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.

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

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.