green news

NEWSLETTER OF GREEN DECADE / NEWTON Over 20 Years of Environmental Leadership 1990 - 2013 VOL.23 - NO. 1

At the Newton Free Library Greening Our Community Series 330 Homer St, Newton 02459

Think natural gas is clean and green? Think again. Gasland is a documentary film that tells the stories of communities where fracking or hydraulic fracturing is extracting natural gas from deep inside the earth. The film shows the health damage and environmental dangers of fracking toxic chemicals, radioactive waste, methane leaks, and polluted air and water. See tap water so contaminated it catches on fire right out of the tap. Gasland was nominated for Best Documentary OSCAR 2011 and it won the Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize. Guided discussion by Ellie Goldberg, Green Decade Advisory Board member will follow the movie.

Gasland: award winning film about fracking

Monday, Jan 7 - 7pm:

Green Decade Announces Environmental Art Contest

JAN/FEB 2013

Monday, Feb 4 - 7pm:

How high will the sea rise?

Melting ice from polar glaciers is threatening millions of people living near coastlines. Journalist Daniel Grossman will discuss the adventures of a crew of rock hunters trying to learn how high the sea might rise. His book about sea level rise was published by TED Books, the series that produces the popular TED Talks. Hell offer thoughts about public opinion on climate change, and prognosticate about chances for new US initiatives to address the issue. Grossman holds a Ph.D. in political science and a B.S. in physics from MIT. He is a Contributing Editor of National Geographics News Watch and contributes frequently to PRIs The World. He is author of Deep Water: As Polar Ice Melts, Scientists Debate How High Our Oceans Will Rise, and coauthor of: A Scientists Guide to Talking with the Media: Practical Advice from the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Daniel Grossman, author

The 2013 theme for Green Decades annual environmental art contest is How our schools can help the environment! The contest is open to students in grades 2 - 5, who live or attend school or after-school programs in Newton. The 2013 poster contest guidelines: Enter as an individual or in teams of 2 children. Entries are limited to 2-dimensional posters - 12x18 maximum Photos & recycled collage materials may be used. Attach entry form to the back of poster. To obtain this form visit www.greendecade.org Entries will be judged according to grade level with one prize awarded in the after-school category. Art entries are due to be delivered to one of the following locations by Friday, March 1, 2013: The Newton Cultural Center, 225 Nevada St. Newton The Mayors Office at City Hall, 1000 Commonwealth Ave, Newton Centre 02459 The New Art Centre, 61 Washington Park, Newtonville 02460 Green Planet Kids, 22 Lincoln St, Newton Highlands Student winners will be notified by email by March 15, 2013. The awards ceremony will be held on Tuesday, April 2, 2013 at the Newton Cultural Center. Green Medalists (first place) for each grade level will receive an Energy Smart Newton T-shirt with a $25 gift certificate for art supplies from the Art Loft at Green Planet Kids, and all participants will be recognized. Each student will receive a certificate of participation and all participants will be entered into a raffle to win an Energy Smart Newton T-shirt, with the drawing taking place at the awards ceremony. This years publicity poster is designed by Anna Bogstad, Vikram Konanki and Niki Yeracaris. Lasell College intern, Sabrina Lombardi, is assisting Marcia Cooper to coordinate the contest. Diane Jaquith, Art Specialist at Franklin Elementary has offered to consult. Margaret Ford will Chair the contest Awards Program. The Newton Cultural Center will display the contest art in April 2013. If you have questions or want to volunteer to help coordinate the contest call 617-965-1995 or energycontest@ greendecade.org. by Marcia Cooper

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JAN/FEB 2013

Eco-Project exceeds NSTAR goals

The Newton Eco-Project is partnering with NSTAR to help residents get easy access for rebates and subsidies for home energy efficiency improvements made through the Mass Save Program. The utility sets energy saving goals for each community. In the seventh month of a nine month program, the Newton Eco-Project has already achieved 168% of the kWh goal, saving Newton residents over 400,000 kWh of electricity and 64,300 Therms of gas or 124% of the utility goal. The success of the program relies on home energy assessments facilitated by the Newton Eco-Project that lead to weatherization improvements for insulation, air sealing, hot water heater replacements and boiler system upgrades. These energy savings are accruing toward the Mayors Energy Smart Newton initiative goals of reducing the citys energy consumption 20% by 2020.

