Religious Education - (Minimum of 2 projects)

1. Hold an environmental film series or "Movie Night"
2. Plan bimonthly presentations by local experts
3. Expand environmental topics in children's religious education
4. Place an article ("Earthy Encouragements") in each church newsletter
5. Establish an EarthSpirit/Green Sanctuary webpage
6. Conduct a series of Adult Religious Education classes on household eco-actions

How to Help Out with an Action Item
If you are interested in helping out with any Action Item, please contact our EarthSpirit Chairpersons and they will get
you in touch with our Action Item leaders.

Overview: Hold an environmental film series or "Movie Night". A series of movies with environmental themes, especially, but not limited to, documentaries, will be shown at the church. Films will be accompanied by popcorn and drinks, and followed by discussion. There will be no cost to moviegoers, although donations will be accepted toward refreshments, possible rental costs, and related EarthSpirit activities. Among identified sources of free environmental videos are Interfaith Power and Light, The Film Connection in Seattle, and private collections. Toward the end of the two-year period, topics will be broadened to include social justice, community-building, and inspirational material, to demonstrate the usefulness of this model to other ministries. If our model is successful, others may wish to assume responsibility for the film series.

Timeline: Begin November 2006 (alternating with speakers described under action item #2) and continue for 2 years, if there is sufficient interest.

Target Audience: Church and community members

Status Update: Ongoing

• 11/10/06 Showed An Inconvenient Truth.
• 1/5/07 Showed Blue Vinyl
• 3/2/07 Showed Broken Limbs: Apples, Agriculture, and the New American Farmer
• 4/20/07 Showed The Great Warming, with a great discussion afterward.
• 6/1/07 Had a movie planned, but it had to be canceled due to technical difficulties.
• 8/3/07 Showed film Livable Landscapes.
• 10/05/07 Showed Who Killed the Electric Car and had a lively discussion afterwards.

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Overview: Plan bimonthly (every other month) presentations by local experts on environmental topics or publicize/promote programs being presented in the community. Possible topics include: wildfires, city programs, home audits for energy and water use, “The Little Ice Age” and its legacy in western civilization, societies damaged by poor environmental practices, water, global warming, xeriscaping & landscaping with native plants.

Timeline: Bimonthly, starting in November 2006.

Target Audience: Church and community members

Status Update: Ongoing

• San Diego Museum of Natural History (NH) event publicized; 1st Church (UU) event held
• Nov. 14, 2006 - Global Climate Change, Sea Level and Megadrought (NH)
• Jan. 9, 2007 - How We Know the Climate is Changing. (NH)
• February 16, 2007 - Karen Holl, “Tropical Forest Restoration and Community Based Resources”. (UU)
• Feb. 13, 2007 - Climate Change: A Looming Challenge to California's Water Supply(NH)
• March 13, 2007 - Realizing a Clean Energy Future: The Power of Local Governments to Effect Change (NH)
• April 10, 2007 - Climate, Air Pollution, and Human Health (NH)
• May 15, 2007 - Global Warming: Where Do We Go From Here? (NH)
• July 8, 2007 - Dr. Lisa Shaffer, THE CLIMATE CRISIS: ANSWER THE CALL! (UU)
• September 3, 2007 - Tom Leach, “Increase Your Enjoyment of the Outdoors in San Diego” (UU)
• November 18, 2007 - Panel of speakers, “Lead Exposure in San Diego: Risks and Remedies” (UU)

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Expand environmental topics in Chilren's Religious Education

Overview:

• Movies will be shown to target groups with discussion leading to development of projects for the group.
• Support an annual children’s project to bring environmental awareness to the children in the RE program
• Research local and national groups for potential projects for children.
• Outreach to parents to have active participation in annual Earth Day activities.
• Apply for Helen Myers Forum speaker/activity which would be focused on children and parents with theme of Save Our Earth/Home

Timeline: Begin actions in November 2006 and focus attention near Earth Day and in the summer religious education program.

Target Audience: Children and youth in the Religious Education Program, plus their parents

Status Update: Ongoing

• June 2007 intersession Religious Education lesson focused on environmental awareness and the relationship to the seventh principle of all things being connected. Children were taught about vermiculture composting and had hands on experience of building red worm composting bin.
• July 2007 inter-session was a celebratory program with biographical storytelling of famous Unitarian Universalists followed by making 4th of July greeting cards.
• August Inter-session was the topic of water and San Diego.
• Summer 2007 - The children’s religious summer education program had an environmental awareness focus based on the seventh principle as stated in the Rainbow Path: Value the connections in creation. Liz Jones, Director of Religious Education, wrote the two sets of lessons plans which accommodated the setting and make-up of our church campus.

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Overview: Place an article ("Earthy Encouragements") in each church newsletter, the Window, informing congregation and suggesting actions. These environmentally-related notes are meant to advance each and every member and friend of First Church in the quest to understand, appreciate and care for our beautiful planet. Many articles will feature helpful hints one can implement in everyday life to act "green," while others will include simple thoughts on nature, recent research in ecology, or fun factoids about the Earth. Information on upcoming EarthSpirit Team meetings/events, and other timely news of activities around the region can also be appended to the article.

Timeline: Begin articles in May 2006.

Target Audience: All subscribers/readers of the church's newsletter

Status Update: Ongoing

• Articles include green tips/info, status updates on EarthSpirit Team’s Green Sanctuary progress, and local environmental events.
• October 2007 - New monthly First UU publication, First Words, will have EarthSpirit articles or Earthy Encouragements. Window newsletter is now based on dates for events, so isn’t appropriate for general articles.
• Excellent progress being made. We need a new writer!

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Overview: Establish an EarthSpirit/Green Sanctuary webpage to inform congregation of environmental activity and actions they may take, then create a new EarthSpirit website to be more informative about green project resources within the church and community and to provide links to environmentally sensitive web sites.

Timeline: Create webpage by August 2006, then create new site by the summer of 2007

Target Audience: Church members and other San Diego UU churches

Status Update: COMPLETED ACTION

• Website launched June 2007 by Wayland Myers, John Holl and Marge Wurgel

• August 2006 Web page was created on church website, to serve as temporary site until a new site can be developed.
• July 2007 the new website was launched.

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Overview: Conduct series of 3 Adult RE classes on household eco-actions that give practical, immediately useful guidance in being more "earth friendly". The series will help transform a desire to make a difference into effective actions that will make a difference. Actions related to energy use, water conservation, garbage reduction, global warming, transportation, and reduced consumption will be included.

Timeline: Fall and winter 2006-2007

Target Audience: Members of the Congregation

Status Update: COMPLETED ACTION

• Classes were held 11/8/06, 12/13/06 and 1/10/07

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