Ecominds-a Mailing List: Sept 29 meeting notes & getting you involved!

[Joe + Madalyn (joemadalyn]

UU EcoMinds-A List for October 17, 2005

UU EcoMinds promotes lifestyles, policies, and technologies
that respect and sustain all life on earth and is a working 
group of the Metro Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance (MUUSJA)

In this posting:

Summary & Follow-up of Our Sept 29 Kick-Off Meeting - How you can get involved!
Please read carefully and let us know which areas of action are most compelling for
you.
More details for working groups to follow in next posting.  - Madalyn Cioci and Chris
Burda

#1  Dedication
#2  Celebrate our achievements last year
#3  Rep. Ray Cox on the Renewable Energy Standard
#4  Our 2005/06 campaigns
#5  Forming Work Groups and Next Steps
#6  Mark your calendars for January 12

About 25 of us gathered on Sept. 29, from 5 UU 
congregations and C3 (Congregations Caring for Creation),
for a spirited kick-off meeting and found ways we can make
change this year. 

If you'd like more information or want to join up with a forming
working group, please contact the group leader listed,
one of the co-chairs, or a member who attended from 
your congregation to find out more.

In attendance:
Guest--- Rep. Ray Cox
C3--- Sean G. 
MVUUF(Bloomington)---Lisa H., Michael W., Dory B., Monica W., George F.
UUCM (Minnetonka) --- Roberta R.
WBUUC (White Bear)--- Ardis N.
FUS (Minneapolis)--- Madalyn C., Marcy L., Bill K.
First Universalist (Minneapolis)--- Betsy A., Tom A., Ben S., Bob F., Cecelia N.,
Beth T., Connie D., Chris B., Ralph W., Mark S., Jan G., Roberta A.

#1 DEDICATION/CHALICE LIGHTING: 
UU EcoMinds dedicated our 2005-2006 efforts to honor the life and
memory of Julia Berg, a 15-year-old member of First Universalist who
died in August.  Julia had recently found a passion for environmental
advocacy through a Unity Summer internship at the Sierra Club.  We
thank her parents, Welcome Jerde and Dan Berg, for being with us for
the dedication and writing the dedication reading:

Before it's too late
May we find the courage to act,
   for our children,
   for our community,
   for our planet Earth.
In the final hours of the planting season,
May the seed of a universal sanity be sown.
                  In memory of Julia Berg

-------------------------

#2  CELEBRATE! OUR ACHIEVEMENTS LAST YEAR...
Celebrate!  We met our action goals! Through our efforts last year--
>over 200 people learned more about peak oil from Richard Heinberg.
>over 220 cards, letters and faxes were sent to legislators urging
passage of Renewable Energy Standards and Climate Stewardship 
legislation.
>we prevented about 83,000 lbs of CO2 emissions each year by
facilitating purchase of 24 units of clean wind-generated electricity.
Each unit purchased saves about 3,460 lbs of CO2 annually.
>we prevented about 400,000 lbs of CO2 emissions by coordinating the
sale of  139 compact fluorescent bulbs, which will each save 1,600 lbs
of CO2 over the life of the bulb. 

-------------------------------

#3  REP. RAY COX on the MN RENEWABLE ENERGY STANDARD (RES)
Rep. Cox shared with us his perspective on why the RES didn't pass in
Minnesota last year and its prospects for this year. He felt it was
handled in manner that was too partisan and that this is why it never
got a hearing.  Therefore, the only way to move it forward would have
been as an amendment to another bill.  He reported that there was a
bi-partisan agreement in the state House and Senate to pass the 
omnibus energy bill conditional on there not being any amendments. The
RES was presented in the house at the last minute as an amendment with
only Democrat authors.  It was voted down.  The omnibus energy bill,
including provisions for community based energy development and
community owned transmission lines passed.

It is his view that many in both caucuses are ready to pass this bill
this year, but it needs to be presented as a bi-partisan issue, with
bi-partisan authorship, and citizen groups need to be ready to provide
strong, positive lobbying to counter the powerful Xcel and MN Chamber
of Commerce lobby.

(Apologies to Rep. Cox if I've misrepresented any of his comments)

-----------------------------

#4  OUR UU ECOMINDS CAMPAIGNS for 2005/06
We'll be working in several areas this year, and encourage people to
actively promote any they can at their own congregations.

