Resolution on Racial Justice As individuals, we commit to a new level of engagement, to continually seek ways to use our voices, our privilege, our standing in the community to effect change. As a congregation, we commit to turning a new page. We declare the obvious—that Black lives matter to our beloved community. We affirm the need for powerful words and collective action, both to call out injustice and to call in love.
RRUUC Land and Labor Acknowledgment We acknowledge that the land on which we worship is the traditional land of the Nacotchtank and Piscataway people and the land through which other Indigenous Peoples traveled. We acknowledge that enslaved African people and their descendants likely labored and lived on this land. We recognize these and other people displaced, enslaved, or harmed by past injustices.
We pledge that we will follow our faith in love and work to make our congregation and our larger community more accessible, inclusive, and equitable. We pledge that we will be good stewards of the land by encouraging healthy ecosystems. We pledge to remember the past while building a more just and welcoming future for all.
Click here to email RRUUCEarthMinistry@gmail.com. Find Earth Ministry’s Calendar of Events here. Our meetings are held on the 3rd Sunday of the month usually at 11:30; watch for announcements in the eWeekly for details. Each meeting begins with a 10-15 minute informative presentation from a River Roader with expertise in some area of clean, green living. Business of the committee follows.
Our next meeting will be on SUNDAY, SEPT. 17th, ON ZOOM AND IN ROOM 23 at 11:30. Minutes of our meetings are always available for comment in this Google Folder.
RRUUC NEWS: Climate Reset Workshops return in Oct, Jan and April!
This year we’ll be running our 4-week Climate Reset Workshop three times, to make sure everyone has an opportunity to KEEP THEIR COOL. Plan to sign up for this brief but powerful program that will help you measure your current carbon footprint and select actions to help you reduce it. The aim is for each participating household to lower their CO2 emissions by 5000 pounds. Look for registration information soon, and remember–every little helps!
EVENTS: Take a bite out of climate change–support a better Farm Bill!
Changing the way we raise and distribute food is one of the most powerful ways we can reduce the effects of emissions. Congress is now rewriting the Farm Bill–something that happens only once every 5 years–and supporting climate rescue amendments is something we here in MoCo can do IN PERSON.
Join UUs for Just Economic Community, UUs for Social Justice, and UU Ministry for Earth in Washington, D.C., September 26-28, 2023, to learn about our food and farming system and, on day three advocate with our Senators for an equitable and climate-smart 2023 Farm Bill.
RSVP with UUJEC HERE * Day passes available ** Scholarships are available. No questions asked, contact Terry Lowman: terryleelowman@gmail.com
Whether or not you are coming, UUs for Social Justice will have a “Write Here, Write Now” campaign so that you can add your voice to the advocacy. More information is coming soon—look for that on or about September 1st. Your letters will be delivered to legislators. Why focus on conservation and regenerative farming? If you eat food, you care about the Farm Bill–even if you don’t know it! “The farm bill connects the food on our plates, the farmers and ranchers who produce that food, and the natural resources – our soil, air, and water – that make growing food possible.” – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
Why focus on farming to address climate change? About 11-14% of US GHGs come from Agricultural systems. Today’s technology can remove 178 Billion tons of CO2 and reduce CO2 levels in the atmosphere by 157 ppm–enough to get us back to pre-industrial levels.
ADVOCACY: Give your input on Maryland’s Climate Pathway
In addition to keeping our own house green clean and sustainable, we have a responsibility to guide our local and state representatives in working towards robust and effective climate regulations and legislation….
HAPPENING AT A TOWN HALL NEAR YOU— A series of town hall meetings that are about to ignite Maryland’s climate policy scene! These dynamic gatherings, brought to you by Maryland’s Department of Environment and the Center for Global Sustainability, are where the action happens.
Picture this: a state with bold ambitions. We’re talking about slashing greenhouse gas emissions by a remarkable 60% by 2031 and reaching carbon-neutral emissions by 2045! But to turn these legislated targets into action and position Maryland as a leader in state-level climate mitigation and carbon reduction, there needs to be a plan. And a plan with input from policymakers and the public. Let’s roll up our sleeves and dive into action. These reduction goals are with in our reach, and it starts with us coming together at these meetings. Your ideas, your energy, and your presence matter.
September 12, at 6 p.m., at Morgan State University, 5299 Perring Parkway in Baltimore, at the Center for the Built Environment and Integrated Studies
September 19, at 6 p.m., at the College of Southern Maryland, 115 J W Williams Rd., Prince Frederick, Room PFB-103
September 26, online, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., for the general public.
Our May 6 Climate Convocation led to the creation of the UU Mid-Atlantic Network for the Environment, or UU MANE, and to the establishment of cross-congregational Working Groups who will lead action on six Action Strategies. All are welcome to pitch in for this exciting collaborative work with UUs across the region! Find out more by perusing the UU-MANE Google Drive, and don’t forget that RRUUC has its own Resource Library full of presentations, documents and guidelines to help you keep it CLEAN AND GREEN in every area of your life and the life of our congregation!
