Earth is in our hands

Promoting the seventh Principle of Unitarian Universalism:
to affirm and promote respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

Our mission is to educate ourselves and others about environmental issues; advocate public policies to protect the global environment; act locally in our homes, church and city; and connect spiritually with the web of all existence. We work towards that mission by organizing educational, community-building action and service projects. Emerson was certified as a Green Sanctuary Congregation by the UUA in 2003. Check the weekly e-blast for meetings or contact us at ministryforearth@emersonhouston.org.

UU Climate Justice Revival at First UU and Emerson
Saturday, Sept 28th, 1-5 PM at First UU
 Sunday, September 29th, 1-2 PM at Emerson 

For the first time ever, the entire UUA is organizing for climate justice action! We are proud to join more than 300 congregations around the world getting ready to join hands in September for the Climate Justice Revival.

Sponsored by the UUA, UUMFE, UUSC and other UU organizations—as well as Emerson’s Social Action and Ministry for Earth—the Revival will mobilize our congregation to kick-start our activism and our ongoing engagement in climate justice. If you’ve been looking for meaningful ways to live out your UU values in support of the planet and more just and equitable communities, this is your chance!

There will be facilitated workshops on Saturday at First UU and on Sunday, a get-out-the-vote organizing session at Emerson. 

FACILITATION TRAINING SESSIONS

We’re offering training on how to effectively hold and facilitate the spaces we’ll build during the Revival! These sessions will give you the foundation you need to discuss some of the most pressing climate change issues of our time. You’ll hone your skills to build a confident, collegial, and collaborative community dedicated to addressing the climate crisis!

Wednesday, September 11: 7 pm EDT/4 pm PT [REGISTER]

Tuesday, September 17: 11 am EDT/8 pm PT [REGISTER]

Thursday, September 26: 7 pm EDT/4 pm PT [REGISTER]

REVIVAL RUN-THROUGH

Sunday, September 22: 3 pm (EDT)/12 PT [REGISTER]

Reimagining Together: UU Climate Action Enters New Era: From an Extractive Age to a New Era! —How and Why the Revival Came About.

Faithful Voter Reflective Discussion Group
Mondays, September 9 – October 28, 6 p.m., online

As people of faith and conscience, we believe elections are a referendum on the values that will shape our future. How can we renew our fragile democracy, which is imperative to creating policies that protect communities and our Sacred Earth? How do we honor the human dignity and worth of every person? Given our mutual interdependence, how do our faiths call us to live in the world? What policies will prioritize the common good and confront future crises in equitable and just ways? Many of the defining moral issues of our time are on the ballot, and the challenges they present are daunting. To move forward in a spirit of hope, and to resist despair and cynicism, join this weekly interfaith discussion group where we’ll navigate the urgent moral questions raised by the coming election, allowing you to discern a faithful path forward.

All attendees receive an electronic copy of the Faithful Voter Reflection Guide from Interfaith Power & Light, plus supplemental materials provided by the facilitator.  (Note: Interfaith Power & Light is the national organization for Texas Impact, of which Texas UU Justice Ministry is a member.) 

Hosted by the Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston. Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com with any questions. Register on www.eventbrite.com at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/faithful-voter-reflective-discussion-group-tickets-952364988317

Additional Events Offered by IENOH
(Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston)

THIS SUNDAY!!

The Promised Land: How Urban Farming Nurtures Souls and Communities

Sunday, September 8, 2:30 p.m. central, online

Plant It Forward (PIF) empowers refugees to develop sustainable farms that provide fresh, healthy food to our community. In her talk, Farm Programs Director Rachel Lockhart Folkerts shares how PIF’s urban farmers are bending our local food system towards food sovereignty and resiliency, and explores the impact of this work on the health and social cohesion of our communities.  She’ll also address how faith communities and people of faith can get involved in the important work of Plant It Forward.  This program will be recorded, and a link to the recording sent to all registrants. Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com with any questions about this event. Register for this event on www.eventbrite.com at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-promised-land-how-urban-farming-nurtures-souls-and-communities-tickets-972538547977

