Going Green

We Can Do Better!

This section of the web site is dedicated to greening our lives, on an individual basis, with our friends and family, our community, and the larger world. Our emphasis on this page is environmental, especially in the reduction of greenhouse gases. But the entire section is about making stronger connections with not only the world, but about designing our futures. To make a difference, the change must occur inside. The journey will be different for each of us, but starts when something captures our imagination, or mind. Whether it be social issues that help create poverty and injustice, our overheating world, recycling, spiritual matters, or something else. I suspect that whatever genuine path we venture onto, it will lead us into stronger connections with ourselves and others. Soon, we'll find ourselves acting versus being acted upon as your own passion is expressed. If you have any suggestions for improving the pages, strike up a conversation with one of those active in Social Concerns people.

2010-04-30: Green Sanctuary Status- Candidacy: the UUA officially accepted the UUUS into the Green Sanctuary Program as a candidate for certification. Congratulations to Dawn Foster and Marilyn Stewart for making this happen. The UUA said- > Dawn, Sorry not to have gotten back to you sooner. As you know April is “Earth Month” and I have been doing a lot of traveling. > *Given all the additional information you’ve sent along. Worship and Celebration is covered and your plans are good here. > *Kids RE is great. For Adult RE, this talk sounds great, and we’d like to see more than one talk…perhaps you could have different people lead talks on other issues that they are “experts” in. > *Environmental Justice: I’m glad to see that you worked with the HOPE Foundation in installing energy upgrades, that’s great! I encourage you to talk with the Farm Worker’s to find out how you can help them going forward and make a plan from there. > Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions/concerns. You are now officially in candidacy. ~Robin

2010-04-12: The SC/GS committee is in the application process for Green Sanctuary Candidacy: You can click on the links to download a word doc copy of the candidacy application (http://universityuus.org/sc/candidacy application.doc) as well as the Environmental Assessment (http://universityuus.org/sc/Environmental Assessment1.doc) designed to meet the requirements of Green Sanctuary Accredidation. Please reference the Environmental Assesment plan when making changes (landscaping, etc.) at the UUUS so that we maintain the integrity of this plan. If you have any questions or require a hard copy of this plan (if you do not have internet access), please contact Marilyn Stewart, Dawn Foster or Gary Przyborski.

2010-03-24: Get a New Appliance- Save Money and Lower Your Carbon Footprint: The department of Energy has offered a $17.5 million dollar grant to Florida which will be available as 20% rebates on six ENERGY STAR (ES) appliances: (1) Refrigerators, (2) Freezers, (3) Washing machines, (4) Dishwashers, (5) Room air conditioners, and (6) Gas tank-less hot water heaters. The program is available to all Florida residents through a mail-in rebate application and will launch April 16, 2010, and conclude April 25, 2010. Upgrading your appliance can make a significant dent in your monthly power bill, not to mention the water saved with more efficient washers and dishwasher. Presently, the process is as follows: 1: The rebate only applies to one item per address, with an additional rebate of $75 if evidence is provided that the appliance was recycled. 2: You must fill out a form ahead of time, and receive approval before buying the appliance. 3: Details are available on the following website (Note: Florida still has missing details): FloridaRebate. In order to find an efficient ES product, use this link (http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_find_es_products) and click on your item of interest. Under each item the government has a spreadsheet list that is quite convoluted to use. If you choose an efficient new refrigerator, you could save up to $200/yr in energy costs. For refrigerators/freezers, you can use the following html list that was sorted from the 2010-03-23 list where C stands for compact and items in red or listed N for Act (active) are sorted based on rising adjusted volume and better to worse efficiency. (Note: Adjusted volume takes into account that freezer sections use more energy.) Generally, top or bottom freezer models are more efficient than side by side models. Also, skip the ice cube and water dispenser, along with the automatic defroster to save even more energy. Choose the smallest refrigerator that accomodates your family, and keep it full to save the most energy. For example, one ES top freezer model has 25.83ft3 space and uses 403 kWh (~$60/yr), versus an identical sized ES side by side that takes 583 kWh (~$87/yr)- 45% more power, which at $0.15/kWh, translates into a $135 savings in 5 yrs. http://universityuus.org/sc/ENERGYSTAR-Refrigerators&Freezers_2010-03-24.html

Please remind your local politicians that basic infrastructure (safety nets for the poor and good mass transportation) are necessary for a communities vitality. Orlando was recently featured on the evening news for cutting back on essential bus service even though demands for its use are increasing.

