[Green] Activities relating to Earth Day 2018 - register our events with UUMFE?

[Adeline Bailey]

Hello, Green friends,

As many of you most likely also received info from UU Ministry For 
Earth, you are aware that congregations are invited to register their 
Earth Day activities. I think I did that last year or the year before 
without discussing it with anybody, but this time I wanted to make it a 
group decision.

We're doing a good bit this year: booth/table at Marietta Earth Day, 
sponsoring a Sun Dance Hoedown to celebrate the success of meeting our 
goals for Faithify and the Solar Match Fund, taking a role (just what 
we'll do is yet to be determined) in the Earth Day Sunday service, and 
working with B&G on plans for energy efficiency improvements in the 
RE/Office Building.

After reading through the UUMFE plans for the month, I'm inspired to do 
a couple more things: Mike and I are organizing the Social Justice 
Sunday program this coming Sunday, and I hope you'll be able to join us. 
We'll be talking about environmental justice and its history in the U.S. 
and showing the documentary "Cheshire, Ohio." The documentary tells the 
story of a small Ohio town that had a challenging relationship with a 
huge, (formerly) AEP-owned, coal-burning power plant, located not that 
far from us along the Ohio River.  In this year's Earth Day materials, 
UUMFE is partnering with UUs for Social Justice (UUSJ) to sponsor a 
letter-writing campaign in support of the RECLAIM Act 2017, a bipartisan 
bill which would unlock existing funds to assist coal communities. UUMFE 
and UUSJ believe this will provide a “Just Transition” from a 
coal-dependent economy and will put people back to work, leading to a 
more sustainable community and a brighter future.  I think the campaign 
is a great fit with the environmental justice theme of the social 
justice forum, and I plan to introduce it then. It would be something we 
could DO, instead of just talking about the inequity of locating power 
plants, landfills, and the like in places where people feel they have no 
power over big corporations. Additionally, I'd like to continue the 
letter-writing activities with a table in the Social Hall on the 
following two Sundays (April 15 and 22). We'll collect the letters and 
send them to UUSJ gathered in a packet that they will combine with 
letters from other congregations to hand-deliver to our senators' 
offices.  What do you think? Let me know if you'd be able to help with 
the campaign, and make this part of our Earth Day activities. (I'm 
introducing it this Sunday at the forum, regardless. If we want to 
expand it to the whole congregation, I think I'll need some help.)

Secondly, UUMFE's theme for Earth Day 2018 is "Justice for Each 
Generation," recognizing intergenerational equity as a component of the 
first Unitarian Universalist Principle and expressing solidarity with 
the 21 youth plaintiffs in the Juliana v. U.S. constitutional climate 
lawsuit.  I don't know a great deal about the lawsuit, but I'd like to 
know more. It could make for an interesting Social Justice Sunday in 
June, when I think there is an open slot in Michelle's schedule.  
Anybody interested? There is more info about the lawsuit at UUMFE and 
Our Children's Trust <cid:part1.1E364A57.7F87DAC5 at suddenlink.net>.

Please let me know that I have an OK from the committee to register our 
activities with UUMFE, and share your opinions about the letter-writing 
campaign.

Thanks,

Adeline


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