Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church - Unitarian Universalist

Forty years after the first Earth Day, the world may be in greater peril than ever. While climate change is the greatest challenge of our time, it also presents the greatest opportunity – an unprecedented opportunity to build a healthy, prosperous, clean energy economy now and for the future. Join the Green Sanctuary Task Force/Environmental Action Committee to help transform our church, congregatio , and world to a “beacon of sustainability.”

Now that we are an official Green Sanctuary candidate, we are especially looking for someone to co-lead an eco-justice education project to reduce plastic bag consumption in our area and someone to organize a forum on “Ethical Eating,” the GA Study/Action Theme from last year.

And consider joining our Saturday and Sunday, June 12-13, Mountaintop Removal Site Visit - an overnight trip to Kayford Mountain, West Virginia with discussion with members of the UU Church of Charleston. Contact Sharon Baiocco at 293-7797 or green@uucharlottesville.org.

Moth-proof safely.  Packing up woolies? Skip the mothballs. Naphthalene vapor is baaaad, say the National Toxicology Program and the International Association for Research on Carcinogens: http://www.physorg.com/news70042017.html. Store woolens in sealed containers with herbal moth repellent sachets. Mix dried rosemary and mint, dried thyme and ginseng, and whole cloves.

Polish your panes. Use a cup of white vinegar per gallon of water and scrub windows beautifully clean with crumpled newspaper, brown paper, or recycled tissue. No need for fumes, chemical cleaners or wasteful paper towels.

Boost biodiversity. Order heirloom seeds for your garden from Seed Savers Exchange http://www.seedsavers.org/.  You’ll preserve endangered veggies for future generations while enjoying wonderful flavor and nutrition.

Rediscover rags. Old shirt, old sheet, too worn to donate? Rip it up and re-use it! No need for a a Swiffer, Sniffer, Snooper, Snorter, Pledge, Pride or other invented tool to dust, wipe, and wash surfaces with. Rags are recycling at its finest.

Clobber cat allergies. Once a week, kitty takes a shower! A gentle stream of warm water and drop of soap won’t hurt—start them young and kittens rapidly accept it. Remove dander before it permeates your home’s air supply. Or: keep buying air cleaners, mattress covers, fancy vacuum bags, expensive detergents, and prescriptions…. Mee-ow!