Boston GreenScene

Learning From Cape Wind

By Dan Burgess

This April, near the 40th anniversary of the Clean Air Act, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will make the final decision that seals the fate of Cape Wind.  The tumultuous 130 off-shore wind turbine project, in process for almost ten years, has the potential to turn the powerful Nantucket Sound winds into enough clean electricity for approximately 400,000 homes. 
 
No matter how Secretary Salazar adjudicates, however, it is clear that there is a lesson that Massachusetts policy makers must learn from Cape Wind: large projects cannot be the unilateral focus of clean energy development.
 
While Cape Wind has helped to blaze a critical path for wind electricity generation in New England, it has also shown that such projects can be incredibly controversial.  Opponents of Cape Wind believe the turbines would hinder sea navigation, do harm to the local environment, diminish the Sound’s natural beauty, and negatively impact tourism.  Additionally, opponents are skeptical about supporting a project in their backyard that appears to only financially benefit the few who have access to the tremendous resources that are required for a wind farm like Cape Wind.
 
Considering the abject criticism that arises with large renewable energy sites, it is evident that a parallel policy which supports smaller projects should be pursued. 
 
Imagine a policy which allows every Commonwealth resident or business with a parcel of land or a rooftop to prosper from installing their own renewable energy system.  A system in which each citizen, not just those with great means, has the ability to produce clean, safe electricity that also increases their financial security.  Envision windmills on every farm, solar panels on every home or business, and Massachusetts taking a real step towards energy independence.
 
This vision is not some policy pipe dream.  This scenario is beginning to happen today in several European countries and Canada, and is leading to rapid growth in renewable energy generation.  In Germany, a country that is considered a world leader in clean energy production, over 15% of electricity consumed is produced by renewable energy sources.  This number is expected to grow to at least 50% by 2050.  In Spain, wind turbines supply over half of the national power grid and solar panel installment is on the rise.  These surges of clean, homegrown electricity are made possible in part through a simple policy mechanism called a feed-in tariff.  
 

A feed-in tariff, also known as a renewable energy payment, is a guaranteed monetary payment per kilowatt-hour for electricity generated by a renewable source.  These guaranteed payments from power companies to renewable producers create a market for clean electricity, reduce the barriers to entry for individual investors, and allow virtually any individual to prosper financially from installing a clean energy system.
 
Currently in Massachusetts, most of those who produce clean energy can only count on receiving a kilowatt credit on their bill for the unused electricity that they create.  This policy, known as net metering, is the most common form of clean energy incentive in the United States and does allow some clean energy projects to be feasible for individuals.  Unfortunately, these electricity credits, even when combined with available rebates, grants, and tax incentives, are simply not enough to kick start the renewable power surge that our state needs.  In fact, the lack of a singular incentive policy can have the reverse effect and can become too complex of an investment puzzle for potential investors to piece together.
 
Forty years ago, the Clean Air Act set off a stampede of environmental innovation and investment that our country had never seen before.  Recently, Massachusetts has led the United States by enacting several progressive clean energy policies such as the Green Communities Act.  Now, on the cusp of the looming Cape Wind decision, Massachusetts residents are calling once again for more progressive energy policy.  People are desperate for new jobs, financial security, and freedom from being held hostage by yo-yoing energy prices.  Bay State officials should heed these pleas, and enact a smart, comprehensive feed-in tariff policy that allows all citizens to take part in the clean energy revolution that Massachusetts so desperately needs.

Boston Event: Green Mixer - March 18th at Cafeteria

 

You are invited to an exciting social event in Boston, the Green Mixer!  This event will bring Boston’s local sustainability-oriented companies and an eco-conscious crowd together in a friendly, intimate atmosphere.  In this setting, we can raise awareness of environmentally responsible consumer choices, provide an informal shopping experience, and socialize, have fun and make new friends. Cafeteria Restaurant will serve complimentary appetizers, and, at two cash bars, organic cocktails.

Who: You and your friends

When: Thursday, March 18th, 5-11pm - Show up any time, it's come and go!

Where: Cafeteria, 279 Newbury Street, Boston

Cost: FREE

Also, premiering at this event: The Montague Boston Bike!  The Montague Boston Bike is the world's first full-size single-speed folding bike!  It is cutting-edge, born from the mind of an MIT grad, and named after our city.  While it won't be released at Wheelworks until March, it will be available to try at the Mixer all evening!

Event 2/25/10: Boston CSA Farm Share Fair

Want to eat locally this summer?  Come meet local farmers at this Arlington fair and sign up for a summer share of fresh, locally grown food!  

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a model for supporting and revitalizing local agriculture.  Supporters pre-purchase a share of the season's harvest, agreeing to support the farm throughout the season, and assume the costs, risks and bounty of growing food along with the farmer. In return, the farmer provides, to the best of his/her ability, a healthy supply of seasonal fresh produce throughout the growing season, as well as opportunities to connect with the land on which the produce is grown.

Who: Local Farmers & You!
When: Thursday, February 25, 2010, from 6:00pm to 7:30pm
Where: Park Avenue Congregational Church, 50 Paul Revere Road in Arlington Heights
Contact: http://csafairarlington.wordpress.com/blog/
Cost: Free

Making fuel from food waste: Waltham firm must clear hurdles before capitalizing on leftovers

By Scott Kirsner

Globe Columnist / February 21, 2010

The Boston Globe

A hungry young company in Waltham is eyeing that half-eaten bagel on your plate, that grapefruit rind, and those first few pancakes that didn’t come out quite right. Harvest Power Inc. looks at leftover food from homes, restaurants, and supermarkets as an underutilized resource.

Today, nearly all of it heads to the landfill. In Harvest Power’s vision of the future - supported by $40 million in funding from investors like venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers of California and the trash-hauler Waste Management Inc. - it has the potential to be turned into compost, electricity, natural gas, or steam for heating.

“Twenty years ago, yard waste wasn’t separated, and it went to the landfill - and the United States produces about as much food waste as we do yard waste,’’ says Harvest Power chief executive Paul Sellew.

Most cities and towns collect yard waste separately and send it to facilities for composting. There are about 30 such facilities in Massachusetts, according to the state’s Department of Environmental Protection. Sellew would like to see the same sort of shift happen with excess food, and policy makers and planning agencies such as the Boston Redevelopment Authority seem interested. Harvest is set to begin building its first energy-producing plant in Vancouver, Canada, later this year, and is proposing another for San Jose, Calif.

“We’re more active on the West Coast, where a lot of cities are talking about the goal of zero waste - nothing going to the landfills,’’ says Sellew, “but we want to do something around here as well.’’

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

Policy Corner: Feed-in Tariffs Offer Farmers Clean Energy Revenue

By Dan Burgess 

As we’ve explored over the past few months, Massachusetts has several initiatives in place that aim to promote clean energy generation.  Renewable portfolio standards, net metering, tax credits, rebates, and state grants are all helping to ensure that the Commonwealth is a burgeoning renewable energy leader in the United States.These policies, particularly net metering and the streamlining of wind turbine citing processes, now pave the way for a more progressive policy that has proven to be successful in Europe and Canada: renewable energy payments known as feed-in tariffs (FITs). 

Put succinctly by renewable energy analyst and advocate Paul Gipe: “Feed-in tariffs are simply payments per kilowatt-hour for electricity generated by a renewable resource. They are the world’s most successful policy for the rapid development of significant amounts of renewable energy... Feed-in tariffs work because they are more equitable than other policies. They enable everyone--including homeowners, farmers, cooperatives, and businesses large and small--to profit from renewable energy.” 

