Present: Bill Bode, Merideth Konkel, Ileen Carter, Joe Konkel, Martha Nungesser, Jan Booher
Bill Bode called the meeting to order at 7:17pm
Agenda:
1. Congregational Assessment Updates
- Meredith Konkel discussed the RE assessment with Ellen Cormier. Ellen will prepare a report & email it to Jan Booher, who will insert it into the collaborative Assessment document that is in a google doc.
- Ileen Carter will add the recent worship services related to environmental issues to the collaborative Assessment googledoc.
- Ileen Carter will email Robert Duchemin to ask if he has initiated the FPL energy assessment.
2. Planning for Class- Our Place in the Web of Life – to be presented in Fall
- At our last meeting the people responsible for preparing and presenting the classes were designated: Session 1: Robert and Bill, Session 2: Sabine and Merideth, Session 3: Jan, Session 4: Martha, Session 5: Jan
- The next meeting will have in depth discussion about the curriculum. Bill Bode will see if our Green Sanctuary mentors can “attend” our next meeting via Skype.
3. Suggestions to submit to Board of Trustees for UUFBR Improvements to be funded through the Capital Campaign were discussed:
- Suggestions to date include: photo-voltaics, insulation, lighting “re-lamping,” kitchen appliance replacement with energy efficient models, low VOC recycled and/or recyclable carpet squares or rubber or cork floor alternatives, efficient air conditioning units,maintenance contracts and service agreements, termite contract, maintaining/replace plantings, professional tree trimming, edible landscaping, membership fee for an on site Roots and Shoots program, handicapped accessible pathway to the raised garden beds from the parking lot or through the courtyard area that can be traversed by a wheelchair or walker, automatically watered vegetable garden, efficient shower.
- Martha Nungesser suggested that The Green Sanctuary Committee research the costs of each item proposed by committee. Joe Konkel will ask Jeff Crews for the estimate he received on photo-voltaics for the Fellowship from Paul Ferran. Jan Booher will share Nicole Van Valkenburgh’s contact information. She began a “relamping” franchise called Energy Saving Solutions.
4. Jan Booher presented information about a potential grant which could provide funds for an environmental justice project. UUFBR could serve as a contributing partner by publicizing the questionnaire, and by hosting a presentation about the project at Florida Earth festival 2015.
- The people present at the meeting agreed to submit a letter of support for the Grant from the Green Sanctuary Team of UUFBR in the event that the Florida Humanities Council approves the Letter of Intent for the Oral History and Interactive Online Map of Palm Beach County Communities Responding to Sea Level Rise and Extreme Weather. Here is the Abstract taken from the Letter of Intent:
- An online interactive map of Palm Beach County (PBC) with specific locations linking to data, historical information, and video recordings of residents’ personal narratives will be created; in addition to a white paper, and a series of presentations to PBC residents, local businesses and public officials. In PBC, social vulnerability from Sea Level Rise (SLR) and Extreme Weather is growing, but there is no existing study to capture experienced impacts or communicate them to the public.The project will be based on a Google-based electronic questionnaire on PBC personal experiences, developed by Keren Bolter at FAU’s Center for Environmental Studies to measure perception of concerns, experience, awareness and understanding, to compare to vulnerability data. Infographics will be used to to convey perception. Electronic questionnaire distribution will be augmented with grassroots outreach efforts by the LWV, and contributing partner non- profit organizations with a goal of reaching at least 400 residents. The objective of the mapping, report, and stories is to give the public and policymakers tools to make informed decisions. The Oral History, overseen by Dr. Sandra Norman from FAU’s History Department, will serve as a model for informing residents about citizens’ concerns arising as communities are impacted by, and respond to, SLR and Extreme Weather. It can be a baseline reference document for broader audiences, as the changing environment reshapes our cultural landscape.
Here is the information on Audience and Geographic Area:
- The Geographic Area covered in the Oral History is Palm Beach County, Florida. Outreach efforts will be made to reach as many residents as possible to respond to the questionnaire and to be part of the Oral History. The questionnaire will be distributed throughout Palm Beach County via on-line surveys and working within communities to meet and video residents and local businesses. The primary target communities for contributions to the Oral History are: low income areas highly vulnerable to Sea Level Rise (SLR) and Extreme Weather, Coastal communities, and Inland Communities at risk due to SLR and Extreme Weather. Video recordings of consenting residents will be made using protocols developed by Dr. Sandra Norman at FAU’s History Department who will also train interviewers. This Oral History Project will address the changing relationship of nature and society in Palm Beach County in words and images provided by the residents themselves, environmental justice and social vulnerability.
5. Plans were discussed to increase Congregation’s awareness of and participation in the Green Sanctuary certification process:
Sabine Engle will ask Rich Leon to attend one of our meetings to discuss ideas to enhance our Green Sanctuary web presence: do we want an active blog? If so, what is involved. Sabine is also willing to write a short monthly article for the Unicorn, and link it to the Green Sanctuary blog. Martha Nungesser is willing to assist with editing.
6. Plans were made to recruit additional members for our Team:
Team members will speak to people in the congregation who have shown an interest in the environment.
Jan Booher will research the status of the Green Sanctuary Team in the Board minutes and org chart for discussion at the August meeting.
Sabine suggested that if The Green Sanctuary Team serves a lunch on a Sunday that all items should be colored green.
The fact that Green Sanctuary meeting minutes have not been posted to the blog was mentioned. Jan Booher will post minutes to the blog moving forward, as well as transmitting them to members.
Bill Bode has uploaded a folder titled “UUFBR Green Sanctuary Team” to Google Drive. For the next meeting, Bill Bode will provide a reminder outline of the Green Sanctuary Process.
The meeting was adjourned at 9pm.