Our Green Sanctuary program affirms and promotes the seven principles of the UUA, including the seventh: “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.”

A Green Sanctuary is a congregation that lives out its commitment to the Earth by creating a sustainable lifestyle for its members as individuals and as a faith community.

Our Green Sanctuary Committee seeks to encourage participation in, and to educate ourselves and our members about the need for energy conservation and civic awareness as impacted by current global warming and the associated irresponsible use and waste of fossil fuels, to take constructive action and minimize our contribution to excessive energy use and global warming, along with the immediate goal of obtaining Green Sanctuary status.

Goals for 2007–2008

Our committee seeks to:

• create an overall plan and schedule to the extent possible, to bring our building under the guidelines for green structures; this will demand considerable planning, expenditure, and temporary inconvenience but yield savings of energy and economic resources in the long run;
• to reduce energy consumption in our religious activities and daily life; and
• to obtain official Green Sanctuary status from the UUA.

Many approaches

There are many ways for all to attain sustainability; each individual can set their own agenda, goals, and steps within their own lives along the way.

Together we, as a responsible local religious organization, part of the national Unitarian Universalist Association, and inhabitants of Earth’s environment, have numerous opportunities and challenges in our personal lives and in our own religious community to make our lives sustainable.

Energy-saving ideas for you and yours

1. Change incandescent bulbs to CFLs.
2. Plant a tree — or several.
3. Walk or bicycle instead of driving.
4. Lower winter thermostat by degrees.
5. Turn off lights, computers and accessories when not in use.
6. Use reusable/recyclable shopping bags.

Green Sanctuary Committee members

Our Green Sanctuary Committee started in September, 2006, chaired by David Ashley. Co-chairs for 2007–8 are Geri Aird and Janet Allen at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .

Visit us at our weekly Green Gatherings table in the Social Hall after the service to share environmental concerns.

Links to interesting, informative, and innovative websites

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E-mail newsletter of Eco-Justice Ministries
Kitchen gardeners strut their stuff
Better bags for a better planet
Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth
New York Interfaith Power and Light