Environmental Fair 2010

LEAN TOWARD GREEN ENVIRONMENTAL FAIR

Would you like to take better care of the environment while saving money and boosting local businesses?  Visitors to our Fellowship learned how to do just that at the "Lean Toward Green" Environmental Fair on Saturday, Sept. 25th, at the Lakeland Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 231 Parish Drive, Wayne.

The free event featured tables by area "green" businesses such as the Garden State Earth Institute, J & D’s Soy Candles, Shaklee, Brother Sun Solar, Bridge of Faith Recycled Art and the Strengthen Our Sisters Thrift Store. Experts gave talks and demonstrations throughout the day on subjects such as organic gardening, yoga and reiki healing. There also were special activities for children. Events took place in the LUUF fellowship hall, on its wrap-around porch and in the adjacent garden and grounds.

SPEAKERS:

10:30 am   Pat Kenschaft     Topic:  Organic Gardening and Lawncare
Ms. Kenschaft has raised almost all her own vegetables in her Montclair back yard for decades, even when she was working full-time and raising children.  She has never used poisons, commercial fertilizers, or power machinery and she does all the work herself.  She and her husband are happy living an inexpensive, environmentally-aware life and advocate voluntary simplicity.


11:30 am  Claire Meyer -   Topic:  Menu (organic) for the Future
Since the 1980's, Ms. Meyer has been involved in the environmental and peace movements and issues surrounding food. She's a workshop leader in Simplicity Circles.  She is past chair (still very active) of Green Earth Ministry, the environmental committee at the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship. In 1999 co-founded The Garden State Earth Institute, based in Morristown, which offers programs on "safe food" issues. Its "Menu for the Future’ explores food systems and their impacts on culture, society and the ecology. Participants gain insights into agricultural and individual practices that promote personal and ecological well-being. 
She addressed:  Why buy organic * Where and how your food is grown * Your health (and the planet’s) are inseparable * Where and how to buy the best food possible * Rewards and Challenges of going “organic.”  * What’s next?  * Handouts and Resources
 

12 noon   Greg Mattison   Topic:  Promising Solutions to Climate Change
Mr. Mattison co-hosts the radio/podcast series called “Newlygreens” on 88.7fm Thursday mornings as well as the nationally syndicated TV series by the same name. He facilitated a very lively discussion punctuated by a media-rich slideshow detailing the most up-to-date scientific conclusions about man-made climate change and detailing the dramatic changes we are witnessing throughout the world.  Whether taking questions about the seriousness of climate change or ideas for how we might address it, Greg welcomed a very interested audience who jumped in and joined the conversation during this interactive presentation.


1:00 pm  Susan Switalski   Topic: Truly-Green Cleaning
Ms. Switalski talked about EcoMaids, of Essex County. The company describes itself as the only national cleaning franchise that offers Truly-Green cleaning services at 100% of its locations.  They say that means far more than merely using products that are better for the environment.  


1:30 pm    Peter Montague     Topic: Proposed Linden Coal-fired Plant
Mr. Montague spoke on behalf of an environmental justice community in Linden, New Jersey raising serious safety concerns about a proposed energy plant which they say could present grave environmental risks to North Jersey, the Jersey Coast and New York City.


2:00 pm  Madelyn Hoffman, New Jersey Peace Action
Peace Action reports it is the nation's largest grass roots organization, founded as SANE (later to become SANE/Freeze) in 1957. Its goals are: * Abolish Nuclear War * Promote a more peaceful economy * Bring an end to weapons trafficking * Encourage non-military solutions to international conflicts. * Promote conflict resolution at all levels.

2:30 pm  Robert Prout    Topic: Green Funerals
 Prout Funeral Home in Verona, NJ is solar-powered and has plans to add a wind turbine. Mr. Prout talked about his environmentally-sensitive approach to his business and how to plan a green funeral, which is something more and more consumers are asking about.


3:00 pm   Maiga Palkaunieks   Topic: Iyengar Yoga 
Ms. Palkaunieks has practiced Iyengar yoga since 1998 and taught since 2004.  She is Iyengar Certified and Yoga Alliance registered.  She believes no one is too stiff, too fat, too thin, or too tired to enjoy the sense of well-being that comes from the practice of yoga asanas (postures).  She will be leading an actual demonstration class at this time and provide information about regular classes which take place at the Lakeland Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.    



LUUF is hosting this event to promote the Unitarian Universalist goals of "a world community with peace, liberty and justice for all" and "respect for the interdependent web of all existence."