Restoring Nature = Restoring Ourselves
As all creation is one, and humanity is part of creation, it is clear that Restoring Nature = Restoring Ourselves.  This informational resource has six actions we can all take to restore nature, and ourselves:  https://blessedtomorrow.org/climate-action-sheet/restoring-nature-restoring-ourselves/

Rain Barrels for The Houston-Area Community
Sunday, September 29, 12 – 1:30 p.m.
Grace United Church of Christ, 8515 Brookwulf Drive, Houston, Texas 77072

Learn about the benefits of rain barrels, get one for your home/house of worship and learn how to install it on your property. Rain barrels not only conserve water, a precious natural resource, they also help to keep water clean and reduce flooding, thereby making Houston a more resilient city. And, these barrels have been re-purposed, avoiding plastic waste. Registration includes one rain barrel, one connecter kit and training to install them. Supplies of rain barrels are limited, so please register early. Register to participate at: www.galvbay.org/events. For more information, contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com.

Rain Garden
Storm run-off a problem in your neighborhood? Consider creating a rain garden on your property to
reduce run-off. See this site: https://earthwatch.org/stories/how-build-rain-garden

Living the Change Weekly Discussion Group
Tuesdays, Sept. 3 – Nov. 19, 6 p.m., online

Scientists tell us that we must reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030. That may seem like a very high hurdle. But, it translates to only a 7%/year reduction, starting now. Participants in this course will leave with a personalized plan to achieve this goal through targeted lifestyle changes that will also save them money. This program focuses on making personal lifestyle changes in three areas: transportation, energy, and food, but will be customized for participants’ carbon footprints. Join us in accepting the Walk on Earth Gently invitation and committing to a sustainable lifestyle, via a weekly online discussion group. Can’t make it every week? Join us as you are able. For more information, please contact Lisa Brenskelle at brenskelle@aol.com. Register for this course on www.eventbrite.com at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/living-the-change-weekly-discussion-group-tickets-952360735597.

Climate Solutions 101
Thursdays, September 5 – October 10, 6 p.m. central, online

Think there is no solution to climate change? Nothing could be farther from the truth. Effective and cost-effective climate solutions are available now! Begin your climate solutions journey, today. Join others for a weekly online discussion on climate solutions! Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com for more information. Register for this course on www.eventbrite.com at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/climate-solutions-101-tickets-952363644297

Comment on LNG Expansion in Gulf Coast

Use this sample letter: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BARf4srfMaFnBXBsqJhze3x7jxdwdGdeK_nu8SiqmAA/edit?pli=1 to tender comments to the FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) about planned LNG export expansion in the Gulf Coast. You can offer comments here: https://news.oilandgaswatch.org/template/brief/federal-agency-open-for-comment-on-major-lng-expansion-on-gulf-coast

How-To: Collaborating with Your County

To support democracy in your area, get this how-to guide for collaborating with your county to support elections. Learn what you can do to support civic engagement, hold voter registration drives, offer your faith community as a polling place, and more at this link: https://texasimpact.org/resources-collaborating-with-your-county/

Witness for the Planet

We witnessed our hope for the success of COP26, the international conference on climate change, in November 2021.

Speak Up for Old-Growth Forest Protection

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service has just released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) outlining its plans to conserve and monitor the conditions of old-growth forests nationwide. This is a crucial step towards fulfilling President Biden’s Executive Order to strengthen the nation’s forests. However, your voice is needed to ensure the final policy provides robust, comprehensive protection for these invaluable ecosystems. Urge the Forest Service to finalize a strong, effective policy that truly safeguards our mature and old-growth forests at this link: https://secure.everyaction.com/rZ7S2JxmiES7ssRzylSJG2

Make your Opinions Known

Call your state senator and representative urging them to support Texas environmental and economic policies. To find out who represents you, see https://wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home Find out more about specific actions at Citizens’ Climate Lobby

In Jan. 2020, the Emerson congregation voted to endorse the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (HR 763). Emerson supports the “fee and dividend” legislation to drive down America’s carbon pollution and provides monthly dividends to households. Learn More: Frequently Asked Questions(1 page handout) and Slides from Educational sessions.

