Morristown Unitarian Fellowship
M U F L I N K S
Green Earth Ministry
Contact/Chairpersons:
Linda DeLap, linda.delap@gmail.com
Caroline Gower, caroline.g.gower@gmail.com
Meets:
Second Tuesday of the month at MUF
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Everyone is welcome
2009/2010 Meeting Dates:
Sept. 8 / Oct. 13 / Nov. 10 / Dec. 8 / Jan. 12 / Feb. 9 / March 9 / April 13 / May 11 / June 8 / July 14
Battery Recycling Program | Meeting Minutes |Programs|
Click Here to See Updates About The Energy Champion Program
Click Here to Join the Energy Champion Yahoo Group
Dear MUF Members and Friends, The Green Earth Ministry (GEM) is the environmental committee at MUF. Our meetings are open to all. Please join us and share your vision of a greener Earth! In June 2002, the Seventh Principle Project (an affiliate organization of the Unitarian Universalist Association, now called the Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth, UUMFE) certified MUF as a Green Sanctuary. We are proud of the designation. GEM coordinates its activities with those of UUMFE. For information about UUMFE, see http://uuministryforearth.org/cgi/news.cgi In January 2004, members of our group and others at MUF began a 2-year study of the problem of global warming, a UUA Study-Action Issue at that time. In October 2006, we sponsored a showing of Al Gore’s movie An Inconvenient Truth at MUF. We continue to be deeply concerned about the issue, which affects everyone, including future generations. See http://www.uua.org/ Our committee’s work includes • Encouraging green practices at home and at MUF, including changes in the building and grounds • Collaborating in presentation of environmentally themed Sunday morning programs • Providing educational opportunities at MUF • Making our voices heard through letter writing and public forums Please visit our display table in Room 100 on occasional Sunday mornings or join us for a monthly meeting or one of our other activities. |
GEM upcoming events for March 2010
March 10, 7:30 p.m. film/discussion: A Chemical Reaction, is a documentary movie that tells the story of one of the most powerful and effective community initiatives in the history of North America. One lone voice in 1984, Dr. June Irwin, a dermatologist, noticed a connection between her patients’ health conditions and their exposure to chemical pesticides and herbicides on lawn.
During the discussion following the film, Anthony Pascale, owner of Natural Turf in Denville will be on hand to answer your questions and share his expertise on how you can grow a safe and beautiful lawn.
Information and resources for organic gardening will be available.
Co-sponsored by GEM, Garden State Earth Institute, Community Green.
Claire Mayer, Linda DeLap, Carolne Gower
Choices for Sustainable Living discussion course: Wednesdays, 7 sessions March 24-May 5, 7:30 pm. These exciting conversations explore the impacts of consumerism, how it affects our daily life, societal values, and planetary health. It includes suggestions for the many positive actions we can take to reap the rewards and face the challenges of being a more conscious consumer. The $21. guidebook’s informative articles, provocative questions and relevant actions makes this discussion course a real winner.
To register or for more information contact Claire Mayer clairemayer@optonline.net.
Ted Glick, Writer/Activist: “Making the Shift to Clean Energy”
Sunday, November 15, 1:15 p.m.
Free admission (donation appreciated).
Ted Glick – writer/activist/speaker – will present his reflections on the national and international process of addressing climate change and the shift to clean energy. Since 2003, Glick has been a leader in the effort to stabilize our climate and begin a clean energy revolution. He was a founder in early 2004 of the Climate Crisis Coalition, and he is currently Policy Director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. Along with other activists around the world, Glick will begin the Climate Justice Fast on Nov. 6 and continue until the UN Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen , which begins Dec. 7. “While the concept of the fast may shock some, it will be a non-violent, morally forceful and peaceful action, and is perhaps one of the few types of action that we have available to us that is capable of deeply communicating the gravity of the situation that we now find ourselves in, both in terms of the profound disaster of unchecked climate change and the profound opportunity provided by the Copenhagen summit.”
Saturday, September 26, 7:30 PM at MUF: Powerful human rights environmental film sponsored by Green Earth Ministry. FLOW (For Love of Water) documents the tug of war between public health and private interests. The movie dives into our planet’s most essential resource—and third-largest industry—to find pollution, scarcity, human suffering, and corporate profit. And that’s just in the United States . Sundance Film Festival describes it as “an inspired, yet disturbingly provocative wake-up call… that while each community’s challenges are unique, the message is universal, and the time to act is now.” $6.00 donation will be appreciated.