As Gipe mentions, FIT policy has proven, both in Europe and in the few times it has been attempted in the United States, to be superior to other clean energy policies.  These guaranteed payments from power companies are successful because they allow investors to garner a modest profit from renewable energy generation.  A smart FIT payment structure ensures moderate profitability for even small projects and reduces market entry barriers that currently exist for establishing clean energy systems.  It’s easy to imagine our state leading the clean energy boom if Bay State households were paid directly as a result of installing solar panels on their roof or erecting a windmill on their farm. As outlined by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, there are six key elements for successful FIT policy:

1. Contract stability, typically for 15 - 20 years
   
2. Payments based on the cost of a project that ensure a modest profit for the investor.
3. Incremental payment decreases throughout the lifetime of a contract to account for future technology advancements.
4. Payments should be dependent on the type of project. 
5. In order to ensure payment, additional costs of FIT payments should be tied directly back to electricity rate payers.
6. Ensure a FIT approval process in streamline in order not to discourage projects from coming to fruition.

Massachusetts has set formidable goals for clean energy generation and job creation.  These goals aim to reduce negative climate impact, create green collar jobs, lessen the Commonwealth’s requirement for fossil fuels, and to produce a more sustainable state for future generations.  The most effective way for Massachusetts officials to ensure the Bay State is this leader, is to enact a common sense feed-in tariff system that will ultimately renew, revitalize, and rejuvenate our state. To learn more about FIT policy visit www.wind-works.org or visit the NREL at www.nrel.gov.  

Event: HEET Weatherization Barnraising 2/28/2010

Home Energy Efficiency Team (HEET) is a grassroots nonprofit that organizes free weatherization parties to teach volunteers hands-on how to lower their energy bills and carbon emissions.  HEET consults with energy experts to pass on accurate information and aims to build community, create social marketing for energy efficiency and help facilitate exchanges of ideas.  Volunteer work includes weatherizing doors, sealing windows, caulking air leaks, and programing thermostats.  You can pitch in to help a neighbor, learn skills to help you save money at home, fight climate change, and meet other concerned Bay Staters!   No previous work experience required.

Who: Home Energy Efficiency Team (HEET)
When: Sunday, February 28, 2010, from 12:30-5:00pm
Where: 94 Spring Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
Contact: heet.cambridge@gmail.com, heetma.com
Cost: Free

USGBC National Talent Design Competition Early Registration

From now until March 1, 2010.  Register Online.

For the first time the Connecticut Emerging Green Builders will be bringing USGBC’s NTDC to Connecticut and the surrounding areas.  Students and Emerging Professionals will design a small, affordable, LEED Platinum-rated home for New Orleans, LA. Two winning teams from our area can expect generous prizes and will advance to the National Level Competition!  Four National Winners will have their houses built in New Orleans and will win the chance to travel to GreenBuild this year in Chicago. Register your team today!

Student Teams $25 Total.  Emerging Professionals $50 Total. For more information or to sign up, click here.

VIDEO: Boston ‘Bike Czar’ Nicole Freedman Talks Bike-Share & Urban Cycling

Inhabitat interviews Boston bike czar, Nicole Freedman to talk about how to take Boston from rated as THE WORST city in the world for cycling to inspiring 8 - 10 percent of the city's population to use a bicycle as their main mode of transporation.

Event - GO GREEN 2010: A Community Day 3/4/10

Hill House, a non-profit community center serving over 2,000 families in downtown Boston, and Partner of Green Schools, is co-hosting with the Beacon Hill Civic Association GO GREEN 2010: A Community Day for the Environment on Thursday, March 4, 2010 from 3-6pm. Families and community members of all ages are invited to participate in eco-friendly activities and have the opportunity to learn about renewable energy, eco-responsibility and their interdependence with the environment from local "green" businesses and neighborhood partners. The event promises to be a fun-filled educational and inspirational day for all.

Who: Hill House and the Beacon Hill Civic Association

When: Thursday, March 4, 2010 from 3-6pm

Where: Hill House, 127 Mt. Vernon Street (and Charles Street), Boston, MA 02108

Contact: Brian Koslosky, 617-227-5838 www.hillhouseboston.org

Cost: Free

Nissan Leaf Comes to Town - Prizes & Giveaways

Nissan’s upcoming all-electric LEAF car has been touring the United States for the past three months, and is making two stops in the Boston area this week.  Through the Nissan LEAF Zero Emission Tour, Nissan will be showcasing the electric vehicle and battery technology as well as the company's zero-emission mobility objectives.  On Tuesday, February 9th, the five-passenger, five-door, gasoline-free LEAF will be on display at the Boston Museum of Science from 9am to 3pm.  It will be available to see later in the day at the Larz Anderson Automobile Museum in Brookline from 6:30 to 8:30pm.  Complete details can be found here.

To celebrate the arrival of the LEAF, we are giving away some prizes to our Twitter followers!  One lucky follower will win a Nissan LEAF Zero Emission Tour t-shirt, $150 TerraPass gift certificate and a Eco Touch green car cleaning kit.  To enter, simply head over to twitter.com/magreenscene and follow the directions in today’s tweet.  Contest runs through March 1, 2010.  A winner will be announced on March 2, 2010.  Make sure that you are following TWITTER to be eligible to enter!

Renewable (Energy) Portfolio Standards: What they are and why they're important

by Dan Burgess, Boston GreenScene's Policy Corner Commentator

Massachusetts has taken several legislative steps in an attempt to stimulate renewable energy growth.  One such step is the introduction of Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS).  What are they? RPS are mandated clean energy objectives for utility companies.  These objectives dictate that utility companies create or purchase a certain percentage of their overall energy portfolio from clean energy generation sources. RPS were originally introduced in Massachusetts in 1997 and are established in twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia.

States with Renewable Portfolio Standards and Goals by DSIRE
 

While originally introduced in 1997, RPS were significantly expanded as a part of the Green Communities Act.  The Green Communities Act mandated that qualifying Massachusetts utility companies comply with a RPS that increases by 1% per year until 2020, to 15% of total generation.  According to a 2008 study performed by the Department of Renewable Energy Resources (DOER) and the Renewable Energy Trust, “Projects in Massachusetts currently under construction, design, or consideration, if approved and developed, would generate 3.7 million MWh.  Completion of these projects would meet roughly half of the RPS obligation, leaving an additional 3.8 MWh to be met from other renewable sources.”

To meet the RPS mandated by Massachusetts, utility companies will solicit competitive bids from large clean electricity producers.   If these utility companies do not meet the renewable standards set, they will be forced to submit an alternative compliance payment derived from the Consumer Price Index of the preceding year.  While this process, known as tendering, will help to encourage an additional 3.8 MWh of clean energy production over the next eleven years, it is ultimately unclear that this RPS will have a positive economic impact on more than a few clean energy investors.

Utility companies will attempt to fill this 3.8 MWh clean energy gap with large projects and these sizable projects likely will not positively impact small, individual clean energy producers.  In addition, these large projects take substantial time to come to fruition and can be unpopular with local residents.  A clear example of this is the long-delayed and controversial Cape Wind project.   Overall, Renewable Portfolio Standards will ensure that Massachusetts utility companies are providing residents with more clean energy, but further action should be taken to ensure utility companies support a broader cross-section of clean energy projects.

Policy Corner - Net Metering

by Dan Burgess, Boston GreenScene's Policy Corner Commentator

Over the past week, the world has turned its attention to climate negotiations in Denmark. This greatly anticipated global meeting seeks to find a collective agreement among over 200 nations regarding climate change policies and emissions reduction goals.  This event is almost certainly the most important gathering to be focused on the environment in the history of the planet. If somehow you aren’t convinced the entire world is focused on Copenhagen, read last Monday’s editorial that was printed in 56 newspapers in 45 countries (or turn on your TV, listen to the radio, or open an Internet browser)

Unfortunately for me, life does not take a break to follow the events and I am unable to write about Boston GreenScene’s high hopes for success in Copenhagen. I am however, fortunate enough to be researching Massachusetts clean energy policy and in light of this research, this week’s Policy Corner will focus on an integral policy in Massachusetts clean energy strategy: net metering.