Overall, in 2012, Green Decade helped nearly 500 local residents to sign up for the no-cost home energy assessments with Next Step Living. From these sign-ups, there were over 300 scheduled assessments and over 60 completed weatherizations of homes to make them more energy efficient! You can sign up for a no-cost home energy assessment as part of the MASS SAVE NSTAR Program and you may qualify for 75% discounts - up to $2000 off - insulation and air sealing for your home. Renters, homeowners and landlords living in 1-4 unit buildings with Mass NSTAR and/or National Grid accounts are eligible. Our local partner, Next Step Living, will make a $10 donation to Green Decade to support our work after the assessment is completed. Visit: http://nextsteplivinginc.com/gdn/ or call 866867-8729. Please mention Green Decade! by Jay Walter

Beware of Fracking

I view fracking as the current equivalent of coal mining in the early 1900s. It is doing similar damage to the water and the earth, and unfortunately in some of the same areas where strip mining and underground mines did severe damage in earlier times. I grew up in Bethlehem PA, which is adjacent to the coal mining areas of northeast Pennsylvania. Im familiar with the Catskill Mountains, under which lie the Marcellus shale deposits where fracking is currently going on, and there is potential for more. In the Catskills are the headwaters of the Delaware River, whose water supplies industry as well as municipalities, and recreational activities. My parents worked there when they were in college, and they lived on the edge of that area. A lot of hard work has gone into re-planting trees and enforcing laws to require trees to grow to a certain age before the lumber industry can harvest them, especially adjacent to watersheds of all the rivers. Back in the 1800s the Catskills were contaminated by the tanning industry. Gas companies are flooding the TV with ads for clean energy, but gas and coal (another sponsor of the ads) are far from it. I encourage everyone to come to Green Decades program at the Library on January 7th to view the award winning documentary film Gasland to learn about the risks inherent in this method of extracting natural gas from the earth. by Priscilla Leith

Plastic Bag Management

A very special thanks to our hundreds of Green Decade 2012 volunteers!

Green Decade supports a single use ban or fee on plastic bags, along with a fee on paper bags, which has been shown to be effective in encouraging consumers to switch to reusable bags. This approach would greatly benefit the environment, while causing minimum inconvenience for consumers. A growing number of communities have instituted bans or fees to reduce the use of plastic bags, and this approach has led to dramatic reductions in bag use and litter. San Francisco, Santa Monica, and parts of Los Angeles County, Seattle and the entire state of Hawaii are just some of the communities that have banned conventional plastic bags. In Massachusetts, Nantucket and, recently, the Town of Brookline, have also banned plastic bags. Barington, Rhode Islands plastic bag ban will go into effect January, 2013. Washington D.C. enacted a 5 cents fee last January that has proven to have a phenomenal impact: the number of plastic bags handed out by supermarkets and other establishments dropped from the 2009 monthly average of 22.5 million to just 3 million in January. While significantly reducing plastic waste, the tax simultaneously generated $150,000 in revenue, which will be used to clean up the local Anacostia River. Newton currently does not recycle plastic bagsinstead, consumers must bring them back to the store for recycling. Unfortunately, these voluntary programs still leave hundreds of millions of bags that end up in the waste stream as trash, or as litter that scars the landscape and harms wildlife. The recycling rates for plastic bags remain low. Estimates vary from less than 1% to as high as 13%, though the higher figure represents plastic film, as well as bags. The economics of plastic bag recycling is also problematic. It costs less to produce a new bag then to by Alison Leary recycle one.

