Meet at Merrie Lee’s house in East Side Costa Mesa at 8am for carpooling (there’s a car lot across the street).  Leave by 8:20am.

OR you can join us at the preserve located at 2301 University Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660 in the parking log at the Interpretive Center on Irvine Avenue & University Drive. 

What to bring:   Bring filled reusable water bottle, sunscreen, closed toed shoes, hat and comfortable clothes. Volunteers are encouraged to reduce the environmental footprint of the Cleanup. Please join our efforts this year by participating in the “Bring Your Own” philosophy and bringing your own grocery/retail plastic bags (for reuse), bucket and/or reusable water bottle to make this event as ZERO WASTE as possible.

They are requesting an RSVP, so follow the link to sign up and we will all meet at the event.

From the desk of Rev. Craig C. Roshaven, Witness Ministries Director, Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations…

Walking the Walk-Stop the Tar Sands Pipeline

Dear friends,

We want to invite you to join us in an effort to stop the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. The UU Ministry for Earth (UUMFE), All Souls Unitarian in Washington, DC and other national and local UU groups are joining with interfaith leaders from Jewish, Catholic, Christian, and Buddhist communities on August 28th and 29th to protest the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline (the proposed pipeline to transport Tar Sands to the US for refinement).

The Keystone XL Pipeline will be built from the Tar Sands in Canada, across the US, down to Texas refineries. First Nations communities in Canada and Native American tribes along the pipeline route in the U.S. have demanded the destruction of their sacred lands cease. People impacted by the construction and the “state of the art technology” predicted to leak every seven years don’t want to see it built. People of color and the poor are at a significantly greater risk of health impacts from dirty fossil fuels, and are amongst the first to suffer from the impacts of climate change. Concerns about the Tar Sands Pipeline include the risky extraction methods, the dangers of the pipeline itself, and the long-term climate change consequences.

The Tar Sands Action rolling wave of civil disobedience (or “divine obedience”) is shaping up to be the longest civil disobedience on climate change in U.S. history. The Obama Administration has the sole authority in deciding whether or not the pipeline will be built which is why folks across faith communities are participating in a rolling series of demonstrations, including risking arrest, from August 20th – September 3rd.

More than a dozen UU’s from around the country are coming to DC to participate. We invite you and members of your congregation to participate if you feel called in one or more of the following ways:

• Join the religious contingent (including UUs) and risk arrest at the rally on Monday, August 29th. A required nonviolence civil disobedience training and legal briefing for our witness will take place on Sunday, August 28th from 4-9 p.m.
• Attend the rally at Lafayette Park on Monday, August 29th to show support for those risking arrest. The legal witness in Lafayette Park will begin mid-morning, probably around 10 a.m. Look for the Green Sanctuary Banner in Lafayette Park to stand in solidarity with other UUs.
• Sign the Stop the Tar Sands Petition. Those who can’t join the rally can join the movement to stop the Keystone XL pipeline by signing the petition that will be delivered to President Obama during the Tar Sands Action.
• Write an op-ed (or letter to your local news editor).
• Join the UUMFE. Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth is a non-profit organization whose supporters envision a world in which reverence, gratitude, and care for the living Earth is central to the lives of all people. As a 501(c)3 organization, contributions are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.
• Please contact Robin Nelson, Environmental Stewardship Manager for the UUA, if you or people from your congregation will be attending the rally, especially if you are intending to risk arrest (Rnelsonuuaorg  (Rnelsonuuaorg)  , 617.948.4251). Robin will be providing a support role and organizing UUs. Watch for more timely information on the UUMFE Facebook page.

Mike Hogue’s column in Tikkun Magazine.

The Science of Why We Don’t Believe in Science: How Our Brains fool us on Climate Change, Creationism, and the Vaccine-Autism link.   By Chris Mooney in Mother Jones Magazine from April 18, 2011.  Gives empirical evidence why the facts are not enough for some individuals.

An article by Dr. Klaus Toepfer recommended by Mike Hogue titled “Nature’s Capital.  The Key to Poverty Eradication.”

