by Sabina Shelby from the Universalist Church of West Hartford
Food & Energy…
…these are the themes our church is going to focus on to do our part to reverse climate change.
Last year, we held 6 monthly workshops introducing key contributors to climate change. Our food workshop was by far the most widely attended and that was our call to action. Choosing sustainable food systems as a focus was obvious. Our vibrant food ministry and our Social Justice Ministry are both interested in working on this issue, too.
This year, we will be introducing the ‘how and why’ behind composting, whether at home or using a service. For the science-minded, we will explain the health and environmental reasons behind choosing to eat more plant-based food. For the foodies, we’ll conduct cooking classes, and perhaps prepare a church-wide cookbook. For the children among us, we’ll demonstrate vermicomposting (worm composting).
Once our food work is underway, we’ll turn toward energy. We’re grateful the Climate Bill passed this year so that churches will finally get financial incentives for installing alternative energy and energy efficiency in their buildings. We’ll also make this campaign personal by challenging 80% of our congregants to get energy audits with the help of IREJN who sees this as their mandate. Together we’ll figure out barriers to energy efficiency adoption and chip away at them. Once we have champions among us that have experienced lower energy bills and more comfortable living space, we’ll ask them to help us extend our reach. We want to join with low/moderate income neighborhoods needing environmental justice support in West Hartford to connect them with $14,000 per home energy rebates. We’ll be reducing greenhouse gases and economic inequality at the same time!
Please write GS@westhartforduu.org* to join us in any or all of this work. We look forward to working with you: this is no time to go it alone.
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*The Universalist Church of West Hartford is a member of the Universalist/Unitarian Association and is working to achieve certification as a “Green Sanctuary” through UUA and its 2030 Green Sanctuary program. In order to get certified as a Green Sanctuary, the church will organize 3 campaigns that use a combination of mitigation, adaptation and eco-justice. We’re starting with Food and Energy.
