Unitarian Universalists are called to do more than simply take individual actions; we take action in community and must constantly strive to learn more about the threats to our biosphere and to frontline communities, as well as the intersections of racial, economic, and environmental injustice. UUMFE actively supports this learning for UUs and UU congregations.
Grounding & Training
Environmental Justice Framework & Resources
Introductory resources on environmental justice as a framework and movement that is grounded in the needs and leadership of people of color, poor and working-class people, and other communities disproportionately affected by environmental injustice and climate change.
Issue Areas
Top resources related to the issue areas UUMFE focuses on, including climate change, ecological justice, energy, food justice, front-lines solidarity, social justice and human rights, and sustainability.
Resources for Organizing & Taking Action
Tools to support effective, impactful, and spiritually robust environmental justice organizing and action, for congregations, teams and groups, and individuals.
Curricula & Study Guides
Climate Change Religious Education
Climate change is a confusing topic, not to mention terrifying. It often feels more about problems than solutions, which makes it easy to push to the sidelines as “something scientists can deal with.” This course aims to give participants a solid understanding of the facts behind climate change, an appreciation of the earth, and tools to find solutions on a range of scales.
UUMFE “Green Papers” Series
Free and available online, this series of four papers, created collaboratively by over thirty UU leaders, are designed to stimulate thoughtful comment, interaction, and action on the part of UUs, small groups, or congregational teams. Each paper ends with questions for discussion and reflection.
Earth and Spirit: Bringing Ecology into Adult Religious Education (PDF)
A compilation of resources to support Unitarian Universalists in creating adult religious education programs on UU faith and ecology, including materials on theology and spirituality from major faith traditions, an annotated index of curricula and other resources, sample course plans that have been used by UU congregations, and other sample courses and guided meditations for workshops and retreats.
Discussion Courses from Northwest Earth Institute
The Northwest Earth Institute provides wonderful study guides on a variety of topics, many of which align with UU statements of conscience. Select UUMFE/Green Sanctuary as your “connection” at checkout and NWEI will share a portion of the proceeds with UUMFE.
For Children & Multigenerational Groups
Climate Change Religious Education Curriculum
The Unitarian Universalist Association United Nations Office offers a religious education curriculum about climate change for 4th through 5th graders that can be adapted for use with other age groups as well.
Nurturing the Spirit-Nature Connection (PDF)
This resource for religious educators includes a comprehensive index of Earth-oriented children’s religious education resources (sorted both by nature-themed topics and by title), a UU supplement for the curriculum “Hands-On Nature,” the story parable “Pluto, the Adopted Planet,” a sample intergenerational service, the six-lesson “Story Beads Curriculum,” and the resource “Energy Activities for Faithful Youth” from the Interfaith Coalition on Energy.
Films & Books
UUMFE Recommended Films
Film screenings are a great way for congregations to engage members and the wider community in environmental justice education. This comprehensive list of UUMFE-recommended movies includes films on topics including climate change, energy, resilient communities, adaptation, ecosystems, and food systems
UUMFE Recommended Books
UU congregations often engage as a community in congregation-wide book reads, establish book libraries in the congregation, or reflect on books together as part of small group ministry or covenant groups. This page lifts up books that are particularly good in this context, inspiring deep reflection, learning, and action on environmental justice topics—as well as links to additional topic-specific UUMFE book lists.
Action Kits & Posters
Climate Justice Month Toolkits
Toolkits from the 2017, 2016, and 2015 Climate Justice Month campaigns are available for individuals and congregations to use any time for a month of reflection, action, and new commitments to environmental and climate justice, in ongoing Earth Day and Climate Justice Month observances.
Global Warming Action Kit: Volume 1 (PDF)
A collection of activities for congregations, including the thought-provoking play by Doug Stewart “Mother Earth vs. World’s People”; quotes about global warming / climate change; a “Global Warming 1-2-3 Pledge” and action guide; the “Ten Tree Challenge”; an Eco-Footprint Reduction Toolkit; UUMFE’s Clean Power Pledge; and information on carbon offsets and green power.
Global Warming Action Kit: Volume 2 (PDF)
A collection of activities for congregations, including a model for putting on an art show; a model for the action “Prayer Flags for the Planet”; the play “Final Exit” by Doug Stewart; sheet music and lyrics for songs by folk singers Dan Berggren and Linda Pelham; sermons and sample worship services on global warming; models from congregations that have carried out carpool Sundays; a model for deepening the Global Warming 1-2-3 Pledge with Steps 4, 5 and 6; a model for setting up an environmental educational resource in your public library; a list of films and other resources on global warming; and more.
Global Warming Poster Set (PDF)
Created by EcoMinds, a project of the Minnesota UU Social Justice Alliance, these six posters illustrated with colorful watercolor paintings call on views to conserve energy, buy green power, plant trees, use less gas, and reduce/reuse/recycle. Each poster prints well on 11×17 or 8.5×11 paper. If you need a larger print (24×34 inches) please contact UUMFE.
The Global Education Project
The Global Education Project is a Canadian non-governmental organization with a 15-year history of publishing fact-packed educational wall posters and producing live events to educate about important issues.