CAT, Carbon Neutral, 6/25/25

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Meeting Date/Time/Location

June 25, 2025, 1pm – 2:30, the Channing Room at BUUF

Climate Action Team Website

Climate Action Team

Attending:

Erin L, Cathy S. Josh, Liz, Jim

Agenda:

  • We had an abbreviated meeting on April 30, Click here for notes
  • Click for the March 30 meeting notes
  • Congregational Transformation
    • Could there be a way to tap into people’s curiosity or fun to get involved in understanding your household carbon footprint
  • Mitigation/BUUF Footprint
    • Building construction doesn’t allow for the additional insulation
    • The ducts have been sealed when the HVAC was upgraded t heat pumps
    • Bob Smith, David Shropshire, and Jim Bigelow met with Idaho Reps to discuss energy efficiency, Feb 14
      • Hour by hour usage data from Idaho power showed the system needed configuring for better efficiency
      • Now the system is corrected we are collecting data to get year’s electric usage to update the BUUF footprint.  Hope that footprint will be under 10 Mt/CO2e
    • Planted 2 trees
    • Supporting BUUF carpooling
      • Transportation group is working in carpooling
    • Solar for BUUF
      • There’s a 2017 estimate, would like  to have another
  • Community Resilience and Adaptation
    • CAT Plate Partner for 2025 – 2026 –
      • Idaho Interfaith Power and Light
    • BUUF Climate Justice Revival
      • Get names of all the attendees to add to the list
      • Erin Logan prepared at UU Climate Justice Revival Synopsis from the interests and community activities of the attendees at the May 4th Organizing hour
        • 28 attendees to May 4th meeting, click here to see summary
        • 8 major topics
          • REDUCE/REUSE/RECYCLE
            • Erin has met with the group 
            • Putting together an app to coordinate and let people know about things that can be reused.
              • Fio & Eric 
          • OUTDOORS
          • HOUSING
          • BUILDING BRIDGES
            • Jim will contact people in Sept for a meeting
          • FOOD
          • ADVOCACY AND POLITICS
          • EDUCATION
          • TRANSPORTATION
            • Linda S. & Margret are working on an app for carpooling
            • Josh would like to touch bases especially about routing, sharing and optimization
    • Building support networks to address Heat in Vulnerable Populations
  • Climate Justice
    • Supporting clean solar energy by working with A coalition of 11 Idaho groups, BUFF among them, led  by Lisa Young of the Idaho Sierra Club is sponsoring  this year’s solar rally to support fair rates for private rooftop solar panels.  Please see this PSU Public Radio article for more information
    • Donated $100 to the Idaho Sierra Club to help with expenses for the 2025 Solar For The People rally in April 
  • Outreach
    • Jim spoke with a group at the Boise 1st UCC about heat pumps and congregational carbon Footprints on 6/22/25
    • Jim spoke with a group at Holy Nativity Episcapol in Meridian
    • Idaho Interfaith Power and Light
      • Chosen as a plate partner in the 2025 – 2026 program year
      • There’s a board meeting via zoom on July 25th
    • Nonviolent Action in the planning stages.
      • Private solar owner will, in coordination with others, remove themselves from the grid so that Idaho Power takes notice of the valuable contribution of private solar owners. 
  • September meeting
    • Not during working hours
      • Evening meeting. Rather than after a service