Meeting of June 4, 2007
Attending: Chuck Gillam, Bill Bergerson, Carol Meyer, Rick Gasaway, Janice Grant, Margaret Thomas, Troy Helming, Osa Moody, Susan Pavlakis, Al Pugsley, Mike McCord, Mid Lawrence, Jackie Palmer, Jim Horlacher. Guests: Susan Brown, Bob Solger
1. Agenda Review. There will be no update on the Energy Savings and Sustainability for Congregations and Schools" workshop planning, except to say that we will not be partnering with the Heartland Renewable Energy Society, because they are partnering with another organization. The date for the workshop is now anticipated to be Feb. 29, 2008.
2. Announcements:
- Susan announced the Unity Church of Overland Park June 13 program on "Going on a Low-Carbon Diet: Becoming a Localvore" presented by the KC Food Circle.
- Chuck shared the success of his showing of "An Inconvenient Truth" with Jerry. He will be showing it several more times this summer.
- Chuck mentioned that he and Jerry will make a presentation to the Heartland Presbytery (~110 churches) in the fall.
- Margaret has talked to 2 clergy since the last meeting, both of whom are avid bicyclers. She envisions a "Clergy for Clean Motion" event, details not formed. Congregations behind their clergy?
- Rick asked about whether anyone had "green audits" to share. We could post them to our Yahoo group (when we have it), if not our web site.
- Terry passed around and offered to lend a CD of six posters from EcoMinds of the Minnesota UU Social Justice Alliance. You can download the low-resolution posters at http://uuministryforearth.org/res_posters.htm, which print up to 11 X 17 inches. Or you can order high-resolution posters using the Online Order Form, which print up to 24 X 34 inches.
3. Net Metering: Chuck sees working for net metering as a part of the work SSC has been doing related to the power plant. Margaret encouraged us to educate people to contact their legislators about it. Missouri just passed Net Metering; Susan said KCP&L customers in Kansas may also benefit. Chuck, Jerry, Al, Margaret, and Rick will form a committee and pursue it.
4. Bob Solger of The Energy Savings Store: Producing your own Energy through your Building
- Be energy efficient first. With reduced usage, the payback period will be shorter. View a building and its contents as a system.
- US Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
- Solar technologies: put your roof to work in Photovoltaic (PV), solar thermal, or solar walls.Consider solar outdoor lighting and signage ("low hanging fruit"). Energy is stored in batteries; you don't have to trench and wire to the building.
- Wind projects require economic analysis up front.
- For information: Stay abreast of the incentives (accelerated depreciation, tax credits) at dsireusa.org. Go to seia.org (Solar Energy Wind Association) for national Renewable Portfolio Standards, Energy Independence Act.)
- The utility industry is subsidized in ways that we don't see, so our bills are artificially low.
5. Carol talked about the leading a process at our next meeting for SSC to clarify its mission, and how it should use its energies and its meeting times (informational, advocacy, projects). We need to be clear about which of the hundreds of environmental issues we address, and need to be sure we have buy-in from the attendees at the meetings. What do people of faith uniquely bring to the table? Carol will send out something via email before the next meeting. There was clear interest in pursuing such a process.
6. Bill talked formalizing a Yahoo group. Benefits include a daily digest of the emails so that one can read emails intentionally, and any of us could send an email to the whole group with one address, without worrying about addresses or spam. It would not replace a public web site, though minutes could be posted there. Though Margaret suggested that we "just do it," that is, create our online community, we need to decide how to fine-tune it.
7. Web site: Susan is not able to give it the time needed to keep it up to date.
8. Margaret talked about the meeting of the founding members, and that we need to re-write our charter [bylaws].