Boise Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (BUUF)
Climate Action Team (CAT)
Sunday, March 15, 2020 –
Via Zoom teleconferencing
7TH PRINCIPLE: RESPECT FOR THE INTERDEPENDENT WEB OF ALL EXISTENCE OF WHICH WE ARE A PART
NOTES (Tom von Alten’s notes)
A. Sign In/Chalice Lighting/Reading/Introductions
Attendees: Eileen Geddings, Blanca Gerard, Rob Ham, Bob Huntley, Betsy Johnson, Dennis Rockwood, Sharon Rockwood, Jane Rohling, Scott Smith, Tom van Alten
B. Plans for April 22 – May 24: “33 days for Earth,” tentative title. Outline of events, with dates all TBD
1. Climate Reality Project (Originated w/Al Gore) – Ty Benoit is trained presenter
a. 1:30-2h presentation,
b. needs A/V.
c. 3 potential dates she gave – May 6, 13, 20
d. Sharon will be contact for this event.
2. Enroads – global climate solutions calculator – presented by CCL Boise
Chapter volunteers – “A/V heavy.”
May be difficult to do online (only).
a. CCL is trying out Zoom too, so we may
be able to leverage what they come up with.
b/ Betsy will be the contact for this event.
–Tom’s Note: Lots of resources being discussed in other UU
congregations. The UUA Websters list started a detailed tech conversation more
than a week ago. One of the most recent items there, regarding events that are or
can be mostly (or entirely) “broadcast,” as opposed to interactive, from
Larry Stritof, Manager of App Development in the UUA’s Information Technology
Services: “Zoom and other video conferencing apps prioritize real time conversations.
This comes with a cost usually in the form of poor video quality.
Congregations who don’t need real time interaction should consider live streaming
instead (YouTube/Vimeo). You’ll be able to deliver a high quality video and
constituents could tune in to watch without installing an app and could easily
watch on their TV apps/Roku.</quote>
I watched the Congregation Ahavath Beth Israel’s shabbat service Friday evening,
which had Rabbi Dan Fink alone on a fixed camera, talking, chanting, singing,
streamed via YouTube. It was perfectly adequate quality on our rock-bottom, 1.5
Mb/s DSL. Zoom either doesn’t work (my win7 desktop, Samsung Galaxy S7) or
works minimally (Win10 laptop) on our WiFi. Using the phone and cell network,
BUUF’s first service was much lower quality via Zoom, and the musical elements
were decidedly sub-par. I did find this CAT meeting worked well enough for me,
via cell… and that between those two events (and testing on Saturday), the phone
says I used more than 0.6GB. May be a usage issue for me this month, but
“we can always buy more.”
3. Movie – Eagle and the Condor – 90 min.
a. Viewing at BUUF? That’s what we’re thinking.
b. Sharon will follow up with UUMFE about possible streaming. They are talking with film producers.
c.
BUUF Racial Justice will partner and asks that date not conflict with
their scheduled programs – first week of the month. Their dates are in flux, too. Everything is in
flux!
d. Sharon will be the contact for this
event.
4. Orange Bag Program – a Boise City rep giving a
90? min. presentation
a. Catherine – April 27 or 30 possible
dates. (
b.
Eileen will be the contact for this event.
c. Blanca mentioned a recent Idaho Statesman
article says this program is “on hold”; Renewology is
waiting for equipment that was supposed to be coming from China. Maybe that’s less than a whole program then,
but as noted, we learn from successes as well as failure.
5. Zero waste Institute
a. Blanca and Jane attended program at
Osher Institute, presenter said she would be happy to talk to an interfaith
org. Can get name, etc. Jane noted that she’d do it free, but if we have a
budget to
offer, she could use the income of an honorarium.
Tom’s Note: I looked it up in the Osher catalog: Zero Waste:
Sustainability, Stuff, and the Quest for a Habitable Tomorrow https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.boisestate.edu%2Fosher%2Fbrowse-curriculum%2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7C1865726330824c0fad1808d7c9edb9f8%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637199895165885772&sdata=JFEzJrBcEbxj61sUmk%2Bb3iyywoDSL0Tben3nl%2FKhmpQ%3D&reserved=0
Zero Waste is a movement to promote a sustainable local and global
future through the conscientious utilization of resources. Zero Waste
draws upon science, consumer economics, psychology, and more to increase
awareness of the impact of throw-away consumerism on people and the places
where we live and love. This course will promote a better understanding
of the far-reaching environmental and social consequences of human
economic activity, explain how to make informed consumer choices, and
offer achievable strategies to enjoy the benefits of a lower-impact
lifestyle. Presenters: Jillien Eijckelhof, founder and director,
Zero Waste Boise Institute, and Dr. Patty Costello, board
member,
Zero Waste Boise Institute and City of Boise Curb It Pro
volunteer
b. Eileen mentions the
“clubhouse” in her neighborhood, she could reserve “but no
AV.” Not as attractive a general venue to BUUFers, perhaps. Tom suggested
a digital projector and a hot spot could meet A/V needs?
c.
Jane and Blance will be contact for this event.
