Draft of the BVUUF Environmental Policy

 

BVUUF Environmental Policy--DRAFT 4/10/24

Boulder Valley Unitarian Universalist Association recognizes that we are a part of the interdependent web of life.We pledge to ground our missions and ministries in reverence for our earth and responsibility to her as we undertake the following congregational actions, personal practices, and advocacy goals.

Congregational Actions:

• ●  Celebrate reverence for the interdependent web of existence in all aspects of congregational life;

• ●  Treat environmentally responsible practices as a spiritual discipline;

• ●  Educate ourselves and upcoming generations on sustainable ways to live

  interdependently;

• ●  Whenever possible, plan congregational events around proximity to public transportation and encourage attendees, as they are able, to travel by public transportation, walking, biking, and carpooling;

• ●  Use sustainable practices, environmental guidelines and eco-Justice awareness for all building renovation projects;

• ●  Use congregational resources to positively address climate change;

• ●  Practice environmentally responsible consumption;

• ●  Build a broader base for environmentally mindful policies and practices through congregational alliances and certification within Unitarian Universalism, through interfaith channels, and with secular entities;

• ●  Maximize the energy efficiency of congregational facilities

• ●  Encourage education of congregation and local community about environmental issues

  and concerns

• ●  Support interaction with the natural world in the design of our buildings and landscapes, and in our programs

• ●  Plant appropriate trees and native plants, and care for them;

• ●  Strive to be modest in our landscape water use.

Personal Practices:

Our congregation pledges as individuals and families to strive towards becoming better earth stewards. We choose to make positive changes on an individual and community level in our homes and places of business in these ways:

• ●  Reduce our carbon footprint and use renewable sources of energy when possible;

• ●  Choose more energy-efficient transportation that meet our needs and abilities (e.g., walk,

  bike, carpool, mass transit, use online communication and limit travel);

• ●  Consume less, and choose reused/reusable, recycled/recyclable, compostable materials and sustainably harvested materials;

• ●  Reuse, recycle, compost, and reduce waste;

• ●  Choose sustainably harvested wood and wood products;

• ●  Eat and serve food that is locally produced and lower on the food chain;

• ●  Move towards a life of more simplicity and Earth stewardship;

• ●  Make awareness, appreciation and immersion in nature part of our daily lives

  Advocacy Goals

  We, as individuals and as a congregation, pledge to support positive environmental change by being active in our communities, and raising our voices as we are able and have capacity to do so, including (but not limited to) the following advocacies:

• ●  Support local, state, and national environmental initiatives and policies that value clean air, clean water, protection of wildlife, environmental building initiatives, eco-justice, and reducing use of fossil fuels;

• ●  encourage the development, scaling and implementation of clean, renewable energy sources locally, statewide, nationally and internationally;

• ●  Encourage corporate social responsibility with reference to climate change and environmental toxins;

• ●  Continue to learn and share knowledge about the science, impact, and mitigation of climate change and environmental degradation;

• ●  Encourage corporate social responsibility with reference to global warming/climate change;

• ●  Support initiatives that encourage appreciation of the natural world, the interdependent web of existence, of which we are a part.