Quote from the Introduction of David Korten’s Book By what name will our children and our children’s children call our time? Will they speak in anger and frustration of the time of the Great Unraveling, when profligate consumption led to an accelerating wave of collapsing environmental systems, violent competition for what remained of the planet’s resources, a dramatic dieback of the human population, and a fragmentation of those who remained into warring fiefdoms rules by ruthless local lords? Or will they look back in joyful celebration on the noble time of the Great Turning, when their forebears turned crisis into opportunity, embraced the higher-order potential of their human nature, learned to live in creative partnership with one another and the living Earth, and brought forth a new era of human possibility? It is the premise of The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community that we human stand at a defining moment that presents us with an irrevocable choice. Our collective response will determine how our time is remembered for so long as the human species survives. In the days now at hand, we must each be clear that every individual and collective choice we make is a vote for the future we of this time will bequeath to the generations that follow. The Great Turning is not a prophesy; it is a possibility. Reprinted with permission of the publisher from "THE GREAT TURNING From Empire To Earth Community", copyright 2006 by David Korten. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc, San Francisco CA . All rights reserved. www.bkconnection.com |
PERSONAL LIFESTYLE PRACTICES
Reducing solid waste, Reducing hot water use in showers, Reducing water used for washing dishes, Washing and drying clothes efficiently, Turning down the heating thermostat, Cooling your house more efficiently, Reducing vehicle miles traveled, Fuel efficient driving
HOUSEHOLD SYSTEMS
Making your water heater efficient, Installing energy efficient lights, Sealing air leaks, Tuning up your furnace, Achieving maximum energy efficiency, Maintaining an efficient car, Buying a fuel-efficient car, Neutralizing your carbon dioxide footprint
In addition, we have started a new Yahoo Group to share ideas. We have posted the two charts that we created to help monitor energy usage (“Energy_Consumption / Fuel_Efficiency). The name of the group is Energy_Champions. You can join the group by going to the following site and clicking "Join this group!":
Coin and button batteries contain mercury, and nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries contain heavy metals. Such batteries should be treated as hazardous waste and disposed of properly to avoid contamination of groundwater and soil. The Green Earth Ministry has placed a yellow plastic battery recycling container in the photocopy room to assist MUF members who need a repository for coin, button, and nickel-cadmium batteries. We are not collecting used alkaline batteries (they are not toxic, so please put them into the trash) or lithium ion batteries (please save them for your local household hazardous waste collection day).
If we look at the choices there are for AA, C, and D cell batteries and compare their cost, we should look at cost per kilowatt-hour. Disposable batteries are by far the most expensive way to use energy. Depending on the type, capacity, and cost of the battery, disposables carry a price tag ranging from $400 to over $20,000 per kilowatt-hour. In contrast, the cost for using rechargeable batteries is less than $1.00 per kilowatt-hour!
(Excerpted from Real Goods Solar Living Source Book)
Fellowship’s Green Tradition to be Renewed
Did you know that, in 2002, Morristown Unitarian Fellowship was one of the first Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregations to be designated a Green Sanctuary? This honor recognized 15 years of environmental programs sponsored by the Eco-Action committee. Last year, the UU Office of Congregational Stewardship Services invited long-standing Green Sanctuary congregations to apply for re-accreditation. After months of collaboration among staff, congregational leaders, and committee members, we submitted an application in February. We are pleased to announce that, on March 12, the Office of Congregational Stewardship Services formally welcomed our congregation as the first to engage in re-accreditation candidacy, stating that they were “impressed with our plans for continued Earth stewardship.” Our action plan, which they characterized as “diverse, well balanced, and exciting,” included Alison Miller’s excellent Sunday service about the 7th Principle on March 14 and showing of the film A Chemical Reaction (about safe lawn care) on March 12.
Our action plan also includes development of religious education curricula, tracking and publicizing our building’s energy consumption, evaluating and recommending alternative tableware when washing dishes is not feasible, and an environmental justice project (a long-term project that actively promotes justice for those affected by environmental injustices while creating relationships). Your ideas, enthusiasm, and involvement are needed!
