Study/Action Group on Sustainability

Two members of our group have developed a presentation to help you understand how your electricity and transportation use affects the environment, and what you can do about it.

More than half of U.S. electricity is generated with coal--which damages the environment and human health at every stage of its use, from mining to air pollution to ash disposal.  Now you can "green" your electricity supply without buying and installing expensive equipment.  Find out how.

The thrust for our activities began with a workshop on social justice at our meeting house in the Spring of 2000. To the surprise of the facilitators, the rather unexpected outcome of this workshop was a strong sense among the participants that sustainability was the most important issue in our lives in that it is interwoven with every social, environmental and economic concern. There was also a strong sense that Responsible Consumption was the most immediate, direct, and personal way in which each individual could put into action his or her values and effect significant change. Coincidentally, we learned at about this time of the Study/Action Project of the UUA (Unitarian Universalist Association) on the topic: "Responsible Consumption as a Moral Imperative."  Hence, we formed a Study/Action Group on Responsible Consumption/Sustainability, which has since met monthly.

We began by organizing a summer Sunday discussion series.  We had attendance of 25-30 people at every session. The series included the following topics:

• "It's a Dog-Help-Dog World: Cooperation is the Most Powerful Force in Sustainable Natural Communities" - Phil Kern
• "The Ecology of Sustainable Communities" - Rich Greenlee
• "Treading Lightly in Your Vehicle: Sustainable Personal Transportation" - Colin High
• "Power from the Sun: Sustainable Energy" - Bill Martin
• "Epicurean Simplicity: Our Food, Our Planet" - Claudia Kern
• "Power From the Wind: Sustainable Energy" - Tom Gray
• "Nice Guys Last Longest: Four Billion Years of Sustainable Communities" - Phil Kern
• "More Fun-Less Stuff (Your Money or Your Life): Responsible Consumption as a Moral, Frugal, and Hedonistic Imperative!"

1. We are building a sustainability library-we have developed a bibliography and have had nearly 100 books donated by members and friends.
2. One of our members, Tom Gray, has helped us to form an e-mail discussion list.  We share information on relevant actions, recommend good websites and books, and more. We are hoping to develop this even more as a vehicle of communication and participation.  If you would like to join this discussion, send a blank e-mail message to uucuv-simplify-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
3. Another of our members, Steve Ketcham, has created a Web site for us at http://www.uucuv.org/sustainability.html (this page!). This site is in its infancy, but will eventually provide links to many other sites.
4. In the Fall and Winter of 2000, we sponsored three discussion courses with a total of 24 registered participants. We used the materials developed by the Northwest Earth Institute/Vermont Earth Institute for courses on "Voluntary Simplicity," "Choices for Sustainable Living," "Deep Ecology," and "Your Money or Your Life."
5. We have begun greening our congregation's activities. The Meeting House committee is participating in a buying group which allows us to buy unbleached and recycled paper products at a reasonable price. In addition, we are exploring the interfaith program offered by Equal Exchange coffee company for cooperatively and organically-shade-grown coffee. At the January,2000, Board Meeting we received approval to participate as a Founding Church for the Seventh Principle Project's Green Sanctuary Program and are in the process of applying for candidacy.
6. We have instituted a Green Corner at our Coffee Hour with ASAP's (After-Service Action Projects!), which provide a quick social action that applies to sustainability and empowers people with the knowledge that their actions as consumers can make a difference. Some actions we have undertaken to date:
   • a petition regarding the roadless national forests project,
   • laundry line of clothes to urge folks to line-dry
   • a form to fill out requesting deletion from direct marketing lists and reduce junk mail (thanks to the Center for the New American Dream),
   • a checklist for evaluating one's family's food consumption patterns,
   • a handout from the Monterey Aquarium on consuming fish responsibly, etc.
   • letters to four major pulp paper producers requesting that they ban the use of chlorine bleaching and other organochlorines, and that they label any products which they continue to produce with these chemicals. Also, letters to EPA and congress requesting a legislative ban.
   • the Clean Car Pledge for individuals to sign and send
   • weatherization to reduce energy consumption
   • and more....
7. As a prelude to a focus on consumption and the holidays, in November, 2000, we hosted a public showing of a satellite broadcast by Vicki Robin on Your Money or Your Life. The interest from both the community and congregation was such that we will be offering a support group/ study course in January on this nine-step plan for redefining one's relationship with money.
8. Our major pre-holiday project was aimed toward building UU and public awareness about alternative, sustainable practices for holiday celebrations and gift-giving. We created 140 fabric gift bags at weekly sewing bees. The bags were created from donated, discontinued decorator fabric samples. We sold these at low cost at our annual Craft Fair, inviting people to use the idea to create a new holiday tradtion. At the Fair, we also distributed a flyer entitled "Walk gently on the Earth this season," and a pamphlet produced by the Center for the New American Dream entitled "Simplify the Holidays." We sold every bag, and the response was overwhelmingly positive.

