CURRENT ACTIVITIES
If you are interested in planning any of these activities, you are welcome to join us at our next meeting at 5:15 pm the 2nd Tuesday of the month in the Conference Room.
Cultural Diversity
Join us on Wednesday evnings in Wesley Center at 6:30 pm to learn more about different cultures.
Jan. 6. Adam Kern S.E.Asia
Jan 13. Orlando Ballardo Las Americas
Jan. 20. Perry Beeman Rwanda
Jan. 27. Thomas houghton Buddhism
Feb. 3 Yamin Radjy Social Action
Feb. 10 Thank you event for past speakers.
AMOS
We are cooperating with AMOS (A Mid-Iowa Organizing Strategy) which is a group of churches and organizations in central Iowa working for social justice.
Lobbying
The issues we are working on are: pay day loans, health care, criminal justice, and controling factory hog farms. Groups we are working with include: AMOS and Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement.
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE
Fall classes began Sept. 14, 6:00 - 7:45 on Monday & Thursday evenings.
LET'S GO GREEN
Tower Talk now goes out on line however, if you want one mailed to you please contact the church office at 279-0926.
We have a box in the 1st floor hall across from the kitchen for you to dispose of the new energy efficient light bulbs when they burn out.
Recently the following letter to the editor appeared in the Des Moines Register. It was from the chairperson of our committee.
(Why go green? The main reason for going green is not that gas was selling for about $4 a gallon or that we are buying too much oil from foreign countries. We need to go green to cut down on global warming which is the most serious problem facing our planet.
Most respected scientific bodies agree that humans are causing global warming by increasing CO2 in the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels (as well as ethanol) and cutting down trees which take CO2 out of the atmosphere. The gases produced by combustion act like glass in a green house and reduce heat going back into space and thus cause global warming.
The consequences of global warming cause serious problems for humans. When storm fronts contain more energy they cause more extreme weather conditions which include more violent tornadoes, hurricanes and flooding. Glaciers and polar ice caps are shrinking and contain enough water to raise sea level 20 feet. Cities that were at an elevation that kept them free of mosquitoes causing malaria are now being infested with mosquitoes moving to higher elevations along with the warming. We did not worry about termites in northern Iowa until after the recent warmer winters. Some plants and animals face extinction if they are unable to adjust to the climate changes.
High gas prices may be a blessing in disguise. While we were paying $4 a gallon for gas Europeans were paying double that. North Americans were producing over 24 tons of CO2 per capita while Europeans were producing 10.5 tons of CO2. Asia was only producing 3.4 tons of CO2 per capita.
How do they do it? The price of fuel probably entered their decisions on life style. The homes we have visited in Europe and Asia were much smaller than typical American homes. The vehicles people were driving were more fuel efficient. The families seemed just as happy as American families even though they were using less fuel. There are many small things that each of us can do to slow down global warming and the sooner we take this seriously the easier it will be.
This is not a political issue. In 2005 the White House endorsed a report by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences which stated “the scientific understanding of climate change is now sufficiently clear to justify nations taking prompt action. It is vital that all nations identify cost-effective steps that they can take now, to contribute to substantial and long-term reduction in net global greenhouse gas emissions.”
We believe it is the responsibility of the church and its members to place a high priority on changes in economic, political, social, and technological lifestyles to support a more ecologically, equitable and sustainable world leading to a higher quality of life for all of God's creation. In the future we will need to do more to help those harmed by the results of global warming. Peace & Justice committee believes that it is also important to do more to lessen the causes so that we won't have as damage because of increased storms and flooding. Therefore, we would like to see West Des Moines United Methodist Church become a Green Church. Rather than this being a huge task for a few it can be a lot of small changes from each of our members and organizations as we work to decrease our carbon foot print.
Here is a list of a few suggestions on things you can do to lower your carbon foot print. Be creative and see how many more you can think of. Encourage committees, boards, classes and groups which you are a member of to make changes that will help decrease global warming.
WHAT YOU CAN DO AT HOME:
1. Shop at the Farmer's Market and use locally grown food. Buy products manufactured near home. This will lower fuel used for transportation.
