JusticeUU

Join the “Secure Housing and Food for All” Team

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Our October Justice Outreach offerings will support the South Corvallis Food Bank. Their mission is to increase sustainable food security in Corvallis by providing emergency food boxes, information and opportunities with compassion and respect. Donations can be made in person on Sundays, or at uucorvallis.org/donate.

Information about the Monthly Outreach Offering, as well as about UUFC Justice Teams, is posted on the bulletin board at the northeast corner of the Social Hall. This month the South Corvallis Food Bank open hours and lists of needed food are on the Bulletin board in the Social hall for October.

Did you know that in addition to providing food the South Corvallis Food Bank has cooking demonstrations and recipes, collects cold weather items, diapers, personal care, and household items? Volunteer opportunities include helping shoppers, restocking, gleaning, assisting with incoming deliveries, driving for monthly home delivery. Youth ages 12 and up are welcome with their guardian’s permission.

Questions? Contact them at (541) 760-9382 or email info@southcorvallisfoodbank.org

Join the Secure Housing and Food for All team meeting at 11:30 am in the library after the Sunday Service Oct. 8 and have your questions answered (or researched) by the team working to provide food, clothing, housing, shelter, and volunteers to the unhoused in Corvallis/Benton County.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Team Invites You!

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7-8:30 PM, Mondays, October 9th and 23rd.

Join us for a lively conversation as we explore The Sum of Us, by Heather McGhee. The book invites us to engage in constructive, shared solutions to some of the greatest challenges we face. If 289 pages seem daunting, please watch the video Random Review of The Sum of Us offered by the Benton County Library featuring Dr. Dwaine Plaza, OSU Sociology professor. 

October 23rd we will be concentrating solely on the book’s inspirational final chapter – “The Solidarity Dividend”. 

The Sum of Us conversation Zoom Link

Or dial in at +1 253 215 8782.

Contact elonameyer@icloud.com for questions or to receive additional materials. 

Influence Project

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The UUFC Climate Action Team’s (CAT) goals for 2023-24 include: Encourage, support, and provide opportunities for members and friends to engage in solutions-focused climate action.  CAT classifies solutions-focussed climate action in two broad domains: 

  1. Reducing and taking responsibility for personal emissions
  2. Influencing: 
  • National, state, and local legislation and policy
  • Corporate action

Action in both domains is essential to (a) mitigate climate change, (b) adapt and build resilience, and (c) and secure justice for those most impacted but  least responsible for climate change.  CAT suggests there is positive feedback between the two.  Working to reduce emissions increases the likelihood of working to influence legislation, policy, and corporations.  And vice versa.  

Each week, we respond to three, occasionally four, curated weekly actions to influence legislation, policy, and/or corporations.  This includes signing petitions, sending letters, and, occasionally, making phone calls.  The actions support the work of climate-action groups with the highest reputations.  These  weekly actions take about 5 minutes to complete.

The action opportunities are included in the Faith-based Climate Action posting in the Weekly Announcements and on the UUFC website.   Also, participants  can sign up to receive the weekly action opportunities via the once-per-week, Saturday email CATweek.

You are invited and encouraged to sign up here 

to participate in the Influence Project.

Questions: michael.a.hughes1951@gmail.com

Towards Net Zero

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The UUFC Climate Action Team’s (CAT) goals for 2023-24 include: Encourage, support, and provide opportunities for members and friends to engage in solutions-focused climate action.  CAT classifies solutions-focussed climate action in two broad domains: 

  1. Reducing and taking responsibility for personal emissions
  2. Influencing: 
  • National, state, and local legislation and policy
  • Corporate action

Action in both domains is essential to (a) mitigate climate change, (b) adapt and build resilience, and (c) and secure justice for those most impacted but  least responsible for climate change.  CAT suggests there is positive feedback between the two.  Working to reduce emissions increases the likelihood of working to influence legislation, policy, and corporations.  And vice versa.  

In the first step to reducing and taking responsibility for our carbon emissions, we track our use of fossil (natural) gas, purchased electricity, gasoline and/or diesel, and flights taken and calculate the resulting emission. (This spreadsheet can be downloaded and used to track use and calculate emissions.)  Tracking fossil-fuel use takes less than 10 min per month.

Resources:

  1. Download spreadsheet to track use and calculate emissions (Help available)
  2. Reduce emissions: Science News, The Guardian, World Wildlife Fund,
  3. Take responsibility for residual emissions

You are invited and encouraged to sign up here to participate in the Towards Net Zero Project.