Net metering is one of the most common forms of clean energy incentives policies in the United States. Generally stated, net metering is a state policy that allows energy customers to use and get credit for unused electricity that is created by a renewable energy system. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), “42 states, four territories, and the District of Columbia have net metering policies.”

The below map shows a snapshot of states with net metering policies as of July 2009.

Video: Shades of Green New England Showcases EcoFish and GG2G

This pilot episode of Shades of Green New England profiles EcoFish, a New Hampshire based seafood distributor that sources high quality, all natural seafood from sustainable fisheries and delivers them to Boston based restaurants like Blue Ginger, and the fashion design firm GG2G, “Green Goods 2 Give and 2 Get,” founded by two young women who create trendy bags, belts, headbands, and wallets from used billboards.

Policy Corner: Renewable Energy Snapshot

by Dan Burgess, Boston GreenScene's Policy Corner Commentator

As the environmental policy debate continues to ramp up both abroad and here at home, a useful new report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)  was released and provides us with a snapshot of how the United States, and the state of Massachusetts, are performing.  The NREL report,  titled ‘State of the States 2009: Renewable Energy Development and the Role of Policy,’ is a comprehensive snapshot of the United States renewable energy production by state.  Derived from renewable energy information collected between 2001 and 2007, the report clearly demonstrates how effective, or futile, the United States clean energy strategy has been and the role Massachusetts is playing in comparison to other states.  While the data does not show results from the most recent legislative efforts made by Governor Patrick, the figures do serve as a good yardstick to gauge overall efforts.  The following comes from the 212 page report:

Policy Corner: Cash for Caulkers

by Dan Burgess, Boston GreenScene's Policy Corner Commentator

In a slew of clean energy policy news this past week, the most intriguing idea I’ve heard is that of a ‘Cash for Caulkers’ program.  This initiative, as explained by David Leonhardt in the New York Times, would provide federal subsidies to encourage home weatherization in the United States. 

Much like how the Cash for Clunkers program helped buoy the automotive industry by encouraging car owners to purchase more energy efficient vehicles, the Cash for Caulkers measure would provide incentives for homeowners to make their homes more energy efficient.  Household energy efficiency would be gauged through energy audits and money would then be provided by the federal government to homeowners to help offset the overall costs of the weatherization.  There are numerous benefits to this idea and it should be enacted as soon as possible.

This program would undoubtedly reduce energy use immediately.  In the article, Leonhardt mentions that the consulting firm McKinsey estimates there could be a 28% reduction in energy use over the next decade with proper weatherization in the United States.  This reduction not only would make our country less reliant on unclean energy sources, but also would provide immediate financial relief for struggling families in Massachusetts. 

International NonProfit "Ocean Alliance" Seeks Administrative Volunteers

From the Editor's Desk

Have some extra time between now and the end of the year? Looking to get your foot in the door as an administrator at a green organization? If so, the following call for volunteers published by Ocean Alliance might interest you:

Ocean Alliance, an international nonprofit whale and ocean research organization located in Lincoln, Massachusetts, is seeking volunteer administrative assistance to help with year-end tasks and New Year outreach.

Responsibilities will include normal office duties, including filing, mailings, donor stewardship, and basic banking. We are Mac-based (with MS Office applications) and work in a converted barn in a very casual environment. 

Hours are flexible and schedules can be developed around availability. This volunteer position can lead to a permanent, part time position based on future organizational funding and the successful applicant’s fit with the team.

More organizational information can be found at www.oceanalliance.org.

Send brief resume/job experience and cover letter to patrickw@oceanalliance.org. No calls please.

Composting, Sustainability: Here’s the Dish

by Daniel E. Walsh  Author of Our Sunday "History & Reflections" Series

The Candy Man makes everything he bakes satisfying and delicious
Now you talk about your childhood wishes, you can even eat the dishes

Candy Man, Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, sung by Sammy Davis, Jr

Well, you can’t eat these dishes, but you can make them from leaves from the ground—attractive  dishes made from fallen palm leaves using just heat and water. You can bake in them, wash them, and re-use them. Proudly set a holiday dinner (particularly if you order them by this Tuesday for expedited delivery!). You can throw them away. No guilt.

Michael Dwork, while interning in India, noticed the locals making dishes from palm leaves gathered from the ground. The simple steam and heat manufacturing process piqued Dwork’s interest. He saw the possibilities. He viewed the dishes as not only a viable business opportunity, but as a very sustainable commodity.

VerTerra is now the realization of that vision. You can view their products online or buy them at select retailers. The company operates in South Asia and is committed to the locals they employ. VerTerra pays fair wages and provides access to healthcare.

Dwork designed a technique for replicating the dishes. He refined the process to make upscale disposable tableware that he felt would resonate with the American consumer.

Though built as a throwaway, the dishes can actually be used many times. The manufacturing process and lack of artificial sealing elements requires Verterra to sell the dishes as throwaways. But, as they report on their website, many of their customers attest to repeated uses.

Green Job Growth: What is it? Where is it?

by Anneli C. Olila, Editor-in-Chief of Boston GreenScene / Principal of Olila Documents & Communication Strategies

In my recent discussion of green job hunting myths, I argued against the mystique surrounding the green job industry and the psychological and other barriers this presents to those hoping to transition into a green career.  Responses from readers ranged from disbelief, to hesitant hope, to specific questions regarding qualifications and resources. In this article, I start to provide some data that may be useful to readers in understanding the projected growth of the green job market and where they might fit in.

What Do We Mean by 'the Green Job Market is Growing'?

According to the United States President's Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), green jobs are everywhere, and the growth of the green job market is anticipated to continue to outstrip the growth of other markets. In its July 2009 report, the CEA cited data compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showing projected growth in environmentally-related occupations to be 38% more than all other occupations combined by 2016. This is depicted in the following figure, reproduced from page 8 of their report:

To put this into perspective, it is worth noting that the occupations they considered were actually in a fairly limited range.  Specifically, the BLS projections drawn from in the CEA report are based on data for the following occupations only:

Local Student Writes President Obama in Effort to Save the Oceans

VIA WickedLocal Wenham

Photo credit: Wicked Local photo by David Sokol

Hamilton - Eight-year-old Margaret Brown is on a mission to save the earth’s oceans and stop pollution around her. After a class trip to study tide pools turned up more trash than sea treasures, the Hamilton resident was spurred to action.

“I got a piece of paper and decided to write a letter to the president. When I was finished I went over to my Dad and asked if we could look up the address of the president,” Margaret said.

For months, she waited anxiously for a reply from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Finally, just a few weeks ago, she received her answer.

“It was great. My grandmother writes in cursive like this,” Margaret said, referencing the envelope, “so I thought it was from her. Then my mom said ‘look at the return address,’ so I did, then I screamed. So, it was pretty cool.”

Pretty cool, indeed. The Buker School third-grader received a reply from the White House thanking her for her letter and encouraging her to continue with her academic goals and service. The letter ended, “Young people like you inspire me and give me great hope for the future. Thank you, again, for being in touch. The First Lady and I wish you all the best.” And it was signed, Barack Obama.

Margaret’s passion for the environment began at an early age. When asked when her interest in the environment began, she said, “It just started in second grade, and first grade. I just really want the planet to be a better planet.”

She went on to describe seeing the movie “Wall-E” which features a future world covered in trash. Of the movie, she said, “I just don’t want the future to be like that.” This fictional account along with the very real world around her has kept Margaret working for change.

