Boston GreenScene

EVENT: HEET WEATHERIZATION BARNRAISING

If you're looking to keep your 2011 New Year's resolution to volunteer in your community more often or to be more environmentally aware, the team at HEET has the perfect event for you.

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: Saturday, January 29th, 2011, from 12:30-5:00pm

Where: First Church of Cambridge, 11 Garden St, Cambridge, MA 02139

Contact: heetma.com

Cost: Free

 

10/10/10

 

Frustrated about climate change legislation not getting off the ground in D.C.? Concerned about oil spills and the rising ocean levels?  Want to work with others in your community to increase awareness about environmental issues? Well, 350.org is inviting you to a party.  

On October 10th, the folks at 350.org are hosting what they are calling a Global Work Party, and they want you to come.  Or better yet, to throw your own party.  According to 350.org founder, Bill McKibben:  

"On 10/10/10 we'll show that we the people can do this--but we need bold energy policies from our political leaders to do it on a scale that truly matters.  The goal of the day is not to solve the climate crisis one project at a time, but to send a pointed political message: if we can get to work, you can get to work too--on the legislation and the treaties that will make all our work easier in the long run.

It’s been a tough year—but it can be a beautiful day on the 10th Of October if we work together, and party together. And if we do it right, then we’ll take a big step towards the kind of political solutions we desperately need."

 

To sign up to host an event or to find one in your area, check out the 350.org Action Website. 

Let us know if you are planning on hosting an event in the Greater Boston Area and we will make sure the word gets out!

Greening America's Capitals - Boston and Hartford

Two GreenScene cities, Boston and Hartford, selected for inaugural award.

By Dan Burgess

As recently reported by GreenBiz, Boston and Hartford have been chosen by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as two of the five cities that will partake in the Greening America’s Capitals program.  This is great news as it means a team of EPA backed designers will visit each city and will create and design plans that promote smart growth and will help ensure the future sustainability for both capitals.  

 

In conjunction with the U.S Department of House and Development and the U.S. Department of Transportation, the EPA will provide all five cities with plans for “high-quality green development that includes cleaning up and recycling vacant lands, accessing and improving waterways, providing greater housing and transportation choices, and reducing infrastructure and energy costs.”  

Specifically, the press release notes that Boston “asked for assistance through EPA Greening America’s Capitals to create realistic greening options for City Hall Plaza that can be realized in the near term. Goals of the redesign will be to create well-defined edges and entrances, provide more bike access and parking, connect the plaza to existing streets, increase green elements such as trees and vegetation for better stormwater management, and support energy efficiency and green building improvements in City Hall and nearby buildings.”

GOOD NEWS: AMERICANS ARE USING LESS ENERGY

by Eileen Weber, Editor of CT GreenScene

On Monday, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California stated in a press release that Americans used less coal and oil-based energy in 2009 than in 2008. Even better, we relied more on renewable energy last year, specifically wind power. This is credited, in part, by the economic downturn. It stands to reason that if you’re having trouble paying your bills, you’ll turn down the heat and turn off the lights.

Stepping away from coal-powered electricity was three-fold: There was a decrease in overall electricity demand, a shift to more natural fuel sources, and wind power usage offset the need for coal-based power. Much like a pendulum swing, an increase in renewable energy use means a decrease in fuel-sourced energy.

ARE YOU A PARENT? ARE YOU AWAKE?

by Heather Burns

I only needed to open the door a few days ago to my child's gymnasium and take one whiff of the newly polished floor to be reminded of how much work still needs to be done to create awareness, turn inaction into action and create real change when it comes to the toxic environment our children are exposed to. 

And while I may not be able to instantly control what school administrators put on floors, on the lunch menu, or on the school yards - I can create change to the degree I feel comfortable, have time for or feel compelled. 

Healthy Child, Healthy World is a stand up organization helping keep "conscious" parents like me well informed so I can make sound choices on behalf of my children. 

EVENT: HEET WEATHERIZATION BARNRAISING: 9/11

Looking to take part in the 9/11 Day of Service?  Here's a perfect way to volunteer in a green way:

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: Saturday, September 11, 2010, from 12:30-5:00pm

Where: Tot-Lot DayCare and Home - 65 Chestnut Street, Cambridgeport, MA 02139

Contact: heet.cambridge@gmail.com, heetma.com

Cost: Free

Money for your old appliances.

by Sylvia Rozwadowska

NSTAR offers you $50, and helps you save an additional $150 dollars a year!

