Committees

Contact/Chairpersons:
Linda DeLap, linda.delap@gmail.com
Caroline Gower, carolinegower@optonline.net

Meets:
Second Tuesday of the month at MUF
6:30 pm
Everyone is welcome

Battery Recycling Program | Fluorescent Light Program

Winter 2007/2008

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. A current Unitarian Universalist Association Social Justice Online Action Campaign advocates for reducing carbon emissions 80% by 2050. Sign the letter to support legislation that would dramatically reduce our nation’s carbon emissions and help turn the tide on global warming:
http://www.uua.org/socialjustice/23188.shtml

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.

Battery Recycling Zone at MUF

Battery acid is toxic, leaching into groundwater and causing serious environmental contamination. Dead batteries should be treated as hazardous waste and disposed of properly. The Green Sanctuary Committee has placed a Battery Recycling can in the photocopy room to assist MUF members who need a repository for their dead batteries. Meanwhile, think rechargable!

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)

Compact Fluorescent Lamps

Stop by the Green Earth Ministry's information table on Sunday mornings for a nice selection of compact fluorescent lamps at even lower prices. Lighting technology has advanced considerably since eco-friendly lamps were first introduced (no more ugly tints!), so take a look.