Our Vision 2050 document reminds us that UUAA has a long history of social action and involvement in environmental issues, We are called to learn all we can; we are called to seek new ways of being in relationship with our natural world.
Installation of Our New Solar Panels Began on Earth Day
2024 is indeed YEAR ZERO at UUAA as we take a big step toward Zero Carbon by adding to our solar energy production. On April 22nd, Homeland Solar began the installation of a new array of solar panels that will expand our renewable energy production to about 85% of UUAA’s electricity needs. Thank you to all who contributed to the capital campaign that is funding this solar expansion.
This photo of the UUAA rooftop shows the existing solar panels (installed in 2010) in black, and the new 2024 panels in blue.
Thank you to all who attended and supported UUAA’s EARTH DAY Celebrations 4/19 & 4/21
Friday Fun Night April 19th featured fun, food, crafts, music and storytelling.
The 4/21 Earth Day Service and Celebrations featured a Dirt Communion, a Tree of Action, Music from the Chalice Bells, an outdoor ceremony in the Ancestors’ Grove, and during the social hours, an Art & Poetry Show, zero waste and zero carbon information, games and crafts for all. A few hardy UU’s took a walk on the muddy trails and planted red clover that will stabilize soil and provide more beauty for us.
Thank you to the many contributing UUAA groups!!
Climate Action, Food Justice, Zero Waste Team, UUAA Painters, Community of Writers, Fiber Arts, Partner Church, Equal Exchange Coffee, UU Civs, Community Walks, Habitat for Humanity Team and of course the awesome UUAA staff, worship team and music ministries.
Photos of UUAA Earth Day Celebrations 2024
Let’s Get to ZERO in 2024!
What is Year Zero? 2024 is the year that we expect to make huge progress on UUAA’s Vision 2050 climate goals. We are going full speed ahead to get as close as possible to
- ZERO CARBON
- ZERO WASTE
ZERO WASTE
Yes, we have been recycling and working on reducing waste at UUAA for a long time. NEW this year– we have contracted with a composting service (MyGreen Michigan) and will focus on living in better harmony with our planet by reducing what we send to the landfill. You can even bring your food scraps from home if you aren’t able to compost.
Everyone can help get to Zero Waste by learning what should get recycled and what goes in our compost. A team of volunteers is helping this work go smoothly. UUAA’s Food Justice Team is leading our Zero Waste efforts– Volunteer to help: ZeroWasteInfo@uuaa.org.
Use the right bin- Compost! Recycle! And last..Landfill
Coffee mugs – use ceramic!
If not re-usable, then compostable
Scraps from home can go in these green cans at the UUAA entryway.
You can bring your compost from home
Sign up to help with Zero Waste!
ZERO CARBON: Thanks to the generosity of Capital Campaign donors, we are adding to our existing rooftop solar array. This will take us from generating about 15% of UUAA electricity needs to 85% of our electricity needs — all powered by renewable energy! We are exploring heat pumps for the classroom wing and more. Share your ideas for shrinking our carbon footprint — climate@uuaa.org
You may want to get a carbon calculator and tips for reducing your family’s carbon footprint from our Year Zero Resources page.
Here are some guides to help you find out what items we recycle and compost at UUAA. You probably want to reduce food waste at home, too! For tips on Zero Waste at home and in the wider community, click on this link.
ZERO CARBON / ZERO WASTE – We can do this!
UU CLIMATE REVIVAL! Sept 28th & 29th
UUAA has been a leader in Climate Action in the UU community, through our Year Zero initiatives and our work in creating climate friendly landscaping, providing local farm support, providing educational events, taking part in community outreach and more. We will bring all of those pieces together with a justice focus, to renew our vision of our collaborative work that honors and heals our planet Earth. Save the weekend of Sept 28th & 29th as we join other “green” UU congregations across the US and in Canada to celebrate, imagine a bright future and take action together. UUAA is a sponsor congregation for this event.
View this video invitation from Rev Sofia Betancourt.
The Climate Action | Climate Justice Team
The Climate Action/ Climate Justice team lifts up, encourages, inspires and celebrates the many ways UUAA groups are working on our Vision 2050 climate goals to build a cleaner and healthier world for our children and grandchildren. We are on the front lines of overseeing the climate & environmentalism goals described in A Congregational Vision, the document that was created from a 2 year congregational visioning project.
UUAA wants to live into Unitarian Universalism’s 7th Principle, “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part” by serving as an example of sustainable living in right relationship with the natural world. We want to learn about climate issues together. We want to further build on our past renewable energy projects to reach carbon neutrality. We want to broaden our view of climate action to include justice for vulnerable communities most affected by, and least responsible for climate change.