2. Use more grains, fruits, and vegetables and less meat.
3. Buy products made with recycled materials.
4. Reduce, reuse, and recycle solid waste.
5. Choose one large container over several small ones. If just one of 10 products has no or little packaging it eliminates more than 50 pounds of waste per household per year.
6. Don't take more paper napkins than you need. If everyone in U.S. used one less napkin a day we would keep more than a billion pounds of napkins out of our landfills each year.
7. If you are hosting a party for your child send electronic invitations.
8. If your child is bored with some of his toys rather than buy a new toy, swap with friends.
9. Consider giving money for music lessons rather than another toy for grandchildren.
10. Many find taking cloth bags to the grocery store not only helps the environment but it cuts down on torn bags and spilled groceries.
11. Use a push mower. If you use a power mower be sure it is well tuned and a mulcher.
12. Plant more trees for shade and windbreak.
13. Look for the EPA WaterSense label on products you buy. Repair leaky faucets.
14. Have an energy audit of your home. Seal and insulate.
15. Look for ENERGY STAR labels on products you buy.
16. Use an emissions calculator to find the amount of emissions you are producing and ways you can decrease your greenhouse gas emissions. (There are a number of good calculators on the web. One is www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/office.html)
WHAT YOU CAN DO ON THE ROAD:
1. Before buying a new car most people check the EPA Fuel efficiency rating but many do not know that EPA also gives air pollution and greenhouse gas emission scores.
2. Go easy on brakes, gas pedal and avoid rapid acceleration.
3. Don't carry extra weight like things in the trunk that you do not need.
4. Keep tires properly inflated.
5. Keep the engine tuned up.
6. Follow the 15 second rule. If you are going to be waiting more than 15 seconds, turn the engine off.
7. Skip winter warm ups. Today's cars do not need this.
8. Use overdrive and cruise control if you have them.
9. Use recommended grade of gas and motor oil.
10. Combine a number if errands on a single trip.
11. Use public transportation, carpool, bike, or walk when possible.
12. Consider vacations closer to home. Iowa has many interesting places to visit.
WHAT YOU CAN DO AT CHURCH:
1. If you do not want to keep your bulletin, place it in the recycle container marked "Paper only".
Most spots have 2 containers with one for trash and one for paper.
2. If you are the last one out of a room turn the lights off.
3. Donate money to trustee projects as they try to make us more efficient with new windows and lights.
4. Wear seasonally appropriate clothing rather than asking for the thermostat to be changed.
5. Invite a friend to ride to chuch with you or to other meetings.
6. Encourage each group, class, committee, or organization that you are a part of to take time to develop ideas how they can become more green.
7. Reduce the amount of paper handed out at meetings.
9. Thank others you see doing Green activities.
Small changes can do a lot to cut down on greenhouse gas and also conserve natural resources. The government EPA has calculated that if every household replaced their five most used light fixtures with ENERGY STAR bulbs we would prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from nearlly 10 million cars.
THE CHURCH COUNCIL ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING:
PROCLAMATION*
TO JOIN THE GROWING NUMBER OF GREEN ORGANIZATIONS
WHEREAS, All creation is the Lord's and we are responsible for the ways we use and abuse it. Water, air, soil, minerals,energy resources, plants, animal life, and space are to be valued and conserved because they are God's creation and not solely because they are useful to human beings, and
WHEREAS, God has granted us stewardship of creation. We should meet these stewardship duties through acts of loving care and respect. economic, political, social, and technological developments have increased our human numbers, and lengthened and enriched our lives. However, these developments have led to regional defoliation, dramatic extinction of species, massive human suffering, overpopulation, and misuse and over consumption of natural and nonrenewable resources, paricularly by indusstrailized societies, and
WHEREAS, This continued course of action jeopardizes the natural heritage that God has entrusted to all generations. Therefore let us recognize the responsibility of the church and its members to place a high priority on changes in economic, political, social and technological lifestyles to support a more ecologically equitable and sustainable world leading to a higher quality of life for all of God's creation, and
WHEREAS, the threat of catastrophe lies in the not too distant future unless we take this seriously and change the direction we are headed, and
WHEREAS, our vision is "Changing Lives in the Name of Jesus Christ;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT PROCLAIMED, that the Church Council of the West Des Moines United Methodist Church joins organizations, cities and states worldwide to become a green church and pledges to work on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and plans to advocate for state and national initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Dated October 27, 2008 Cindy Willson, Chair WDMUMC Church Council
*Adapted from the 2004 Social Creed of the United Methodist Church.