A supplemental reading that we shared in the Saturday afternoon class from James K. A. Baker’s “Desiring the Kingdom – Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation.“  Scroll down in the document to Page 9 (Page 19 in the corner of the document), where Baker discusses a bit of a riddle called “Making the Familiar Strange: A Phenomenology of Cultural Liturgies.“   See if you can figure out the riddle before he ultimately gives the answer.  ;-)

The course wrapped up with a tremendous amount of food for thought and a desire to turn ethos into moral choices and action.  If you have other ideas to share, let’s keep the conversation going in the comments section of this site.

And now…

Join us for a great weekend workshop on “Green Theology”, April 29 and 30!

On Friday evening, Mike Hogue, Meadville Professor and Templeton Prize winner, will lead us in a discussion of the environmental crisis as a fundamental religious issue. On Saturday, Reverend Karen will lead a workshop, offer another short talk, and then a second workshop. The first workshop will have a moral or ethical focus. We will think together through the ecojustice principles discussed at the Friday night talk, asking questions about the virtues and practices those principles would require in order to be realized. The purpose of this first workshop is to help participants to develop a personal ecojustice mission statement. Following the first workshop on Saturday morning, Reverend Karen will offer another short talk that will bridge over to the Saturday afternoon workshop. This talk and its complementary workshop will help participants to understand and develop a theological frame for the ecojustice mission statements they developed earlier. The whole of the day will be primarily discussion based.

Mike Hogue will also give a two-part sermon on Sunday, May 1. Each part of the sermon has a theme of sorts. This first part of the sermon is about the joy of discovering oneself as a part of nature. The second part is about the terror and responsibility of discovering oneself as a part of nature.   Ideally, these parts would be divided by a song and a time of silent meditation.

We look forward to your participation this weekend!

Friday evening Dr. Mike Hogue, Meadville Professor and Templeton Prize winner, will lead us in a discussion of the environmental crisis as a fundamental religious issue. On Saturday Karen will lead a workshop, offer another short talk, and then a second workshop. The first workshop will have a moral or ethical focus. We will think together through the ecojustice principles discussed at the Friday night talk, asking questions about the virtues and practices those principles would require in order to be realized. The purpose of this first workshop is to help participants to develop a personal ecojustice mission statement. Following the first workshop on Saturday morning, Karen will offer another short talk that will bridge over to the Saturday afternoon workshop. This talk and its complementary workshop will help participants to understand and develop a theological frame for the ecojustice mission statements they developed earlier. The whole of the day will be primarily discussion based.

Everyone is welcome! Lunch will be provided for Saturday’s sessions. Questions? Talk to Karen Stoyanoff or Mike Harmanos. Sign up at the OCUUC Church office or by email at greenocuucorg.

This sample Statement of Purpose and Commitment comes from the First Unitarian Church of Omaha (“A Different Kind of Congregation”). I thought it made a very practical outline for a congregation, community, and family.

• We are each committed to learning ways in which we might live more sustainable lives that will help reduce the threat of global warming.
• From that growing awareness and knowledge we will strive to make personal lifestyle changes that strengthen the connection between our spiritual principles and our daily actions.
• We will strive to lead by example and not by words alone.
• We believe that a commitment to change must come from within.
• We believe that each person at First Unitarian must take responsibility for his or her own actions within our church and the greater community.
• We believe that a “greener than thou” attitude has no place in a [Environmental Stewardship] program, inasmuch as we are each in the process of learning and growing.
• We believe the role of the Green Sanctuary Committee is to build upon our church community’s awareness and knowledge of environmental issues and to build upon and strengthen our denomination’s commitment to our Seventh Principle.
• We will strive to encourage widespread congregational participation in the 12 projects and activities required for Green Sanctuary accreditation.
• We will encourage and support both individual and collective action.
• We will encourage and facilitate networking among different committees in our church.
• We will strive to build networks in our wider community as we work on these projects.
• We will provide frequently updated information on the Green Sanctuary Program to our congregation.
• We will remain open to new ideas and to new members.

