Half is More

As personal goals go, this is going to sound really weird:

I want to reduce the use of kitchen sponges in this world by half. I’m starting here, at the UUA, but you’re all going to take this practice into your homes and the seed will have been planted.

Here’s how this is going to work

  • Find a pair of scissors
  • Go to the sink in the kitchenette on your floor.
  • Take the sponge in your hands
  • Cut it in half
  • Put one half away (under the sink, wherever)
  • Wash dishes normally*
  • When the first half needs to be retired, locate other half. (more…)

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Consumption, Reuse

I’m a Green Newbie (Groobie? – oops, that sounds like a hippie with a cold…)

I joined the GIST team with a beginner’s desire to learn how to live lighter on the planet,  not with any notion that I knew how to do that.  I like the idea of being the change we want to see in the world, but I’m not at a point where the practices necessary to support that come easily or naturally.

For example, one small thing I decided I could do was to carry my insulated mug with me all the time so that I wouldn’t use disposable cups. Seems simple enough, and sometimes it is. If I have my mug with me, I can either make coffee at home in the morning and carry it to the train, or I can buy coffee at the train station using my mug – no paper cup and related stuff plus the coffee guy gives me a discount for using my own cup. (more…)

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Committment, GIST team

What’s this GIST thing all about?

So what is this GIST team all about anyway?

Well, here at the UUA we support and serve more than 1,000 Unitarian Universalist congregations and communities, and share our values with the rest of the world. One of the values we share is a concern for the environment – as the 2006 Statement of Conscience says “Life on this planet will be gravely affected unless we embrace new practices, ethics, and values to guide our lives on a warming planet.” And one of the programs that we provide to support our congregations is the Green Sanctuary program.

The GIST team is about finding ways to support us – the UUA staff – in being the change that we want to see. We are looking for ways to facilitate reducing the environmental impact of the way we work, and in some cases live.

OK, so I just scared some of you readers. Hang on, we aren’t going force anyone to do anything crazy – we’re not going all “No Impact Man” on the staff. (more…)

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Committment, GIST team

Welcome to the Green Initiatives Staff Team!

GIST (Green Initiatives Staff Team) is starting a


bean plant grown from seeds UUA staff planted in an all-staff meeting

number of environmental education opportunities for UUA staff, and we are going to begin with a recycling center tour in Charlestown.

Stay tuned for more information about what we hope to do and how we can accomplish it together.

Potted green beans on the porch of P&E… see our about page for more information on them!

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Gardening, GIST team