It sets standards that are ambitious without being rigid or demoralizing. And while a certificate may seem a trivial acknowledgment, many Welcoming Congregations display theirs proudly. However wrongheaded their anti-gay policies, the Boy Scouts are not stupid. An all-congregation activity removes ecology from the convenient confines of children,s religious education. Like a barn-raising, it calls upon everyone to pitch in, to give according to their ability, and to pass along skills to others.
Cost is always a consideration.
But I suspect that a UUA environmental program is so long overdue that funding sources may free up that would not otherwise be available. Another potential worry is that environmental action will distract us from other work, especially social and racial justice. Fortunately, the environmental justice movement has made tremendous progress in persuading activists in both camps that our work is interrelated and mutually beneficial, and that cooperation is wiser than quarreling over scarce resources. Instead, by working together we expand the scope of the possible. The objection may be heard that, given the urgency of the problem, a modest program emphasizing congregational responsibility rather than radical political change and corporate accountability is inadequate.