Green Sanctuary

Green Sanctuary Sub-Council

Chair: Bev Prager, Edith Savage, Peter Magistri, Barbara Prine, David Newton, Laurie Rollins, Anne Bailey, Mary Sherwin, Stu Spence, Sheila Ward

USH Covenant on the Earth

See Final Assessment Plan

Proposed Action Plan

Mission:

~ To help our congregation live in harmony, create a healthier world environment by spearheading activities that will educate and engender greater awareness of our impact on the environment and how we can bring forth positive change in personal lifestyle choices, congregational activities and the broader community.

The Process:

~ The process of becoming accredited through the UU Ministry For Earth as a Green Sanctuary involves:

1. performing an assessment of current practices;
2. developing an action plan of at least 12 activities/projects within various aspects of congregational life that will create a more earth-friendly style of living (one social justice project in collaboration with another congregation or organization to address an environmental injustice is required);
3. after activities are completed and documented, the congregation must vote to apply for accreditation and a documented report will be submitted.

Recent accomplishments:

Established the “green table” at coffee hour on Sundays to provide greater interest and access to green cleaning products and paper goods.

Conducted a survey with a strong educational component to get people thinking of changes they could make to help the environment.

Expanded our bulletin board to bring more information/education and resources to people’s every day lives.

Offered an adult program discussion course entitled – Choices in Sustainable Living

We meet the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 5:00 at USH.

Sign up to receive periodic emails about green happenings/info. Email David Newton dcnewton@ushartford.com to join the green listserve.

If you would like to join us, contact Beverly Prager at bev_prager@hotmail.com or call her at 651-9689.

Green Sanctuary Final Assessment- 4/09

What we are doing right:

The Building:

Replaced gas boilers with new energy efficient ones
Created new zones for heating and control them with timers; keep heat low
Exhaust fans/air exchangers on only when building in use
Replacing old style fluorescent lighting with new T8 tubes; CFL’s used in all lighting
Have motion sensors on lights in certain areas; timer on heater for dishwasher
Internal facets have low flow filters; displacement devices in most toilets
Insulated water heaters
Insulated where we can -rigid insulation below windows replacement planned
Recycling of all aluminum cans, office paper, glass, plastic, newspaper and cardboard was implemented 2000
The Order of Service has a re-usable cover as of 9/03; reusable name tags
Copying/printing on both sides of paper encouraged
Use of some environmentally friendly cleaning products
Use of reusable cups for coffee hour; youth group now using paper soup cups

The Land:

Untreated cedar mulch and organic fertilizer used for the memorial gardens
Plantings in gardens are disease resistant and drought tolerant
Watering system for memorial garden is timer controlled with an external sensor
Provide water to the community gardens adjacent to our parking lot
Additional trees were planted in front
All “interments” are direct burial of ashes without containers
Pet Memorial Garden has a material that is flexible between the pavers that keeps weeds from growing in between
Lawn maintenance features no use of fertilizers and inorganic chemicals
Most lawn clippings remain to recycle through decay
We have a compost bin

Programs:

Social Justice Council began a Green Sanctuary sub-council
USH gives a discount for social justice/energy justice organizations using the building
RE teaches a minimum of 3 lessons/year on 7th principle
Children/families were involved with replanting/caring for a flower bed
5 Children messages incorporated a “green theme”
Summer program incorporated a recycled art project
SGM utilized 4 readings re: nature/the environment
1 worship service was devoted to “saving the environment” theme
Chancel Art often utilizes flowers, nature items
Visual art, meditations and music during the services often try to evoke a sense of wonder/awe/appreciation for nature
2 flower services, the ingathering service utilizes water; 5 children’s messages, 6 prayers, readings, poems, contemplations and 26 music referencing nature
Ember days (meditation sessions on the change of season) were offered 4 times/year at the equinoxes
Weekly meditation using walking meditation outside during warm months as well as nature items on the altar in the room
During the summer months the worship service is held in the smaller chapel that has full length windows overlooking the woods behind the building

Congregant survey

Most people always recycle plastics, many recycle paper and about ½ use reusable plates, flatware and cups.
Members are conscious of turning off lights; over ½ have converted to cfl’s.
58% recycle their computers/electronics and use refillable water bottles as opposed to buying water bottles

What More can we do?

