Climate Action Team
Fall report 2026
The Dream Team has had a productive year – we offered information to the congregation on a variety of climate/energy-related topics, and organized field trips to learn about some inspiring projects. We look forward to an even stronger year ahead.
UCM members will soon vote on long term options for the church, on which many other decisions depend. The upstream mitigation work on the Winooski and North Branch is underway; the downstream work, to make our church and downtown less vulnerable to the next flood, will be difficult to do and expensive. Two team members serve on relevant committees. We continue to attend area-wide resiliency planning forums.
Our switch to heating with biofuels is still a work in progress, as unanticipated complications need to be resolved. The building is currently heated with B20 (20% biodiesel). We’re hoping eventually to use B99.
The CAT is considering joining five projects this fall involving hands-on, substantive actions: building inserts for leaky windows, mostly for homes; clearing clogged culverts to reduce flooding and prevent road erosion; turning off electrical appliances during peak demand; supporting Montpelier Neighbor Net; and, for those planning a flight, offering tree planting opportunities as a way to do something constructive in response to the pollution that planes create. We hope that you will want to participate.
The fall’s after-coffee-hour programs will include a discussion on aligning home insurance with our values, a meal focusing on eating lower on the food chain, and others. Information on two field trips will soon be posted: a flood resilience tour of the Jail Branch river sponsored by the River Conservancy, and a bird walk at Berlin Pond.
We have developed a good partnership with Third Act/Washington County for information exchange and action.
As icebergs collapse, the West burns, and hurricanes become fiercer, our church’s, community’s, state’s and UUA’s modest efforts seem more urgent than ever. We hope you will join us!
Photo: Andrea Warnke, Malcolm Fitzpatrick, Geoff Brumbaugh, Tim Flynn, Allen Clark, Peter Watt; not pictured — Maryann Ludlow, Dan Tartaglia, Anne Sarcka
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Can you offer your talents to the CAT working group? Our team especially needs someone who follows climate/energy legislation in VT (and Congress) and can alert us as to timely actions. We are always looking for new ideas to improve the health of our planet and its denizens – please tell us yours.