As sometimes happens I double-booked myself. This morning, I was supposed to be attending the second full day of Ecumenical Advocacy Days. But I had to skip out of that because I had also committed myself to giving a sermon at the congregation of Cedarhurst Unitarian Universalists. As I drove in my gas-guzzling pick-up truck, first from my home in DC to the congregation in Finksburg, MD, and then to the conference in Alexandria, VA, I was more mindful than ever about the disconnect between what I would be preaching and my own lifestyle.
The title of the sermon (my first) was "Putting the Justice in Environmentalism," where I talked about how environmentalism has to be approached thru the lens of social justice. The laudable goal of preserving creation cannot be seen as in opposition to the goal of equitable economic opportunities for all people, for indeed we people are an integral part of creation. The Cedarhurst UUs were a warm and receptive bunch, making me feel very welcome. Their questions showed great interest and desire to make a difference. Because of that, they also made me feel a great sense of responsibility to serve them and other UUs.
Next, it was a mad drive to the conference. I had missed the plenary presentations on lobbying, but made it with enough time to grab lunch and scarf it down before the start of the track workshops. (I was literally cramming sandwich down my throat.) The schedule was hectic, yet there was a kind of synergy going on. Between my sermon topic and the "eco-justice" track of the conference, I was fully immersed in environmental justice, which is how I like to approach anything I care about.
One of only two other UUs at the conference had convinced me to attend the workshop on nuclear power instead of the "Science of Global Warming." It was a good choice. Much of the science I already knew, and what I didn't know I could look up. But I probably never would have found this information on nuclear power plants, since I wouldn't have known to look for it. (You tend to find what you're looking for.) And the information was shocking.
Both at Cedarhurst and amongst other UUs (and liberals), I've heard from a small yet vocal minority who believe that nuclear energy is the solution to our global climate crisis, providing abundant energy with almost no carbon gas emissions. If there was any part of me that ever entertained the idea, it was squashed by this workshop. First we heard from a mother who's daughter had been diagnosed with a very rare kind of brain cancer. She subsequently learned that there was a small epidemic of rare cancers in her area - much higher than statistical chance would allow. With persistent digging over years, she learned that the nuclear power plant in her area had been illegally venting tritiated (radioactive) water, and that it wasn't the only one. From her and from the next speaker, Dr. Arjun Makhijani, we learned that nuclear power plants are self-regulating. They decide when to monitor their own radiation levels and do so at the times best suited to them. We also learned that the government guidelines for "safe" levels of radiation are determined by "reference man," a theoretical caucasian, 5' 6", young adult male in perfect health. The govt uses this standard even tho it's well known that women and children are more susceptible to cancer from radiation exposure.
Yet another example of how the govt that is supposed to protect us, especially the most vulnerable of us, instead protects the interests of powerful corporations. In all, Ecumenical Advocacy Days was a needed wake-up call.