Squashing Some Green Job Hunting Myths

by Anneli C. Olila, Editor-in-Chief of Boston GreenScene / Principal of Olila Documents & Communication Strategies

Each week, I spend hours talking to job seekers of all levels—from those just graduating from school to highly-experienced C-level executives. Many are contemplating a green career, either out of their passion for the environment or simply because other markets are tight and the green market shows promise. Often, what I hear is a fatigued and resigned voice on the other end of the phone saying, “I’d love to join a green company, but they all want you to already have vast experience in the green industry.” 

When anyone, let alone a top-level, international, well-accomplished executive, says this to me in the midst of cataloging his or her milestone achievements—such as dramatically increasing revenue, efficiency, and organizational prestige; adeptly handling countless mergers and acquisitions; building exceptional cross-cultural and cross-functional teams; applying proven project management and Six Sigma skills; and achieving numerous patented inventions across regulatory environments—I am astonished. I am astonished as editor-in-chief of a green information portal, and I am astonished as a communications specialist who works closely with companies, schools, recruiters, and job seekers. I am also astonished just as a thinking person. There is an apparent and unfortunate mystique built around the green industry—and, frankly, around the job search industry itself—that is completely unwarranted.

Boston GreenScene's Policy Corner: The Green Bank

by Dan Burgess, Boston GreenScene's Policy Corner Commentator

As the national health care debate in the United States begins to come to a legislative end, the next issue to take center stage will be close to this website's heart: climate change and the environment.

We are truly at a pivotal moment. In the next year, for the first time in almost a decade, our country will seriously consider national legislation and international treaties that have the potential to curb the industrial damage we are causing our earth. As we have seen through the health care discussion, this discourse will be heated, and there will be an astounding amount of misinformation promulgated by those special interests that stand to lose money through successful legislation. If you think the health care lobbyists and conservative activists were fierce, you haven’t seen anything yet.

The industries that will be lining up against environmental protection and regulation include oil and gas, coal, manufacturing, and political interests like those who were shouting ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’ in the most recent Presidential election. This combination of interests will dwarf those that were against United States health care legislation in both money and vitriol.

In order to help inform, and combat the misleading information that is bound to bog down this compelling debate, I’ll attempt to highlight a green policy initiative or idea every week.

This week’s policy proposal to highlight is that of a Green Bank. First introduced by John D. Podesta and Karen Kornbluh earlier this year through the Center for American Progress, a public Green Bank would provide needed investment dollars specifically to the clean energy industry.

Hi Boston: Are you answering a call to action?

by Heather Burns-DeMelo

When I first sat down at my computer nearly three years ago, which was at that time sandwiched between my washer and dryer, I was determined to figure out how to launch a blog chronicling the environmental movement in New England. Aside from being technically challenged, I had only one problem: I was certain that 95 percent of the people who lived and worked here couldn't care less.

Today, with thousands of you visiting the Boston GreenScene website every month, our dedicated writers, and those of you who email us with your latest news, I am happy to say I WAS WRONG!

October 24, 2009 marks the largest day of Global Climate Action in our history. Around the world, and in more than 179 countries and over 5,000 different events, people are showing their support for leaders at the UN Climate Summit in December to adopt a fair, just and binding climate policy that will bring carbon in our atmosphere down to a safe upper limit of 350 ppm.

From tolling the Paul Revere Bell to Boston Under Water 350 Festival: a regional tongue-in-cheek creative event  to ACORN and Boston Climate Action Network's Mission Hill energy fair, the Boston area has dozens of registered 350.ORG events happening through the day. Check out the INCREDIBLE photos and video and click on "find an action" for an interactive map to locate an action near you.

I hope you'll get involved. It feels great.

Cat People, Green is for the Birds

by Daniel E. Walsh  Author of Our Sunday "History & Reflections" Series

’Questions regarding the value or inutility of the domestic cat, and problems connected with limiting its more or less unwelcome outdoor activities, are causing much dissension. The discussion has reached an acute stage. Medical men, game protectors and bird lovers call on legislators to enact restrictive laws. Then ardent cat lovers rouse themselves for combat. In the excitement of partisanship many loose and ill-considered statements are made.’


Those sentiments recorded in a 1916 report to the Massachusetts Board of Agriculture by Edward Howe Forbush are echoed in today’s struggle with the very same issue. Cats kill birds and they kill them for the hell of it - a penchant they share with humans and few other species. Uncomfortable as that fact may be to those who like cats; the reality is that this issue requires frank assessment when the cat problem is raised. This problem affects various city ecosystems and is a part of a community’s carbon imprint in indirect ways.

Cats kill birds that nest in the city’s trees. That’s a plain fact and not in dispute. The killing lowers the numbers of birds and then increases the number of pest insects, which can have deleterious impact on the health of trees. Healthy trees contribute to clean air and lower the temperature around them. In general, lower temps and cleaner air diminishes the carbon imprint of a city.

This controversy places into conflict forces that seem to have come to their positions along similar paths. The folks who advocate for either cats or birds may have many similar emotional reasons to feel the way they do. Advocacy can often breed an intolerance of opposing views. In the extreme, and in a most peculiar manner, these factions can be seen to be at odds. The resolution of these matters or at least the attempts to come to some agreement has implications for other groups similarly conflicted.

Recycle Your Books and Open Doors

by Dan Burgess

Like many other people who live in Boston, I rent an apartment. My lack of home ownership, for one reason or another, has consequently meant moving, and moving often. Each time I organize my belongings and pack up what seem to be a never-ending amount of boxes, I find myself asking, “Why in the world do I have so much stuff?” This is especially true when it comes to packing up my bookshelf.

In my most recent move, I found a book on Greek Mythology from high school, a Stephen King novel I read the summer before college, and multiple unread books that were each purchased with the best of intentions before boarding a plane at the beginning of a business trip. I had no idea what to do with this unused, but perfectly decent literature. I didn’t want to throw these books out, but I was tired of lugging them from one apartment to the next. I had no idea, that is, until I found out about the Prison Book Program (PBP).

The New Clean Energy Industry

by Dan Burgess

The time for the United States to seriously invest in the burgeoning clean energy industry was yesterday. As highlighted in recent op-eds by both Thomas L. Friedman and Ronald Brownstein, we are already falling behind the competition and are losing clean energy manufacturing business to other countries. These countries, particularly China and India, have seen the proverbial writing on the wall and are attracting serious investors to their developing nations. The United States desperately needs to bring these investors to America, or we may risk becoming the ‘Detroit’ of world industrial economies.

In preparation for Cleantech Forum XVIII, a clean technology trade show earlier this month, state officials patted Massachusetts on the back for almost doubling the amount of jobs in the solar sector. Solar energy employees rose from 1,086 in 2007 to 2,075 in 2008. These employees are vital to our economy, and this should absolutely be seen as a step in the right direction to a sustainable energy future in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, this growth appears to have been almost entirely in the installation and maintenance of solar. It also seems that the majority of future funding will be going toward more training in these job fields. While growth and support of this portion of the industry is very positive, Massachusetts desperately needs new manufacturing jobs in our state - jobs like the ones that are being shipped overseas to companies in China.

Mad Men: Don’t Cry for Me

by Daniel E. Walsh  Author of Our Sunday "History & Reflections" Series

I have decided to leave you forever
I have decided to start things from here
Thunder and lightning won’t change
What I’m feeling
And the daffodils look lovely today

Delores O’Riordan (The Cranberries)

The AMC hit TV series, Mad Men, portrays the business and personal lives of advertising execs at the height of the Golden Age of American consumerism. The show is focused on the personalities and interactions of the ad execs and office staff. The great American consumer culture is the backdrop for the various story lines. Some of the personal habits of the era depicted are clearly seen today as unhealthy or outright wrong. Then those habits were in the full bloom of cultural normalcy.

In one scene, Don Draper, the main character, his wife, and children pull over the family sedan for a picnic on some roadside grassland. When they are done and preparing to leave, they simply shake the trash they've generated from the picnic blanket and leave it behind them on the ground.

