by WUUC | Nov 29, 2019 | Announcements
Last month we described Taming Bigfoot, a website designed to convert a number of common things you do to the amount of greenhouse gas they cause.
During the last month, Donna and I registered on the website and went through the Taming Bigfoot program. Here is our experience.
First, Taming Bigfoot uses a standard unit of measurement-CO2e, or carbon dioxide equivalent. Everything you enter is converted to this unit of measurement.
We entered information in three main areas: Home, transportation and food.
We looked at specific bills for electricity, gas, garbage and water and became more aware of the energy that is used by each utility system. This was a little challenging since we do automatic bill pay and mostly paperless billing, and truth be told we don’t keep very good track from month to month. It was a good exercise to go into all of the web sites and gather the data for each utility.
It made us realize that we don’t actually know a bunch of stuff — like the weight of non-recyclable, non- compostable garbage we put out each week.
It made us realize the way plane travel (Donna took a trip to the east coast in October) really pushes up our household carbon footprint. It would be fun to keep track of these things over a year and try to do everything we can to reduce our carbon footprint. Since there is such seasonality in our utility bills that would really be the best way for us to determine changes over time. That would take a lot of commitment, so it would be cool to have a group to report out to.
So: the big ask. Who would like to be part of the WUUC Taming Bigfoot group? If you are interested in participating in this group, please email me at ajhjr1001@yahoo.com and we will set up an organizing meeting.
by WUUC | Nov 29, 2019 | Announcements
Janine Larsen, a past president of WUUC, will be ordained as a Zen priest on the evening of Saturday, Dec. 7, at University Unitarian Church (UUC) in Seattle. Members of WUUC are invited to attend.
Janine has practiced Zen Buddhism as a UU for about 20 years, and leads weekly Zen Meditation & Study groups at WUUC and UUC. She served the UUA for 12 years as the Pacific Northwest District Executive and on the Pacific Western Region staff. She is currently the Director of Ministries at UUC.
Janine will be ordained by the Rev. James Ford, who is a UU minister as well as a senior Zen priest (roshi). The event is open to the public, and is part of a larger Zen retreat at UUC that week (click here for more information).
by WUUC | Nov 29, 2019 | Announcements
Child and baby dedications at UU congregations are times when we get to share our blessings and hopes for the lives of babies and children in our congregation. They’re also a promise from the congregation as a whole to support and nurture the babies and youth who are dedicated.
WUUC will have a baby and child dedication during worship on Sunday, Dec. 22. Would you like to be part of it? If so, please email or call Rev. Diana at revdiana@wuuc.org or (425) 788-6044×2 or Bridget Laflin at bridgetdre@wuuc.org or (425) 788-6044×3.
by WUUC | Nov 29, 2019 | Announcements
Join us on Saturday, Feb, 29 at 6 p.m. at the home of Lane Owsley and Alaine Davis for a meeting of the WUUC Nonfiction Book Club. We will discuss “Call Me American” by Abdi Nor Iftin.
Abdi Nor Iftin first fell in love with America from afar. As a child, he learned English by listening to American pop and watching action films starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. When U.S. marines landed in Mogadishu to take on the warlords, Abdi cheered the arrival of these Americans, who seemed as heroic as those of the movies.
Sporting American clothes and dance moves, he became known around Mogadishu as Abdi American, but when the radical Islamist group al-Shabaab rose to power in 2006, it became dangerous to celebrate Western culture. Desperate to make a living, Abdi used his language skills to post secret dispatches, which found an audience of worldwide listeners. Eventually, though, Abdi was forced to flee to Kenya.
In an amazing stroke of luck, Abdi won entrance to the U.S. in the annual visa lottery, though his route to America did not come easily. Parts of his story were first heard on the BBC World Service and This American Life. Now a proud resident of Maine, on the path to citizenship, Abdi Nor Iftin’s dramatic, deeply stirring memoir is truly a story for our time: a vivid reminder of why America still beckons to those looking to make a better life.
-Penguin Random House
Four times a year, the WUUC Book Discussion Group gathers to read and talk about a nonfiction book. You only attend the meetings about books that interest you, so we end up with a different group of participants every time. We meet to connect, share a meal, and talk about a book in depth. Anyone is welcome to suggest a book and/or lead a discussion. Contact Alaine (alaine.davis@yahoo.com) to RSVP, suggest a book, or offer to host a future discussion.
