The Green Sanctuary
September 23rd, 2011

The Green Sanctuary Program

 

 

        

        

        

Green Sanctuary

 

 MUUF received accreditation!

The certificate is in the mail!

 

A Green Sanctuary is a congregation that lives out its commitment to the Earth by creating a sustainable life style for its members as individuals and as a faith community. Sustainable living is not about our material comfort (though these choices are an important part of the overall life style); it is about choosing to live in a way that nurtures life, builds relationships, and rejects material consumption as the sole determinant of happiness.  We follow these twelve steps to achieve this goal.

Worship and Celebration

1.             Annual rededication of Earth Totem Pole

2.             Annual inter-generational camping trip

 

Religious Education

3.             Annual vegetarian Share-A-Dish Dinner

4.             Annual discussion course

5.             Library section with book reviews about the environment

 

Environmental Issues

6.             Environmental issue forum with local groups

7.             Work with local groups about community issues

 

Sustainable Living

8.             Adopt a Green Purchasing Policy

9.             Adopt a  policy on nontoxic cleaning supplies

10.        Maintain our Florida Yard landscaping

11.        Members take Energy Efficiency 1-2-3 pledge

12.        Make our building more energy efficient

 

Check out the links below for more information on the UUA commitment to going GREEN

 

http://uua.org/leaders/environment/greensanctuary/index.shtml

 

http://uua.org/leaders/environment/greensanctuary/118737.shtml 

 

http://greensanctuary.blogs.uua.org/

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350.org
April 27th, 2011

350 is the most important number in the world!

 This is the second year that 350.org has sponsored an international awareness and action day. This year the observance was 10-10-10!

350 is the number that is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide – measured in parts per million in our atmosphere.  350ppm is where we need to go back to, to avoid runaway climate change. We are now over 390!

Carbon dioxide emission is the basic problem underlying all others – warming climate, acidification of oceans, thawing glaciers and permafrost, destruction of habitats for plants and animals.

It’s like the doctor said our cholesterol is too high and a heart attack is imminent.

We need to do what we can locally ourselves and nationally through our legislators.

We wrote letters to our state senators and voiced our concerns for sustainable energy.      Bernita Franzel, Green Sanctuary Committee

http://www.350.org

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Sustainable Landscape
August 2nd, 2011

Sustainable Landscape

 " On June 4, 2011, Manatee Unitarian Universalist Fellowship was awarded the Certificate for Florida Friendly Yards - Gold!, by the Manatee Extension Service."

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HUNGRY FOR CHANGE
October 26th, 2011

Green Sanctuary

 

HUNGRY  FOR  CHANGE

 

The Green Sanctuary would like to offer a new food discussion group based on a recently developed curriculum by the Northwest Earth Institute.  This course is  similar to the one we did last Spring, yet different and more current.  The course will be six meetings and hopefully would start in January. You need not have attended the Spring course to join  this one.
Participants in the discussion course will:

 

   1. Explore the interconnected nature of food systems and our relationships to them.

   2. Examine the impact our food choices  have on our health, the health of others and the health of our planet.

   3. Consider the ethical and political implications of our current food system and our personal food choices.

 

A flyer will be on the Social Justice table with a sign up sheet.  An organizational meeting to determine facilitators and day and time of meeting  will be held December 4 at 9:45 am.  If you can't make the meeting, talk to Bill Hayes or Bernita Franzel ahead of time.

 

Bill Hayes and Bernita Franzel,
Green Sanctuary  

 

 

Organic Herb Garden

 

Beyond the children’s playground is the beginning of a newly planted organic herb garden.  Chocolate mint, basil, thyme, sage, parsley and chives are setting down roots.  Soon we will add rosemary, cilantro, oregano and another flavor of mint.  This addition to our Green Sanctuary honors the UU 7th Principle and a result of Bill Hayes class “Menu for the Future”.  During the growing season, our herbs will be a fragrant addition to our table at Sunday coffee/tea time and Share-a-dish.  Do you have a favorite herb you would like to add to the garden?                                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                Martha Kokajko

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Earth Day
May 19th, 2011

Earth Day Celebration

April 24, 2011

 
The following link will tell you more about the 40/40/40 program.
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MUUF Environmental Bags
August 2nd, 2011

Manasota 88 is a local Green program which alerted us to the problems of plastic bags: Retail stores have to buy them and then turn around and charge the customers. Plastic bags account for 80% of the litter on streets and 47% of the wind-born littler from landfills. EPA estimates that nearly 88% of plastic bags are not recycled and they take up to 1,000 years to break down. Plastic bags kill 100,000 birds, whales, seals and turtles every year plus deer, raccoons, bears which frequently scavenge in landfills. Manufacturing of plastic bags requires petroleum, using energy and causing pollution.

Eight states have enacted retail bag regulations but sadly, not Florida. Thirty-three countries world wide have enacted plastic bag regulations.

MUUF has taken action!  You can purchase a royal blue fabric bag with a picture of the Chalice and our name on it. The bags are for sale for $3.50 each or $6.00 for two. Because our order is small compared to what retail stores order, our price is higher.

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