Greening a New Generation: One Course at a Time

Professor George Buckley and Harvard Extension Set up a Big Tent for All Fledgling Environmentalists

by David Pierotti

By now everyone has heard of green jobs. Headlines with that phrase have been ubiquitous for months. President Obama has made them a key aspect of his economic recovery program and studies show they comprise one of the fastest growing economic sectors, even during the current recession.

But who will fill these jobs? And how will they develop the knowledge and skills to grapple with the challenges energy and environmental issues pose for every type of business?

This was not purely an academic question for me. Seeking a way to stimulate my career and my mind, I went looking for academic programs that might do both. I found a couple of gentlemen at the Harvard Extension School who have gradually been providing answers to those questions. Professor George Buckley and his fellow professor and longtime friend, John Spengler, pioneered a unique set of courses that has evolved into the Sustainability and Environmental Management degree program.

Mayor Menino Raises the Green Roof on Runoff

Harvey the Hoverfly II

by Daniel E. Walsh  Author of Our Sunday "History & Reflections" Series

When I come home feelin' tired and beat
I go up where the air is fresh and sweet (up on the roof)
I get away from the hustling crowd
And all that rat-race noise down in the street (up on the roof)
On the roof, the only place I know
Where you just have to wish to make it so
Let's go up on the roof (up on the roof)

~ Goffin and King

Harvey the Hoverfly* is a little confused. He and his antecedents have hovered around the Hub for eons. Until quite recently things had been tough and growing tougher for the average hoverfly to do what hoverflies do. Pesky humans and their swatting -- unfortunately for the hoverflies, they look like wasps, only smaller, and folks like to whack them.

For the flies in this urban setting there are fewer places to land; there is smoke and bad air to contend with and that music! What’s the point? Why it’s enough to poke your eyes out, all 5 of them! That’s the question raised around the haunts of the hoverfly. But, now I’m into something good, hums Harvey. This is nice - freedom up in the air and plenty of Bailey’s Gold to land on and a surfeit of aphids to eat, say the flies. Hoverfly heaven. From Yarmouth Town to Brockton the buzz abounds. What could be causing all this Diptera fluttering and excitement? Why, it’s the green roofs popping up around Boston!

Green on the Big Screen

by Dan Burgess

Throughout modern history creativity has thrived during times of hardship, turmoil, and adversity.  This creativity spawns from necessity as people invent and imagine as needed to survive.  Fortunately, this creativity is also expressed artistically and some of the most celebrated works of art, literature, and music have been created as a result.  It is during the darkest days that the light shines the brightest, and most urgently, for many artists and activists.

This has certainly been true in American history.  The Great Depression, both World Wars, and the struggle for Civil Rights have all generated extensive pieces of beautiful and powerful compositions.  These works are some of the most revered our country has. 

While it is debatable that the recent political and economic turmoil our country has seen is on par with the Great Depression and the Civil Rights movement, it is for certain that many Americans have felt a great deal of despair over the last decade.  A combination of economic turbulence, foreign policy disharmony, and environmental concerns have inspired artists of all kinds to produce an amazing amount of work in the last five to ten years.

One area that we have seen a surge from artists and activists is on the silver screen and in particular documentaries that aim to promote environmental awareness and activism.  Just this summer, three films of this theme have been released that are worth checking out.

The first film, No Impact Man, is an inspiring look at a man that ‘decides to completely eliminate his personal impact on the environment for the next year' and the trials and tribulations that he and his family go through in the process. 

Boston Organizations Play A Key Role in Corporate Citizenship Initiatives

by Terry Catchpole, Founder and CEO of The Catchpole Corporation
The Catchpole Corporation consults with firms on their executive visibility initiatives in regard to corporate citizenship.

In the face of unprecedented economic uncertainty and rigid fiscal requirements, corporate executives are nonetheless increasingly embracing a traditionally “soft” facet of business practice: corporate citizenship. This practice, also known as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), sees firms allocating scarce budget and personnel resources to address their activities in areas such as environmental impact, diversity practices, and ethical sourcing.

There are several reasons for this unprecedented corporate activity we see in this area, none of them more important than businesses’ escalating concern over climate change and appreciation of the role that they can play in reducing carbon emissions and thereby doing their part in helping to head off the threats of global warming.  Companies are noting the Obama Administration’s commitment to aggressive legislative action as regards climate and carbon, as well as the fact that the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December is mandated to produce a new global treaty, supplanting the Kyoto Protocol of 1997, that could well ultimately have significant impact on global businesses of all sizes, in all markets.

The Green Architecture: Style and Function

by Daniel E. Walsh  Author of Our Sunday "History & Reflections" Series

The city is built
To music, therefore never built at all,
And therefore built forever.
~ Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Labor Day, an American holiday birthed in the aftermath of the labor wars of the late 19th century, has become a day to reflect on our labors and the pride we take in them. Some who labor in disciplines that incorporate green and sustainability values may take an extra measure of pride. Increasingly, there has been much to be proud of—and this figures to help shape a better future. Architecture can be seen as a combination of style and function. Within the architectural style is the music of the culture. The spirit of the architect is expressed in the design for the assigned purpose. An overall shape takes place and thus is created the identity of a city or culture.  

The pride of a civilization is seen in its cities and in the building of these great centers.  The style of a city identifies the best qualities that the builders see inside themselves and in what they are charged to do. The élan of Paris, the steadfastness of London, the hustle and bustle of the great Eastern cities in the U.S., with Boston among them, and the spiritual ascension of the capitals of the Mayan people all can be seen in the city’s architecture.

Today an impressive skyline attests to the financial might of a culture. Cities are the population centers and they reflect the spirit of the citizens. Sustainability, conservation, and green are the buzzwords that shape much new architecture.  Many disciplines are incorporated and no part of the construction is too insignificant to be considered.  Like the care we are now giving to the appearance, as well as the cost and effectiveness of lighting in these structures, our cities will shine through to the people of the future. We are now starting to see a green style throughout this land.

Green Fantasy: Not to See a Panacea

by Daniel E. Walsh  Author of Our Sunday "History & Reflections" Series

Practitioners and scholars who fall into panacea traps falsely assume
that all problems of resource governance can be represented
by a small set of simple models,
because they falsely perceive that the preferences and
perceptions of most resource users are the same.
 Going Beyond Panaceas

 A panacea is a word that is defined as a universal remedy, a cure-all. The search for panaceas in various disciplines goes forward. As the opening quote suggests, there is an illusory effect to this yearning in that a single universal solution to any major issue simply cannot exist. There are too many variables in the realm of human behavior for such a magic bullet to exist. The Tower of Babel story epitomizes the fractious nature of human conduct. A pragmatic and methodical approach to addressing problems with a multi-level strategy seems to be the most effective way to go. As the search for solutions to environmental concerns continues, the word gets bruited about and the thought of an easy fix can be seductive.

Ethanol was looked upon in some corners as a panacea to the problem of American dependency of  foreign—especially Middle Eastern—oil. Advocates hailed its regenerative powers. The stuff grows right out of the ground and is easily sustainable—they trumpeted. The ensuing ethanol debate pitted region against region; understandably, corn growing states were firmly on board. 

Transforming corn into ethanol turns out to be very expensive, however. At first flush, the process seemed to be the next greatest thing and cheap to boot, but then voices weighed in that pointed out how government subsidies were actually hiding the high cost of the product. While that debate endures, ethanol can certainly be said to not be the panacea for the oil crisis. However, as an important part of an overall strategy to break oil dependency, ethanol must be factored into the debate.

