Green Team meeting notes 11-29-2018

Green Team Meeting Notes 11/29/2018

Attendees: Bill Schroeder, Susan Johnston, Steve Fink, Mark Bohrer, Candy Dann

Away: Janet Clarke, Tim Smith, Graham Long, Fran Fink

1)      Request from Mass Interfaith Power & Light for the church to support “Be The Spark” program

a.       Program that was developed by Minnesota IPL

b.       Mass Interfaith P&L wants to do a training program for people’s community organizing skills

c.       Proposal - Make the request to Board of World Service

ACTION: Bill – mail program info to Steve F who will take this to Board of World Service

2)      Communication Method to Church

ACTION: Susan – share short green Christmas ideas in Weekly Buzz

a.       Climate Reports sent by Tim Smith – specifically IPCC meeting in Poland

b.       Share with people in context of “The World Needs To Change to Fossil Fuel Free Dramatically and Rapidly”. How are each of us doing this? How are we changing our homes, vehicles, consumption to fossil fuel free?

                                                               i.      “What should I be doing now?” “How am I going to get to fossil-fuel free in 20 years?” For example – maybe I could switch to an electric stove, electric dryer or electric car when I make each of these next purposes.

                                                             ii.      Electric is good (renewable), gas is bad (not renewable, pipeline leaks, explosions, fracking water pollution, health impact/deaths from air and water pollution

ACTION: Mark – share with wider Green Team list

a.       new Green Team website –

ACTION: Candy – request Nora to do Step 1: add “Green Team” homepage, with basic info on who we are, how to contact us, what we have done recently, Step 2: will be to add content

b.       bulletin board – we need to talk to Nora/Dana about how we can contribute to new “theme” / “Action” / “Mission” oriented bulletin boards

3)      Suggestion: Plan a “POST COLUMBIA GAS” session

a.       to solicit input from the church “How has the Columbia Gas crisis changed your life?”

                                                               i.      From this “What should we all do now?”

Next Step: Work on a program involving church membership to solicit input on what should be done

Context: Gas is NOT safe, not good for our communities, and is NOT the future

ACTION: Green Team – followup meeting to work on this

4)      Merrimack Valley Gas Crisis Recovery – Green Initiative

a.       Context: Lupine Road goal to be very green, and promoted that way

b.       Jim Antal’s initiative on Green Social Activism

5)      Climate Change Witness to Congregation –

a.       Regular message needs to be brought to church service each week

ACTION: Mark – request Retreat attendees to signup for weekly “climate witness message” during Joys & Concerns – with Message of Concern Joy and Hope

b.       Climate Justice  - how do we add this to our actions?

Not discussed:

1)      Retreat Takeaways and Followups

                     i.      Very positive feedback – things worked well for families, adults, no concerns expressed, will be requesting more feedback with a survey

                   ii.      Steve will send out a retreat survey

                 iii.      Do followups at Fellowship Hour – ACTION: Mark – ask Dana

1.       Inspiration Fair and World Café – 2 events, 2 Fellowship hours, start after 15 minutes

2.       Heads up to Dana as a regular prayer time “Cares and Concerns” words on climate change

3.       With a variety of people from the retreat