Here is an interesting story from the Holy See.

Some Holy See buildings will start using solar energy, reflecting Pope Benedict XVI's concern about conserving the Earth's resources, a Vatican engineer said Tuesday. The roof of the Paul VI auditorium will be redone next year, with its cement panels replaced with photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight into electricity, engineer Pier Carlo Cuscianna said.

The 6,300-seat auditorium is used for the pontiff's general audiences on Wednesdays in winter and in bad weather during the rest of the year. Concerts in honor of pontiffs are also staged in the hall, with its sweeping stage.

The cells will produce enough electricity to illuminate, heat or cool the building, Cuscianna said.

"Since the auditorium isn't used every day, the (excess) energy will feed into the network providing (the Vatican) with power, so other Vatican offices can use the energy," he said.

You guys know I am not a believer in man-made global warming. I am, however, a believer in energy conservation and switching to renewable resources like solar and wind power for practical reasons. I therefore applaud the move that is being made, and hope that more nations, religious organizations, businesses, and individuals make efforts like this one.

Posted by: Greg at 02:37 AM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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