Let's Live Our Values

Let’s Live Our Values

(Insert in September, 2009 newsletter)

A new initiative at First Church, Sustain Our Society (SOS) will deeply engage us in the Seventh Principle of Unitarian Universalism: “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.” The Board and the Environmental Committee’s Sustainability Team invite you to join in this exciting project that not only brings our values to life, but also builds on our recent Green Sanctuary Certification.

The challenges of climate change and peak oil can seem daunting. Changes on the individual level, while absolutely necessary, unfortunately don’t seem to add up fast enough; changes at the national level are slow to come. But together—as a congregation and as a community—we can have a measurable, significant and timely impact.

Sustain Our Society’s goal is to dramatically increase the sustainability of our historic building through conservation and solar energy production. In addition, the initiative will provide ample opportunities for education, exchange and participation. Be a part of it!

"We won't have a society if we destroy the environment."

-- Margaret Mead

Project Description

This project has two major elements:

Conserve energy by installing insulation and addressing other energy efficiencies in our historic building. The Sustainability Team has conducted an energy audit and identified places where insulation costs are reasonable to produce significant savings.
Create clean, renewable energy by installing a 10 Kilowatt solar photovoltaic system on the Common Room roof to produce electricity.

Why Now?

We are taking advantage of a generous lead gift (financial donation) and very generous incentives from utilities and government available through the end of this year. Individual donations will leverage, or match, those dollars.
The church will immediately save money in the operating budget and savings will increase in the future as electricity and heating costs increase. Costs of carbon-based energy (petroleum, coal, and natural gas) are likely to increase in the future

Project Finances

We need to raise almost $85,000 from members and friends of the congregation in order to undertake the $151,000 project. The project costs are based on an energy audit, estimates by professionals and extensive work by the Sustainability Team and Building & Grounds Committee. The amount includes $93,000 for the solar panels and $68,000 for insulation and related expenses.

We have already received $24,000 in advance giving, and welcome additional advance gifts; if you are interested, see Kathy Porter. On October 18, all members and friends who are current on paying their operating pledge will have the opportunity to donate or pledge to support this initiative.

Incentives Available to Help

Over $67,000 is available to help us finance this project:

A Focus on Energy grant of over $23,000 has been approved.
A WE Energies grant of almost $35,000 is expected.
WE Energies will provide an “advance buy-back” of electricity we produce with our solar panels, in the amount of almost $9,000.

Breaking Bread,Building Community

Tuesday, September 29; 5:30 — 8:00 p.m.

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Let's Live Our Values

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