• Is an environmental crisis the reflection of a deeper crisis of social organization and of the underlying cultural values of a society?  Or is it simply a problem that can be overcome by inventing more effective technologies?
• If the latter, the solution would appear to lie in quickening the pace of technological innovation and adapting forms of social organization accordingly.
• Or is it necessary, by contrast, to tame the insatiable appetite for greater wealth and power, by profoundly modifying the cultural values that stimulate it?

All very good food for thought.

We discussed our chief environmental challenges for the world and for Southern California.

We meet every Wednesday throughout the month of April. We will also have a weekend wrap-up course on the weekend of April 29 and 30.

Our Green Theology course starts Wednesday, March 16 at 7 PM.

The course syllabus has been posted.

From the syllabus: This adult religious education course in ecological theology is designed to facilitate new habits of perceiving and analyzing our social and natural environments and to embolden the moral judgments and political acts to which liberal religious people are called in a time of environmental crisis.

The Classes (and potlucks!) will be held on March 16, 23, 30, and April 6, 13, 20. This course will also have a weekend seminar on April 29 and 30. Mark your calendars now! These dates are set!

Regarding the potlucks, all are invited that evening, whether you’re taking the course or not. Please bring a dish with enough servings to share. Drinks will be provided. The potluck will run from 5 PM to 6:45 PM and have no “formal” program, but we will discuss important social justice topics in UULM, UUSC, and throughout Orange County.

OCUUC is working to increase commitment to this faith tradition and to the congregation by creating a replicable adult education curriculum on the topic theology and ecology, “Green Theology.” Our goal will be to deepen theological understanding particularly as it relates to a current day issue for our society. This course will be more intensive than a “Building Your Own Theology” course, but not as rigorous as a class at a seminary.

The project will be under the direction of Dr. Michael Hogue, Professor at Meadville Lombard Theological School and the Reverend Doctor Karen Stoyanoff, minister at Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church, Costa Mesa, CA.

Contact Reverend Karen  (ministerocuucorg)   or Mike Harmanos  (greenocuucorg)   for details.

Click here for a copy.

From the syllabus: This adult religious education course in ecological theology is designed to facilitate new habits of perceiving and analyzing our social and natural environments and to embolden the moral judgments and political acts to which liberal religious people are called in a time of environmental crisis.

In asking the question, she claims that “nobody knows…. [b]ut it’s an old dilemma,” going back to Plato and answered in their own way by Henry David Thoreau and Frederick Law Olmstead. Golberg arrives at an answer in this way.

Certainly, many urban gardeners are interested in the environmental (i.e. moral) consequences of city growing. The eco-ethical dream of those like Folke Günther is that urban gardening could move beyond aesthetic concerns and really help feed the world’s urban poor. For now, though, the movement outside my window is not subsistence farming. No one in Brooklyn is going to starve without urban gardens. Even so, urban gardeners are earnest in their agricultural pursuits. I think most commercial farmers would be pretty surprised to see how much children in Prospect Park have learned about irrigation techniques. What’s surely exciting is that urban gardeners have us imagining cities as we’ve never seen them, that move beyond public parks and designated green zones: rooftop apple-picking, gardens in school cafeterias, skyscrapers that emerge out of forests. The modern city as the new Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Gardens — and still Babylon, too.

What are your thoughts? And if you wish to explore this idea further, perhaps the Green Theology course hosted by OCUUC starting this March may be of interest to you.

The Classes (and potlucks!) will be held on March 16, 23, 30, and April 6, 13, 20. This course will also have a weekend seminar on April 29 and 30. Mark your calendars now! These dates are set!

Regarding the potlucks, all are invited that evening, whether you’re taking the course or not. Please bring a dish with enough servings to share. Drinks will be provided. The potluck will run from 5 PM to 6:45 PM and have no “formal” program, but we will discuss important social justice topics in UULM, UUSC, and throughout Orange County.

Registration details soon to come.

There will be a service on April 24 (two days after Earth Day and Arbor Day) commemorating the work done in this course. If you are interested in taking it, contact Mike Harmanos  (greenocuucorg)   for more information. This course is available to OCUUC members, other UUs in and around Orange County, and to the greater public!