1. What is the most wonderful handmade gift, gift of experience, gift of time, or other "alternative gift" you have ever received?
2. Describe for us the most joy-full "alternative gift" that you have ever given.
3. Let us know if you have you ever given donations in the name of a loved one as a gift? What cause or organization did you choose and why?
4. What special rituals or traditions for celebrations are unique to your family?

A VOLUNTARY SIMPLICITY CAROL

(to the tune of JINGLE BELLS)

Copyright 2000, by Patricia W. Eckels

Hap-py boys, hap-py girls,
Hap-py fa-mi-lies,
What we need are time and love, so
Lis-ten to us plee-eeze.

Too much buy, too much get,
Too much stress and fret.
Things that make us cross and tired,
All these we should for-get.

Dash-ing through the stores,
Till we're all out of sorts,
More-more-more-more-more,
Our lists are ne-ver short.

Let's find time for home.
This year we'll do it right.
We'll set a whole new tone,
And make our spi-rits bright!

Hap-py girls, hap-py boys,
Happy fa-mi-lies,
What we need are time and love,
And volun-tary sim-pli-ci-ty.

Looking ahead to a new year, we would like to initiate some programs for children on consumption and advertising, host letter-writing parties, and build an inventory of goods and talents for exchanging among UUs. Our main projects at the moment are assisting with the Green Sanctuary project, and, most especially, looking into the possibilities for buying green energy for our Meetinghouse, interested members of our congregation, and perhaps, even, a coalition of Upper Valley churches (the "Upper Valley" of the Connecticut River is a name applied to the New Hampshire-Vermont border region where we are located).

Our challenges are:

1. How to motivate concern and action for the issues surrounding sustainability, while at the same time building hope and vision.
2. Staying focused. Sustainability touches every aspect of life; how do we keep the message consistent, simple, and relevant? In part, that is why the filter of responsible consumption is useful.
3. How to bring our knowledge and concern to the community at large. What can UUs do and say on these issues, what should we be saying and doing as a congregation.
4. Resisting the temptation to think small!

Andrews, Cecile.  The Circle of Simplicity: return to the good life. Harper Perennial, 1998.

AtKisson, Alan.  Believing Cassandra: an optimist looks at a pessimist’s world.  White River Junction, Vermont.:  Chelsea Green, 1999. 

Bainbridge, David. The Straw Bale House. Chelsea Green Publishing Co., (1994). 

Bender, Sue.  Plain and Simple: a woman’s journey to the Amish. Harper Collins, 1991.

Berthold-Bond, Annie. Clean and Green: the complete guide to nontoxic and environmentally safe housekeeping.  Woodstock, New York:  Ceres Press, 1990.

Brower, Michael, et al.  Consumer’s Guide to Effecitive Environmental Choices: practical advice from the union of concerned scientists. Three Rivers Press, 1999.

Burch, Mark. Simplicity.

Daly, Herman. Steady-State Economics: the economics of biographical equilibrium and moral growth. W.H. Freeman & Co., San Francisco, 1977.

DeCicco, John. Green Guide to Cars and Trucks: model year 1999. American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, Washington, D.C., (year ?).

Delcourt, Paul A. Living Well in the Age of Global Warming: 10 strategies for boomers, bobos, and cultural creatives. Chelsea Green, 2001. ISBN 1-890132-87-X.

Durning, Alan.  How Much Is Enough: the consumer society and the future of the earth.  W.W. Norton, 1992. (2 copies)

Earth Works Groups. 50 Simple Things You Can Do To Save the Earth. The Earthworks Press, Berkeley, Ca., 1989.

Elgin, Duane.  Voluntary Simplicity: toward a way of life that is outwardly simple, inwardly rich.  New York:  William Morrow, 1993.

Friedman, Thomas L. The Lexus and the Olive Tree. Anchor Books (Random House), New York, 2000.

Gussow, Joan Dye. This Organic Life: confessions of a suburban homesteader. Chelsea Green, 2001.

Hawken, Paul.  The Ecology of Commerce: a declaration of sustainability. New York:  Harper-Business, 1993.

Hawken, Paul, Amory Lovins, and Hunter Lovins.  Natural Capitalism: creating the next industrial revolution. Boston: Little Brown, 1999. (A gift to the library from Anne Alford).

