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We, as members of the Community United Church of Christ
(CUCC) in Boulder, Colorado, and the Earth community in
which God's Spirit is incarnate, in response to God's love
for us, pledge to love and care for everything in God's
evolving Creation. We will practice humility in our relationships
to Earth and all its systems. We will actively work toward
harmonious relationships among all members of the global
ecosystem. We will strive to deal humanely with population
issues so that all humans can live at or above some minimum
comfort level within the limits of space on our finite planet.
We will strive to live within the limits of our renewable
resources so that there is potable water, adequate food,
and reasonable shelter for all. We will actively work to
free ourselves as quickly as possible from dependence on
non-renewable resources for our short-term economic well-being,
and from the culture of limitless consumption. We will,
with God's guidance, embrace our responsibility to care
for the earth.
A CALL TO ACTION - To implement our words with actions,
we pledge to work to make our Church a model community which
incorporates respect for the environment in all our activities,
and to personally examine our lifestyles to determine where
we might reduce our individual impacts on this planet.
EDUCATION - We pledge to develop a strong educational
program to inform ourselves and our friends and families
about the limits to growth in human activities on a finite
planet and the challenge to a sustainable future caused
by continued increase in population and in consumption of
limited Earth resources. We will provide education about
the spiritual basis for our actions and practical suggestions
for how to reduce our ecological footprint (the sum of areas
on the planet that are required to support our personal
and communal consumption of natural resources). We will
also disseminate information about the ongoing efforts of
our church community to live in closer harmony with the
earth.
SUSTAINABILITY
-
A
sustainable
society
satisfies
its
needs
without
diminishing
the
livelihood
of
future
generations.
We
pledge
to
work
toward
the
sustainable
management
of
our
church.
We
will
minimize
waste,
compost
organics,
reducing
energy
use,
and
strive
to
responsibly
use
the
physical
grounds
of
the
church.
We
pledge
to
do
regular
environmental
audits
of
our
church
buildings
and
grounds
to
measure
the
effectiveness
of
our
actions.
OUTREACH - We pledge to make consideration of the
environment a key element in decisions regarding the use
of our money and talents in the larger community and our
mission efforts, with particular emphasis placed on the
conscious reduction in growth of Earth's population to a
sustainable number.
WORSHIP - We pledge to lift our relationship with
the Earth through word and music in worship, affirming the
joy and responsibility that is ours to love and care for
everything in God's creation.
IMPLEMENTATION
-
The
Earth
Action
Team
will
enable
and
oversee
activities
in
each
of
these
areas.
(adapted from the Whole Earth Covenant at First Congregational
Church in Boulder)
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