OCUUC is working to increase commitment to this faith tradition and to the congregation by creating a replicable adult education curriculum on the topic theology and ecology, “Green Theology.” Our goal will be to deepen theological understanding particularly as it relates to a current day issue for our society. This course will be more intensive than a “Building Your Own Theology” course, but not as rigorous as a class at a seminary.

The project will be under the direction of Dr. Michael Hogue, Professor at Meadville Lombard Theological School and the Reverend Doctor Karen Stoyanoff, minister at Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church, Costa Mesa, CA.

Here is what Professor Michael Hogue says about this course: “This adult education course in “green theology” will include weekly readings, discussions, and exercises to facilitate the lay theological learning crucial to sustaining “green congregations”. Readings in the first part of the course will include books and articles that survey the varieties of religious environmentalism and offer critical analyses of the cultural roots of the environmental crisis. The second part of the course will include writings that offer constructive theological responses to environmental challenges. Interreligious and multicultural voices will be included in the bibliography. Workshop sessions will include text analysis accompanied by questions and exercises that lead participants to apply their learning to local the eco-social challenges in their communities and congregations.”

This blog will be the main source of information about the upcoming course. Contact us  (greenocuucorg?subject=Green%20Theology%20Course)   if you have any questions. We will keep you posted!

The Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica (UUCCSM) won the Excellence Award for Social Responsibility and Stewardship of the Natural Environment. Here are some (but not all) of the reasons the church was honored by the City of Santa Monica, Sustainable Works and the Chamber of Commerce for these Sustainable Quality Awards:

Read more here…

Wanted to share a recent article I read in Grist Magazine about the anniversary of the Clean Air Act. Have you ever wondered what kind of progress we have made? Take a look at these statistics:

• In 1970, US sulfur oxides pollution was over 31 million tons per year.  Now it is less than 11.5 million tons.
• US hydrocarbon pollution was over 34 million tons per year.  More than half of that from cars and trucks.  Now it is less than 16 million tons.
• Nitrogen oxides pollution was nearly 28 million tons per year.  Now it is about 16 million tons.
• Carbon monoxide pollution was over 200 million tons per year; nearly all from cars and trucks.  Now it is less than 78 million tons.
• These large cuts in pollution are all the more significant considering the fact that our economy grew so much from 1970 until now.
• In 1970, US GDP was $3.8 trillion (2000 $).  It is now $13.2 trillion, a 3.5 fold increase.
• In 1970 there were 108 million vehicles on the road, driving about 1.2 trillion miles a year.  In 2008 there were nearly 250 million vehicles on the road, driving 3 trillion miles a year.
• In 1970, tailpipe controls were in their infancy.  So much so that one car company met the government limit on pollutant concentration by adding an air pump to dilute its exhaust.

Change is often difficult, but slow, steady progress is underrated.

According to President Mary, we will be deciding a third major social justice project for OCUUC. There will be a larger, more comprehensive conversation throughout the church on this in the next few months.

In the mean time, this blog will continue to provide information and resources on green options.

The Master Gardeners of Orange County will host their 8th annual Gardening Seminar on Saturday, September 25, 2010 from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm. It will be held at:

Huntington Beach Central Library
7111 Talbert Ave | Huntington Beach, CA

I know that, in the past, a number of Members have wanted to learn more about zero water landscaping and composting. This is an excellent opportunity to learn from the best!

Online registration can be found here. The cost is $37 for the day. I may attend and then, from what I’ve learned, have a follow up session back at OCUUC later in the year.

UU Church of Fresno invites members on a Spiritual Quest “Building a Theology of Ecology”
Posted by Robin Nelson

The UU Church of Fresno offers year-round Spiritual Quest Groups, small lay-led weekly discussion meetings participants delve deeply into Unitarian Universalist principles or covenant. They work together to learn right relationships, deep listening and communication skills as they grow together on their spiritual journey.

