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One of the first commandments God gave man was to take care of the Earth.

The pollution, global warming and erosion now plaguing the planet indicate just how miserably man has failed to follow that instruction, concerned people of faith say.

“People in general are waking up to the seriousness of this issue, and it’s beginning to resonate in the faith-based community more than any other social issues that we face,” said Steve McCollum , a co-founder of Environmental Stewardship Greensboro, an ecumenical community action group .

McCollum also is a parishion­er at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, an early leader in the local green faith movement, and he is chairman of the environmental stewardship commission at the church.

Local congregations have found ways to make a difference, especially in looking at the carbon footprints of their buildings and operations.

Five Greensboro houses of worship — First Lutheran, St. Francis Episcopal, New Garden Friends, Temple Emanuel and College Park Baptist — were among the first congregations locally to have undergone audits for energy efficiency by the Interfaith Power and Light organization.

“These are small things that can be done, lots of which people haven’t thought of,” said Kay Zimmerman, the Green Team coordinator at First Lutheran.

At Holy Trinity a few years ago, the church saved $1,800 on its power bill after replacing 480 incandescent light bulbs with energy-saving compact fluorescent bulbs.

“When people realize that there is this direct tie between our own faith and being good stewards of this Earth, then it gives them a purpose that didn’t exist before,” said John Wear, founding director of Catawba College’s Center for the Environment .

A few years ago, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greensboro started its own recycling program because Jamestown, where the church is located, didn’t provide that service.

Jamestown now has a volunteer program set up behind Town Hall.

“I think it’s probably taken people awhile to realize they are responsible for this and that they can do something about it,” said Sue Cole, a member of the church’s Green Sanctuary committee.

Study groups in churches are focusing on a study guide developed for “Earth scholar” and Greensboro native Thomas Berry’s book, “The Great Work.” It came after a Thomas Berry weekend co-sponsored by a Greensboro interfaith group. Berry died last month.

Contact Nancy McLaughlin at 373-7049 or nancy.mclaughlin@news-record.com