Post 22

Northwoods Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, November 10, 2013
Brainerd/Pine River MN

The first of three meetings on gas and oil exploitation was held on Friday, this week, at 5pm at Happy Dancing Turtle here in Pine River. About 20 people attended, with a great potluck supper to start. We viewed "Dirty Oil", the film about the tar sands development in Alberta, Canada, and its effects on the environment and the people living in the region. This is an eye opener for anyone who is not aware of the predominance of Canadian oil in our economy, and the costs to the planet of these demands by US consumers. Discussion followed, along the questions: ?is nuclear energy an option (not mentioned in the film); ?are biofuels sufficient for our needs; ?is there will to change; ?Political will; ?is there energy resiliency; ?enough emphasis on restoration farming; ?what about grain-based ethanol; ?what about combining alternative energies.....this conversation will continue in two weeks, on November 22, when Marry Cobenais will talk about pipelines, etc.  Again thanks to Barb Beck of HDT for partnering with NUUF to bring this to our area!

On Saturday, November 9th, NUUF was invited to Underwood UU Church to participate in a day-long series of workshops on growing congregations. They are a small church, but full of lively interesting engaged UUs in all aspects of their community. Other congregations came from as far away as Bismarck ND to join in the day's discussions; we came away energized to rethink our goals and begin a fresh start! One great thing, we presented on the TTTT (Travelin Truth Telling Tour), and Underwood UUs asked to have it placed in their library for a time. Sure! We had brought it along, twenty +- books, and left it in the capable hands of Mary Anderson. The best thing was meeting all those other UUs, realizing that we are all in the work together, and finding support together....

Submitted by Mary DeYoung, News Director NUUF