Questions: michael.a.hughes1951@gmail.com

Faith Based Climate Action 9/30/23

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Interior announces $40M in funding for orphaned oil wells on tribal lands

LA’s Largest-Ever Land Back an ‘Important Step’ in the Movement

Oregon awarded more than $58M to reduce extreme heat risks with trees

Biden uses executive power to create a New Deal-style American Climate Corps

As Africa Loses Forest, Its Small Farmers Are Bringing Back Trees

80% More U.S. Wind Energy Potential This Decade From Tech Innovation 

EASA To Require 70% SAF Usage By 2050

Can EVs and solar save the world? The IEA thinks so 

Renewable energy boom may help us limit warming this century to 1.5 ̊C

Airlines Ready To Embrace Higher Sustainable Aviation Fuel Costs

Danone Institute North America Awards $250,000 to Five Teams to Advance Stronger and More Sustainable Food Systems

USGC corn program attains sustainability mark

Global use of oil could peak this decade: IEA

Indonesia’s largest floating solar plant to expand to 500 MW

Climate change and the shift to cleaner energy push Southeast Asia to finally start sharing power

Making Air Conditioning More Sustainable

Citizens’ Climate Lobby

Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act: The Act will (a) push us toward our goal of net zero emissions by 2050, (b) drive energy innovation, giving every American community access to affordable clean energy, (c) help low and middle income Americans afford this transition with a carbon cashback, and (d) keep Americans healthier and living longer by reducing air pollution. We need as many co-sponsors as possible to show support for a carbon fee and dividend. Email your House Representative 

Nature Conservancy

Conservation funding: Tell Congress and the White House how much you care about our natural world. Tell them how critical it is to rely on science to guide conservation efforts. Tell them you’re counting on them to address urgent challenges like energy use, sustaining endangered landscapes, and protecting critically imperiled species. Protect our nation’s natural heritage and the health of people and our planet.  Speak out now

Stop the Money Pipeline

Fund clean energy, not fossil fuels. Banks, insurers and asset managers are driving the climate crisis by financing and insuring new fossil fuel projects. Send Wall Street CEOs a message 

Tue 10 Oct, 6:30 – 8:15 PM, Corvallis Community Center, 2601 NW Tyler Ave

How Landfills Pollute Our Future and What We Can do About It:  Landfills are silent sources of greenhouse gasses, groundwater pollution, and microplastics pollution. Beyond Toxics is hosting a community education event on the long term risks of landfill pollution and ways to make Oregon a leader in holistic waste management.  Katherine Blauvelt, the circular economy director of Industrious Labs, will speak about the climate change impacts from landfills, and Anja Brandon, director of US plastics policy at the Ocean Conservancy, will discuss microplastic pollution impacts on rivers and oceans.

Wed 18 Oct, 7:00 – 8:30 AM, online

Eco-municipality Webinar 2:  Virtually visit the eco-municipality of Karlskrona in the south of Sweden. Learn about the science-based framework of the Swedish network of ecomunicpalities, SEKOM, and the Karlskrona eco-municipality.  Register

Sat 28 Oct, Doors open 6:30 PM, UUFC

Live Music, Fundraiser for Maui fire relief. $20 donation at door suggested. Suz Doyle & Julie Williams with friends in concert, featuring Absolute Harmony.  https://suznjules.bpt.me/

Questions: juliewawilliams@gmail.com

“Of Note” – Faith-Based Climate Action Team 9-9-2023

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Of Note This Week is a source for current climate-change information at the local, state, and national levels.  It is refreshed weekly on Saturday.

Sat 9 Sep

Cosmos

Climate change is messing with photosynthesis

IEEE Spectrum

African Hydropower Confronts Cheap Solar and Wind

Inside Climate News

Green Groups Are Divided Over a Proposal to Boost the Nation’s Hydropower. Here’s Why

Katharine Hayhoe

Weekly Newsletter, 9/2/23

Politico

How the power grid survived a hot, hot summer

Popular Science

What’s the most sustainable way to mine the largest known lithium deposit in the world?

