Justice Summit 2/2

Februrary 2, 2024 7:00 pm in the UUFC Sanctuary

An evening of appreciation and discussion as our UUFC Justice Teams present their work and goals, including a discussion of justice areas the Fellowship might consider adding to our work. Coffee house-style music and refreshments as well! 

Learn more about our UUFC Justice Teams on this webpage: https://uucorvallis.org/justice/

Contact Reverend Jill McCallister with any questions. minster@uucorvallis.org

image of health care rally

CATweek 12/23/23

Corvallis Carbon Offset Fund: At the end of service on Sun 17 Dec, Brian Lee talked to us about local carbon offsets available through the Corvallis Carbon Offset Fund (CCOF). We’ll share the video of Brian’s talk once it’s posted, but in the meantime, we invite and encourage you to estimate your/your family’s carbon footprint and reduce that footprint via donation to the CCOF or other appropriate climate action/climate justice group.

Towards Net Zero: For those ready to make reducing and taking responsibility for their carbon emissions an ongoing commitment, we invite and encourage you to sign up for UUFC Climate Action Team’s Towards Net Zero project. 

Tree Planting: We still need volunteers to help plant eight trees in the islands in the Crystal Lake/Willamette Park parking lot, 10:00 AM to Noon, Sat 20 Jan. This is our third year of collaborative tree planting with the City’s Urban Forestry Program. To volunteer, email michael.a.hughes1951@gmail.com with Subject Tree Planting.

Faith-based climate action this week

Good News

Climate-action Opportunities

Of Note

Save the Date

Cheers, Michael

To sign up for CATweek, the once-per-week, Saturday, email, email Michael Hughes and use the subject “CATweek sign up.”

The one thing we need more than hope is action. Once we start to act, hope is everywhere.

Greta Thunberg

Faith-based climate action this week

Volunteers are needed to help plant trees in the islands of the Crystal Lake/Willamette Park parking lot. Sat 20 Jan, 10:00 AM to noon. To volunteer, email michael..hughes1951@gmail.com,

Subject Tree planting.

Visit the Climate Action Team page

Queerly Beloved 12/17

Sunday, December 17th, 4:00pm to 6:00 pm in the Social Hall

Join Anya and Jema and friends for hot drinks and cozy crafts and conversation. Bring cookies to share, if you like! An optional walk through the neighborhood to look at Christmas Lights will follow. All are welcome.

We meet monthly on the 3rd Sunday in the afternoon. Join LGBTQ+ folx and allies for social gatherings centered on queer issues and themes. We understand the importance of queer community, and our goal is to provide a safe space where people can find that sense of belonging right here in Corvallis. Questions: connect@uucorvallis.org

Democracy Action Team 11/19 at 11:45 AM

Sunday, 11/9 at 11:45am

All are invited. Help protect democracy! Meet or catch up with others who are doing this work. We’ll share information about: what we all have accomplished in the last few election cycles, how letter writing makes a difference, and key issue campaigns of the year: Ranked Choice Voting (on Oregon’s ballot) and the Freedom to Vote Act. Join us in the Sanctuary following the Sunday Service.

Queerly Beloved 11/19

Sunday, November 19th 4-6 pm

Join Jess and Bobbi and friends in the Fellowship Social Hall for a potluck with some icebreaker games. Bring a dish of food to share. All are welcome. We meet monthly on the 3rd Sunday in the afternoon. Join LGBTQ+ folx and allies for social gatherings centered on queer issues and themes.

We understand the importance of queer community, and our goal is to provide a safe space where people can find that sense of belonging right here in Corvallis. Questions: connect@uucorvallis.org

Climate Action Opportunities 10/29

From the Climate Action Team:

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. We have a list of organizations whose calls to action we amplify, and the number from each organization.

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 using this Climate Action Form. Optionally, you may  anonymously also share other recent climate action. 

Sat 28 Oct

Columbia Riverkeeper

GTN Xpress Project: On 10/19/23, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) authorized a huge expansion of fracked gas in the Northwest. Grassroots organizations, community groups, Tribal nations, and dozens of elected officials across the Northwest are joining forces to push back on FERC’s approval of GTN Xpress, a proposal by TC Energy to push more gas through its aging GTN pipeline.  Our coalition is going to challenge FERC’s decision to approve the GTN Xpress project.  Sign the petition to challenge FERC’s decision. 

Environment Oregon

Single Use Packaging: Walmart is America’s largest grocer by revenue — but far too many shoppers are coming home with a pile of single-use plastic packaging that they didn’t ask for. Too often, this plastic packaging ends up as waste, clogging landfills and polluting the environment. Walmart can change its packaging practices and set a precedent for others to follow.  Add your name to Urge Walmart to put wildlife over waste

Interfaith Power & Light

Western Arctic drilling: Oil companies are pushing for more drilling in the fragile Western Arctic landscape. .As people of faith, we have a moral responsibility to care for our Sacred Earth. We must ensure these irreplaceable landscapes are free from destructive oil and gas development. Tell the Bureau of Land Management: No drilling in the Arctic.

Join the “Secure Housing and Food for All” Team

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!

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. 

Faith Based Climate Action 9/30/23

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