Earth Day is approaching and we would like all UUA staff to take part in the celebration. We’d like to take this opportunity for the UUA as an institution to make our workplaces friendlier to the environment and help people most adversely affected by environmental degradation.

We’re kicking off a 40 day commitment challenge on Wednesday, April 27th, where staff will engage in small and large daily actions to support and celebrate our life-giving planet.  We’re focusing our actions on water justice, but a multitude of social justice issues impact water, from food to energy to immigration, so we encourage you to be creative in what you might do!

We’ll have lots of opportunities throughout this period to talk about our experiences, offer each other support and advice, and share what we’ve learned. The first 100 participants (including offsite staff) will get an Earth Day challenge button recognizing your commitment, and we’ll give a prize to the staff group with the highest level of participation.

There are many ways you can take action to support water justice issues, our environment, and each of us who share this planet. You can take action as an individual, an office, a staff group, or a whole building floor to make your work life more just and environmentally-friendly. Here a just a few suggestions:

• Use reusable water bottles and coffee mugs.  Avoid purchasing or drinking water, coffee, and tea from plastic bottles and disposable cups.
• Bring your lunch for 40 days.  The creation, shipping, and disposal of food packaging are energy and water-intensive.
• If you currently drive, take public transit to work if possible.  If you currently take public transit, try walking or cycling to work for 40 days if possible.
• Create a toilet tax by putting change in a jar every time you use the restroom, and donate the money to an organization that promotes clean water and sanitation. Increase your donation by taking part as a group!
• You can find many more great suggestions and further information on the UU Ministry for Earth website, the UUSC water justice pages, and Waterjustice.org.

Please REGISTER your commitment, so we know you’re participating!

If you have other questions, please don’t hesitate to ask one of us. We’re excited about this great opportunity for all staff, regardless of their location or work style, to stand in solidarity on behalf of our planet and make a real “negative” impact for Earth Day!

To a greener UUA and world,
Rachel Walden
Robin Nelson
Rowan Van Ness
Daisy Kincaid

p.s. Feel free to share your commitment as a comment on this blog.