As a part of their Green Sanctuary process, Linda Mack, a member of the church, prepared a new Spiritual Quest curriculum called “Building a Theology of Ecology.” The curriculum was designed to foster the development of a theology of ecology, helping people to articulate their emotional and spiritual connection to the earth, the meaning they find in life that sustains their hope, and the moral responsibility that impels them to action. Linda put together eight sessions, beginning with an introductory session, explaining the process, deep listening, and a covenant of right relationship, with the question to be considered based on the 7th Principle.  The  topics she developed were “Awe and Wonder”, “Sense of Place”, “Simplicity”, “Wild Nature/Human Nature”, “Environmental Justice”, “Technology/Ecology” and the concept of “Evo/Devo”.  Each sessions’ curriculum included a chalice lighting, topic introduction, readings, questions, and closings. This curriculum was then offered to three Spiritual Quest Groups at the church.

‘Death Gyre’ in the Gulf

Firsthand accounts and leaked photos of a secret BP processing facility — possibly for dead animals — point to a massive cover-up in the Gulf. An exclusive report.

http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/research-innovations/blogs/death-gyre-in-the-gulf

GA delegates voted Sunday morning to accept a proposed “Green Revolution in Religion” Business Resolution submitted by the Ballou Channing District. The resolution states, in part, that:

This General Assembly calls upon the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association to make a special effort in the year 2011 to participate in the Association’s continuing work for environmental justice, environmental stewardship, biodiversity protection, and environmental restoration. We ask member congregations to reflect on the religious teachings and experiences that inspire Unitarian Universalists in this important work.

Delegates met to discuss and amend the resolution during a brief miniassembly Friday afternoon. One amendment, which inserted the words “and ecosystem” after the word biodiversity in line 1036, was incorporated. A second amendment, to immediately follow line 1038, asked the GA Planning Committee to develop a major discussion about the religious roots of environmental justice concern; it was not incorporated.

The full text of the resolution (without the added two words) appears on page 32 of the Final Agenda. You can also view a PDF of the “Green Revolution in Religion” Resolution.

UUA Moderator Gini Courter explained that the Resolution was submitted by a district on a timely basis but was lost over the summer due to a flaw in the process, which is why the board placed it on the agenda now.

Eva Marx, trustee from the Ballou Channing District, speaking on behalf of the UUA Board of Trustees, said that the Resolution requests three things: That our member congregations reflect on the religious teachings and values that inspire us to do this work; that the president of our Association report on our progress and make recommendations for future actions at the 2011 General Assembly in Charlotte; and that our congregations support the Green Sanctuary Program, and that a history of the Green Sanctuary Program and our Association’s work for environmental justice be presented at the 2011 General Assembly. “In keeping with our Seventh Principle,” Marx said, “Unitarian Universalistss are committed to environmental issues and many of our congregations are already working with environmental themes. This resolution calls for our Association to increase its leadership and support.”

I have wanted to post about the coffee we serve from Equal Exchange for some time. To me, it is the best deal going. The coffee we all share on the patio after services is 100% organic and 100% fair-traded with farmer co-operatives from coffee growing regions around the world. The coffee is at least 45% shade grown, and this is a major step in a direction toward caring for the Earth. The shade grown process is somewhat expensive to the co-ops themselves, who would have passed it along to us. But they are working on it.

The Colombian Blend (which we drink on Sundays) and the French Roast blend are available at the OCUUC bookstore immediately. It is $9 per 12 ounce container. Compare that to Peet’s, Starbucks, or even Mother’s Market when not on sale for organic, fair-traded coffee, and you won’t find a better deal. See Birdie Reed to purchase some or leave a check with Sarah Jones in the office to buy some.

What you may not know is that there are 15 different blends available in 12 ounce packages available through our bookstore and a little bit of coordination. Additionally, if you are a serious, every day coffee drinker like your author, you may want to consider buying a 5 pound bag. Buying through the church helps support the church financially, makes a serious commitment to the environment, and provides you an excellent cup of coffee. To me, that’s a win-win-win sort of deal.

