Climate Justice Survey 2021 Report

Why did Green Sanctuary Committee do a survey?

This survey helps meet a key requirement for re-accreditation as a Green Sanctuary. We greatly appreciate your assistance in meeting this need. We continue to encourage comments, new information sources, and volunteers interested in joining with the committee to expand our ability to implement important activities for the congregation. Thanks to those who completed the 2021 survey.  Your response and continued involvement will help shape the UUFM Green Sanctuary application, actions, and future climate justice impacts.

The enormity of climate change, the multitude of information and action appeals, can be overwhelming, our survey is an attempt to assess where we are as a group on this complex set of issues, to share knowledge and see if we can focus our actions.

Survey Results

A total of 63 people responded to the survey, 45% of the 140 notices that went out. The non-random survey was open to members and friends of the congregation via an email link from February 8 to February 22, 2021 on a Google forms document. The survey was created by members of the Green Sanctuary Committee in consultation with other helpful UUFM members.

UUFM membership overwhelmingly considers climate change a clear and present danger. More importantly, they want to take action.

  • Ninety-eight percent of UUFM members responding to our recent survey said they were concerned or very concerned about global climate change and related issues.

 

When asked to rank four different methods for addressing climate change, 56% of respondents chose mitigation as their first priority, while about 19% chose either adaptation or climate justice. Adaptation and climate justice were clearly favored as the second highest priority by 31% and 47%, respectively.

 

 

Several additional priorities were submitted by respondents including:

  • Legislative and educational activism
  • Encouragement of UUFM members to individually take actions to address climate change and to support and work with marginalized groups in the community
  • A call for climate change accountability and reporting
  • Population control
  • Publicity and climate science education
  • Banning the burning of fossil fuels and individual cars; funding public transportation, buildings, and housing that’s solar powered

 

Climate change activities that received the thumbs up by over 50% of survey respondents included (highest to lowest percentage):

  1. Food Security
  2. Providing Education and information
  3. Policy and Legislation Efforts
  4. Activism/Civic Action

Coalition building with other climate change groups came in a close 5th.

 

You told us that your preferred way to stay informed about UUFM Climate Justice activities is the UUFM Weekly Update.

  • Your responses also indicated that you like to get your information in a number of different ways, including the Green Sanctuary webpage, direct emails, Facebook and as regular part of services during announcements.

 

UUFMers like to learn about climate change topics in a lot of different ways, too.

  • But the two most popular are presentations by a topic expert (77%) and Videos/Movies (65.6%). Some other suggestions included Workshop/Discussions paired with a challenge such as 30 days, 30 items challenge or Special events with coalitions that blend learning and action.

Actions taken individually by congregation members include a wide variety of things from:

– composting and recycling to consumption reduction

– buying locally produced foods/products to food choice changes (no meat, for example)

– purchasing electric cars to getting rid of cars altogether

– learning about climate issues to contacting elected officials about climate policy

– purchasing renewable energy through utility company to installing photovoltaic system

– walking or bicycling for work and errands to preserving foods and natural landscaping

– actively demonstrating on climate issues to providing wholesome meals for those in need

– Reducing home energy use to buying renewable energy to travelling by air less

– Avoiding plastic and Amazon to buying and using Fair Trade items

 

A wide variety of Environmental Issues are of interest to UUFM members.

  • Water Issues received the highest interest followed closely by Food Access/Safety and then Poverty.

Future UUFM actions around these issues will be driven by those that show up when the planning begins.

Recommended Resources

Those resources suggested through the survey and many others can be found on the Green Sanctuary webpage Green Sanctuary Resources – Current  or the Congregational Climate Change Survey Suggested Resources page.

Detailed Survey Results

Detailed survey results can be viewed by request. Contact Ted Downey or Cathi Fouchi.

Potential Next Steps

  • Think Resilience Discussion Group will suggest potential action items that UUFM could pursue to help increase resiliency of the building site and congregation as a whole.
  • UUFM is doing comprehensive Landscaping planning to improve the resilience of our site. April 27th meeting is scheduled
  • May 2nd Green Sanctuary Quick Update after service
  • Summer 2021 Planning for chosen Climate Action Items
  • Work towards collaborative Cohort actions in local community, state or national groups
  • Submission of GS Assessment and Action Plan
  • Fall – Second Think Resilience Offering (hopefully in person)