Welcome to Unitarian Universalist Society East
Summer Services at 10:00AM Only
Sustainable Living & Climate Action
UUSE is committed to ongoing efforts to save our planet through green action. We are a certified Green Sanctuary.
Green Sanctuary News
Green Sanctuary News
September 2026
Agrivoltaics. Have you heard of this term? It’s a relatively new process integrating solar power and agriculture. Rather than having a huge acreage of valuable farmland being used just for solar panels, the agrivoltaic workers adjust the height and type of panel to work with many different crops and animals. For example, sheep love grazing under them, and appreciate the shade they provide on hot days. A higher version can be built over orchards, providing both solar power and shade for the trees. Less water is required for the trees, so it’s a win-win! Farmers on the drier and windier plains of eastern Colorado worked with a solar company to set the panels vertically, thus providing wind breaks for the wheat and other crops.
There are at least two farms in Connecticut which are utilizing this technology. One is in Orange, but the other one, Mulnite Farms Inc., is nearby in East Windsor. We’ll have more about this in the future.
Elders Climate Action documented some of the Agrivoltaic work done in
Colorado in this movie “Save the Farm, Save the Future.” You can watch this fascinating movie here: Click here to watch.
Dangerous chemicals in your yard and garden?
An article in a recent Organic Consumers Association newsletter warns about the dangers of Paraquat, a commonly used herbicide. Vermont is the first state in the US to ban its use, while at least 74 countries have already banned it. Studies have shown that among other things, it can cause Parkinson’s disease. Some of the Big Ag farms use it in fields where much of our food is grown.
Coming up next month:
On October 18th at 2 pm, the Sustainable Living Committee will be showing “The Climate Future Film Festival” at UUSE. Some of you may remember the ones we showed last fall. Come see what’s new this year! Admission is free.
Don’t forget, the Sustainable Living Committee sells Equal Exchange products on the 2nd Sunday of the month. Help support small farmers who grow sustainable products!
Go Solar!
The Sustainable Living Committee is thrilled to report that UUSE has contracted with Connecticut solar provider, Savkat, to resume our popular solar program! Savkat has agreed to donate $25 to UUSE for every appointment and $1,000 for every signed solar contract. The program begins immediately, and is available to all UUSE members, family, and friends. Just tell them you were referred by UUSE!
We will be hosting several informational sessions with our Savkat representative on Sunday mornings during coffee hour to answer any questions congregants may have. If you're interested in learning more about getting solar installed, you can make an appointment at this time.
Already know you want to reduce your carbon footprint by installing solar? You can contact our Savkat representative, Jordan Bernstein, right away! His contact info is below.
Thank you for caring about our planet!
Jordan BernsteinLead Manager
203.441.7961
Schedule a Meeting
Green Actions You Can Take
-
Join our ecological landscaping team
-
Help with recycling and composting
-
Help sell "Fair Trade" coffee, tea, and chocolate after Sunday services
-
Help with the annual organic veggie garden
About the Green Sanctuary program
UUSE has been a certified Green Sanctuary congregation since the spring of 2006. The Green Sanctuary program was developed and begun by the UU Ministry for Earth for UU congregations. The program at UUSE was led by the Sustainable Living Committee with approval and involvement of the policy board, staff, various committees and the full congregation. Goals and projects were developed in four different areas: worship, religious education, sustainable living and social/environmental justice. Our Action Plan for 2005 included 15 different projects, heavily focused on our response to global warming. It included implementing recommendations from an energy audit, starting our children’s organic vegetable garden program, starting recycling and composting programs, working with other state and local organizations on common goals, and much more. The congregation-wide support and success of the program led us to seek out the greenest way we could afford to implement our planned building and expansion project.
Between 2007 and the spring of 2010 we were deep into the planning, fundraising for and implementation of our building project. The Growth of the Green Sanctuary Program allowed it to become a project of the UUA. And by 2011 we were encouraged to apply for Re- accreditation. Our application for Re-accreditation included various projects in the areas of worship and celebration, religious education, sustainable living, and active environmental justice efforts, such as helping to pass CT’s first environmental justice law, working with local groups to start school and other community gardens and to help low-income residents benefit from CT’s Home Energy Solutions program. We documented all the work done in the UUSE building project including energy conservation work, the geo-thermal system and eventual solar panel system, and Energy Star certification with a 98% score in 2013, as well as various ecological landscaping projects. On February 17, 2013 we received the notice we were awarded Green Sanctuary Recertification. We were encouraged to continue our efforts to become a net zero facility and continue with our outreach and advocacy work.