Time to Close Newbury Street?

by Dan Burgess

A recent headline from the Boston Globe read, “As Boston businesses struggle, Menino  looks to fill vacancies”. The image that ran with the online story was painfully fitting for the event: Mayor Menino in a walking cast, standing outside of a vacant storefront. According to the article, Mayor Menino was taking potential investors on a bus tour of the vacant spaces along Newbury Street and around the Fenway area. Menino was quoted to say that he was, “being aggressive in the marketing of our city”.

Along with the Mayor-guided tour, the article indicated that investors who sign a lease before December 2009 would receive ‘advertising space on two outdoor displays in the city’s downtown for a month, a
value of $5,000’.

The Globe piece mentioned that there were almost twenty empty storefronts, and counting, along Newbury Street and in the Fenway area. These areas, especially Newbury Street, are known for having the type of retail shops that are struggling as people see their 401ks drop as drastically as they have in the last 18 months. While investment tours and free advertising offers are a good start toward revitalization, the city and its struggling business community should think green as they attempt
to improve the city’s business climate.

One green initiative that makes sense for Boston, is to close Newbury Street to automobiles and make the street a pedestrian-only shopping district. Ridding a section of Newbury Street of cars would provide numerous benefits for our city. This measure would increase the amount of green space that our city
has and would be a strong sign of our city’s attempt to curb our aggregate carbon footprint. Mayor Menino is actively attempting to do this through his Climate Action Leadership Committee that he recently announced with Former Vice President Al Gore, and this would be an excellent way to draw attention to the carbon reduction cause.

Closing Newbury Street would also attract more people (think consumers) to the shopping district, which would help ease the financial stress that area businesses are experiencing. Boston was recently ranked the third most walkable city in the United States and the fact is that people like to walk our city’s streets. This is true particularly of the Back Bay-Beacon Hill area, which was ranked as the most walkable neighborhood in the city. Despite this, as I wrote about here, the Boston Common (located directly between Back Bay and Beacon Hill) is poorly attended by visitors. The Boston Common is the oldest park in the United States and is located directly between our most walkable neighborhoods, but is only the 37th most visited park in the United States. This does not bode well for any surrounding local businesses and is an obvious indication of the need for change.

There Comes a Day

by Daniel E. Walsh  Author of Our Sunday "History & Reflections" Series 

“And we'll have fun fun fun now that daddy took the T-Bird away”
The Beach Boys

Out of sight, out of mind. For so many of us this simple phrase is a way out of a nettling situation. Rodents, holiday decorations, the runny-nosed urchin from up the street that asks all those-impossible-to-answer questions; all of these can be safely placed out of mind.

Some things put aside can come back to haunt. Take our current waste disposal system. The clean street evident after the trash has been whisked away is an illusion; a mask over the fact that the disposed material will have to be dealt with. With a sense of relief many feel that tomorrow will be the time to handle that problem. But there comes a day.

There comes a day. There comes a day when the mail and the phone calls you’ve ignored go away and the sheriff is at your door. There comes a day when that nagging little thing you didn’t look into has you staring at the bright white light from a hospital gurney. There comes a day when the fighting stops and your lover leaves a goodbye note on the kitchen table. And there will come a day if we are not mindful when that trash we have carefully tucked away in rural outposts will return to us in insidious and noxious ways.

Eco-Labeling: How Sustainable is "Organic"?

by Lyon Graulty, an associate at More Than Sound, an audio production and publishing company dedicated to deepening our understanding of the human experience.

A growing number of supermarkets are committing to green building, but how sustainable are the products inside? As major food retailers progress towards making their stores more sustainable, it's easy to forget about the great strides that still need to be made in the sustainability of the food itself.

Hannaford Bros new LEED certified supermarket in Augusta, ME

Hannaford's newest store, which opened July 25th in Augusta, Maine, is the first supermarket in the world to be Platinum-certified by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Their use of geo-thermal heating and cooling, solar power, and recycled and locally-sourced materials is part of a movement helping to create a more sustainable world, and they deserve recognition for their commitment to reducing their environmental footprint.

As this eco-friendly building opens its doors, many other supermarkets are following suit. The Whole Foods in Sarasota, Florida has been LEED certified with a Silver rating, and Food Lion just broke ground on a store in Columbia, South Carolina that is on track to LEED certification. As the green building and retail food industries forge new partnerships, this progress highlights a growing void: the lack of a common set of guidelines to transparently access the sustainability of the wide range of ecological, health, and social impacts involved with food production and distribution.

True, we have the Certified Organic label, which has made advances in restricting the use of toxic chemical pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers on our food. But the Organic certification system fails to recognize the wider ecological impact of a product. "Saying the product is organic is not enough anymore," says UC Berkeley Industrial Ecologist and GoodGuide founder Dara O'Rourke. "In 2009, you need to know, okay, it's organic - but is it healthy? Was it produced locally? How far did it get shipped?"

Much of the organic food that is bought every day in the U.S. actually comes from China. Newsweek reported last year that while there are 21 separate agencies that claim to certify organic farms in China, only one of them is considered legitimate outside of the country. Consider this with the fact that it’s estimated that roughly half of the organic garlic we import is coming from China. It’s hard to imagine all that garlic is certified by the recognized agency, and all this is complicated by the fact that our government doesn’t keep track of the country and farm of origin of organic food imports. In fact, we only inspect a little over 1% of all food imports. A few years ago, Wal-Mart had to pull a bunch of Chinese produce labeled organic from its Chinese stores after they tested it and found out it was loaded with pesticides.

Blackberry Pie: That’s How You Do It

by Daniel E. Walsh  Author of Our Sunday "History & Reflections" Series

Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness.
It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.
~ Helen Keller (1880 - 1968)

Do you know how to make the ache of an overworked back, the sting of scratched hands and arms, the sweaty unease from a day spent in the summer sun, and the bone weariness from hours of tedious labor disappear with one act? You bake a blackberry pie from the fruits of those efforts. You serve it warm in the cool, late evening, honeysuckle scented air with a glass of strong sweet homemade iced tea. That’s how you do it!

As far back as the Mesolithic era, humans have sought berries for their nutritional and medicinal value. Blackberries don’t grow in any orderly fashion. The plant clings to any fence, stump and bush that the vine can latch onto. They seem to flourish in hard to reach places. There is probably an explanation that involves survival and predators, but this author doesn’t know what that is. I know that the berries are very hard to get to. I learned that long ago in the summer of youth.

We were sent out with a motley assortment of pails, pots and pans to gather the berries. We would head out in the early morning and work until mid afternoon. We went with missionary zeal because we knew what would be coming later. If the work had been isolated from the tantalizing reward, I can’t imagine that we would have stayed on task for more than fifteen minutes. A quiet oft-heard life lesson—if you labor at something you love, you never work a day in your life. We were stretching, straining, fighting bees, worrying about snakes and getting scratched like tomcats—but we didn’t notice.

Sleeping Soundly Using Natural Scent

by Cher Kore, www.KHealing.com

Sleep is another world; it’s deep peace, healing the body and mind and allowing us to wake well-rested and joyful. When sleep is disrupted, the body’s balance is in upheaval. The sleep deprived may survive the day, but it’s hard for them to enjoy it. 

Insomnia is a widespread problem that is due to varying causes: anxiety, stress, pain, sleep pattern interruption, and more. It takes many forms.  Some find it hard to go to sleep. Others fall asleep, yet wake several times during the night. Many people sleep, yet toss and turn so much they never reach a deep enough sleep to recharge.

Too many people turn to expensive and sometimes addictive pharmaceuticals when there are so many safer, more natural methods. Aromatherapy is an often ignored method to aid peaceful sleep. Essential oils (EOs) are all natural and biodegradable, thus safe for the environment. Also, when making your own sleep treatments, you can reuse bottles and add your own water or salt, thereby reducing packaging waste and shipping emissions.

