The city of Boston, Massachusetts is one of the most historically significant in the entire United States. From the Boston Tea Party to the famous ride of Paul Revere, Boston was a focal point for America in its fight for Independence from the British. Well known as a center for higher education, Boston and the immediate surrounding area is the home of Harvard, MIT, Boston University, Northeastern and dozens of other colleges and universities. It is also a very beautiful and picturesque city. While there is widespread consensus that it is important to keep Boston beautiful, talk is not enough. Following are 5 ways Boston could be more environmentally friendly.
Alternative Transportation
The city of Boston could pass a law requiring more use of environmentally positive modes of transportation. They would reward good behavior and penalize non-compliance. You don't have to drive a car to get around the city. Cars are a major source of air pollution and discouraging their use could have a very positive effect on the environment. Boston has a very good public transportation system that can get you just about anywhere you want or need to go. Instead of driving, you could decide to take the "T" (Boston's subway system) when traveling around Boston and the surrounding cities. Buses can move a large number of people in a much more efficient way than an automobile. As a college town, taking a bike to get from point A to point B, is pretty common and it is environmentally friendly. Finally, Boston is a great walking city. Quincy Marketplace, Cambridge and the riverfront are great places to take a stroll and leave the car behind.
Driving Fuel Efficient Cars
Boston could have an incentive system for driving more fuel efficient cars. They might offer free parking if you have a fuel efficient car or give you a break on your city taxes. Most people still need to drive. If you are going to drive around the city, think about replacing your gas guzzling SUV with a more efficient, smaller car. If you can get 30 miles per gallon, you'll be using less fossil fuel and also saving a bunch of money at the gas pump. Small cars. Hybrid Cars. Electric cars. Buy one and you'll be doing your small part to help Boston be a little more environmentally friendly.
Replace Incandescent Lighting with High Efficiency Lighting
The city of Boston could require all buildings to have energy efficient
lighting or you could get fined.
This is a very simple way to have a big impact on energy usage in
Boston. Lighting technology has been advancing rapidly in recent years.
Those "twisty" light bulbs are now selling for much more affordable
prices then when they were first introduced. Fluorescent lighting
consumes far less energy than incandescent lighting. The most promising
new lighting that can have a mass appeal is LED lighting. If all the
businesses in the tall buildings in the downtown area eventually
converted to LED lighting, it would take only a small fraction of the
energy it now takes to light up the city.
Recycle
The city of Boston could subsidize recycling making it more worthwhile to be conscientious and recycle. They might double the going rate for aluminum cans or set up special recycling stations where it would be convenient for the general public. Save your cans, save your bottles. Cardboard and newspaper can be recycled. Clothes can be recycled too. Instead of always going for "new", consider quality used merchandise.
Stop Littering!
Heavy fines for littering would discourage the careless practice. The city could hire enforcement agents who would be ready to ticket anyone they caught littering. Take it upon yourself to make an effort to throw your trash in a garbage can. When you see a plastic bottle or a stray candy wrapper, pick it up! Deposit it in the nearest receptacle. Do your part to keep Boston environmentally friendly.
Louise Baker is a freelance journalist and blogger who most recently wrote about online degree programs for the Zen College Life blog.
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.
Continue reading "Guest Post: Green Spaces Provide Great Economic Potential " »
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.
by Dan Burgess, Boston GreenScene's Policy Corner Commentator
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.
Continue reading "Boston GreenScene's Policy Corner: The Green Bank" »
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.
Continue reading "Pearl Diving: The Joy of Washing Dishes" »
Article Categories
