UUCR Environment Group

The pictures above are of the UUCR grounds and sanctuary on a spring morning in May. Surrounded by such beauty, how can we not want to abet creation, appreciate it, and do our utmost to preserve it, not only for ourselves, but for our fellow inhabitants on the earth, present and future? To this end, an Environment Group has formed at UUCR -- to discuss environmental issues as they relate to our personal and congregational lives, to inform ourselves, and to figure out how we can best work together to ensure that the next generation inherits the same beautiful world we enjoy today.

The Seventh Principle of Unitarian Universalism (UUism) calls us to affirm and promote "respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part." More than just a recognition of ecological interdependency, our seventh principle calls us to recognize that human beings are part of this mutuality. Too often the "environmental movement" and the "racial/economic justice movement" have been seen as competing with each other. Environmental justice is the recognition that the same paradigm of dominion that has led to global warming also reinforces economic and racial inequities. Only by seeking solutions that address both can we solve either.

News

Earth Day 2010: 40/40/40

40 Years of Earth Day, 40 Days of commitment, 40 UUs in our congregation to stand up for environmental justice. UU children, youth and adults, across the continent are expanding Earth Day's 40th anniversary to last 40 days, from Sunday April 18 to Thursday May 27. Commit to small and large daily actions over the 40 days, for the sake of the Earth and all who live here. See the sample 40 actions.

Do you think UUCR should be a Green Sanctuary?

A Green Sanctuary is a congregation that has received official recognition from the UUA for completing the Green Sanctuary Program. Green Sanctuaries are committed to implementing sustainability measures in congregational life and encouraging individual members to make environmentally-friendly choices.
In order to receive Green Sanctuary accreditation, a congregation must:

• Complete an environmental assessment, including an energy audit.
• Develop an action plan, with a minimum of twelve projects that are environmentally responsible and spread across the four focus areas: worship and celebration, religious education, environmental justice, and sustainable living.
• Spend 1-2 years creating and implementing their action plan.
• Report to a panel on successes, outcomes, and challenges in completing their action plan.
• Agree to continue environmental work after their action plan has been completed.

17 regional congregations are certified or seeking certification as a Green Sanctuary. Only three are not and UUCR is one of them. UUCR is having a Vision/Identity Summit on Sunday, June 6 after the service. That would be a good opportunity to discuss our commitment to the environment.

Greentalk Email List (October 22, 2007)

On the 6-month anniversary of Earth Day 2007, the Greentalk email list got up and running, with 21 members who are interested in talking about energy issues, global warming, sustainable business, environmental practices at home and church, appropriate transportation, and more. Join us by sending a note to greentalk@uucr.org (we'll add you to the list when we receive the message).

UUCR Energy Survey (March - October 2007)

In March 2007, Anne Scott arranged for an energy audit to be carried out at UUCR by the Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light (GWIPL) group. Allison Fisher did the survey and delivered a energy survey report to UUCR. Over the next several months, UUCR worked to address some of the issues and implement suggestions contained in the report. This list of steps taken so far was prepared by Sue Hedges in October 2007:

• Installed new LED exit signs in several locations.
• In locations with non-LED exit signs, we have lowered the bulbs from 7-watt to 3-watt
• Purchased a new EnergyStar refrigerator for the UUCR kitchen.
• Purchased a new EnergyStar dishwasher for the lower level kitchenette
• Moved the Hobart commercial dishwasher to the main kitchen. This is a high-efficiency dishwasher that runs 3-minute wash cycles and turns off automatically when not in use.
• Replaced gas and electric stoves in kitchen
• Planted 100 trees on the property as part of our reforestation commitment to the City of Rockville
• Moved professional and administrative staff all into Building 4, and out of Building 1, reducing week-day heating and cooling needs
• Raised funding to purchase blinds for the sunny side of our new sanctuary, to reduce daytime heat gain from sunlight. Blinds will be purchased and installed in coming months.
• Plan to purchase and install blinds in the windows of the 3 lower-level classrooms in the new building
• Working on programming thermostats to recommended settings, and restricting access to thermostats so they do not get reset by building users who do not know what they are doing.
• Rain gardens: We have members with expertise in rain gardens. We are exploring the development of rain gardens in several parts of our property.