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Progress for Newtons transportation systems

Newtons new director of transportation, Bill Paille, hit the ground running in September and is bringing his considerable expertise to bear on making our city bicycle and pedestrian friendly. He is working closely with the planning staff along with Bicycle Coordinator Lois Levin, Pedestrian Coordinator Alicia Bowman and Andreae Downs, Chair of the Transportation Advisory Group. He also hired a new transportation engineer, Patrick Baxter, experienced at designing bicycling infrastructure. Newton continues to have an unacceptable accident rate and needs to implement more traffic calming measures, repave damaged roads and improve traffic flow, by eliminating bottlenecks. That sometimes means reducing the number of vehicle laneswhich is counterintuitive, but well documented. Walnut and Centre Streets now have painted bike lanes, although signage and markings are incomplete. We want to educate motorists about sharing the road and keeping out of the bike lanes. Design changes are needed at some intersections to keep bicyclists safe and motor traffic flowing. Recent fatal accidents in greater Boston have once again made it clear that our roads must be designed to address the safety of bicyclists; this is literally a matter of life and death. Newton can do this at very low cost as long as residents come to appreciate the benefits of Complete Streets, which serve all users, and become less averse to reallocating parking in certain places. The fear of being inconvenienced by having to walk a bit further to get to ones destination should never be justification for endangering bicyclists and pedestrians. The Transportation Advisory Group (TAG) approved the revised Bicycle Network Plan in November. The Plan is grounded in a strong environmental ethic. It is posted on the city website, (see Planning/Boards and Commissions). The Bicycle Advisory Group, a TAG subcommittee, would like you to read it and provide feedback. We are sharing safety information in local media and creating a flyer to be delivered with vehicle excise tax bills about how to drive with bikes on the road. $1 million per annum is earmarked for Transportation in the Mayors override proposal. Although that is not much for a city with 310 miles of paved streets, we are heartened that improving our transportation infrastructure and implementing the Bicycle Network Plan is a mayoral priority. Please remember to vote for the override in March. The city is seeking sponsors for Hubway, Bostons very successful bike sharing program, to expand to Newton. This program will accelerate our efforts to create safer conditions on streets where bicyclists will be traveling between docking stations, such as Hammond St, the route to the Chestnut Hill T stop from Boston College. Driven largely by environmental concerns, the city has committed to drafting a policy plan related to Parking. There will be pilot projects soon in one or two villages.

Parking has been a contentious issue, but there are proven ways to improve it that we have not yet tried, such as pricing it appropriately. There are many myths to dispel about parking. Newton has ample space for parking; the challenge is to manage it effectively. Alicia Bowman, TAGs pedestrian coordinator, has been walking the villages with residents and merchants to develop ideas for improving pedestrian safety and the walkability of our commercial centers--starting with pedestrian improvements in Newtonville. Andreae Downs, Chair of TAG is working with Chris Steele, Chair of the Newton Economic Development Commission, to enroll merchants in Green Streets, a program that provides incentives for walking, biking, using public transit or carpooling (instead of driving solo) on the last Friday of each month. by Lois A Levin

Students for a Greener World: Roz Aronow, Celia and Isabel Snyder, Michael Han and Niki Yeracaris (inside Giraff-a-pillar) celebrate the 3 Rs with Solomon Schechter Extended Day students.

Students for a Greener World

Back in October 2012, Hope Rathnam, art specialist at Solomon Schecter Day Schools (SSDS) Extended Day Program reached out to Students for a Greener World (SGW) about environmental projects for their K-3 after-school groups. SGWs Outreach Committee and Hope came up with a pilot series of three activities focusing on Recycling (December), Energy (January) and Animals (February). On December 5, six SGWs, Hope, SSDS Lower School Site Coordinator Elise Blanken and other teachers coordinated the students into 3 teams -- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle -- and led them through a rowdy version of the 3 Rs Song, followed by the Magic Recycled Box Workshop and Recycled Obstacle Course. The lively participants sped through the race course of repurposed large Lego blocks, foam noodles, boxes, hula hoops and colored balls before slithering through the Giraff-a-pillar tube. Magic recycled boxes and other materials became a DVD player, a doll bed, green refrigerator complete with juice, milk and other goodies, and other works of art. At press time, SGWs were designing the January and February workshops and looking forward to returning to SSDS, then taking the road show to other school groups! by Margaret Ford

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JAN/FEB 2013 and other waste reduction means such as single-stream recycling and juice pouch re-purposing.

