A group of committed environmentalists in Woodbury have established a new organization entitled the Greater Woodbury Environmental Forum. The Forum will be a venue for speakers and discussion panels focused on the challenges facing our environment. The group plans to invite prominent scientists and environmentalists to offer presentations and participate in moderated discussions with the audience. The aim of the series is to increase public awareness, stimulate debate and highlight emerging science and technology. They also want to ensure that these presentations focus on how the local populace, particularly our youth, can be part of the solution to the environmental challenges we face. The Forum was recently awarded a grant by Connecticut Community Foundation based in Waterbury.
The idea for the Forum emerged from the Green Sanctuary Committee of the Mattatuck Unitarian Universalist Society in Woodbury. The Society is located in space shared with the First Congregational Church, 214 Main St. South in Woodbury. Green Sanctuary is a program of the national Unitarian Universalist Association that encourages congregational engagement with the community with an emphasis on environmental justice. Accordingly, the Woodbury chapter decided to develop an educational outreach to the wider community. This effort is in response to the increased public awareness and concern about climate change, plastic pollution, land management, water and food quality, brownfields, and other local, regional and national level environmental issues. The group is open to ideas and suggestions and encourages interested local residents to get in touch.
An important component to this effort is to make citizens aware of the many concrete steps to effect positive change that they can take in their community, neighborhoods and daily lives. At the Forum inaugural, over 65 citizens came out to hear an illustrated talk on the climate crisis by a noted author and geologist, Dr. Roger Kuhns, who is the CT State Coordinator for Citizens Climate Lobby (citizensclimatelobby.org). Dr. Kuhns provided compelling scientific evidence concerning global warming and its profound impact around the world. His organization urges support for current, bi-partisan, legislation currently before both houses of Congress that would begin to tackle global warming by establishing a carbon fee and citizen dividend program.
Next up, on Sunday, March 24th at 1 PM, the Forum will host the famous author and environmental activist, Francis Moore Lappé, leader and co-founder of the Small Planet Institute and author of Diet for a Small Planet and many other books. She will present an illustrated talk entitled: Finding Solutions To Our Climate Crisis. It is free and open to the public.
For more information see our attached poster or contact: Michael Lang, Co-Chair, Green Sanctuary Committee, Mattatuck Unitarian Universalist Society, 214 Main St. South, Woodbury, CT mlang1945@icloud.com 609-280-7659 www.muusct.org