Green Team Meeting Notes 9-17-2019

Green Team Meeting Notes 9-17-2019

Reminder that our new meeting night is the 3^rd Tuesday of the month – next meeting is 10/15

Attendees: Bill Schroeder, Steve Fink, Mark Bohrer, Candy Dann (phone)

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

New adds to the invite: Mary Pritchard, Marty Mason

Agenda/Notes

1)     Climate Strike

-        Learn more at strikewithus.org/boston

-        Meet at church ~8:45 AM Friday 9/20

-        Take train at 9:22, Train arrives 10:10 AM

-        Currently planning to go from South Church: Susan, Janet, Bill, Mary Pritchard, Mark & Debbie Bohrer

-        10:00 – 11:30 gathering with speakers and music at City Hall Plaza

-        11:30 – 1:00 march to Massachusetts Statehouse

2)     UCC Super Saturday Plans – Oct 5^th in Framingham (see email from Bill Schroeder)

-        Mass Conference runs this event

                                                    i.     Now joining with RI and CT conferences

                                                   ii.     Environmental Ministry – Ted Wade and Barbara Darling

                                                  iii.     Steve will represent Green Team and talk about SC Green Retreat

3)     Faith Forums

-        Climate will be a topic on the first Sunday of every month throughout the year

4)     Climate Justice in Sunday Services -

-        Can there be “Climate Justice” or “Climate Witness” moments in church regularly?

-        ACTION – Mark contacted Dan and she said she would get back after talking to church staff

                                                    i.     Dana has not replied with

                                                   ii.     Jenn has several green events planned this fall with HS and MS students

5)     Harvest Dinner – is tentatively schedule for Saturday October 19^th

-        Purpose is to celebrate the year of food harvested by our Interfaith Giving Garden

-        Share Vegetarian dishes and ideas

                                                    i.     Pasta machines were a big hit

                                                   ii.     If we are going to have this we need to have Giving Garden on board

-        Then we can invite families and promote the event

-        ACTION: Steve – talk to Fran and Emily and confirm the interest of the Giving Garden team

-        Mark is available to organize and promote the event

6)     Andover Green Energy Options - discussion

-        Massachusetts State government has a program promoting Community Choice Aggregation

                                                    i.     Includes green energy options for citizens in a town

                                                   ii.     North Andover has implemented a CCA – but the main focus is not necessarily on green energy, although North Andover has an aggregated  green energy choice option

-        Steve is working with Anil to promote this option for Andover

                                                    i.     Can we have a session at South Church to share information on this?

-        See AndoverCCA.org

7)     Fellowship “greening”

o   Having a compost service was useful to get people to see it and think about this option

§  Could church benefit from compost service? The best option for when we do need to use disposable cups and plates would be use compostable ones.

o   David Strong was going to bring this up to council –

§  ACTION: Candy will followup with David

8)     Church sanctuary insulation – August 2019 notes –

-        No updates this month month, but serious plans are under consideration

-        Ross Lenway of RISE Engineering  - MASS-SAVE contractor, with gas customer balance paid by Columbia gas

                                     i.     working in conjunction with natural gas crisis – has worked with 30 churches in Lawrence/Andover/ North Andover area in the past year

                                    ii.     A series of updates was performed to South Church earlier this year – steam traps replaced, other stuff

-        Attic insulation –

                                     i.     Ross talked about how the attic would air-sealed & insulated after plaster replaced

-        Side wall insulation

                                     i.     RISE previously had said that the walls could not get blown in insulation

                                    ii.     On further review – on the invitation of Andy Brien to an Insulation contractor said that we COULD get the sidewalls insulated

1.      Estimate of this insulation contractor said walls and ceiling would cost ~$87,000

2.      Estimate of “therms saving” is ~4-5,000 therms, each therm is approx $1, payback is ~20 years

3.      THIS IS DO-ABLE, although it exceeds the standard amount that Columbia Gas pays (approx $50,000)

4.      Looking forward: the paperwork was submitted to request full payment by Columbia Gas – there seems a reasonable chance to get this.

5.      Worth Noting: our church does NOT have certain architecture, old wiring & hazardous material issues that some OTHER chuches have that may complicate what can be done for them. We have this simplifying situation.