Composting at Burr School

Compost at Burr Elementary in Auburndale has been feeding the Burr Garden for the last few years nowpart of the Burr Loves our Planet (BLOP Fridays) initiative. Last year, the 5th Grade Leadership team successfully implemented composting with collection taking place in both the cafeteria and the classroom. Outreach and education were crucial elements. The 5th Grade Green Team started by giving informational overviews of recycling and composting in each classroom, and left behind a plant and a box of bags for students to collect their snack scraps in for daily delivery to the compost bin located in the garden. The team then went on to volunteer in the cafeteria to help students better understand what could be recycled and composted. This year, the students have implemented a sustainable process to ensure that collection takes place all year long.

Green Leaders for the future and what it means to students

How it works

Most importantly, this program gives 5th Graders a chance to learn about and practice green leadership skills in their community. Fifth- Grade Green Team Leader and teacher, Liz Moran, says Our Green Team 5th graders are really motivated and want to make a difference. You can see how excited they are to get involved. The students have so many ideas that they want to put into action at Burr! 3rd Grade teacher and co-Leader, Lynette Lawton, adds It has been so wonderful watching the 5th grade students take ownership of the Burr School Green Team. What began as a parent/teacher committee has now evolved into a 5th grade leadership program. The students are motivated to learn about green initiatives and educate their peers. by Eric Bobby

For the cafeteria, staff set up a compost collection bin lined with a plastic shopping bag. After 3rd lunch, 5th grade leaders dump the bag the in the compost bin and dispose of the plastic liner. For the classrooms, some teachers have created jobs such as Environmental Engineer with the responsibility of taking classroom scraps to the bin each day. In other classes, teachers have purchased compost crocks/ bins for their classroom, still relying on students to empty their contents.

It was an elegant and enjoyable dinner party prepared and served to the lucky highest auction item bidders of Green Decades May Celebration. Brooke Lipsitt and Barbara Herson graciously donated their cooking and entertaining skills to make it a most memorable dinner for Jay Walter and Joan Mullen, and Keith and Alison Jones Students setup and manage the compost collection bin in the cafeteria

Beware of Pesticides

Results

Results have been good so far, with the waste stream yielding 3-5 pounds of compostable material each day made up of fruit and vegetable wastes. Further, the entire student body actively participates in composting

The compost bin, through the help of worms, has generated nutrient rich soil that is worked into the Burr Vegetable Garden.

Every human tested is found to have pesticides in his or her body fat and pesticides are found in nearly every stream in the US, over 90% of wells, and in urban and agricultural areas over half the groundwater. Dept of Agriculture data show that the average American is exposed to 10 or more pesticides every day, via diet and drinking water. (From: New York Times online Commentary: Pesticides: Now More Than Ever by Mark Bittman - Dec. 11th. To reduce exposure, we recommend buying organic food and refer to the EWGs guide to pesticides in produce. Their Dirty Dozen lists fruits/vegetables with highest pesticide residues, and their Clean Fifteen notes those that are lowest. Let your legislators know you want a regulatory system that protects us, our food and our water from pesticides and other contamination. And support organizations, such as the following, that work to improve safeguards: Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow, Beyond Pesticides, Clean Water Action, Food and Water Watch, Toxics Action Center and Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families.

