EarthCare
EarthCare at UCP
We at Unity Center of Peace have adopted Unity’s EarthCare Initiative with enthusiasm. If you would like to contribute to our mission or become a member of the UCP Earthcare Team please email Cheryl Stevens at or Debbie Hall at . We welcome your inspired ideas for how we can become more earth-friendly. For more details on our Earthcare Ministry Team GO HERE.
After the team was launched in September 2019, we dedicated that entire month to the idea of “Loving Our Planet” and wove talks and presentations around this topic. The month ended with an EarthCare Covenant Service where we ceremonially agreed to, and signed, the EarthCare Covenant that we had developed under the direction of our EarthCare Team. The convenant is proudly hung in our front foyer.
UNITY CENTER OF PEACE EARTHCARE COVENANT
Our consciousnes reveals that all of creation is connected as one. The story of creation reveals our role as good caregivers. As a people committed to spiritual awakening, we pledge now to renew our reverence for life and to respect the interdependent web of all existence.
We honor our sacred promise to balance our individual needs with those of nature. We envision a world in which everything has intrinsic value, and where all beings are assured a secure and meaningful life that is ecologically responsible and sustainable.
We agree to align our individual and shared lives in a way that demonstrates our respect for our planet and for each other. We vow to walk upon the Earth for the greatest good of all creation.
Unity Center of Peace Composting Program
Do you feel a little guilty when throwing food waste into the garbage can? Find yourself wondering if that waste could be enriching the soil that grows our food instead of rotting in a landfill?
If this speaks to you, UCP has a solution! We’ve contracted with CompostNow to collect all our food waste, and we’re passing on this opportunity to our members. For $10 a month, you can bring your personal food waste to our recycling container at UCP and know that it will be picked up weekly and put to good use! If you're unable to swing the $10 per month feel free to drop a dollar or two in our Compost Tip Jar anytime - located in the kitchen.
SIGN UP HERE
Most everything that can’t be recycled can be composted. This makes it super easy because you don’t have to think much on what not to include. Here’s a short list of what can be composted:
- fruits and veggies;
- meat, fish and bones;
- eggshells and bread;
- paper towels and napkins;
- coffee grounds, filters, and tea bags
- and many others.
Composting is a high impact Earth Care program that shows our love and care for Mother Earth! To learn more check out the information from the NC Composting Coucil.
For questions about our UCP Composting program contact Cheryl Stevens at.
Adopt-A-Highway
UCP has been participating in North Carolina's Adopt-a-Hwy program since 2018. We have adoped our home location - Seawell School Road and clean-ups happen four Saturdays each year. This is a great way for us to care for our environment and show love for it and our neighbors.
Join us at our next Outreach opportunity and receive the gifts of service. We'll provide safety vests, pickup tools etc., and lots of fun! With 12 or more people, we can easily clean our adopted highway (Seawell School Rd.) in the allotted time. The more the merrier! Although NCDOT guidelines allow only children over 12. And, children between the ages of 12-17 are required to have a parent present and sign a Youth Participation Release Form.
Be sure to wear long pants and long sleeves, sturdy, closed toe shoes, bring water, and anything you need to be comfortable outdoors.
If you have never participated in a UCP Adopt-a-Hwy cleanup, you will need to let us know. There is a prerequisite to watch a "Safety Guidelines for the Adopt-a-Hwy Program" video, which takes about 5 minutes, and a participation release form to sign.
We will meet in the UCP parking lot and walk up the driveway to the road together as a group. Please use the online registration form to let us know you plan to help out.
GO HERE for a list of scheduled clean up dates and to sign up using our online registration form!
Monthly Eco-Tip
September Eco-friendly Tip of the Month
Beat the heat and chill your bills! Help lower the heat for your energy bills and the planet this summer. A few simple tips can make a big difference.
We all want to be cooler in the extreme heat, so reducing the use of heat-producing appliances, such as hair dryers, open flames, baking in the oven, cooking, etc. can help. Grill outdoors to avoid heating up your kitchen and home. Timing can go a long way, too, like running a dishwasher in the cooler hours of early morning or late evening, avoiding the pre-rinse cycle, and air-drying dishes overnight. Same for washing and drying clothes. Use cold water settings, and clean the dryer lint filter after every load to reduce drying times. Better yet, hang clothes on lines or racks to let air dry in a sunny room or outside.
Another simple and effective trick is to set your ceiling fan to turn counterclockwise. This creates downdraft. According to Duke Energy, this will let you raise the thermostat by 4 degrees and feel as cool. Work with the cycles of the day and temperature, and invite more coolness. Close window blinds and curtains during the sunniest times of the day. At night, open windows and use fans to pull in cooler air, then close them and turn off fans during the day. A whole house attic fan can be an ally in cooling down your space at night. Working with the natural cycles can bring a sense of harmony and savings, too!
