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The Devi Mandir recognised the urgent need for environmental protection. The Mandir initiated an environmental audit and have implemented the recommendations through a number of initiatives. 1. We are serious about the environment. We are serious about climate change and the reduction of greenhouse gases. The Board of Directors has made this a policy that we must reduce the production of greenhouse gases at all cost.
2. Through our holy Scriptures being the four Vedas, the Upanishads, the Puranas, the Ramayan and the Bhagavad Gita, our faith and religion teaches us to be good and responsible stewards of the environment, and to be respectful of mother earth in everything we do, including prayers. 3. We leveraged on a practical program called Greening of Sacred Spaces through the establishment of a partnership with Faith and the Common Good to educate a rotating congregation about the benefits of reducing greenhouse gases within the Pickering and surrounding communities. 4. We developed a comprehensive garbage collection strategy that emphasises the 3 R’s of REDUCE, REUSE and RECYCLE. 5. The facilities team has done caulking and other forms of weather stripping to reduce the impact of Drafts. Thermostats have been replaced with modern types having setback features that are better controlled, thus resulting in further energy savings. Most incandescent lighting areas have been retrofitted with CFL’s. 6. We initiated installation of solar lighting in our parking lot in 2007, and we hosted our first industrial Solar Energy Conference in the spring of 2008. 7. Through our teachings and practices, the Devi Mandir has provided fertile ground for its faith - based community to commit, and move towards a sustainable future. Through continuous communication, the Youths have encouraged and signed up a significant proportion of the congregation, and convinced the membership to implement energy conservation measures in their homes to increase the impact of green house gas reduction. Measures include awareness of the use of CFL’s, high efficiency gas heating, hydro, dimmer switch control, water consumption, smart purchasing and general practices. We tracked this program through a formal survey. 8. We formed the Greening of Sacred Spaces Team. We established the team approach charged with monthly GSS responsibility at the Mandir. We partnered with Faith and the Common Good as well as the Durham Sustain - Ability Initiative to ensure that we stay abreast with best practices. 9. We featured in a CBC National News documentary which highlighted the impact of our environmental contributions, and that of the broader community. 10. We broadcasted the environmental initiatives through the mass medium of Radio and Television (Geetanjali TV, Shabnam and Jagriti Radio). 11. On April 15, 2007, the GSS team, presented at an all Faith GSS Seminar at the University of Toronto, and we were invited to provide annual contributions. 12. We received donations for a high efficiency Industrial Dishwasher and acquired stainless steel dishes from our devotees. This enabled a drastic reduction of waste going to landfill and reduced our garbage pickup frequency from 52 times per year to 10 times per year. 13. We insulated all hot water lines to minimise heat and energy loss, and cut cost as a result. 14. We replaced a large amount of plastic coverings in the auditorium with table cloths to eliminate waste that are non bio degradable. 15. We teamed with Indo Canadian Cultural Association to adopt a park called Lookout Point beside Lake Ontario in the City of Pickering. 16. Through our environmental and cultural contributions along with a number of other participants, the City of Pickering once again received the coveted Communities in Bloom Award Competition. 17. Each year the City of Pickering honours its citizens that have gone the distance towards achieving excellence. For all the good work that we do at the Devi Mandir, we became proud recipients of back-to-back Civic Awards in the categories of cultural diversity in 2006 and environmental stewardship in 2007.
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