SciTechDaily

Climate Change’s Deadly Legacy: How Rising Temperatures Fueled Ancient Aggression

The Conversation

Research reveals who’s been hit hardest by global warming in their lifetime – and the answer may surprise you

The Guardian

Anger is most powerful emotion by far for spurring climate action, study finds

More news from the Faith-Based Climate Action Team can be found here:

Faith-Based Climate Action Team Page

Faith Based Climate Action 9/20/23

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In Roraima, Indigenous communities forge sustainable solutions amid threats

Researchers make surprising discovery about lifespan of EV batteries

New Consortium To Make Batteries For Electric Vehicles More Sustainable

A bright spot at the intersection of farming, electric vehicles and solar energy

US Crosses the Electric-Car Tipping Point for Mass Adoption

Research: Consumers’ Sustainability Demands Are Rising

Discovery Education and Leading Corporate and Nonprofit Partners Launch

            First-of-Its-Kind Initiative Supporting Sustainability

EPA emissions report shows ag advancements in sustainability

Florida is now adding more solar power than any other state

Renewable power expected to grow as Louisiana marks clean energy transition

How rural southwest Utah is proving the potential of renewable geothermal Landmark Wave Energy Legislation Heads to California Governor Newsom’s Desk after 

           Unanimously Passing California Legislature

Germany to Surpass 50 Percent Renewable Power This Year, Official SaysEurope’s Europe’s largest solar thermal energy plant opens in BelgiumSolid-state and sodium-ion batteries spark hope amidst the lithium supply crunch

Minesto preps seabed connection system for 1.2MW tidal energy device

There is no more important climate work than the influencing of legislation and policy, whether at the national, state, or local level. Climate Action Opportunities, refreshed weekly on Saturdays, provides three or four curated, quick opportunities to do just that.

To help assess the engagement of UUFC members and friends in faith-based climate action and to encourage such action, please anonymously  <Share> the number of the actions below you take this week. Optionally, you may  anonymously also share other recent climate action. 

The organizations whose calls to action we amplify, and the number from each organization, are listed <here>

Sat 23 Sep

Climate Action Team

  • Sign up for the Climate Action Team’s Influence and Towards Net Zero Projects 
  • City of Corvallis, Prioritize Climate Action: Some City councilors and some senior City staff consistently show by their decisions that they do not prioritize action to respond to the climate emergency.  For example, the work of the Climate Action Advisory Board  has been hamstrung and will apparently go into hiatus due to lack of required staff support. Please email your City Councilor, copying the Mayor and all Councilors, to call on them to prioritize climate action.

Citizens’ Climate Lobby

A carbon fee and dividend will drive energy innovation, giving every American community access to abundant, affordable clean energy at a predictable price. With a price on carbon, polluters pay, and people get a carbon cashback. It will (a) help low and middle income people afford higher energy prices, (b) keep Americans healthier by reducing air pollution, & (c)  help reduce America’s carbon pollution 50% by 2030, putting us on track to reach net zero by 2050. Do your members of Congress know these benefits? Email your members of Congress

Native Organizers Alliance

Remove Snake River Dams: Indigenous peoples throughout the Northwest have depended on their relationship with Snake River salmon since the beginning of time. But against the wishes of Tribal communities, dams were constructed in the Snake River that threaten endangered salmon.

Native communities along the Snake River are calling on the Biden administration and members of Congress to honor legally-binding commitments that the federal government made to Northwest Tribes by removing the lower Snake River dams in order to restore abundant salmon. Sign & send

Native Organizers Alliance

Remove Snake River Dams: Indigenous peoples throughout the Northwest have depended on their relationship with Snake River salmon since the beginning of time. But against the wishes of Tribal communities, dams were constructed in the Snake River that threaten endangered salmon.

Native communities along the Snake River are calling on the Biden administration and members of Congress to honor legally-binding commitments that the federal government made to Northwest Tribes by removing the lower Snake River dams in order to restore abundant salmon. Sign & send

Of Note This Week is a source for current climate-change information at the local, state, and national levels.  It is refreshed weekly on Saturday.

Sat 23 Sep

Care.org

Climate change & the floods in Libya

Citizens’ Climate Lobby

Africa Climate Summit calls for global carbon tax

Native News Online

Reasons to be Cheerful

Getting the Soil Right: How Carbon Farming Combats Climate Change

We’re asking the wrong question about EVs and grid resiliency

Wed 18 Oct, 7:00 – 8:30 AM, online

Eco-municipality Webinar 2:  Virtually visit the eco-municipality of Karlskrona in the south of Sweden. Learn about the science-based framework of the Swedish network of ecomunicpalities, SEKOM, and the Karlskrona eco-municipality.  Register

Harvest Fest Fundraiser

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Saturday, October 7, 9:30 to 1:30

Sunday, October 8, 11:00 to 1:00 in the UU Parking Lot

Pumpkins, jams, jellies, salsa and more will be for sale! If you have produce, plants, art, or crafts to contribute, please bring them! Volunteers are needed! Contact Nancy Kyle.

Proceeds will benefit Corvallis Multicultural Literacy Center and their efforts to support immigrants with fees needed for work permits and citizenship, and the Benitez family, our most recent Salvadoran immigrants.