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/deed.en

UU Ministry for Earth joins its voice to the many Unitarian Universalists, environmental groups, aid organizations and others who are horrified and concerned about the disaster unfolding in the Gulf from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. We encourage our members and congregations to commit to actions that will provide assistance to those who are and will be injured by the spill and to efforts to lessen the environmental consequences of the disaster.
In addition to the oil spill off the Gulf Coast, 29 coal miners lost their lives in an explosion in a West Virginian mine. We encourage our members and congregations to continue to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, to reduce the risk of such future disasters and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, by reducing consumption.

We also encourage engaging in advocacy to demand policies that provide stronger protections and that hold the polluters accountable. UUSC has compiled talking points and a link to send a statement to BP CEO Tony Hayward.  To support legislation that reduces oil dependency and prohibits expansion of dangerous practices such as off-shore drilling and mountaintop mining, Green For All has provided talking points and a link to send a message to President Obama and our senators.

In partnership with other UU organizations, we encourage you to follow the information from the Washington Office for Advocacy (WOA) and UU Service Committee (UUSC).  Join UUSC telling BP to take full responsibility for the oil drilling disaster and not to exploit local workers.

The following list of suggested actions is adapted from the Washington Office for Advocacy’s Inspired Faith, Effective Action blog entry, contributed by Rev. Melanie Morel-Ensminger, minister of the First UU Church of New Orleans.

Here are some concrete ideas for things that can be done, right now, right away, to have a positive effect on the spill clean-up.

1. Collections of hair clippings from barbers and salons and fur clippings from pet groomers has been proposed to assist in helping with containment booms to soak up the oil. Matter of Trust is coordinating donations of old hosiery, pantyhose, stockings, clipped hair, and fur from pet groomers.  You can also call your hair solon and dog groomer and request that they save all hair and fur for this important cause.  Keep apprised as to whether this is a viable solution.
2. If you are financially able, you can contribute to help the people who are hurt most. A fund has been set up by the Greater New Orleans Foundation, the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund, to collect money to benefit local communities at www.gnof.org. (Additionally, Oxfam America is collecting donations.
3. If you are able and willing to, you can volunteer to help, being sensitive to the fact that volunteers should not replace paid jobs for people on the Gulf Coast.  In-person volunteers can register with the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, or through the Sierra Club. Recovery from this, as from Katrina, will be a marathon, not a sprint. We will need a lot of help for quite some time to come.
4. If you live or visit near the Louisiana-Mississippi coast, and need to report damaged wild life or shoreline, these are the numbers to call: for oiled wildlife 866-557-1401; for damaged coastal areas 800-440-0858.
5. Write and call your elected officials at the federal level. Demand clear procedures for emergencies in the Gulf. Demand accountability for when inevitable accidents happen. Demand immediate federal aid for the coast line, the wild life, and the human communities affected by such disasters.

Finally, we can all pray/meditate/send good thoughts when gathered in our faith communities. We can support and comfort each other in our rage and grief over this new disaster. We can use the work of our hands and the power of our minds to make this better and prevent its recurrence.

If you know of sermons or congregational statements or actions regarding the oil spill, please make them available to UU Ministry for Earth (officeuuministryforearthorg  (officeuuministryforearthorg)  ) and we will post them.

Sorry to have not been in touch with you recently.

Some Climategate Conclusions

You can find out more at the official Earth Hour website, www.myearthhour.org

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se12y9hSOM0

My preference for a major environmental justice project is tied toward another goal of Green Sanctuary – to quit carbon energy as the church’s energy source.

It is never going to be cheaper, more cost effective, and get a faster rate of return on our investment than right now with solar. There are excellent federal and state credits to purchasing a solar panel system. Plus, there’s a new law in California called AB 920. That law says that starting on January 1, 2011, if you produce more power than you consume in your solar array, the utilities must do one of two things. One, they must pay you back at market wholesale prices. Or they can roll over your account with credit (like they do with cell phone minutes).

We would not be the first UU church to go solar. But we might be the first church in Orange County running entirely on renewable energy. Enjoy the video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQlt8rSkN2Q

I had a friend of Charlie and Birdie Reed’s to come out to the church to provide an assessment. He works for Greenway Solar and did a nice job with coming up with a report/proposal. If you’d like to see a copy of the proposal, leave a comment and I’ll get one off to you.