We remind each of our members to do your part to reduce your carbon footprint. The best way to both save money and the environment is to conserve both energy and other resources (water, raw natural resources). Unseen is the energy and materials used upstream before we ever get a product or utility. A positive example was how a swingset that was donated to the UUUS's LRE program through Craig's List instead of being thrown out. Tell Social Concerns what you have been doing to cust your energy and water use.

UPDATES ON OUR BUILDING ADDITION….more on LEED Certification for “greening”  buildings

We have been talking about our selection by the US Green Building Council as their annual Legacy Project. This honor has afforded us the luxury of having a panel of specialized consultants working with us on our designs and plans, helping us choose “green” methods and products that will make our new building energy efficient and environmentally friendly.  We are in the process of working toward LEED Certification, the point system used to determine how “green” a building actually is, with rankings from Silver to Platinum.  The Silver Certification calls for 33-38 points, Gold is 39-51 points and Platinum is 52 points or higher.  We have high confidence that we can achieve 28 points with our current plans and design.  Some of the ways we can earn the remaining points are as follows:  (most of them are not costly)

Probable points:  selection of the right coolant for our HVAC system; buy green energy credits; have individual thermostats or operable windows.  Points that may be possible: having a bicycle rack and shower; preferred parking (4 spaces) for energy efficient vehicles; highly reflective roofing; low light spillage from the new building; using a roof water cistern for either irrigation or possible toilet flushing water...this is not a low cost item; optimizing energy performance, making the building more energy efficient (through a/c, lighting, etc.), possible 2 points; using rapidly renewable materials (linoleum flooring); air quality flush out of building before occupancy; use of low emitting materials in composite wood (plywood); daylight views in 75% of spaces; innovation in design, more green power.

We are currently working with the USGBC team on their recommendations for ways to implement our plans/designs in a green manner.  This is exciting work!  We invite you to ask questions, help us determine what feels like a good fit for this congregation.

Power Savings over last month has run $862 since January, 2008. 2008 power use was 28,192 kWh virsus 36,916 kWh for 2007, or a 24% savings. pared to, or a 23% power reduction for the Jan to October time period.

Sept08PowerBill

 

The Green Alliance:

The Triple U have begun to work together on our green efforts with FUCO. There have been emails, phonecalls, visits between our members, and now plans on cooperating together (sharing our knowledge & working together on key issues). FUCO's Green Team can be found here: http://orlandouu.org/content/blogcategory/104/82/. We encourage you to become involved at the Triple U, FUCO, or whatever church you are apart in this vital effort to create a better future for us and our children.

Updates:

First Carpool Day, 10/19/08: A small show of hands said that they had carpooled. And a far larger set said they had tried to make arragements. Arlynn Mueller did one better by bicycling to the UUUS. Social Concerns carpooled to the rally against amendment 2. It's a start, which is a good place to go from...

UUUS Community Garden: The basic action plan is as follows... 

  1. Our planned site is NW of the sanctuary with easy access to water & away from the new construction. This week we're testing the soil.
  2. DONE. Early morning Saturday, 9 AM (10/4/2008) a ground clearing will take place. 
  3. DONE. On Saturday, 10/18/08, we will prepare the soil & raised bed.
  4. TBD. Plant with vermiculite and peat moss. Chrysanthemums and French marigolds help repel nematodes. Any plant contributions are welcome.
  5. Volunteers are welcome! If you're interested in volunteering or donating things, contact Arlynn Mueller at (407) 673-1179 or awm6364@aol.com.

2008-12-06: Sister Paula Gonzalez- Eco-Spirituality and Co-creating a Sustainable Future: Paula is energetic, passionate. She wore a polo shirt with a photo of Earth with the added text- “crew member.” She covered a lot of material in the 6 hour seminar in which she would often ask, “Do you follow?” to make sure that people understood. The following notes were taken at Sister Paula's excellent presentation. Unfortunately, the nature of taking notes does not do this presentation justice.