Organize/encourage carpooling
Write down procedures for temperature/electricity regulation and recycling
Select clean energy option for utility bill
Buy 100% recycled paper for copy paper, toilet paper, paper towels
Adopt statement at Board Level re: environmental friendly paper & cleaning products use as well as use of disposables
Explore feasibility of installing small frig and dishwasher in upstairs library
Ask outside groups using USH to reframe from using disposables
Find a way to eliminate weeds without using harsh chemicals
Upkeep bird houses
Utilize compost bin; add kitchen scraps, leaves, occasional grass clippings
Have more gardens around USH; possibly introducing a water feature/ Labyrinth
Have re classes/families/neighborhood networks adopt a bay for caring of gardens
Explore collaboration with The Village re: gardening program for troubled youth
Utilize our grounds more; create more user friendly areas of outside (outdoor seating, playground)
Install bike racks
Provide education on impact of consumer choices re: areas of need from survey
Grow veggies (either in community garden plot or create new garden on land around USH) for food banks
Offer more adult programs that look at environment stewardship/responsibility
Offer environmental themed SGM
Look into insulation of concrete fins

Proposed Action Plan 4/09

Application for Green Sanctuary designation requires an Action Plan that has 4 components: 1) worship and celebration, 2) religious education, 3) earth justice, 4) sustainable living.

Worship & Celebration (2 needed)

Create a Statement/Covenant regarding use of earth friendly paper, cleaning products and reusable tableware for all activities at USH. Promote local foods/beverage providers when possible.
Incorporate 7th principal ideals by utilizing the grounds/building (e.g. moment to listen to nature thru our building) for parts of worship/celebrations.

Religious Education (2)

Create “Adopt/Weed a Bay” so families/classes/neighborhood networks can care for the plants/land in that area. This will create greater community and for children an awareness of changes in the gardens throughout the seasons.
Promote at least one environmentally themed adult education class each year

(small group ministry, films, North West Earth Institute discussion course).

Earth Justice (2)

1.     Explore a collaboration with The Village for Children and Families (next door) to expose children there to the joys and benefits (horticulture therapy) of the garden/nature by creating a vegetable garden together.
2.     Review operations and modify practices that may affect the environment around USH: for example - banning the use of products with VOC’s as well as all chemicals that will affect the water table and community gardens behind our building.
3.     In order to support clean energy in CT, sign up for the clean energy option with CL&P (cost $200-400yr depending on 50% or 100% option picked).
4.     Explore interest in growing vegetables in a community garden plot (behind USH) to give to a food pantry in Hartford.

Sustainable Living (4).

1.     Create a Green Table shopping area at USH to encourage the purchase and use of earth friendly products and practices.
2.     In accordance with the adoption of congregation wide policies/procedures re: recycling, composting, use of disposables – evaluate the efficacy of purchasing a small energy efficient dishwasher to install in upstairs library to encourage use of reusable tableware.
3.     Educate the congregation through weekly enews column (Did You Know?) and green sanctuary bulletin board, paying close attention to results of congregational survey.
4.     Explore the creation of a community lending operation in which members will offer idle items (e.g. carpet cleaners, weed wackers) for borrow to help eliminate excess items while also financially helping members. Create a magazine rack for magazine exchanges. Lend out Killowatt device.
5.     Write up recycling, composting and energy conservation procedures for USH.
6.     Tape light switches that no longer should be used to save electricity.
7.     Create additional greenery around the outside of USH for greater enjoyment; possibly providing food for humans, birds and animals.
8.     Create a mechanism for earning monies (Green Table) that will support USH in paying the additional funds for the clean energy option and earth-friendly products or for additional projects to benefit USH; a win/win and truly sustainable situation for all.
9.     Conduct energy review of appliances at USH and investigate options for purchase of more energy efficient models.
10. Foster carpooling by connecting people with their neighborhood networks; provide bike rack at USH

Let us know of any comments, errors and corrections - thanks (revised 02/11/10)