His Holiness, the Dali Lama.  Ethics for the New Millenium. New York:  Riverhead Books, Penguin Putnam, 1999.

Johnson, Dave. The Good Woodcutter's Guide: chain saws, woodlots, and portable sawmills. Chelsea Green, 1998.

Kohak, Erazim. The Green Halo: a bird's-eye view of ecological ethics. Open Court Publishing, 2000.   (A gift to the library from Don Marietta.)

Lindbergh, Anne Morrow. Gift from the Sea.  First Vintage Books Edition (Random House), New York, 1978.

Marietta, Don E., Jr.  For People and the Planet: holism and humanism in environmental ethics. Temple University Press, 1995.  (A gift to the library by the author.)

Meadows, Donella.  The Limits to Growth: a report for the club of Rome's project on the predicament of mankind.

Meadows, Donella H., Dennis L. Meadows, Jorgen Randers.  Beyond the Limits: confronting global collapse, envisioning a sustainable future. White River Junction, Vermont:  Chelsea Green, 1992.

McGuigan, Dermot, and Beverly Jacobson. Y2K & Y-O-U: the sane person’s home-preparation guide. A Real Goods Solar Living Book, Chelsea Green Publishing Co., 1999.

McKibben, Bill.  Hope, Human and Wild: true stories of living lightly on the earth. Hungry Mind Press, St. Paul, Minn, 1995.

Mesarovic, Mihajlo, and Eduard Pestel.  Mankind at the Turning Point: the second report to the club of Rome.  E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc./Reader’s Digest Press, New York, 1974.

Miller, Timothy.  How to Want What You Have. Avon Books, 1995.

Myers, Norman. Ultimate Security: the environmental basis of political stability. Island Press, Washington, D.C., 1996.

Nearing, Helen, and Scott Nearing.  Living the Good Life. Harborside, Maine:  Social Science Institute, 1954.

Nearing, Helen and Scott. The Maple Sugar Book. Schocken Books, 1970. (Gift to library by Rich Greenlee).

The New Settler Interviews. Edited by Beth Robinson Bosk. Chelsea Green, 2000.

Ray, Veronica. Green Spirituality: reflections on belonging to a world beyond myself. Hazelden, Center City, Minn., 1992

Robbins, John.  Diet for a New America. H.J. Kramer, 1998.

Robbins, John.  May All Be Fed: diet for a new world. William Morrow, 1992. (Gift to library by Claudia Kern)

Robin, Vicki, and Joe Dominiguez. Your Money or Your Life. New York:  Viking Penguin, 1992.

Robinson, Jo, and Jean Coppock Staheli. Unplug the Christmas Machine: a complete guide to putting love and joy back into the season.  New York:  William Morrow, 1991. 

Russell, Peter.  Waking up in time:finding inner peace in times of accelerating change. Origin Press, 1998. ( A gift to the library from Norma Jean Wittner.)

Ryan, John C. and Alan Thein Durning.  Stuff: the secret lives of everyday things.  Seattle:  Northwest Environment Watch, 1997. (2 copies)

Saltmarsh, John A.  Scott Nearing: an intellectual biography. Temple University Press/Chelsea Green, 1991.

Schaeffer, John el al. A Place in the Sun: the evolution of the Real Goods Solar Living Center.  Chelsea Green, 1997.

Schaeffer, John et al.  The Real Goods Solar Living Sourcebook: the complete guide to renewable energy technologies and sustainable living. A Real Goods Independent Living Book, 1996, ninth edition.

Schor, Juliet B.  The Overspent American: upscaling, downshifting, and the new consumer.  Basic Books, 1999.

Schumacher, E.F.  Small is Beautiful.  New York:  Harper Row, 1973. 

St. James, Elaine. Inner Simplicity: 100 ways to regain peace and nourish your soul.  Hyperion, New York, 1995.

St. James, Elaine.  Simplify Your Life: 100 ways to slow down and enjoy the things that really matter. New York:  Hyperion, 1994. ( A gift to the library from BJ Shabel.)

State of the World 1998: a worldwatch institute report on progress toward a sustainable society. Edited by Lester Brown et al.

Thomas, Lewis.  The Lives of the Cell: notes of a biology watcher. New York:  Viking Press, 1974.

Vital Signs 1997. W.W. Norton & Co. 1997

Weisman, Alan. Gaviotas: a village to reinvent the world.  Chelsea Green, White River Junction, Vt. 1998.

Wells, Malcom. The Earth Sheltered House: an architect’s sketchbook. Chelsea Green, 1998, 1st edition.

VIDEOS

Bullfrog Films, Affluenza.