The Bottom line is this. For the cost of the investment, we get the following:

• We make our own clean, green energy forever at OCUUC.
• We make a 1046% return (over 10 times!) on our investment over 30 years.
• We live out our seventh principle.
• Once the system is paid off, we then work with the Finance Council and the Board to come up with some sort of arrangement similar to Loose Plate.
• This allows us the financial resources to work with another organization or other congregations on a major collaborative project toward environmental justice.
• We have a positive cash flow, at the very latest, in seven years, based on historical averages.

This proposal is already in front of the Finance Council today. How they come up with the cost is something I will leave in their capable hands. But I would love to hear all of your thoughts as well.

Green Sanctuary is based on a framework of four focus areas:

• Worship and celebration
• Religious education
• Environmental justice
• Sustainable living

The Green Sanctuary Committee has done the legwork of compiling an assessment of the Congregation.

Becoming a Green Sanctuary then requires an action plan and executing that plan. A little history to note – OCUUC came very close to doing this (thanks to the good work of Karen Urbano) around 2004 or 2005.

Of course, we would love to hear your ideas and thoughts in making OCUUC greener or add to this program. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. Here’s what it takes to become certified:

At least 2 programs in Worship and Celebration. Our Water Communion Service, the robust services and work of CUUPS, and prior Earth Day celebrations in our congregation qualify us for three.

At least 2 programs in Religious Education, one for children and one for adults. I am certain that RE has taught at least one class in sustainability. They have led the efforts in our recycling programs. Adult Programs? We might have to work on this.

At least 4 programs in Sustainable living, including at least one energy conservation activity. Our bookstore sells organic, fair-trade, Equal Exchange coffee. We have done the due diligence in the past with switching to compact fluorescent lightbulbs. OCUUC uses the bare minimum in energy consumption, a fact I have verified with Southern California Edison. (FYI, OCUUC uses about 25000 kilowatt hours per year for everything.) We have a fairly low-impact, low-water usage grounds around the complex. We might have four here, perhaps even a fifth. There’s a little room for improvement here, largely due to the fiscal pressures we have all faced. It would be fantastic to buy dye-free, sustainable, recycled paper for the Order of Service, but it’s pretty pricey compared to what we get at Office Depot.

And finally, at least 2 programs in Environmental Justice, one of which is a major, ongoing collaboration with another congregation or another organization. This is where OCUUC fell short in 2005. The UUA defines environmental justice as “Protecting natural systems and nonhuman communities is one form of this justice. Environmental justice is also concerned with the ecological health of human communities-especially disadvantaged, oppressed, and indigenous communities-and with building relationships to create a larger impact.”

Tall order. But I do know that Pat McCully’s excellent work with Circulo de Amigas is helping save some of the rainforest in Jinotega, Nicaragua. I can’t think of a program that better defines the text above.

We, therefore, need one major ongoing collaborative program. I have one in mind and will include it in the next post. This program will be proposed to the Finance Council coming up this April 15. It’s a program that pays for itself, does a tremendous amount of environmental good, and helps us get the word out that OCUUC is a congregation serious about sustainability and environmental justice.

http://www.fastcompany.com/pics/worlds-greenest-homes

Why this number? It comes from the research of NASA scientist James E. Hansen, who posited in a 2007 paper that 350 parts-per-million (ppm) of CO2 in the atmosphere is a safe upper limit to avoid a climate tipping point. The current record level is 389 ppm of CO2, an almost 40-percent increase from the pre-industrial revolution level of 278 ppm. In 1988 the Earth’s atmosphere surpassed the 350 ppm mark, while global CO2 emissions per capita rose.

It’s been four months since the International Day of Climate Action.

Since then, the leaders of the world tried to address this issue in Copenhagen, Denmark. Most agree that the summit failed to do much of anything. Their inaction has not stopped efforts of awareness and grassroots mobilization. In fact, the UUA has polled all congregations regarding issues of energy, peace, and justice. They say that Nations fight with each other to control natural resources. Energy use is essential for human survival. How can Unitarian Universalists help all people, in all nations, to secure an adequate supply of energy that is safe, affordable, and sustainable? How can we prevent energy conflict while promoting energy justice?

