The Green Sanctuary Committee

Culminating a year of work by the Global Warming Event Planning Team, the UUSWH Standing Committee on January 7, 2008, approved the proposed charter of a new Green Sanctuary Committee. Some excerpts from that charter:

Mission: The goal of the Green Sanctuary Committee (GSC) is to help bring UUSWH activities and policies into alignment with the UU Seventh Principle (“Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part”). To that end, we will help our Society become an accredited Green Sanctuary Congregation. This will involve planning activities and encouraging members of this congregation to bring about positive environmental changes in three arenas:

1. Individual UUSWH members & friends (regarding lifestyle choices)
2. UUSWH as a whole (regarding the church’s energy use, etc.)
3. The broader Wellesley community (regarding its energy use, etc.)

Scope: Our four focus areas will be 1) worship and celebration, 2) religious education, 3) environmental justice and 4) sustainable living. Within these areas, there will be a total of at least 12 activities or projects.

Membership: We will remain open to new ideas and to new members as we warmly welcome anyone who wants to participate in the Green Sanctuary Program.

Becoming an Accredited Green Sanctuary Congregation

Working within the guidelines provided by the UU Ministry for the Earth, the Committee is now working to have UUSWH accredited as a Green Sanctuary Congregation. The next steps in that process are --

1. Conduct an Environmental Audit
2. Create an Action Plan
3. Apply for Green Sanctuary Candidacy and Complete all Activities
4. Apply for Green Sanctuary Accreditation

A Sample of Activities of the Green Sanctuary Committee in 2007

1. March 22 & 23: Provided lodging and breakfast to approximately 30 participants in the 3/16-24 “Interfaith Walk for Climate Rescue” (from Northampton to Boston).
2. March 30: Public showing of Too Hot Not to Handle, followed by a talk by Dr. Steven Wofsy, Professor of Atmospheric and Environmental Chemistry at Harvard University; attended by more than 100 people.
3. April 14: Mass. Bay District Workshop on “Greening Your Sanctuary: Tips on Saving Energy, Money and the Environment” attended by several UUSWH members.
4. May 6: Special meeting where Resource Person Wendy Irvine of the First Parish in Cambridge explained what was required to become an accredited Green Sanctuary. (Other UUs who informally helped us learn more about becoming a Green Sanctuary included Bruce Langmuir of the Sudbury Church and Judy Perry of the Framingham church).

Green Sanctuary Committee Members as of March 2008

Irene Flint (Vice-Chair), Steve Fogg, Judith Frisbie, Dave Johnson (Chair), Mary Johnson, Jessica Langerman (Secretary), David Laffitte, Angela Li, Peter Shaw(Vice-Chair)

For more information, please contact Dave Johnson, Irene Flint, or Peter Shaw through the church office at 781.235.7423