***GOAL 1) CONSERVATION - The cheapest, easiest, and most immediate 
way to reduce green house gas emissions is, by far, through
conservation! 

WHAT: Continue to work towards Green Sanctuary certification
in our congregations.
WHO: Individual leaders in congregations. MVUUF, Minnetonka, FUS and 1st
Universalist are all at different points in their efforts. Resources at
www.uuministryforearth.org

WHAT: Figure out how best to duplicate and circulate the 
great 1st Universalist Global Warming poster series for use in 
other congregations.
WHO: Chris Burda, Roberta Avidor

WHAT: Sell compact fluorescent bulbs, Blue Sky Guides or WindSource
green energy, under UU EcoMinds umbrella.

WHO: Bob Friedman (1st U) and Marcy Leussler (FUS) have 
information. FUS and 1st Universalist will continue to sell bulbs.
Roberta Rott at Minnetonka and Lisa Herschberger at MVUUF may start
this year.  C3 and ME3 both have Green Energy info on websites 
 www.me3.org and www.c3mn.net 

WHAT: Run a Personal Pledge campaign at your congregation 
which asks people to pledge to take specific energy saving 
actions in their own lives.
WHO: Ask Roberta Rott, Minnetonka. She has a sample you could tailor.

WHAT: Focus on reducing unnecessary consumption of fossil fuels and 
of manufactured, over-packaged goods which waste fossil fuels and
create emissions.  Madalyn's talk on the subject is available by
e-mail, and she's willing to deliver it at your congregation.
WHO:  Madalyn Cioci, FUS


***Goal 2)  INCREASE USE OF RENEWABLY GENERATED ELECTRICITY IN MINNESOTA & PASS the
RENEWABLE ENERGY STANDARD.

BACKGROUND: About 75% of MN's electricity currently comes from coal,
yielding over 33 million tons of CO2 annually, as well as dangerous
mercury and acid-rain producing sulfuric acid. Another 17% of our
electricity comes from nuclear energy. (source: MN Dept of Commerce,
2000). We believe that there are cleaner alternatives right now that
should constitute more of the electricity we do use and that utilities
should be required to supply them. The RES proposed would require 20%
of electricity sold to Minnesotans in 2020 come from such clean
sources. Nearly 80% of Minnesotans across all demographics say they
support renewable energy and requiring more of it in the state. 

WHAT: Research, track, and comment on Xcel Energy's required 15-year
plan for energy generation/transmission. The report will be submitted
to the MN Public Utilities Commission (PUC).
WHO: Lisa H., Bill K., Michael W., Beth T. will be working on this and
welcome others.


WHAT: Work on community organizing in concert with other groups
(Steelworkers, League of Women Voters, Clean Water Action, etc.) to
develop broad and vocal citizen demand for this legislation. Includes
circulating petitions, writing letters to the papers, doorknocking in
targeted suburban areas (where legislators didn't, but should, support
the legislation). 
WHO: Madalyn C., Jan G., Roberta Rott

WHAT: Lobby at Capitol, meet with legislators, attend or testify at 
Regulated Industries Committee meetings/hearings.
WHO:  Madalyn C, Ralph W., Marcy L.

WHAT: Contact local Chambers of Commerce or business owners and talk up
need to support this legislation, that it is good for MN business, and
for MN environment.
WHO: Ralph W., Cecilia N., Jan G.


WHAT: Buy a share of Xcel so you can attend their shareholder meetings
and vote on their policies.
WHO: Chris Burda will research

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#5  Contacts & Moving Forward
If your name is listed above somewhere, you will receive an e-mail from the co-chairs
with the contact info for those are interested in working on similar projects. 

If you WEREN'T at the meeting but want to work on any of these projects, contact:
Madalyn Cioci  joemadalyn [at] earthlink.net or  612-926-5249  OR 
Chris Burda cburda [at] earthlink.net and we'll get you connected!

----------------------------------------

#6  January 12, 2006, 7-9pm, location TBA
Tentative date of next meeting of whole UU EcoMinds group

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E-mail your announcement suggestions to ecominds-editor [at] muusja.org 
If you have questions and want to talk to a real person about 
UU EcoMinds, call Madalyn at 612-926-5249.
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