Contact: Brock Leach, Community Minister
Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota
Phone: 941-704-0999
Email: [email protected]
Unitarian Universalist Church Commits to Climate Change Initiatives in 2015
Church Considers Climate Justice a Defining Issue of Our Time
Given the devastating predictions of unmitigated climate change, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota, 3975 Fruitville Road, will host a series of events, seminars and workshops throughout 2015 in order to call attention to this pressing issue. The events are intended to educate people about what they can do to adapt to climate change and about the wide-ranging effects that maintaining the status quo will have on our planet; Florida in particular.
The church is sponsoring these events in conjunction with Commit2Respond, a Unitarian Universalist initiative that calls people of faith and conscience to take action for climate justice. Commit2Respond is designed to help people move from feeling overwhelmed to feeling empowered. The program asks individuals and congregations to commit to specific actions that will help us shift to clean, renewable energy, advance the rights of affected communities and grow the climate justice movement. Visit www.commit2respond.org for more information.
Locally, a series of workshops, running from January 4 through March 29, will be facilitated by Lea Hall, PhD., co-founder of the Sarasota Network for Climate Action, climate activist, lay preacher for earth care, forest gardener, seasonal homesteader and certified permaculture designer. Hall is a retired communication consultant, coach, and educator. The workshops are free and open to all who want to understand and adapt to climate change. Topics and demonstrations relate climate to diet, farming and ranching, water purification, both domestic and wild animals, alternatives to carbon technologies and communication strategies for persuading others to join in transforming their lifestyles.
Workshops will be held on Sundays from 10:20-11:05am at the church with the first one starting January 4. For further information on upcoming topics and leaders visit uusarasota.org.
On January 29 at 7pm, the church, together with co-sponsors Transition Sarasota and VegSarasota, will show “Cowspiracy”, a 2014 documentary that exposes the damaging effects of animal agriculture on nearly all aspects of the environment. The film challenges major environmental organizations to prioritize this issue and uncovers the path to global sustainability. Admission is free.
On February 11, from 4:30-8:30pm, the church and co-sponsor BDH Associates, LLC. will host, “Fire, Floods and Famine: What Can We Do About Climate Change”, a symposium of three experts on the subject of Climate Change and its anticipated effects on our way of life. Panelists include David Hastings, professor of Marine Science and Chemistry at Eckerd College, Eric Draper, Exec. Director of Audubon Florida, and Linda Marsa, speaker, journalist and author of “Fevered: Why a Hotter Planet will Hurt our Health and How We Can Save Ourselves.” The symposium, which includes dinner catered by Morton’s Gourmet Market, costs $25, including wine and soft drinks. To order tickets, visit www.climatechange.uusarasota.org or call 941-371-4974.
The church Minister, Rev. Roger Fritts, says, “The summer of 2014 was recorded as the warmest on earth since record keeping began in 1880; the month of August was the warmest such month on record, as well. One hundred years from now, as our descendants struggle with a much warmer earth, our great grandchildren will say, ‘If only they had done something to stop this back in 2015.ʼ ”
