meetinghouses and other buildings is being reduced. In some cases, [the] landscape will be permitted to brown and become dormant,” the release said. “... Planning is underway to identify landscape changes that will permanently reduce water use.”
Church properties have incorporated water-wise sprinklers and low-flow plumbing fixtures at properties built since 2000, the release noted, and others have since been retrofitted. The church also is taking steps to install smart controllers, drip systems, rain sensors and to explore “use of secondary or reclaimed water.”
“Additionally, we have adjusted watering schedules to meet local government guidelines,” the statement said, “and we continue to monitor the conditions of all of church properties.”
The U.S.-born faith is one of the largest private landholders in Utah and the nation. It highlighted similar efforts to cut back its water consumption last year, including removing a fountain at Temple Square and replacing it with a display of world flags.
One wonders why a church with Seers at the helm didn’t have the foresight to plan temples and developments that reduced the need for water consumption in the first place. But this PR piece is just smoke and mirrors to deflect from people looking too closely at just how much water the church consumes in its temples for proxy baptisms while people go thirsty…
It’s easy to create smart-looking and attractive xeriscapes. The Church should be encouraged to continue to do so in areas out West. This is a good development.
Now, if they’d also consider reducing the amount of light pollution that some over-lit temples create at night . . .
It’s easy to create smart-looking and attractive xeriscapes. The Church should be encouraged to continue to do so in areas out West. This is a good development.
Yup. I think it was well over a decade ago that they went through all of the chapels in my area, and redid most of the landscapes. I remember the first time I saw the landscaping at a newish chapel in the Bryce Canyon area, and the stark contrast against its surroundings. Brick building with water conscious landscaping nestled between massive lawns, gardens, and alfalfa fields.
I think they went too far though, when they removed the grass covered hill at one chapel that we used to use to ride ice blocks down.
It’s easy to create smart-looking and attractive xeriscapes. The Church should be encouraged to continue to do so in areas out West. This is a good development.
Yup. I think it was well over a decade ago that they went through all of the chapels in my area, and redid most of the landscapes. I remember the first time I saw the landscaping at a newish chapel in the Bryce Canyon area, and the stark contrast against its surroundings. Brick building with water conscious landscaping nestled between massive lawns, gardens, and alfalfa fields.
I think they went too far though, when they removed the grass covered hill at one chapel that we used to use to ride ice blocks down.
Environment < Nostalgia. Gulldernit.
he/him When I go to sea, don’t fear for me. Fear for the storm.
Jessica Best, Fear for the Storm. From The Strange Case of the Starship Iris.
I just wish this so-called 'church' would stop pretending to be something it knows it's not. But there's far too much financial gain at the top for them to to do that. They need to re-name it to 'The Church of the con-man Joseph Smith of Freemasonry'.
Watering of lawns and landscapes at temples, meetinghouses and other buildings is being reduced. In some cases, landscape will be permitted to brown and become dormant.
Why aren’t all lawns and landscapes, at all temples in drought-affected areas, being left to brown and become dormant?
Have the water features at City Creek been drained? Why did they build in water features when water conservation is (now) so important to the church?
Why aren’t all baptismal font operations being stopped, or consolidated? This is such a massive waste of water.
The action is just lip-service so the church can pretend to have a moral platform from which to tell other people what to do.