Aromatherapy has been very successful and it is by and large safe and economical. Many EOs not only help you fall asleep quickly, but also induce a higher quality of sleep. If you wake during the night due to noise or a full bladder, many scents may lull you back to sleep. EOs, alone, are not suggested to cure any serious illness. However, many kinds of sleep difficulties may be remedied with aromatherapy. Whether using a single oil for mild relaxation or a blend for deep rest, there are three main methods you may implement.

Public Green Space - How Does Boston Measure Up?

by Dan Burgess

Like many Bostonians searching for summer respite, I have a few favorite green spaces in the city that I head to when the sun is shining.  It’s a place to bring a book or an iPod when we need to unwind or somewhere to meet friends with picnic food and a football to toss around. Mine happens to be a certain section of grass on the Charles River that is fairly crowded, yet pleasantly serene. 

While waiting for friends this past weekend I settled onto my blanket and took in the usual scene: families walking dogs and pushing strollers, tourists snapping photos, couples holding hands, and annoyed bikers and runners trying to avoid them all. Seeing this as if for the first time, I began to wonder, just how much of this space does Boston have? Is it enough, and how do we compare to other cities?  
Fortunately, the answers to these questions were only an online search away. The Trust for Public Land, a non-profit land conservation organization, maintains a website that has an abundance of city park facts. The following is what I found out:

• As a percentage, a good portion of our city is green space.  Of those cities which The Trust for Public Land characterizes as having a population density of high, Boston ranks 5th in the country for park acres as a percentage of city land area, at just over 16%. Boston's total land acreage is about 31,000 and we have just over 5,000 total park acres. This puts Boston almost 5 percentage points above the city average of 11.6% for comparable cities. 

The four cities ahead of us?

1. New York - 19.6%
2. Washington D.C. - 19.4%
3. San Francisco - 18.0%
4. Jersey City - 17.1%

The Lesson in Rice: Wisdom in Planning

by Daniel E. Walsh

 “One generation plants the trees, and another gets the shade.”
 ~ Chinese Proverb

First the rats and mice proliferated. They swarmed and multiplied until the food stocks left behind by the humans were depleted and they returned to a harder existence. The domesticated farm animals left untended foraged where they could until they fell to predators or died from starvation.

Now spurned by humans because of the radiation, the vast area abandoned after the Chernobyl nuclear accident is prowled by wild dogs, feral pigs, and cats. Roads are dusty tracks and buildings decrepit hulks overgrown with vegetation.

This occurred in a mere generation; the incident took place in 1977. We are wards of nature and subject to its fickle whims. Careful maintenance of this gift of a planet and the goal of sustainability aren’t the sophomoric notions of an ephemeral political movement—they are necessary duties for our continued existence.

GREEN COLLAR JOBS SPOTLIGHT: WIND ENERGY

from the Editor's Desk

As Boston GreenScene and Olila Documents & Communication Strategies team up to explore the burgeoning green collar job market and how we can jointly serve those considering a green career, we are finding some excellent resources.

One such resource is Green Careers Guide, an online portal offering nuts-and-bolts information on various green professions, the projected growth of related markets, as well as a job search function. The following article spotlighting wind energy jobs is just one of many matter-of-fact explorations appearing on the site.

FOUR WIND ENERGY, GREEN COLLAR JOBS

by Ezra Drissman, Green Careers Guide

As wind technology advances so does wind power jobs. Wind jobs are green careers because wind is a natural, renewable energy source. Wind and Solar power jobs are uniquely connected with the new smart grid that is being constructed. Due to the huge amounts of electricity that can be harnessed, smart grids will provide the much needed mechanisms to push wind electricity around the country. While this is happening, wind energy jobs are opening up all across the United States. Here are some great jobs to think about:

Wind Turbine Machinist

A Wind Turbine Machinist is just like a production machinist for any other industry, only in this case they specialize in the production of metal and plastic parts for wind turbines. Wind Turbine Machinist first review blueprints (written or electronic) for the specific wind turbine part needing to be made. Next, they select the tools and equipment needed to shape the piece, and calculate where to cut or drill the material they are working with (steel, aluminum, titanium, plastic, etc.). They use their knowledge of metal properties and skill with machine tools to produce the part to extremely precise specifications.

How to Create a Sustainable … Green … HR Function

by Lizz Pellet, Fellow Johns Hopkins University and CEO of EMERGE International

We’ve all heard that green is quickly becoming the new black. Everyone seems to be jumping on the sustainability wagon. What does that mean for HR? In December 2008, Green Tech Media offered their list of the top ten green jobs of the future. Number two on their list was Sustainability Officer. They say that this is a newly created corporate position. Companies will need to make choices about how to reduce their carbon footprint as well as make their products and services more green.

So, what is a Sustainability Officer? Here is my first pass at what an HR sustainability role would look like and the process HR would undertake in order to “greenify” their company.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)

Once the organization establishes that social responsibility and sustainability is important to their business strategy, they must define what this will mean to the company. Once this is defined, it will need to be incorporated into the company’s vision, mission, values as well as touted in their marketing materials, website, and all communication vehicles. No easy task here, but assigning the deliverable to one job function actually makes quite a bit of sense.

Redefining Terroir

by Dan Burgess

terroir [teh-RWAHR]: French for "soil" and used in the phrase gout de terroir ("taste of the soil") to refer to the earthy flavor of some wines. ~www.epicurious.com

A certain romantic quality exists at Terroir Select Coffee and an endearment for fine coffee is almost contagious when you walk through the door and smell the aroma of freshly roasted beans.

Two years ago, I was fortunate enough to attend a coffee tasting, site tour, and presentation at Terroir’s facility in Acton, MA. George Howell, the ivy league educated owner and founder of Terroir who has been called ‘Juan Valdez in a blue blazer’ and ‘a walking encyclopedia on coffee’ by the New York Times, personally walked us through the roasting facility.

George Howell’s love affair with high quality coffee is obvious to even the most casual observer, and to hear him speak of his time spent with single-origin farmers in equatorial lands is reminiscent to reading Ernest Hemingway chronicle his African hunting expeditions. Like the famed Hemingway safari accounts, Howell’s journeys are filled with passion, thrill, and above all, a respect for the people and process involved. Fortunately, his travels differ from Hemingway in that what Howell brings back, we can all enjoy first hand: arguably the world’s finest coffee beans.

Cool Beans

by Daniel E. Walsh

As Confucius said, "It is such a delight to have friends coming from afar."
Dr. Huqu Zhai
President of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Chairman of the World Soybean Research Conference VIII Organizing Committee

An important event is taking place in Beijing, China this summer. The World Soybean Research Conference VIII is scheduled for August 8 through August 10. This meeting of multinational soybean producers and policy makers occurs every five years. The soybean a plant of the legume family that emanated from the host country has become an extremely important crop. There have been stunning developments with major global implications in just the last five years that this conference will address. Some of the issues on the agenda are controversial, but, in general, the emergence of this plant has been largely beneficial to mankind and the sustainability movement.

Scheduled to be discussed are biotechnology, the role of soy in animal feed and human health, and sustainable farming practices. The market web of this product makes it a truly global issue. There are presenters from the major players. China and India are the biggest importers. The United States, Brazil, and Argentina are the largest exporters and producers.

Pearl Diving: The Joy of Washing Dishes

by Daniel E. Walsh  Author of Our Sunday "History & Reflections" Series

Is necessity the mother of invention? Not always. In 1886 Josephine Cochrane became annoyed with her servants. Their offense: chipping her fine china when they washed the dishes. She, the granddaughter of John Fitch, the inventor of the steamboat, put the family talent to work and invented the automatic dishwasher. Her model operated on the same washing principles as today’s machines: spray the dishes with extra hot soapy water, agitate the water to remove soil, drain, rinse, and allow time for drying.  Josephine may have been happy with her unchipped china but her bulky energy wasting invention would take a few decades before it became the sleek under-the-counter kitchen appliance it is today.