The Appliance Recycling Program offers NSTAR customers $50 and free pick up and removal of second fridges and freezers in your basement or garage. The program is a great way to remove your appliances safely and appropriately.

Chances are, the older second refrigerator or freezer in your basement or garage is costing you up to $150 a year to run. Instead, recycle it, reduce your energy use and keep harmful materials out of landfills. They'll pick it up free and you'll pick up $50.

To sign up for a free pickup, call 877-545-4113 or visit www.MassSave.com/recycle for more information and program requirements.

Biking with The ‘Boston’: An Interview with David Montague

By Taro Muso and Sylvia Rozwadowska

Spurred by a summer day in March, we headed to our local bike shop where we happened across an unusually sturdy, rapidly folding bicycle, the ‘Boston’ by Montague. Thinking such a bike would be of interest to green-minded commuters, we visited the company’s Cambridge headquarters to meet inventor, entrepreneur, and MIT alumnus, David Montague, who founded Montague Bicycles as a graduate student 20+ years ago.

Why did you name your most recent model ‘Boston’? Do you think Boston is an especially favorable environment for cyclists?

Boston has become more bicycle friendly over the years, thanks to Mayor Menino’s initiative in establishing the Boston Bikes program, led by (2000 Sydney Games Olympian) Nicole Freedman, but Boston still faces some challenges before becoming a truly bicycle-friendly city.

Safety is the number one issue. An old city like Boston was never designed with bicycles and cars in mind. You can convince people that cycling is healthy, eco-friendly and fun, but Boston needs to address safety. Mayor Menino himself has been hit twice by cars while riding a bicycle, so we know that the Mayor is very interested in this problem.

How do other old cities address safety?

One way might be to increase taxes for automobiles, especially for the ones that operate near the city. Another way might be to designate certain streets for bicycles only and others for cars only.

How about safety features on the bicycles themselves?

Thirty years ago, my father Harry Montague invented a full-size folding bicycle that was both portable and high-performance. Since then, we’ve constantly innovated our technology into what we now call the F.I.T. System, which makes our bikes the strongest folding bikes on the market. In designing the Montague Boston, we asked our engineers in Boston, “What do you want to ride?”, and they built it.

Guest Post: Green Spaces Provide Great Economic Potential

by Jack Lundee

If you are interested in environmental policy this has been quite the year for you already.  Some of the recently discussed topics of early 2010 include climate change, green infrastructure, clean water, and more.  In particular, the addition and/or the substitution of green spaces have been quite controversial as of late.  Senior resident of Urban Land Institute Ed T. McMahon believes that, "green space adds value to property." Not only do areas of conservation drive economic trends upward, but they also improve the overall health of the surrounding community.  For example, substituting things like golf courses for conservation areas essential increase surrounding property value while diminishing overpriced maintenance fees. The same holds true for airports and other large acre-eating developments.

Many of these areas are already abandoned or unkempt. For instance, park and recreational areas that were once highly visited have become urban wastelands. In an article from the Salt Lake Tribute, Lindsay Whitehurst discusses how an area that was capped with tennis courts to replace an old reservoir had been empty for some time. Whitehurst further explains that the University of Utah received a loan to fill the old reservoir and turn the land into a conservation area. 

Much larger metropolitan areas are also playing their role in promoting sustainability by creating and refurbishing green spaces within city limits.  In her new book, Boston's Gardens & Green Spaces, local author Meg Muckenhoupt discusses different green space within the city of Boston. With very low cost maintenance fees and little liability, these areas are perfect for protecting our wildlife and the environment. They also attract further tourism; which in turn generates revenue from ticket or tour sales.

The Commonwealth Challenge

According to President Obama, homes and offices consume 40% of the energy used in the United States.  The Commonwealth Challenge is a grassroots campaign to reduce that consumption here in Massachusetts.  The Commonwealth Campaign aims to sign up 3,000 Massachusetts residents to pledge to reduce their electricity consumption by 5% by Earth Day on April 22, 2010.  This can be done by taking part in a energy audit or by simply pledging to be more cognizant of your energy usage.  Sign the petition today and be a part of the growing sustainable movement here in Massachusetts!