How you can help
The entire UUAA congregation, all ages and all interests, is needed to help UUAA shrink our carbon footprint, work for climate justice in our community and support each other in our climate learning. You can be part of this effort at whatever level of involvement works for you, from becoming more diligent about your home recycling and food waste, to leading a multi-year climate project. To add your address to the climate action email list, contact climate@uuaa.org. Click the button below to read a summary of our multi-year Climate Action Plan, mapping our work together over the next several years!
Recent climate projects throughout UUAA have included: an energy audit and addressing all aspects of the audit, a capital campaign that is funding expansion of our rooftop solar, planting an “Ancestors’ Grove” of trees, holding an all congregation celebration of climate work on Friday Fun Night and Earth Day 2023, an energy forum with A2P2 (Ann Arbor for Public Power), a Green Corner column in our Weekly News, a climate potluck in the summer and much more.
2022-23 Webinar Series on Reducing Your Carbon Footprint
UUAA joined with six other area congregations in sponsoring a 2022-23 monthly webinar series providing information on ways to reduce your carbon footprint. You can learn more at this”Climate Heroes” website.
Use this link to view recordings of the webinars.
- 11/16/22 – Electric Vehicle pros and cons and how the city of Ann Arbor is accommodating EVs.
- 12/14/22 – Heating and Cooling Systems
- 1/18/23 – Solar Energy Systems
- 2/15/23 – Locally Sourced Food
- 3/15/23 – Local Transportation Systems
- 4/19/23 – Individual Behavior Choices & Climate Anxiety
- 5/17/23 – Investments in Our Planet
Green Sanctuary 2030
To help us organize our efforts to lower our carbon footprint, build sustainability, partner with local climate justice groups, and learn alongside other UU congregations, UUAA enrolled in the Unitarian Universalist Association’s (UUA) Green Sanctuary 2030 program. The steps we have completed are:
1- [Submitted March, 2021] Write a Congregational Profile that grounds our work in our congregation’s history and past / current environmental projects. Learn about our foundations in environmentalism by reading UUAA’s Congregational Profile.
2- [Submitted June, 2022] Write an Opportunity Assessment showing potential actions we might take over the next several years. These proposed actions were gathered from a survey of the congregation, many meetings with current UUAA groups, connections with Ann Arbor and UU climate based organizations and more. Please read the “in brief” version of the Opportunity Assessment, or the full text as submitted.
3- An Action Plan to guide several years of work together. The plan is based on our current information… and subject to change and evolve as technology changes, passions of the congregation emerge and the world changes around us.
4- We are submitting “Action Reports” on the many climate events and projects at UUAA as they occur. At the end of 2024 we expect to receive recognition for our good work from the GS 2030 leadership. UUAA will remain active with the GS 2030 group indefinitely.
UUAA 2021 Collaboration with the U-M Graham Sustainability Institute
A team of University of Michigan students led a project to look at UUAA’s building and internal processes to make recommendations for working toward our energy goals. The team collaborated with six UUAA members, staff, and ministry group leaders, including Ed Lynn, Jeannine LaPrad, Colleen Crawley, Don Hackney, and Dave Friedrichs. Elizabeth LaPorte facilitated the project as part of the U-M Graham Sustainability Scholars Program, which she manages. Their report was submitted in March, 2021 and recommended actions are already underway.
The team divided the analyses and recommendations into four categories.Some of the recommendations are listed briefly in each category below. Full reports are linked under the bulleted lists..
Interested in helping sort out the priorities and do some planning for this initiative? Email climate@uuaa.org.
Zero Waste
- Form a volunteer driven recycling collaboration with other area religious organizations.
- Move to using compostable-ware and hold zero waste events.
- Create a zero waste culture.
— Read the Guide for a path to Zero Waste.
Building & Energy
- Conduct a building energy audit.
- Install more LED lights.
- Install more solar panels on the roof.
- Explore the possibility of geothermal heating.
— Read the UUAA Building & Energy Analysis Report.
Landscaping
- Incorporate more native plants.
- Create learning spaces where people can engage and learn about the environment.
- Plant for carbon sequestration.
- Create landscaping projects and learning guides for all ages.
— Read the recommendations for using landscaping to help reach carbon neutrality.
Building Congregational Engagement in Sustainability
- Use the event toolkit provided to plan sustainability events that engage all ages.
- Make a sustainability checklist that groups can use when planning events.
— Read the recommendations for projects to engage the whole congregation in thinking sustainability.
Time frame recommendations –