Our use of energy is one of the most important ways that we impact the natural environment.  Americans consume their weight in oil every seven days--their weight in coal (in addition!), every six.  This enormous consumption has devastating environmental effects, ranging from oil spills at sea to global warming.

Recently, two members of our group, Colin High and Tom Gray, developed a short slide show on ways that individuals can make changes in their personal lives to reduce and also "green" their energy consumption.  The slide show, in Acrobat format, is found here.

GREEN ELECTRIC POWER PURCHASE
A Project of the Sustainability Action Group,
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Upper Valley, Norwich, Vermont

If you want to purchase "green" electric power (from renewable energy sources with low environmental impact) and you live in New Hampshire or Vermont, you no longer need to be frustrated by the lack of retail power choice in those two states.  Now you can support the production of green electric power that produces no air pollution and no greenhouse gas emissions by purchasing "renewable energy credits," also known as "Green Tags."  Green Tags represent the green premium for electric power generated by wind, solar, or other non-polluting renewable energy sources.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT GREEN TAGS

What is a Green Tag?

A Green Tag is a new product that has been devised to help promote the generation of electricity from "green" sources -- solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, and small hydro -- instead of heavily-polluting fossil fuels and nuclear power.  A Green Tag is "created" whenever electricity is generated from a green source.  It represents the premium for the extra cost of green power.

How does it work?

Let us say that a new source of wind-generated electricity is to be supported by Green Tags and that each tag will represent one kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity generated.  The wind farm owner sells the electricity to a utility, but Tags representing that electricity are sold to another buyer who is interested in supporting renewable energy.  The key point to understand is that each Green Tag represents a certain  specified amount of electricity.  Green Tags can only be sold as long as they are "backed" by real, generated green electricity.

What is its value?

Typically, a utility wants to buy electricity from the cheapest source.  Often, this turns out to be coal or natural gas, both of which pollute the air and contribute to global warming.  (For every kilowatt-hour generated from coal, two pounds of carbon dioxide are emitted into the atmosphere; for every kilowatt-hour from gas, one pound of CO2 is emitted.)

Utilities are willing to buy electricity from green sources as long as they do not have to pay any more than for electricity from coal or gas.  At this time, though, green energy costs more to produce.  Thus, the Green Tag:  the wind farm owner sells the electricity to the utility at the going rate.  The Green Tag is then sold to a third party for the extra amount needed to cover the cost of generating green energy.

For example, let's assume that it costs the utility 3 cents to buy a kilowatt-hour of electricity generated by coal, but it costs the wind farm owner 4 cents to generate a kilowatt-hour from wind.  The wind farm owner sells the wind-generated electricity to the utility for 3 cents, and the Green Tag is sold to someone else for 1 cent plus an additional amount to make a profit.

In such a transaction, everyone is a winner:

-- the utility is happy because it is buying electricity at the going rate, not having to spend extra for clean power.

-- the wind farm owner is happy because he or she has made enough money from  the sale of the electricity and the Green Tag to cover costs and make a profit.

-- The buyer of the Green Tag is happy because he or she has supported the generation of  electricity from renewable sources in two ways.  First, the energy being purchased has come from a new (since May, 1999) renewable  energy source that was brought on line in anticipation of the sale of these green power premiums.  Second, BEF, our Green Tag supplier, insures that all of the net revenues from Green Tags are invested in the next renewable energy project being developed.

Where do I come in?

You can help support green power by buying Green Tags.  If you buy Green Tags in an amount equal to your electricity consumption, then you are, in effect, "greening" your electricity supply.  The electricity system in the U.S. operates like a large pool of water -- customers draw electricity out and generators pump it in, but in the pool it is all mixed together and you cannot tell the difference.  When you buy Green Tags, you are paying for someone to add electricity from a green power source to the pool.  If everyone bought Green Tags to cover their electricity consumption, all of our electricity could eventually be generated by solar, wind, and other sources that do not pollute the air and water or contribute to global warming.

Where should I buy Green Tags?

The UUCUV Sustainability Action Group recommends the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF), a not-for-profit organization organized specifically to sell  Green Tags to residential and small business users.  BEF certifies that the power is green and that the price represents a fair premium for the green power.  BEF has a board of directors that includes representatives of several other environmental organizations, including the Natural Resources Defense Council.  All net revenues from the sale of BEF Green tags are reinvested in the development of  new renewable energy projects.

