UULM Low Carbon Challenge
Lowing Our Carbon Footprint to Curb Climate Change

What is the Challenge?
How do we Meet the Goal?
A UU Inspirational Story
How does my Congregation Get Involved?
The UULM Low Carbon Challenge Kit
Sign-up Form
Purchasing Workbooks

Welcome to the UULM Low Carbon Challenge page! Here you will find the information and inspirational pieces you need to take the Challenge and loose unwanted carbon emissions pounds!

What is the challenge?
The UULM Low Carbon Challenge is a congregational action program to respond to climate change at a house-hold level. Our goal is for Unitarian Universalists in California to collectively lose one million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions by Earth Day 2009.

How do we meet the goal?

We meet the goal by forming “Carbon Rings” in 50 of our California congregations – each comprised of 5 to 8 UU households (non-UU friends welcome). Together Carbon Rings meet for eight sessions to share in guided discussion about global warming, and then to go on the "Low Carbon Diet," a program to loose 5,000 pounds of carbon emissions per household in 60 days.

UUs have lost 260,754 lbs of CO2 emissions so far!

Completed the
UU Low Carbon Challenge:

UU Church of Anaheim
UU Church of Davis
UU Church of Fresno
UUs of Santa Clarita
UU Fellowship Santa Cruz Cn
UU Fellowship of North Bay

A UU Inspirational Story
How I lost 2480 Pounds - By Co2nnie Young

"I’ve been on a lot of diets in my lifetime, but none has been as challenging or satisfying as the one I’m on right now. To date, I’ve lost 2,450 pounds and I still have 2,550 pounds to go. You see, I’m participating in a Low Carbon Challenge and I’m losing pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. I belong to a small study group, called a Carbon Ring, which has been meeting regularly since June. We are joining forces with other California Unitarian Universalists and friends to lose 1 million pounds of CO2 emissions by Earth Day 2009."

Read this wonderful story published in the FresnoBee

How does my congregation get involved?

You can find in depth information on this page about the steps to start a Carbon Ring, how to facilitate the sessions, where to get the workbooks and more. A great place to start is by reading the Introduction to the UULM Low Carbon Challenge. You can also phone the UULM-CA office at
(916) 441-0018 and chat with a staff member.

Signing Up
Once five or more households in your congregation are committed to taking the UULM Low Carbon Challenge, then you can sign up below, and get started.

As a gift for taking the bold step of signing up, we will send you one free sample copy of both workbooks. This will also entitle your congregation to be part of the optional e-mail discussion group, and will let our staff know that there is one more Carbon Ring working on real action to curb climate change.

UULM Low Carbon Challenge Kit

You might want to print each page and put together a handy kit to share with members of your church, or you might just want to download a page when you're ready to use it.

Table of Contents

The Basics

Introduction: Q and A (Read me first!)
Congregational Blessing
Sample Letter to Participants
Our Unitarian Universalist Principles & Sources
The UUA Statement of Conscience

The Carbon Ring (eight sessions)

Song: One Small Ring Song (Listen to this MP3)
   by Rachel Morris, backup vocals Donna Lynn Caskey- © 2008
Session Outline
Global Warming Discussion Sessions (brief overview)*
Low Carbon Diet Session Guide **
Carbon Footprint Calculator ***
Low Carbon Worksheet and Feedback Form ****(2 MGB PDF)
Opening Readings (Coming soon.)

Engaging the Kids

Video and Books for Children
Children’s Play: The Ring of Cool – Synopsis
Children's Play: The Ring of Cool (Coming soon.)

Your Total CO2 Reduction - Form

* This sheet is just to give you a feel for the Northwest Earth Institute's discussion group entitled "Global Warming: Changing Course." You will get the user-friendly instructions when you order the workbook.

**The Low Carbon Diet workbook by the empowerment institute has a set of instructions about how the facilitate the four Low Carbon Diet sessions. After working with a number of Rings, we formed our own session guide which we feel is simpler and which has specific UU actions such as lighting the chalice. Feel free to use either guide, and to add your own improvements.

***There are many carbon calculators on the internet and even in the Northwest Earth Institute's discussion group. It is important that you use our Carbon Foot Print Calculator for the Low Carbon Diet. It is more sophisticated than many, and is specifically designed to measure changes in your carbon footprint. We strongly suggest you do both the calculator in the discussion group, and the calculator designed for the Low Carbon Diet - each at the appropriate session.

****These worksheets are the same ones you will find in the Low Carbon Diet workbook. By using these, you can avoid writing in the workbook so they can be reused. Also, you can turn your worksheets in to your ring leader to calculate the Ring's total weight loss.

UULM Low Carbon Challenge Sign-up Form

If you have five or more families who have committed to taking the Low Carbon Challenge together, then you are ready to sign up! Just click the link, fill out our simple form, and e-mail it back to us. Remember, we are reaching our goal together, so don't feel shy about calling with questions or issues.

Yes - We want to take the UULM Low Carbon Challenge!

Congratulations, and thank you for joining us!

Purchasing Workbooks

It is important for every household that goes on the UULM Low Carbon Challenge to have a copy of both workbooks. The discussion group has required readings between each meeting, and the diet has specific steps and weight-loss options you will need to review between meetings.

You can re-use the workbooks if you have multiple Carbon Rings by making copies of the worksheets and writing your actions on those.

Purchasing the Discussion Guide:

The Northwest Earth Institute
UU Legislative Ministry, CA (We have copies in stock, just call the office (916)441-0018.)

Purchasing the Low Carbon Diet Workbook:

The Empowerment Institute
UU Legislative Ministry, CA (We have copies in stock, just call the office (916)441-0018.)
Amazon.com