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II. Religious Education

1. Adult : continue Northwest Earth Institute courses -- next course is to be Voluntary Simplicity, starting 9/06; also under consideration for Fall ‘06 is “Healthy Children, Healthy Planet”.
Further NWEI courses are planned for Spring ‘07; Judy Newman is lead.
Also, will seek to present a course on eco food principles to accompany “Food for Thought and Action”.

2. Children : incorporate MFE RE manual into curriculum, & consider a module on earth care; involve in the Global Warming Service and associated events; continue to involve in Intergenerational Activities such as the now-to-be Annual Stream Team work party and the planned Landscape projects ( see below in the Sustainable Living section). Lead is to be determined -- time line is over the next year.

III. Sustainable Living

1. Energy Conservation: Proposed actions to consider and implement if approved by Board & congregation: Research and determine reasons for usage increase in 2004-5 and remedy if possible; reduce thermostats by two degrees in winter, from 69 to 67 ; sanctuary ceiling fan to reduce heat stratification and improve air circulation; look at tinting/shading the southside windows to reduce passive solar heating in summer and to retain heat better in winter; install separate light switches for zone lighting in library; incorporation of Green Star criteria in purchasing policy; incorporation of environmental standards into investing practice . Lead is Chuck Wagar; efforts to span the next year.

2. Global Warming Action: Refresh the Global Warming 1-2-3 Pledge for church members (first introduced at UUCE in 2002), and encourage extending its reach, eg reduce thermostats by 2-3 degrees instead of 1, drive 3-4 mph less (or even the speed limit on the freeway!) instead of 2. Educate and encourage personal member energy and C02 Audits. One way of doing this would include the notion of Carbon Footprints to heighten understanding and promote further reductions in greenhouse gas generation,
and to encourage carbon mitigation through programs such as carbonfund.org or the Green Tags program of the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. Lead is Eldon Haines, and implementation is in Fall 2006.

3. Food for Thought and Action: promote pledges by members to buy and eat more local and organic produce, and to eat less meat; in April 2006 we were represented at the interfaith “That’s my Farmer” event that promotes use of Community Supported Agriculture. Leads include Lorna Baldwin, timeline is Spring 2007.

4. Sustainable Transport: educate about and encourage use of high mileage/low emission vehicles among members; encourage car pooling to church events, and start a web site to facilitate communication to provide rides;survey members regarding their transportation use eg to church and introduce a token counter system that would track travel modality and maybe promote more use of walking, bikes and bus alternatives to personal automobiles. Lead is Erik Fisher, time frame is Spring 2007.

5. Green Landscaping: Establish policies and procedures minimizing and where possible eliminating use of pesticides and other cidal agents. Restore and enhance the church grounds by removal of invasive exotics in intergenerational work parties, establishing trails and contemplation/education sites in an enhanced native plant setting. Institutionalize the Earth Day Stream Team work volunteer participation as an annual church event as a contribution to native plant restoration in Eugene Public Parks -- this year we had 70 participants of all ages, when Judy Sawyer and Lorna Baldwin organized. Leads include Lorna Baldwin, implementation is Winter-Spring 2007.

6. Green Building: As the UUCE is currently planning either extensive remodeling or new construction to accomodate its rapidly growing congregation, we seek to ensure input promoting the most environmentally sensitive building feasible. For example, if remodeling could satisfactorily serve expansion needs, this would be a less energy intensive and environmentally benign enterprise than new construction, even ecologically mindful new construction. As another example, the City says that potential building enlargement at our current site would require expansion and paving of the parking lot, which would dramatically harm our well-preserved ecologically and aesthetically special natural setting. If this scenario were to come to pass, we propose that a variance be sought that would reflect our efforts to reduce auto use, preserve existing eco-values, and utilise already existing nearby parking facilities. Lead is Rudy Berg, timeline is over the next year, in coordination with the Strategic Planning Committee.

IV. Environmental Justice

1. Environmental Investing -- Incorporate environmental values into the socially responsible investing practices of the Church, so as to promote these values in the economic arena. Lead is Pat Christgau, time frame is by Winter 2007.

2. Develop a Microfinance Program for local underpriveleged people that incorporates both social justice and environmental enhancement. This takes advantage of member expertise in this kind of program. One form that this could take is to promote more energy efficient / less polluting heating systems. Eldon Haines is lead, time frame is over the next year.

COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

1. Education --
(a) insert a “Green Choice” recommended action in every Order of Service
(b) have a paragraph in each monthly newsletter on a Green topic, eg in August, September and October in the lead-up to the Global Warming Service
(c) starting in Fall 2006, staff a between- service information table on environmental topics and our congregational actions, such as a place for the Global Warming and Food for Thought and Action pledges
(d) develop a web page on the Church web site with our programs and connecting links for further information
(e) place relevant books in the church library.

2. Participation --
The information dissemination program will include actions that members can take both individually and as part of the Green Sanctuary effort; for these activities it is anticipated that during-service announcements will also be made; establish a salon for film/book discussion on environmental problems and responses; put on a fund-raiser for Green Sanctuary activites; and have a Town Hall meeting for the entire congregation next year.

3. Coordination with the Larger Community --
We will link up with interfaith activities (eg the local Temple Beth Israel and First United Methodist Church are active environmentally) and join with other groups dealing with Green Building (eg the Eco-Builders Guild), transportation alternatives, global warming, etc.