Unitarian Universalist Church of Marblehead

We are currently facing a crucial question for our time: whether our form of democracy can survive. Come see, hear and question Nancy MacLean, award-winning author and William H. Chafe Professor of History and Public Policy at Duke University, Nancy is the author of several award-winning books, most recently, Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America, updated with a brand new preface that analyzes developments from 2017 to 2023!

A virtual presentation from Nancy MacLean followed by a extended Q&A with the author.

Have you been concerned about the decline in the number of honey bees? Colleen Guertin Parenteau, who has a Master of Science Degree in Ecological Teaching and Learning from Lesley College, will teach you how to plant your own pollinator garden during a Meetinghouse Series talk at the UU Church of Marblehead on Sunday, May 7th from 2 to 4 PM.

Parenteau, who teaches science and health at the Tower School, will speak about the mutual relationship between native plants and critically endangered bumblebees and butterflies. With over 20 years of experience as a naturalist, garden educator, and classroom teacher, she is passionate about the importance of creating residential pollinator corridors to enhance a community's resilience to climate change.

Parenteau will discuss ways of creating home gardens which will effectively attract bees and butterflies by featuring native plants endemic to the Northern Coastal Zone. These include plants that are pollinator-friendly nectar sources, pollen sources, and host plants for butterflies, such as lavender, salvia and milkweed.

Admission is free. Donations gratefully accepted.

Lisa Wolf will describe how to reduce your energy costs by shifting your electricity use to off-peak hours. This is an immediate step you can take that involves no out-of-pocket costs and can significantly reduce energy costs while reducing carbon emissions. Mark Adams will follow with a presentation on how home and property owners can reduce their energy bills and carbon output by upgrading their properties with improved weatherization, electrified heating and cooling, and rooftop solar. He will describe how to get started on these home upgrades as well as state and federal incentive programs that are now available to reduce installation costs.

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The program will be moderated by Sustainable Marblehead Board Member Lynn Bry

We will give the history of the US relationship with the Central American countries from which most of the refugees are coming. They will also talk about the situation for immigrants here in MA and what we can do to support them. There will also be a refugee present at the presentation whose identity will not be advertised in advance.

We will focus on Indigenous People, i.e. American Indians and their treatment by European colonizers of this country, both in New England and across the country. The speaker will unsettle our national mythology about our relationship with the people who preceded us on this continent. A long term goal is to get the town to rename Columbus Day, Indigenous People Day.

You are invited to take a deep look at the Black Lives Matter movement. When the Ku Klux Klan rallied in Charlottesville, Chris was on the front lines in support of Black Lives. It is his core belief that "we owe it to ourselves to understand this modern-day civil and human rights movement.”

Climate change is a global phenomenon, but its impacts play out on very local scales. Specifically, effects of global warming are the result of weather events, which are in turn “trained” by climate. Making sense of global climate change therefore requires a global perspective, and an understanding of how impacts ripple across our hyper-connected planet. Professor Helmuth will discuss how a “systems thinking” approach can help guide strategies for climate adaptation. Participants will also take part in a novel gaming scenario exploring the often conflicting needs of stakeholders trying to prepare for climate impacts in coastal towns and cities like Marblehead and Boston.

The 3rd offering of the Meetinghouse Series will be a showing of the film "The Occupation of the American Mind" on Sunday afternoon Nov 5th at 4PM. It is an important look at the way in which the news about the Israel/Palestinian conflict is presented to the American public, and how it may influence the political environment for policymakers. The film is produced by MediaEd and features many experienced Middle East observers and journalists.