The Environment sector is all about caring for the planet that we all call home. We have concern for all life that inhabits and interconnects on our planet. We understand that to thrive and live compassionately, we must first and foremost take care of the Earth. We recognize the relationships between water, air, temperature, weather, pollution, plants, animals, food, and population.

There are now so many extreme situations that were not even imagined a generation ago:

– Oceans on the brink of catastrophe
– Ozone holes above the Arctic
– Melting glaciers and rising seas
– Increasingly violent or extreme weather
– More pollution in our air
– Genetic manipulation of plants, animals and food
– The desperate need for clean water
– An exploding world population
– Brutal treatment of domestic and wild animals
– Alarming, dwindling populations of bees, frogs, elephants, whales, and other species and an increase in mutations

(Ref: https://charterforcompassion.org/partners/environment)

1. Continue to grow our Bottle Bricks program. We strive to keep non-recyclable plastic products out of landfills and out of oceans by repurposing them into building blocks that will one day be used to create a useful bench or other community addition. We hope to collect approximately 250 bottles, and currently are up to approximately 100.

2. Grow our Earth Day Texas efforts through our association with EARTHx. In 2017, EARTHx hosted more than 100,000 attendees, over 900 exhibitors and 260 speakers, becoming the largest annual environmental exhibition and programming initiative in the world. Join us this year at EARTHx 2018. 

3. Continue to be involved in local activities relating to recycling and clean water, as well as any other opportunities that present themselves.

Climate Action Team of First Unitarian Church Dallas

EARTHx

Ron Bemis

Advisor on the Environment, Compassionate DFW

If you would like to be a part of spreading compassion in the environment in the DFW area, contact Ron at rbemis@swbell.net

Ron Bemis has been involved with the Compassionate DFW group since its inception, and also acts as the assistant treasurer for the organization. A reformed software engineer, he now enjoys retirement doing volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity, Compassionate DFW, and his church. You’ll often find him driving a bus for the city of Richardson’s Senior Center, shuttling seniors back and forth to their various appointments.