--from the Green Earth Ministry (GEM)
There’s nothing like a clean house. We all enjoy living in clean surroundings but a good number of the cleaning products on the market are petroleum based and may actually be making our homes and offices more hazardous. Many petroleum based cleaners contain neurotoxins, poisons and carcinogens which are released into the air and settle on surfaces and can make their way into our bodies when we breathe and touch contaminated surfaces. These toxins also make their way into the environment as they are washed down drains causing harm to plants and animals.
There are environmentally friendly cleaning products on the market, such as the Method and Seventh Generation brands, and a good deal of household cleaning can be done with natural cleaners and disinfectants such as vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda and tea tree oil. For more information on green cleaning and the hazards of conventional cleaners you can visit “planet green” on the internet at http://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/green-cleaning/ If you want to learn more about making your own green cleaning kit you can visit “care2” on the internet at http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-non-toxic-cleaning-kit.html
Hazel Bell for GEM
Water Shortages Seen in Four Years
A Scottish Proverb states that "We'll never know the worth of water till the well go dry." This proverb will prove true in the near future. Consumer Reports predicts that almost 4 out of 5 states anticipate water shortages by 2013 which could lead to steeper rates and penalties for excessive usage. Now is the time to begin conserving water by stopping drips, insulating the water heater, installing low-flow showerheads and adding aerators to faucets. Such changes could easily save $350 in water bills a year. There is a finite amount of water on the earth that has been recycled since the earth was formed. The amount of water is the same but the population growth and demands on the supply of water has grown exponentially, especially in the last two centuries. Conservation efforts will help preserve our precious resource and keep our "well" from going dry.
Gloria Dyer for GEMA GEM Moment: Saving Money, Energy, and the Environment
As UUs, we care about improving our own health and the health of the environment, and we often share ideas for small, easy changes that can help…but did you know that this is a great time for important, long-lasting changes to save energy at home? Replacing drafty windows, old heating systems, and inefficient appliances in 2009 or 2010 can get you state and federal tax rebates while reducing your energy costs and conserving energy and our environment. For more information, you might want to take a look at http://life.gaiam.com/gaiam/p/Going-Green-Pays-Tax-Incentives-for-Eco-Choices.htm. See also http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits.
Settie Nave with Green Earth MinistryBattery Recycling at MUF
For the past several years, Green Earth Ministry (GEM) has collected used batteries at MUF for recycling. However, batteries and battery recycling have changed. To support us as we update our practices, please note the following.
(1) Please put your used alkaline batteries into the trash. Do not bring them to MUF. They are not recyclable and not toxic.
(2) For your convenience, there is a yellow plastic container in the copy room at MUF where you may leave your used button or coin batteries (from hearing aids or watches) and old nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries. GEM members will take them to a recycling center.
(3) Please keep old lithium batteries (from cameras and laptops) for your municipality's household hazardous waste collection day. We are not collecting them at MUF.
For more information, see http://www.mcmua.com/HazardousWaste/FAQ_Batteries_household.htm.When asked what is one most important thing a person can do to slow Global Warming? Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, co-winner with Al Gore of the Nobel Peace prize replied, “Eat Less Meat” Here’s why.
Cattle raised in large indoor barns in close quarters called Confined Area Feeding Operations. CAFO, are fed a diet of corn laced with antibiotics and hormones. Corn is difficult for ruminants, cattle, to digest. As a result they emit large amounts of methane, a gas that has 24 times the warming power of carbon dioxide. The manure held in large lagoons spews into the air even more methane, as well as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and nitrous oxide which has 294 times the carbon dioxide equivalent. Rivers and streams become contaminated with hormones and antibiotics.
Meat production uses about 1/3 of all the arable land on the planet, much of it is to grow the corn and soybeans to feed to the cattle to feed ourselves.
Nutritionally speaking, it wouldn’t hurt to cut down on meat. On a whole Americans eat 200 pounds of meat each year, twice the recommended amount. If you would like to cut down, visit www.meatlessmonday.com for suggestions. It might be somewhat of a challenge, but then again it might also be more fun than you thought.
As climate scientist, Dr. Gidon Eschel said, “The health of the planet and the health of people are almost most perfectly aligned.” Claire Mayer, for GEM
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Copyright © 2008 Morristown Unitarian Fellowship
Page last updated July 16, 2010