Boston GreenScene

Explore the Changing Tide of Recycling’s Future

NERC’s Fall Conference, November 3 & 4, 2010

Interested in learning about changes on the horizon for recycling and waste management? Then plan on attending the Northeast Recycling Council Fall Conference. Complete agenda details are available online at www.nerc.org

When: November 3 – 4, 2010
Where: Hotel Northampton, Northampton, Massachusetts
Other Event Information: Register now for this exciting gathering at www.nerc.org Exhibit space and sponsorship opportunities are available.
Contact:  Mary Ann Remolador, NERC’s Assistant Director & Conference Organizer, (802) 254-3636 or maryann@nerc.org.

 

Boston Event: Down 2 Earth

 

Down 2 Earth, a Boston sustainable living expo, is one of the largest green business events in the city. According to their website, D2E is: "An exploration into sustainable living.  As a community of savvy consumers and responsible businesses, we can effect major change. And that’s what D2E is all about. Our sponsors, exhibitors and advisory board are committed to exploring how we can live well for ourselves and our planet."

We hear great things about the D2E expo and are looking forward to checking out all of the sustainable businesses in the Boston area.  Hope you see you there!  

Who: You and your friends

When: Friday, April 9th to Sunday, April 11th

Where: Hynes Convention Center

Cost: $10 adults, $8 students & seniors 

Contect: www.d2eboston.com

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

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

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.

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.

Pew Environment Group Leads Campaign to End Overfishing - Add Your Voice by June 8!

From the Editor's Desk

In partnership with Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen’s Association and Midcoast (Maine) Fishermen’s Association, the Pew Environment Group is rallying public support for a new 'sector management' approach being developed by the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC)  to replace the current failed fishery management system.

The New England groundfish fishery would be more economically and environmentally sound if the system used to manage the activities of commercial fishermen was changed from regulations based on “days-at-sea” to annual catch limits, according to a report released by the Pew Environment Group. In addition, the new system would give declining populations of the region’s iconic species like cod and flounder a chance to rebuild, providing a sustainable future for the industry.

Under the proposed new sector management system, community-based, fishermen run co-ops (sectors) would follow three simple guidelines:

• They implement science-based catch limits to promote rebuilding of fish populations and prevent overfishing;
• They incorporate monitoring so fishermen and regulators know exactly how much is being caught so that fishing stops once catch limits have been reached; and
• They are allocated their own share of the annual catch limit; while respecting catch limits, sectors provide fishermen with the flexibility to set their own fishing guidelines so they can run their businesses more efficiently and profitably.

On June 23-25, federal fisheries managers will vote on adopting sector management and annual catch limits for the groundfish fishery. The period for public comment, however, ends June 8.

The Pew Environmental Group needs our help to make sure the National Marine Fisheries Service and NEFMC knows that the public supports sector management and annual catch limits that hold all fishermen accountable for their catch.

Your voice counts! Click here to submit your comments supporting sectors, monitoring, and annual hard catch limits for the entire groundfish fleet by June 8, 2009.

(Read more in op-eds from The Boston Globe and South Coast Today.)

Documentary "Seeing Through the Fence" hits Boston

Filmmaker Eleni Vlachos is bringing her documentary Seeing Through the Fence to Boston!

The film - described as providing a philosophical look at ethics, sustainability, and our food sources - has gotten rave reviews from such folks as the University of Pittsburgh, the Toronto Animal Rights Society, the Feminist Review, and the UNC Center for Global Initiatives. The Athens Banner-Herald called it "quite often funny" and "poignant and warm."

Vlachos has been touring nationwide since September 2008. So far, she
has screened the documentary at over 50 universities from Duke
to Stanford. Now, Boston sustainability advocates have a chance to see for themselves!

May 12, 2009
My Thai Vegan Cafe, 3 Beach Street, Boston, MA
Dinner: 5:30PM, Screening: 7:00PM, Q&A with Eleni Vlachos: 8:00PM
(Dinner Buffet: $15.00, Screening: FREE)

Questions? Reach out to Eleni personally:

Eleni / 919.358.2061
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Email: porchlifeproductions@gmail.com
Doc:   www.porchlifeproductions.com
Band: www.myspace.com/belovedbinge
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/4owh8x

Highlighted Boston Green Event: Bay State Bike Week!

From the Editor's Desk

May 11 - 17, 2009

May is National Bike Month and Massachusetts is celebrating!
Visit Boston GreenScene's 'Events' page for more information and registration links.