Faith-Based Climate Action 8/26/23

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Tribal Clean Energy Programs Will Benefit From New Tax Credits

RFP – Geothermal development strategy in Lakeview, Oregon

The Clean Energy Future Is Arriving Faster Than You Think

LanzaTech: ‘We’re converting pollution into packaging’

Wealthy oil nation lays groundwork for ‘eye-popping’ climate fund

Wind-powered cargo ship sets sail in a move to make shipping greener 

ClearVue releases results from first long-term study of clear solar glass

This Solar Farm in California Promises 225 GWh of Energy for EVs

Solar Up 20X, Fossil Fuel Use Down In California

University of Cincinnati founds School of Environmental and Sustainability Studies

MANUFACTURA AND LA METROPOLITANA USE 3D PRINTING TO TURN WASTE WOOD INTO SUSTAINABLE STRUCTURES

Bringing sustainable and affordable electricity to all

Growing The Geothermal Energy Workforce — 1st Cohort In US DOE’s INTERN Program

Colorado Adopts Its First Building Energy Performance Standard

If you have only 10 minutes this month to do something about climate change, you can still make a significant impact!  Join with thousands of Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) members and advocate for climate solution legislation.  CCL is specifically asking members of Congress to cosponsor the Increased TSP Access Act (S.1400/H.R.3036), which already has both Republican and Democratic support.

What is TSP Access and why is it relevant to climate change?   Farmers, ranchers, and forest-owners are on the front lines of climate change, and they can also play a large role in mitigating its effects through resilient and climate-smart practices.  We must make sure that farmers, ranchers, and forest-owners have access to the technical expertise they need to fully utilize agricultural and forestry conservation programs.     

Technical Service Providers (TSPs) are certified workers who help people understand and use federal climate-smart agriculture and conservation programs.  This bi-partisan bill would address the shortage of Technical Service Providers, making it easier for farmers and forest-owners to take advantage of federal conservation programs that keep their land resilient and healthy.

Take action now by writing a quick email to your members of Congress asking them to cosponsor.

There is no more important climate work than the influencing of legislation and policy, whether at the national, state, or local level. Climate Action Opportunities, refreshed weekly on Saturdays, provides three or four curated, quick opportunities to do just that.

To help assess the engagement of UUFC members and friends in faith-based climate action and to encourage such action, please anonymously  <Share> the number of the actions below you take this week. Optionally, you may  anonymously also share other recent climate action. 

The organizations whose calls to action we amplify, and the number from each organization, are listed <here>

Sat 26 Aug

Environment Oregon

Protect Kelp Forests:  America’s kelp forests provide crucial habitat for wildlife including seals, sea otters and octopuses. But warming oceans, pollution and unchecked populations of kelp-eating sea urchins are rapidly degrading these underwater forests. We’re calling on President Biden to conserve all of our country’s kelp forests. Send a message to the president 

Interfaith Power & Light

Vehicle Fuel Efficiency Standards: Passenger vehicles are a major contributor to climate pollution. This year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has the opportunity to propose new federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for vehicles sold in 2027 and beyond.  Submit your comment to NHTSA 

Nature Conservancy

Conserve America’s Forests:  Catastrophic wildfires, pests and diseases are decimating forest land across the country.  Without stronger conservation policies and programs, we could lose even more.  Without healthy forests, the clean air and water, habitat, recreation and timber they provide is at risk. Their loss would be a massive blow to the economy and a setback in the fight to store carbon and keep climate change in check.  That’s why The Nature Conservancy is calling on Congress to support strong forest conservation programs in the upcoming Farm Bill. Email your U.S. Senators & Representative.

Tue 29 Aug, 1:00 PM, online  

Federal Clean Energy Funding:  Our UU  faith calls us to work to ensure the people most impacted by climate change benefit most from clean energy funds. Join Sylvia Chi, Just Solutions Collective; Sonia Kikeri, Emerald Cities Collaborative; Jamal Lewis, Rewiring America; and Miguel Yanez, Energy and Environmental Study Institute to learn how your congregation can put your faith into action to advance visionary approaches to clean energy funding with justice at the center. Register 

Thu 7 Sep, 4:00 – 5:30 PM, online

Inflation Reduction Act Resources to Help You Electrify Your Home:  

Interfaith Power and Light Webinar. Jamal Lewis, Director of Policy Partnerships and Equitable Electrification for Rewiring America, joins us for a conversation on electrification, what it looks like, and what federal resources are available to help you do it. Learn more about the incentives that will be available to help make your home healthier and more efficient.  Register