2008-10-19 - 21: Campus Community Sustainability  This conference will provide an opportunity for individuals from campuses, government, businesses and communities to come together to share their experiences and challenges related to creating sustainability and a green culture. Presentations will focus on matters relating to Florida's economy, environment, and quality of life. Please join us to explore successful projects and strategies relating to: Education and research for sustainability Economic improvements for sustainable efficiency and effectiveness Protection and restoration for sustainable ecological systems Enhancing sustainability for the well-being of all people Invited speakers include noted author Shay Salomon, as well as many others.

2008-07-01: Christine Webb, President of the USGBC Central Florida Chapter, notified Gary Przyborski that the UUUS was selected for their 2008 Legacy Program.

2008-06-15: Upgraded bathroom faucet aerators (all 6 of them) from 2 gal per minute (gpm) to 1 gpm units. If you're interested in making similar changes in your home, we have more of these units along w/ free trade coffee. We also have R-11 water heater jackets to reduce heat losses from your hot water heater tank.

2008-05-24: A presentation was made to our Beacon concerning Greening. The power point was well received and covered the history of CO2 measurements, including disinformation repeated in the press, and answers to them. Also, an overview of the society’s savings as well as one home for both power and water use (a 50% reduction to less than 25 gallons per day per person). The Beacon were challenged to hook up with other groups (Social Concerns?) and get involved (individually, at home, and in writing their politicians) to seize their future.

2008-05-23: GP applied through the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) Orlando chapter for the UUUS's new classroom building for consideration for their legacy program. If selected, this program would reduce the costs involved for us to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.

2008-05-15: Gary and Dave repaired the lights. The fixes (about $400) included new bulbs (you have to buy a whole box)-ballasts, which have reduced power consumption for the sign in half, resulting in $37 power savings per year. The new bulbs last twice as long with lower mercury and a color temperature preferred by the artist. Note: The UUUS received a quote for $1500 to replace these units with others that would have produced more uneven light, more light pollution, shorter life, wrong color temp, and would have resulted in an additional $106/yr power compared to the new system.

2007-12-11: Replaced all existing incandescents in the fellowship hall, 65W w/ 16W dimmable CFLs, costs 60% more, w/ 5 times the life, & 75% less power draw.

2007-12-09: Completed linear fluorescent retrofit from T12-magnetics to Super T8s (premium bulbs plus high-efficency electronic ballast) in UUUS building. Retrofit includes: 2- 2-bulb troffers, 20- 4-bulb troffers, and because the new lights are more energy efficient as well as brighter, an additional 12 existing 4-bulb troffers were converted to 2-bulb troffers (closets & men/womens bathrooms). If all of the linear fluorescents were on, power consumption would be 5 kW (old) versus 3 kW (new), or a 47% savings. On a a one to one bulb comparison, power consumption has been reduced by 36%, with daylight color, better color rendering, and 2.5 times more life.

2007-12-01: Saturday, December 1, 2007, 9 am- 1 pm: UUUS Recycling Day(Garage Sale) was a success. Many of us were able to get rid of our old stuff, while others got some bargains. We were able to recycle old cell phones and take back some hazardous waste from our members to the landfill. A great bit of appreciation must go out to Kathy Anderson for organizing the event, and many other that helped out including Kim and Cleve Williams, Chris Reid, Martha Kirby, Arlynn Mueller, Kathy Parry, and others.

2007-11-28: Hanging Your Clothes Out to Dry Dave Symonds dries his laundry on a clothesline, eliminating the CO2 emmissions of an electric or gas powered clothes drier. If you click on the above link, you'll see a lot of other people agree with him.

2007-11-28: Oviedo covers the meeting held by the city of Oviedo concerned proposed water use changes for 2008. This is an exciting bit of news since Oviedo is the first city in Seminole county to take the lead on this key area to Florida's future.

2007-11-18: The UUUS Green Sanctuary Overview was a presentation given to the society to show what we are doing and how we can each get involved. The presentation includes an MP3 and a slide show, see the audio link and find the 11/18/07 talk.

2007-11-10: Greenbuild2007 covers this exciting event that took place in Chicago, 11/7-11/9/07.

2007-11-05: Recycling Page added. A.Mueller has worked on our recycling page and it is now available on the left menu.