6. “33 Tips for the Earth”, daily tips to share. April 22 – May 24.
a. Cathy Sandstrom, Scott Smith, Claudia, Dennis have volunteered to look up tips and send to Cathy at cssmith.smith@gmail.com
b. Related – RE might be involved and Jane will help with contacting Gem Emerson-Paige. Might get illustrations and tips from kids.
c.
Month of May the Sanctuary wall “tree” is going to be reserved
for Earth Day ideas. Jane suggests they could be posted on Facebook,
could be included as an album. Dennis notes that we surely have enough
stuff for 33 tips, could be 66, with a series for youth, and one for adults.
7. HOMEWORK:
a. Contact folks are going to try to get dates sorted, proposed, by April 1, (in the realm of radical uncertainty). Send all information to Betsy Johnson betsyboise@aol.com
b.
Proposed “Check in” meeting on April 5 (Sunday). Time of Zoom call TBD. Next regular meeting is 3d Sunday, April 19.
B. Energy Audit of BUUF requested by Rachel Strong – Feb. 27
a. Can we use some of those results
for personal action items?
b. Eileen notes that the audit
before/after data for the HVAC economizer didn’t show much improvement from it.
They were going to look at how that was configured and working.
Tom’s Note – FYI: My background is mechanical engineering, so I’m
familiar with HVAC stuff, have worked in the field in a little, back when I did
process and manufacturing engineering for HP. I wonder how much of the usage is
Sunday services, limiting the size of the opportunity? Our manual economizing
(as it were) at home obviates most or all of our need for powered A/C; the
Fellowship’s unshaded south wing and multi-person office space has a much
higher cooling load of course, but it seems like an economizer would produce a
significant and measurable benefit.
c. Eileen reported that the
kitchen will be using more eco-friendly cleaning products; she will be reaching
out to Engaging Space Task Force with some results of Energy Audit; Rachel is
creating recycling tags for waste containers; Jane will connect with RE about
ideas that kids can do;
d. Green Santuary Recertification – we need one new project. Jane mentioned more bird nesting boxes on the property (contact Fish and Game or Audobon).
e. Scott Smith brought up a rumor that Jay Wex
had come up with a deal to install solar panels at no cost to BUUF? That would
be news to me! I sent Jay an email asking if he had more info. Turns out that
panels were for Jay’s home, not BUUF. But prices and financing have changed.
Might be good to check again.
Tom’s note:
An unvoiced observation: Covid-19 is making large-scale changes to
industrial society right now as we “Cancel everything” to try to
delay the pandemic. It’s almost certainly going to cause a worldwide recession.
Reduced travel, etc., is going to significantly reduce CO2 emissions.
It’s an ill wind that blows no good, eh.
There is an opportunity, perhaps. Society will surely spin up again, we don’t
know when, or who all will still be here, but most of us, probably. Can we be
thinking about, designing, proposing, nudging more climate-friendly ways
forward?)
C. NOT TO FORGET – other ideas put forward at previous meetings. Think about ways to incorporate during April 22-May 24 or later. (never want to lose great ideas!) Potential Activities for 50th Anniversary of Earth Day 4/22/20 through 5/24/20 includes 5 Sundays and 1 mid-week event each week for a total of 10 events
Plants and Air
Healthful indoor plants
plant trees and native plants
demo pollinator information/beekeeping
raised bed gardening
Water
Eagle and Condor movie (90 min)
Farmers Union Canal/Boise City on water contamination
Water wise plants and landscape design
Soil/Sustainable Agriculture
Dirt to soil (preservation of topsoil)
USDA presenter on current issues in corporate agriculture in Idaho
mining issues
Waste/Recycling
Zero Waster Institute
Boise City Recycling
Reduce single use plastics/extend existing plastic life before recycling (Claudia)
Climate Change
Pizza and Poster party to produce signs for rallies, action events
CCL En-Roads Policy Solutions Simulator workshop (60-90 min)
Letter Writing campaign for specific local issues
Presenter for Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project (Tyra Benoit)
Advent Calendar for Climate Change: could be digital, could include all of our scheduled events
Alternative energy processes: parabolic reflector to concentrate sunlight (Dan), residential solar panels,
Resource table with static display of various issues, brochures, sign-ups etc.
Note:
1. These items need to be confirmed and then fleshed out with a potential date, time length, format, speakers (if applicable), venue, target audience, etc. HOMEWORK – contact Betsy with additions or more information. This will be the major topic of next month’s CAT meeting.
2. We don’t need to be limited to 10 events. We need to identify 10 events for the Earth Day Anniversary time, but we could continue to schedule events through the summer and fall to continue the awareness and interest.
* * *
- Scheduling: Could be day or evening or brown bag lunch to reach different segments of fellowship.
- Formats: Printed materials, bulletin board and resource table, Facebook or other media messages, presentations (CCL, Climate Reality), demonstrations, film screening, music / liturgy
- Locations: at BUUF or other venues i.e. Sages (meetings suspended for now) 2nd and 4th Thursday 9:30-11AM gathering, Bown Library in SE Boise, etc.
- Audience: CAT team members, BUUF Members and Friends, Community, plan with partner groups.
Next meetings:
April 5 Check In Zoom Call – time TBD. Use same connection as BUUF Worship that morning.
April 19 at 12:45-2:00 via Zoom teleconferencing. Use same connection as BUUF Worship that morning.