Most importany, how can we along the Orange Coast move forward in a positive directon? Your humble author believes our congregation should quit carbon as an energy source. This can be done with renewables today. What do you think?

Here are the points he likes to stress:

1) Avoid the term “global warming.” I prefer the term “global weirding,” because that is what actually happens as global temperatures rise and the climate changes. The weather gets weird. The hots are expected to get hotter, the wets wetter, the dries drier and the most violent storms more numerous.
The fact that it has snowed like crazy in Washington — while it has rained at the Winter Olympics in Canada, while Australia is having a record 13-year drought — is right in line with what every major study on climate change predicts: The weather will get weird; some areas will get more precipitation than ever; others will become drier than ever.

2) Historically, we know that the climate has warmed and cooled slowly, going from Ice Ages to warming periods, driven, in part, by changes in the earth’s orbit and hence the amount of sunlight different parts of the earth get. What the current debate is about is whether humans — by emitting so much carbon and thickening the greenhouse-gas blanket around the earth so that it traps more heat — are now rapidly exacerbating nature’s natural warming cycles to a degree that could lead to dangerous disruptions.

3) Those who favor taking action are saying: “Because the warming that humans are doing is irreversible and potentially catastrophic, let’s buy some insurance — by investing in renewable energy, energy efficiency and mass transit — because this insurance will also actually make us richer and more secure.” We will import less oil, invent and export more clean-tech products, send fewer dollars overseas to buy oil and, most importantly, diminish the dollars that are sustaining the worst petro-dictators in the world who indirectly fund terrorists and the schools that nurture them.

4) Even if climate change proves less catastrophic than some fear, in a world that is forecast to grow from 6.7 billion to 9.2 billion people between now and 2050, more and more of whom will live like Americans, demand for renewable energy and clean water is going to soar. It is obviously going to be the next great global industry.

* No child was recycled in the making of this photograph

The Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth is a handy resource for UU green issues. They’ve been around for a long time, but are just building up their online resources. (Our little Green Sanctuary site has a blog and they don’t, for example). For updated events, and if you are on Facebook, they have a nice Facebook page. Nancy Loughrey, our long-time friend Karen Urbano, and Mike Harmanos are fans.

The Orange County Interfaith Coalition for the Environment (OCICE) educates, raises awareness and empowers people to actively protect and preserve creation through responsible stewardship. OCUUC member Carole Thomas is a member of the board of directors. They had a fine event for the International Day of Climate Action on October 24, 2009 (United Nations Day).

Bolsa Chica Conservancy is a non-profit, non-political organization whose mission is to advocate the restoration and preservation of the Bolsa Chica Wetlands through public outreach, participation, education and leadership. I know that a few of our OCUUC members have participated in their events. They are doing excellent, necessary work right in our backyard.

The Orange County Renewable Energy Society is the local chapter of the American Solar Energy Society. The Chapter’s primary focus is to increase the intelligent use of solar energy, energy efficiency, and other sustainable technologies in Orange County. OC Renewables has a monthly meeting at the Duck Club in Irvine with speakers and networking of solar advocates here in Orange County. Mike Harmanos is a member of this new organization.

• Buying shade grown, organic coffee
• Using coffee mugs and other permanent cups, dishes, and utensils
• Using compact fluorescents throughout the congregation
• Promoting compact fluorescents
• Incorporating earth-centered, environmentally important messages into the service and into religious exploration

What else? Let’s focus on the positive!

In order to become a Green Sanctuary, we as a congregation must put together a program of three events apiece based in four focus areas, for a total of 12 programs.  These focus areas are, as follows:

• Worship and spiritual practice
• Religious education for our children
• Environmental justice
• Sustainable living

Within these four focus areas, Green Sanctuary encompasses the whole of congregational life.

This format allows members, friends, and just about anyone to express their views and comments here. What does it mean to you to have OCUUC as a Green Sanctuary?