You may purchase Green Tags directly from BEF; however, we strongly urge you to do so through the UUCUV Sustainability Action Group.  We are tracking responses to build a database to demonstrate the green energy demand in New Hampshire and Vermont.  In addition,  disseminating information on Green Tags  and tracking responses to the Green Tag project is an important part of the work we are doing to become one of the first recognized UU Green Sanctuaries in the country.  We do not receive any money for this work.

What is the price of a Green Tag?

The price varies from about 1.2 cents to 4 cents per kWh depending on the part of the country where the power is generated and a variety of local factors.  BEF is currently charging 2 cents per kWh in lots of 1000 kWh  This is a very reasonable price in today's market, and in addition any profit that BEF makes on the sale is used for environmental education and conservation projects.  If you choose the "Charitable Donation" option on your order form, your payment to BEF is tax deductible.  For more information you can view the FAQ at BEF's Web site:  www.GreenTagsUSA.org   or consult your professional tax advisor.

What should I do if I am still a little confused?

If you wish to speak with someone about Green Tags, please call the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Upper Valley at 802-649-8828, and your call will be directed to someone who can help you.

Green Tags Project - Calculation Sheet
Sustainability Action Group,
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Upper Valley
PO BOX 1110, Norwich, Vermont, 05055

If you want to purchase green electric power (from renewable energy sources with low environmental impact)  and you live in New Hampshire or Vermont, you no longer need to be frustrated by the lack of retail power choice in those two states.  Now you can support the production of green electric power that produces no air pollution and no greenhouse gas emissions by purchasing renewable energy credits, also known as Green Tags.  Green Tags represent the green premium for electric power generated by wind, solar, or other non-polluting, renewable energy sources.

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Upper Valley (UUCUV)  has already purchased green tags equivalent to the annual electric power use at our Meeting House.  You may participate in the Green Tag Project in either of the following ways:

1.  You may choose an arbitrary number of Green Tags to buy (minimum order of two tags).  Each tag represents 1000 kilowatt-hours of generated renewable electricty and costs $20.

 OR

2.  You may  buy green tags to offset your  electric power consumption by following the simple  procedure below.    If you need more information on Green Tags, please see the attached information sheet.

To Offset Your Home/Congregation Electricity Use, Please Follow These Steps:

Step 1: Determine your annual electric power consumption.  You can do this by getting out your last year's electric bills and adding up the number of kilowatt-hours (kWh ) you used in the last 12 months.  If you cannot find all the bills, you can make an estimate of your annual use by adding the kWh used in one winter month and one summer month and multiplying by 6.

If you cannot find any old bills or if you have just moved to a new home, the following table will give you some VT/NH averages to estimate your home use*:

Small home or apartment                                               4,000 kWh
Average home                                                                 7,000 kWh
Large home                                                                   10,000 kWh
Very large home or home with air conditioning             12,000 kWh

(*Please note that if you heat with electricity you should attempt to check your bills, because annual use could be much higher than these examples.)

Write your actual or estimated annual kWh use on Line A in Step 2.

Step 2: Calculate the number of Green Tags needed to make your electric power green.

Line A:  Enter your actual or estimated annual electric power use from Step 1.
_______ kWh

Line B:   Round the number on Line A to the nearest 1000 kWh ________.

Line C:  Green Tags come in bundles of 1000 kWh.
Divide Line B by 1000 __________.  This is the number of Green Tags you will be purchasing.

Line D:  Green Tags cost $20 each.  Multiply Line C by $20.00 $_______.  This is the amount you should pay BEF for your Green Tags.
 

Step 3: Payment.   Now complete the order form, write a check payable to BEF, and mail (PO BOX 1110, Norwich, VT 05055)  or deliver the pre-addressed envelope to the UUCUV Meeting House.   After entering your order on our database, the Sustainability Action Group will forward your Green Tag order to BEF.  You will receive confirmation of your order from BEF.

BEF is a section 501(c)3 non-profit environmental organization thatwill purchase, on your behalf, certified renewable energy credits from new wind machines in the number of kWh you ordered.   You may choose either to keep the Green Tags or to donate them back to BEF to be retired.  If you choose to donate them, your payment to BEF is tax-deductible.  For additional tax information please see the BEF Web site www.GreenTagsUSA.org  or consult your professional tax advisor.
 

A member of our group has set up two e-mail "listserves" to distribute a weekly calendar of environmental conferences, hearings, meetings, education courses, hikes, and other events in the state of Vermont.  You can sign up to receive this calendar weekly by sending an e-mail message to the following address: vermontenvironment-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.  Or, if you are interested in also discussing environmental issues, write to vermontenvironment-talk-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.  The calendar is posted to both lists, so you need only subscribe to one.

Northwest Earth Institute

Religious Witness for the Earth

Seventh Principle Project