Green Team
The UCE Green Team puts into action the seventh UU principle: respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. UCE’s Green Team promotes good environmental stewardship in UCE’s facilities, at home and in the wider community.
The Green Team educates and motivates members of our faith community to promote and incorporate environmental consciousness into all activities. Since 2005 the Team has had a significant environmental impact at our house of worship with the following actions:
We are a Green Sanctuary as recognized by the UUA, practicing environmental sustainability in multiple ways.
Led by the programs of the UU Earth Ministry (UUMFE), the Green Team focuses efforts in several areas: Worship and Celebration, Religious Education, Environmental Justice and Sustainable Buildings.
UUMFE helps us learn about and focus on the areas of: activism & organizing, climate change, education, front lines solidarity, stories and actions. Our 2020 UUA General Assembly placed special emphasis on the support of Indigenous People and their struggles to protect the environment. The keynote address was made by Naomi Klein, noted environmentalist and journalist.
Currently, we are engaged with increasing our participation in areas of environmental justice and its intersection with racial and economic justice. In addition to having a UCE member sit on the Environmental Justice Committee of the Citizens for a Greener Evanston, we are monitoring efforts to improve air quality at the Waste Transfer Station and supporting efforts to block the relocation of General Iron’s metal shredder to Chicago’s Southeast side.
Monthly Meeting – All are Invited
The Green Team meets online monthly on the first Saturday at 1pm. Members, friends and guests are welcome anytime to bring issues to the meetings. Contact Shirley Adams or Michael Drennan to attend or to add something to our monthly topics. We could use your help in planning some local hikes, bike rides and hopefully a camping trip! We address environmental issues as well but celebrating the Earth sustains us through the challenges.
Composting at UCE
The EPA estimates that more food reaches landfills and incinerators than any other single material in our everyday trash, constituting 22 percent of discarded municipal solid waste. Food scraps in landfills create methane, a greenhouse gas that is 30 times more damaging than CO2 over the long-term and 80 times more damaging over the short-term! On other hand, food scraps that are commercially composted are given the right environment to biodegrade and thus do not contribute to methane gas production. Rather, composted food scraps are turned into rich, organic soil treatment.
You can become a part of the composting movement by joining UCE’s Compost Coop. The cost is only $60 per person per year (up to a $180 maximum per household). You can also participate during the winter months only (December-March) with an annual contribution of $20 per person (up to a $60 maximum per household.) If you are interested in signing up, fill out the composting signup form and email it to admin@ucevanston.org or return it to the church office. For an additional $10 (please pay for this separately as outlined on the signup form) Collective Resource will provide you with a kitchen counter composting bucket. For details on what is/is not compostable and answers to commonly asked questions, click on this Tip Sheet. If you have further questions about this program, contact Renee Hoff through the Realm Membership Directory or at admin@ucevanston.org.
Organizations with whom we partner and share resources
News & Updates from the Green Team
Seeds of Care: October 25, 2020
Evanston Interreligious Sustainability Circle
Harms Woods Work Outing
Sunday, October 25
1:15 pm – 4:00 pm
Meet at Glenview Woods parking lot
(west side of Harms Road, just south of Glenview Road)
Come dressed for the weather, including footwear (usually there is plenty of mud!)
This is an easy outing in beautiful Harms Woods, led by the very knowledgeable long-time stewards,
John and Jane Balaban. We most likely will be harvesting wildflower seed to be used in forest
preserve restoration next spring. It is an activity appropriate for all ages, including young people
(should generally be 10 and older and must be accompanied by an adult) and senior citizens. We will
be in groups of no more than 10. Bring your own mask, gloves, water bottle, snack and hand sanitizer,
and please review the Cook County Forest Preserves Covid-19 guidelines prior to coming.
For more information or to reserve a spot: contact Dale at dalecgriffin@comcast.net or
Susan at Susan.L.Comstock@gmail.com or 847-807-9760.
UCE Composting Remains “Open for Business”
Did you know that (even in the midst of the pandemic) many UCE members continue to participate in the “UCE Composting Coop?” Since we are eating at home more and, thus, have greater control over our food waste, composting becomes even easier to integrate into our daily lives. But, does composting really make a difference? Consider the following statistics:
- Food scraps that go to landfills decompose “anaerobically,” releasing methane gas in the process. Methane is around 30% more damaging than CO2 over the long-term and 80 times more damaging over the short-term!
- The EPA estimates that 22% of what goes into landfills is food waste. Food waste is the single largest material sent to landfills.
- The average American wastes a pound of food a day – that comes to 150,000 tons of food per day across the U.S. Not surprisingly, healthier diets rich in fresh produce and minimally processed ingredients are associated with higher levels of food waste.
- According to the Composting Council, if everyone in the United States composted all of their food waste, the impact would be equivalent to removing 7.8 million cars from the road!
This is where composting can help. Food scraps that are commercially composted are given the right environment to biodegrade and thus do not contribute to methane gas production. Rather, composted food scraps are turned into rich, organic soil treatment.
The cost to participate in UCE’s Composting Coop is only $60 per person per year (up to a $180 maximum per household.) Or, if you live in Evanston, you might choose to participate during the winter months only (December-March) for $20 per person for the full four months, up to a $60 maximum per household. (This four-month program is especially designed for Evanston residents who compost food scraps in their Evanston yard waste containers during the non-winter months.)
If you are interested in signing up for either service, fill out the UCE composting signup form. For an additional $10, Collective Resource (the commercial composter we use) will provide you with a kitchen counter composting bucket. (Please do not include the $10 in your payment to UCE but rather contact Erlene Howard of Collective Resource at erlene.k.howard@gmail.com to make separate arrangements.)
See the Composting Tip Sheet for more information on how to set up your kitchen for composting and for a listing of what is/is not compostable. The green composting bin(s) are located at the southeast end of the church parking lot. Just drive in and deposit your weekly composting (no plastic bags; however, paper or other compostable bags are fine.) If there are two green composting bins, please fill up one completely before using the second. The FAQ page of the Composting Tip Sheet should answer most questions, but if not, email Renee Hoff at rdhoff99@yahoo.com.