In 2022 a task force was formed to begin efforts toward reaccreditation to recommit itself to reducing its carbon footprint through a series of actions and upgrades in its buildings and practices, and working with the community to expand its impact in bringing about a more verdant and just world. Task force members: Jonathan Gourlay, Anne Fischer, Chase Wilson Roeper, Joy Flemming, David Flemming, Eve Cimino, Dwight Schenk, Anne Huberman, Joel Huberman.
About Green Sanctuary at PUUC
The Peterborough Unitarian Universalist congregation achieved Green Sanctuary status from the Unitarian Universalist Association in 2009. This designation signifies that the congregation has undertaken the process of reducing its carbon footprint through a series of actions and upgrades in its buildings and practices.
PUUC began the process in 2007 with an energy audit of our physical space. Since that time, under the guidance of the Property Committee, dramatic improvements have been made to our property and with help from other committees have undertaken numerous actions (you can read about the improvements here and the actions here). The improvements were made through grants, donations, a matching fund campaign and from our building fund.
We made practical changes from installing a bike rack and replacing incandescent light bulbs with efficient compact fluorescents to converting our oil burner to a pellet stove. We improved insulation in the Parish Hall, installed programmable thermostats, installed customized storm windows on our sanctuary’s large windows and conducted “green living” classes, instituting recycling in our buildings and church office. You can read a complete list of these at the previous link.
In addition, the Board adopted a set of green policies for purchasing, recycling, heat and energy use and property maintenance and modifications that extend to the many groups that use our facility (you can read about the policies here).
To keep our green practices front of mind for our members, once a month our weekly Social Justice Candle was dedicated to Greening topics, such as promoting the use of glasses, china and silverware for all church events and in our personal lives, and advocating for recycling, local food, and green purchasing. Equal Exchange coffee, tea and chocolate continue to be served during Community Hour (when we have Community Hour again) and are available for purchase in the Administrator's office in Carll House.
Green Sanctuary 2030 (and beyond)
Our recommitment to environmental sustainability charges us to not just continue these previous practices but to find new ways to live lightly on the Earth. According to the UUA, climate change is an existential threat to the human species and the web of life and “is the urgent, overarching survival and justice issue of our time, calling us to impactful action now.”
Toward that end, the green sanctuary committee is undertaking new projects in environmental justice/climate justice, worship and celebration, religious education, and sustainable living.
The major project we are participating in is the WindowDressers program. A build was held in October 2024 during which 114 window inserts were made for (and by) customers. Approximately 25% of those were donated to households who otherwise could not afford them.
A second build will take place Oct. 16 to 22, 2025 in which the team hopes to build 200 inserts, again planning to donate at least 25% of them to people who otherwise could not afford them. The build will take place at Maxt Makerspace in Peterborough. Email windowdressersmonad [at] gmail.com (windowdressersmonad[at]gmail[dot]com) for more information. Go to WindowDressers.org to sign up for inserts.
Another project focuses on reducing plastics in our lives: There are no two ways about it, plastic is the most problematic consumer substance known to man. We try to educate our congregants about the issue, suggest alternatives and model new behavior by not using plastic disposable items. We also have asked that no Styrofoam products be used at coffee hour or by building renters.
For more ideas and good information, check out these additional websites:
A useful resource on environmentally friendly products and procedures http://www.greenyour.com .
A page about using less-toxic cleaning alternatives https://zerowastemarin.org/
More information on plastics and recycling: earthday.org
