UUFR 75th Anniversary Post #19: UUFR’s Commitment to the Environment

UUFR’s Commitment to the Environment

by Russ Outcalt, Environmental Justice Ministry Team Facilitator

 

UUFR has had a commitment to environmental justice throughout its history and that is stronger than ever as we approach our 75th anniversary.  The Fellowship’s formal efforts in environmental stewardship began with a Sustainability Statement of Conscience in 2010. UUFR became a candidate for Green Sanctuary status in 2011, which was granted by the UUA in 2013.

The application for Green Sanctuary status listed fifteen separate projects in four categories: Worship and Celebration, Religious Education, Environmental Justice and Sustainable Living.  These initiatives were actively pursued initially but since there was no team dedicated to environmental stewardship in place, many fell by the wayside as time went on.  In 2018, several members agreed that a renewed effort was required, and the Environmental Justice Ministry Team (EJMT) was organized under the auspices of the UUFR Social Justice Council.  Since then, the EJMT has championed, and the entire congregation has supported, investments to reduce our carbon footprint, initiatives to promote environmental justice, connections to our community and the UUA’s Green Sanctuary network. These efforts culminated in achieving Recognition under the UUA’s Green Sanctuary 2030 program on October 29, 2023.  UUFR was the first U. S. UU congregation to achieve this status.

Some of the key milestones and achievements include:

• Solar Array: The EJMT led the effort to install a 41.5 kW solar array on Fellowship Hall in 2020. It provides approximately half of the electricity for the building, a total of 157 MWh to date, avoiding 43 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.
• HVAC Modernization: The EJMT championed the replacement of the old gas/AC HVAC units in Peace Hall with highly efficient all-electric heat pumps, as well as highly efficient heat pumps and air conditioning units in Fellowship Hall. All the HVAC systems on the UUFR campus have been updated as of 2023.
• Composting: The EJMT initiated a sustained composting program in late 2019. To date, we have collected over 27,000 pounds of compostable materials.  This has avoided approximately 2,800 pounds of methane emissions from landfill decomposition, corresponding to approximately 32 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents.
• Styrofoam Recycling: The EJMT organized a Styrofoam recycling initiative in 2021. Since then, we have made numerous deliveries of collected styrofoam to approved recycling centers in Randleman and Durham, NC and at local Publix stores. This helps reduce the amount of this problematic, long-lived material in landfills.
• Prayer Chain for the Earth: The UUFR and Community United Church of Christ hosted Interfaith Creation Care of the Triangle’s “Prayer Chain for the Earth” in 2021, ’22 and ’23. These events attracted hundreds of people of faith concerned about the climate crisis.
• Earth Day Observances: The EJMT has held intergenerational Earth Day observances each April since 2021.
• Stream Cleanups: The EJMT has cleaned a section of the Walnut Creek watershed in Southeast Raleigh under Raleigh’s “Adopt a Stream” program. We made a three-year commitment to this program, beginning in 2023.

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has identified 2030 as the year when worldwide greenhouse gas emissions must significantly decline and UUFR has embraced this objective in our 2024-29 Strategic Plan, with a commitment to reduce GG emissions from our utility use by 50% relative to 2018.  Due to the infrastructure investments UUFR made, we were able to achieve this objective in 2023, seven years ahead of schedule.

Many of these projects were infrastructure-focused and much of that work is complete.  However, our care for the Earth and those affected by the climate crisis and other environmental harms goes on with legislative advocacy and community action.  UUFR is now recognized as a leader on the environment in the Triangle and beyond and we will make sure that is true in the critical days to come.