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Thermal Imaging Identifies Heat Leaks from Your Home

Recycled Logs Burn Cleanly

The Newton EcoProject is collaborating with Sagewell Inc. of Woburn to help Newton residents access thermal images of their homes. Last winter Sagewell made thermal images of homes throughout the city. These images help homeowners see just where their homes leak the most energy, which can inform their efforts to save energy. The images are a real eye opener. With this technology homeowners can actually see energy escaping from their homes. To see an image of your home log into www.sagewell. com, The images, along with a brief report will be prepared for you at no cost to you. by Jay Walter

Thanks for donations go to:

(for contributions received Nov-Dec) FRIENDS: Karen Axelrod, Sandra & David Baird, Elizabeth & Eric Bobby, Susan Cammer , Bonnie & Walter Carter, Cynthia & Harvey Creem, Shawn & Kate Fitzgibbons, Sarah & Christopher Gant, Cathi & Maurice Gilmore, Marcia Gittes, Max Goldsmith, Needham Garden Center, Jean Guttman, Judy Hersh & Tim Rosa, Christopher Hill & Susan Flicop, Shirlee Isenberg, Ronda & Joshua Jacobson, Gus Kiley & Claire Nivola, Susan Korn & Eliot Bolan, Maureen Lanan & Patrick Otton, Elsa & Tom Lawrence, Alison Leary, Karen Lourence & Tom Humphrey, Robin & Richard Maltz, Rosemarie Mullin & Tom Friedman, Susan Permut & Hana Dembe, Kathy Pillsbury & Cindy Marshall, Brenda & Pete Roberts, Eleanor & Jay Rosellini, Don Ross & Jeanne Martin, Renata & Ed Selig, Sharon Sevransky & Jeff Goldman, Chagit Steiner, Carolyn Stone & Allan Kohrman, Don & Ellen Ward DONORS: Dr. Charles Abele & Dr. Melanie Mathies, Michael & Winnie Atkin, Mary Bell & Bill Joplin, Jane Brown, Ted & Bev Chapman, Jack Cheng, Ed & Jenny Craddock, Fred Gordon, Stanley Mescon & Val Treloar, Anne Salant, Peter & Helen Smith, Gilbert K. Woolley & Carole Simon PATRONS: Larry & Pat Burdick, Marcia Cooper & Jeff Rosenberg, Sharon Cushing, Sunwoo Kahng & Peter Boberg, Myron & Roberta Rosenberg, Mindy & Mark Sieber BENEFACTOR: Hugh Wilkinson BUSINESS BENEFACTOR: Next Step Living Inc

As the weather turns chilly, theres nothing better than lighting a cozy wood fire in your fireplace or wood storeunless its lighting a cozy log made from recycled materials. Duraflame has been touting a new all-natural firelog made from recycled materials that they claim produces just a quarter of the air pollutants that come from burning natural wood. In other words, their manufactured logs are better for the environment than real wood. Helen Suh MacIntosh, an environmental health professor at Harvard University, reviewed Duraflames information for TreeHugger.com and agreed that manufactured logs are more environmentally friendly than cut firewood for several reasons. They use recycled sawdust and renewable plant-based waxes in their manufacturing, which means that fewer trees need to be felled. Furthermore, tests show that logs from Duraflame and its competitor Java Logs, release fewer harmful emissions -- particulates, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, benzene, dioxin and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons -- than cut wood. So manufactured logs are better for the air quality in your home, and in your neighborhood, than real wood. Local environmental agencies around the country have been recommending people choose logs rather than logs for their fireplaces. If you do like to burn real wood, there are steps you can take to take to reduce harmful emissions: Burn only clean wood that has been split and dried (seasoned) for at least six months. Burn denser hardwoods rather than softwoods. Make smaller, hotter fires, rather than large, smoldering fires. Keep your stove or fireplace clean of ashes and make sure the chimney is cleaned and inspected annually. by Jack Cheng

Got Energy? FREE light bulbs!

Since January Green Decade helped 360 local residents to sign up for the no-cost home energy assessments with Next Step Living. Sign up

for your assessment today at: www.nextstepliving.com/gdn/

Thanks ! and next newsletter deadline

For the next newsletter, please send submissions by e-mail to Ira Krepchin, irapk@alum.mit.edu, by Mon, Sept 24, 2012. Thanks for making this newsletter possible to Managing Editor Ira Krepchin, Editor Peter Smith and article authors. Many thanks to our newsletter mailing volunteers Marcia Cooper, Sharon Cushing & Naomi Osher.