2007-10-22: Global Warming: Planet's CO2 Production Surges Today, a new study found that atmospheric carbon concentrations are now increasing by 1.93 parts per million each year--the fastest rate of buildup since monitoring activities began in 1959 and considerably higher than the 1.58-ppm average for the 1980s and the 1.49 ppm for the 1990s.

2007-10-21- Home Energy Audit. An overview with an MP3 recording.

2007-10-13- Florida Renewable Energy Expo 2007. Overview and summary

2007-10-07- Think, Act, Plan, Share (TAPS) to Get Green

2007-09-25- Orange County's first Climate Change Summit. Overview and analysis

2007-09-19- Pro-Life: Going Green. First letter to share our vision and our first steps.

 

What Has Been Done?

Completed Action Items:

Green Letters to the Society

  1. 2007-09-19- Pro-Life: Going Green. A first letter to indicate scope and our first steps.

Resources:

Environmental Links:
UCF Sustainability Alliance: furthers sustainability efforts by serving as an example of sustainability to not only the greater Orlando community, but to colleges and universities throughout the nation. Did you know that UCF won a national contest to plant 100,000 trees in a national forrest, see UCF Helps Arbor Day Foundation?

Upcoming Events:

Recommended Books:
Global Warming Survival Handbook (UUU library- donated by Marilyn Stewart). The book contains 77 essential skill to stop climate change- or live through it.
Field Notes from a Catastrophe- Man, Nature, and Climate Change, by Elizabeth Kolbert (UUU library- donated by Gary Przyborski). A chilling hands on glimpse New Yorker journalist visits scientists on the ground with real life changes as they are played out.
Revenge of Gaia, by James Lovelock. James Lovelock is a premier climatologist whose latest book warns us of the disaster ahead if we do not keep greenhouse gases in check.

UUU MP3 Talks specifically on the environment and greening your life:
11-18-07: Gary Przyborski "The UUUS Green Sanctuary Program" +Visual: GS Slides(ODP) GS Slides(PPT)
09-09-07: Dr. Leah Hall, "Voluntary Simplicity, Joyful Frugality"
09-02-07: Sister Ann Kendrick, "Worker Justice-The Honor of Work"
08-05-07: Dr. Marilyn Stewart - "Global Warmimg: The Tipping Point"
05-13-07: Rev. Mark Spivey: "Taking Care of Each Other"
04-22-07: Karina Veaudry: "Connecting to the Web of Life:  Native Florida Plants and their significance in our lives"
11-12-06: Catherine Johnson: "Living Simply"
06-11-06: Michael Barr: "Development vs. the Environment in Seminole County"
04-23-06: Paul Gabriel Rowley and the UUUS Social Concerns Committee, UUSC Justice Sunday, Earth Day: "Supporting Workers Rights and a Healthy Environment" 12-11-05: Mary Dipboye,"The Orlando Chapter of Ten Thousand Villages" (N/A)
07-31-05: Timothy Howard, "Swimming with the Dolphins"

10th Annual Florida District Social Justice Conference:

Global Warming and Climate Change, 12-04-04

The three keynote speakers (Doctor Daniel A. Lashof, the Hon. Harvey Ruvin, and the Rev. Katherine Jesch) made presentations and took part in a panel discussion during the morning session. In the afternoon, small group discussions facilitated action plans for individuals, UU congregations and the larger community.

The following files concern the 2004 Tenth Annual Florida District Justice Conference on Global Warming and Climate Change. The MP3 files are audio presentations of the conference (zip file includes all other MP3 files).The PDF files relate to a presentation by Dr. Lashof.

Files Available: (Note: All files are large, greater than 1 Mb.)

Audio:
fldsj2004-gw_audio.zip    (47 Mb, includes all the audio files)

fldsj2004-gw_Intro_Track1.mp3

fldsj2004-gw_Dr_Lashof_Track 2.mp3

fldsj2004-gw_Hon_Ruvin_Part1_Track 3.mp3

fldsj2004-gw_Hon_Ruvin_Part2_Track 4.mp3

fldsj2004-gw_Rev_Jesch_Track 5.mp3

fldsj2004-gw_PanelDiscuss_Track 6.mp3

PDF:  (Dr. Dan Lashof Presentation Files)

fldsj2004-gw_UU FL Talk_screen.pdf

fldsj2004-gw_PIMA 2004_screen.pdf

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