Join CreateClimateJustice.net, the online community organizing hub for climate justice activism among Unitarian Universalists.

Environmental Justice Efforts along the Border

Texas UU Justice Ministry (TXUUJM), along with the UU Service Committee (UUSC) and UU Ministry For Earth (UUMFE), is forging a new relationship with the Carrizo Comecrudo Tribe of Texas. The Esto’k Gna have been leading environmental justice efforts along the so called Mexican-American border: protecting indigenous sacred sites, resisting construction of LNG (fracked gas) terminals and accompanying pipelines, and educating people about the environmental devastation the Border Wall will cause.

Heat in Houston: Justice Implications, Solutions, & How People of Faith Can Engage

Heat is the greatest weather-related disaster in the U.S., killing more people than any other kind of natural disaster. And, Texas is one of three states with the highest heat-related deaths. Houston’s urban heat issues are already serious and are forecasted to get much worse with the Climate Crisis. Urban heat negatively affects human and biodiversity health throughout the region, exacts a financial toll, leads to higher ozone levels, and reduces quality of life. Heat mapping in Houston has shown that high heat is more concentrated in underinvested communities and/or Communities of Color, thereby widening historic inequalities. 

 

Eating for a Healthy Planet; Your Food Choices Matter

Consider why the food we eat matters not just for our health, but for the health of all people and the planet.

We encourage members to support urban farmers, such as Plant-it-Forward Farms, by signing up for community supported agriculture (CSA) shares and by purchasing at local Farmers Markets.

Partner Organizations

  • Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston (IENOH) – an affiliate of Texas Interfaith Power and Light & Texas Impact. The purpose of IENOH is to empower the faith community in Houston to advocate and act collectively as stewards of the environment.
  • Citizen’s Environmental Coalition (CEC) – The CEC is an alliance of over 130 diverse nonprofit, governmental, professional, conservation, advocacy, and educational organizations to foster education, dialogue, and collaboration on environmental issues in the Houston/Gulf Coast region. The weekly Houston Environmental News Update publicizes opportunities to become involved, take action, and make a difference.
  • Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston (IENOH) – an affiliate of Texas Interfaith Power and Light & Texas Impact. The purpose of IENOH is to empower the faith community in Houston to advocate and act collectively as stewards of the environment.
  • Renewable Congregations Campaign – Emerson challenges other congregations to shift to 100% renewable energy. In Jan. 2020, the Emerson congregation endorsed the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (HR 763). Emerson supports the “fee and dividend” legislation to drive down America’s carbon pollution. Importantly, it provides monthly dividends to households.

  • Texas Impact, an Austin-based interfaith justice advocacy organization, is the Texas chapter of Interfaith Power and Light, with both educational 501(d)3 and advocacy 501(c)4 activities.

  • t.e.j.a.s. is a front-line community organization that works in the Manchester area of Houston, near the ship channel. Story about Bryan, one of the founders, at https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/Environmental-justice-documentary-puts-spotlight-15126835.php#

Certifications

Green Sanctuary Certification (2003)

Emerson was certified as a Green Sanctuary in 2003, recognizing our work to expand eco-awareness to religious education, service, worship and sustainability of our church’s physical facilities.

LEED Certification of Delaney Hall (2006)

When Emerson began planning for Delaney Hall, the Green Sanctuary committee issued a “Lean and Green Challenge” to the architects: go as “green” as possible without adding cost to the building budget! The architects did such a good job that they themselves proposed the building for LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The architects provided extensive documentation on demolition, material selection and handling, and construction procedures. Delaney Hall is the first church building in the U.S. to be LEED certified (29 points) and the third building (of any kind) in Houston to achieve this certification. The building features sustainable design and construction methods, energy conservation, use of recycled materials, and pollution prevention techniques (air, water, light). The grounds were landscaped with native or highly adapted plants that do not need irrigation. Church policies call for integrated pest management,  avoiding pesticides, use of recycled and/or reusable products for meals and parties.