Hi Earth, Air, Water, living Things Champions,
Below are few specific easy ways you can pitch in to save our breathable planet home. A positive excerpt from our just published FUUCA Congregant Study and more.
1. Thank you for your generous books and money support to our books recycling and people’s minds rehabilitating Inside Books Project (IBP). You can bring your gently used book treasures to the gray IBP book bin under the table in the Welcoming Center. Or drop them off at Inside Books Project (IBP), 3106 E. 14 1/2 Street (white church on the NW corner of 14 1/2 and Airport Streets, (Book Donation Bin on East side of building). Austin, Texas 78702 https://
2. Our church membership Report on the 2023-24 Congregational Survey mentions specific areas where we could focus our energy to make more progress. I’ve excerpted text on two areas Congregants say we could do more. The whole survey is worth your time.
‘Church leadership could do more to focus more energy and investment in dismantling a culture of white supremacy and caring for our earth. Both areas because of their high importance and middling progress. I believe that includes stopping and cleaning up the toxic waste dumped into our earth, air and water by oppressively needlessly burning fossil fuels. An example of this is replacing and rehabilitating our coal burning Fayette Power Plant/site. Austin owns a third of this poisoning plant that a recent Harvard and UT, Austin study says the poison waste is sickening and killing Texans. Check out these links:
Our Church, Green Sanctuary Ministry, is part of a community wide team fighting to close, clean up and replace this dirty killer site with renewables and storage. These two Texas Tribune articles will tell you more:
- Austin struggles to shut down its coal power plant
- Texas coal power plants leaching toxic pollutants into …
When asked why Congregants give to our church, 92% said they are motivated by their values. Of these, almost half, (47%) mentioned the importance of making a difference in their world. An additional 49% mentioned the value of the church community to their lives and wanting to do their part to support this community and collaborate with the greater UUA community.
3. Right now here are ways to ‘make a difference, change our world, improve our church Community Energy’ and save money:
“Financial Incentives for Energy Investments at Houses of Worship” also free; www.energy.gov/congregations
3.a. We are part of a Community Clean Energy Campaign to support the Community Energy Generation and Climate Protection Plan:
read all about this smart no fossil fuel community plan with these two attachments (Proposed Resource Plan & Cover Letter) share with your family and friends. Hold your Council actions ’till September for our city wide organized support effort. We will grow the campaign over this Summer.
3.b. Learn about the UUA proposal for a National Climate Revival to save our climate from increased overheating, increased floods, droughts and more from greedy oppressive fossil fuel co’s.
4. For Good Climate news and the real story, this free 5 star newsletter: talkingclimatenews
Next Climate Crises/Solutions Meeting: Tuesday, July 2nd in Howson Hall. The meeting potluck will start at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting will begin at 7 p.m. There will be no June meeting.
Please contact Robert at roberthhendricks@aol.com if you have any questions.
Beki & Richard Halpin, Green Sanctuary Ministry, green@austinuu.org, 512-658-2599 or 512-917-6018