ADVOCACY
You can make a difference. Let your senators and representatives know how you feel.
Grassley, Chuck (R - IA)
135 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-3744
grassley.senate.gov
Harkin, Tom (D - IA)
248 Russell Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-3254
harkin.senate.gov
Leonard Boswell
1427 Longworth House Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-3806
District office for Boswell
300 East Locust, Ste 320
DM, IA 50309
(515) 282-1909
Because of the hard work many of you did lobbying during last year's legislative session, Iowa will be a better place to live. By 2011 we will have universal coverage for Iowa's 50,000 uninsured children. Young adults will be allowed to stay on their parent's plans until they are 25. Health care costs will decrease because fewer people will breath in second hand smoke in most public places. This will benefit insurance costs for all Iowans.
IMMIGRATION
Iowa Immigration Education Coalition is an organization whose goal is to educate Iowans and policy makers about what constitutes federal comperhensive immigration reform that is fair and humane. If you are interested in fair and humane federal immigration reform, we urge you to support and join this organization. For information
contact Alica Claypool, Chair, Iowa Civil Rights Commission by email at apclaypool@aol.com.
RESOLUTION BY THE IOWA ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON ICE RAIDS*
WHEREAS: Jesus called his disciples and followers to "strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, (Matthew 6:33, New Revised Standard Version of the Bible) and we are called as disciples, to embody a new order of love and justice, and
WHEREAS: Raids on undocumented immigrants represent governmental failures in addressing complex national and international dynamics which close legal avenues and force immigrants into the shadows where they are subject to exploitation and virtual indentured servitued, and
WHEREAS; Raids, indefinite detention, and deportation tear families apart and create anguish and terror that is contrary to the Kingdom Jesus describes, and
WHEREAS; The United Methodist Church "affirms the worth, dignity, and rights of every person regardless of their nationality or legal status; (Welcoming the Migrant to the United States adopted by the 2008 General Conference of the United Methodist Church with overwhelming support)
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED; That the Iowa Annual Confernce of the United Methodist Church calls upon President Bush, the Presidential candidates, and Congress to put an immediate stop to these raids and to work for a just and humane comprehensive immigration reform;
FURTHER, BE IT RESOLVED; That until immigration reform is enacted on a federal level, the Iowa Annual Conference urges Governor Culver and our State legislators to refrain from creating and enforcing legislation that would cause further disruption of the immigrant population in Iowa;
FURTHER, BE IT RESOLVED; That the Iowa Annual Converence urges all its churches to pray for the people whose lives have been torn apart by the Postville raid, and receive a special offering for their famiilies to be sent through the Conference Treasurer to the St. Bridget's Hispanic Ministries in Postville.
*This is not the official text. As soon as it is available I will make those changes. There were a few amendments one of which was to place some of the blame on employers.
WOMEN IN PRISON
Iowa has the second highest rate of incarceration of women in the nation and the highest rate for black males. Part of this is because we are willing to spend tax dollars to build more prisons but not willing to spend more to help with drug and mental probems so when people are released many of them end up coming back to prison. Ninety four per cent of them have drug or mental problems. Can we do a better job with our tax money?
"Women at the Well" is a new United Methodist congregation inside the walls of the women's prison at Mitchellville. If you are interested joining a group from our church worshiping with them, contact Janet Linn, 225-6150 for information on how to get your security clearance and join us.
If you are intested in joining a group to help women re-enter society after being released please contact Penny Sulllivan for more information, phone 223-8142 or kepema@AOL.com.
Thank you for taking the time to read our web page. If you found the information useful, invite others to read the page. Anyone is welcome to attend our committee meetings. We meet the second Tuesday of each month at 5:15 pm in the conference room on third floor.