Not that those servants had anything to worry about if they were concerned about losing their occupation. Washing by hand would endure. Surprisingly, almost half of American households still wash dishes in the sink with varying degrees of impact on the environment--mostly negative. The skill of the hand dishwasher comes into play as to the use of heat and water necessary to do the job.

More ‘Bounty’ for your Buck

by Dan Burgess

The City of Boston has rolled out a new program that will make locally grown produce more affordable to residents who are enrolled in the city’s food stamp program. The program uses vouchers, known as Bounty Bucks, and will double the value of food stamps at local farmer’s market, up to $20.00 per person. Details of the program were outlined in a recent Boston Globe article here.

This program is an excellent policy initiative from Mayor Menino and, despite some of the ridiculous negative comments on the Globe’s online article, has the potential to have very positive effects for Greater Boston residents. As I covered here and here, developing a regional food system is vitally important for our state and is common sense policy. This Bounty Bucks program rightly advances this goal and will allow residents who need it most to purchase more healthy, locally grown food while continuing to fortify farmer’s markets in the Boston community.

According to the Globe article, “... officials hope the program will flourish this season by allowing low-income residents to purchase -- when combined with food stamps -- up to $120,000 worth of locally grown fruits and vegetables.” This would be a great start for the Boston community and, with the quality of the produce offered at our farmers’ markets, it should not be a problem.

This latest initiative is another positive step forward towards a sustainable food system in Boston and we look forward to seeing the next policy initiatives that come from Beacon Hill.

To find a farmer’s market in your Boston community (including MA Turnpike Farmer’s Markets), click here.

Going Green is in Good Taste at Toro

South End Restaurant Reduces Carbon Footprint Without Sacrificing Taste or Money

by David Pierotti, Boston-Based Freelance Writer

 Alyssa Shepherd didn’t set out to be a trendsetter, but all of us should hope she becomes one. Sheperd is the general manager of highly regarded restaurant Toro in Boston’s South End. Toro is one of Chef Ken Oringer’s four area restaurants, the others being Clio (including its attached sushi bar, Uni), KO Prime, and La Verdad. 

You may have seen Oringer’s victorious turn on Iron Chef America, but recently it has been Shepherd's turn to do battle - against waste, pollution, and CO2. She, along with the rest of the management team, has set about greening the restaurant as much as possible. “With the growing awareness of climate change, we just felt that, as a restaurant, we should do our part.”

Anyone who has ever worked at a restaurant (and really, who hasn’t?) knows restaurants consume a lot of just about everything: bottles, boxes, water, energy, and more. From all this consumption comes a tremendous amount of waste. But a growing awareness of climate change and the environmental costs of food production and consumption provoked Shepherd to implement some simple, sensible measures to green Toro.

Shock and Trance: Diagnosing a Culture of Indifference

by Michael Brooks and Joshua Summers, associates at Sati Solutions (Boston, MA), a mindfulness-based consultancy providing strategic guidance to ecologically-minded organizations.

Recently, a flurry of new literature in the meditation world has investigated the link between contemplative practices and perhaps the most pressing issue of the day: global warming. In response to this dialogue, we see the opportunity for a powerful synergy between meditative skill sets and recognizable actions that will supplement and facilitate the aims of sustainability.

As a general overview, there seem to be three categories of responses to the climate crisis: 1) those who get it, are alarmed, and are working like hell to avert catastrophe, 2) those who get it, are alarmed, but who are too overwhelmed by the complications and busy-ness of their everyday lives to take it beyond curb-side recycling, and 3) those who don’t get it, aren’t alarmed and, therefore, scare the hell out of Types 1 and 2. 

Of these three, the group that holds the most potential for environmental change is, obviously, Type 2. One of America’s most eminent meditation teachers, Joseph Goldstein, recently self-diagnosed himself as a Type 2 in Tricycle, the Buddhist Review: “Although I am aware of the magnitude of the problem, perhaps like many others, I have not spent much time reflecting on it or seriously considering what I could do about it. It was this response that then piqued my interest. Why hadn’t I spent time thinking about one of the major problems confronting our planet? Why had it slid to the back burner of my interests?”

Alluring Green Offenders

by Daniel E. Walsh  Author of Our Sunday "History & Reflections" Series

“Oh thou weed, who art so lovely, fair."
 ~Othello to Desdemona

Wildflowers abound this time of the year. They provide a nice accent to the overall full blossom of summer. At once enticing and dangerous, these variegated agents of nature are at their essence survivors. We pretend that they are the intruders when it is mankind who pushed into their world. Unwittingly, we introduced this threat to our native world and in doing some created a vexing problem for those who must wrestle this green nemesis to create a more natural, native environment with green sensibilities.

Concrete and asphalt connective ribbons are laid across the land and highway engineers are mandated to create beauty at their side. In this effort we are thwarted by the uncomfortable presence of plants whose very nature makes our plans meaningless. We label them as the enemy. Many of the major offenders are from an unintended side affect of progress as diverse cultures shifted continents and brought their plants with them. Weeds are a serious threat to water quality, wildlife habitat, and native plants and increase the necessity of mowing and spraying. And yet, while it takes up a lot of time and energy to fight them—some sure are pretty.

Getting Ready for the United Nations Conference on Climate Change

by Terry Catchpole, Founder and CEO of The Catchpole Corporation
The Catchpole Corporation consults with firms on their executive visibility initiatives in regard to corporate citizenship.

The United Nations Conference on Climate Change this December in Copenhagen is likely to bring to light the good, the bad, and the ugly for US companies, including those in the Boston area.  

The “good” will be for companies whose climate-impact and other sustainability practices measure up well on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and other measurements. The “bad“ will be for companies that fall a bit short on these indices, but not demonstrably so. The “ugly” will be those who not only fall short, but whose executives publicly question the received wisdom regarding climate change, global warming, and other shibboleths, and otherwise run afoul of the more vocal factions of environmental activism.

Make no mistake: The UN Conference will afford a veritable global stage for environmental activists of all stripes and businesses worldwide will be in the crosshairs. If the conference attendees fulfill their stated mission, the outcome will be a sweeping global treaty establishing ambitious goals regarding carbon emissions and greenhouse gas production. The pressure will then fall on the world’s developed nations to endorse the treaty.

The Humble Rain Barrel

by Daniel E. Walsh  Author of Our Sunday "History & Reflections" Series

"Playmates"
Playmate come out and play with me
And bring your dollies three,
Climb up my apple tree,
Look down my rain barrel,
Slide down my cellar door,
and we'll be jolly friends forever more
~ Saxie Dowell

Mary Amelia sits in the shade of a black walnut tree on a warm summer day. From a window in the house wafts the smooth, dulcet sounds of Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Kay Kyser, and the music makers of the pre-war radio era. Mary Amelia keeps a notebook on her lap and faithfully pencils the lyrics of any new song that comes on.

In the early morning, she is in the sunlight. She has washed her long chestnut brown hair. She has rinsed her hair with water from the rain barrel at the corner of the house. Now it splays behind her, drying in the sun as she listens to the music. She views the white clouds in the blue sky beyond the green leaves of the walnut tree and lazily dreams the dreams of a teenage girl. She enjoys the warmth of the day and the knowledge that she can use the rainwater. The water collected from the wooden barrel makes her hair soft and easy to brush. She will be proud of her hair and wear it like a princess' raiment.

To Mary Amelia, the rain barrel was a normal feature of any household. That the water softened hair was an accepted fact and not something someone thought to bottle to sell. Mary Amelia and her family put rainwater to many uses. Flowers and plants were tended to and the garden watered. Conservation of resources at the tail end of the Depression had no special significance; it was just the way things were done.