Our mission is to create an environment in better balance with the natural world by making significant, measurable improvements in the way we use resources. Goals include helping households, businesses and institutions to: Increase energy efficiency & seek alternatives to fossil/nuclear fuels; Use IPM and organic alternatives to pesticides; Promote high performance (green) building measures; Prevent pollution through source reduction and reduced consumption; Promote reuse and recycling practices; Improve waste disposal practices; Conserve water and other resources. Our programs are designed to build awarness, promote opportunities for public dialogue and educate and empower citizens to take personal and civic action.

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JAN/FEB 2013

A new initiative of Green Decade Newton for 2013 will be to encourage Newton residents to switch from NStars default energy package, which contains only 7 percent of its supply from renewable sources, to an alternate supplier. Under Massachusetts regulations it is easy to switch the supplier of your power to another source without cost. You continue to get the same electric bill from NStar it simply lists the new supplier you chose. You continue to pay the same charges to NStar for delivering the power. And you can switch back at any time if youre not satisfied. Several alternative suppliers are available. They are listed at a link on Nstars website. http://www. nstaronline.com/residential/competitive_supply/about. asp Click on a link in the left hand column that says: Competitive Suppliers. Then click the button that says: Rate Number and choose: 01. Click: Submit, that will give you the list of 12 companies which supply residential customers. Not all offer green power. Examples that serve residences with green power are Viridian (with an option for 27% green power from a variety of sources from wind to biomass and an option for 100% power from wind) and Easy Energy (50% and 100% green options). If you believe, as we do, that its essential to shift our electric power generation away from fossil fuel if we are to mitigate climate change, then changing to an alternative supplier that supplies green power is the easiest way to follow through. Green Decade will step up the effort to encourage renewable power next year, but why wait? Pick an alternative supplier, go there online, and they will make the switch for you. Each one offers different rates. For comparison purposes, the NSTAR monthly variable rates for only 7% green in cents per kilowatt hour for Jan. 2013 will be 7.921 cents/kwhr. Green power is affordable. Viridians December variable rate for 27% green is 6.99 cents, 100% is 8.49 cents. Easy Energys December rate for 50% green is 9.45 cents; 100% is 11.20 cents. NSTARs variable rate for 50% green is 10.375 cents and 100% is 13.46 cents. by Jim Purdy, Energy Committee Chair

An Easy Way to Support Renewable Power

Please join or renew for 2013!

online @: www.greendecade.org
It is time to RENEW your Green Decade membership for 2013, unless youve already done so. Green Decade
continues to assist residents and businesses conserve energy by facilitating hundreds of energy assessments. We also work on recycling and sustainable transportation options, while collaborating with the Newton Energy Commission and City leaders in the Energy Smart Newton initiative that aims to reduce Newtons energy use 20% by 2020. Green Decade Programs that rely on your support include: The Environmental Art Contest for Newtons elementary school students; The Newton Eco Project, which helps residents reduce their carbon footprints; The annual Green Solutions Expo, which promotes green business practices; The Greening Our Community Series, which brings environmental expert speakers to the Newton Public Library. When renewing please consider giving an additional donation or gift membership at http://www.greendecade. org/membershippage.html or visit our membership page to print the membership form and mail with your check made out to GD/N, to PO Box 590242, Newton, MA 02459. For more info, e-mail membership@greendecade.org We are very grateful for your continuing support. With best wishes for the New Year! Marcia Cooper, President, Green Decade Newton

Local contacts for Viridian are Green Decade board members Peter Smith 617 233-6071, psmith@igc.org; or Mindy Sieber 617 969-1029, mg.sieber@rcn.com. Local contact for Easy Energy is Maura OGara 617 750-4329 maura@massenergy.org
Printed with soy-based ink on 100% post-consumer waste unbleached recycled paper that is made without a chemical separation process.

Jessica Avery, at large Ann Berwick, at large Eric Bobby, at large Al Calderone, at large Jack Cheng, at large Marcia Cooper, President Sharon Cushing, Treasurer Michele Davis, Energy Lucia Dolan, Clerk, Transportation Paul Eldrenkamp, at large Ira Krepchin, Newsletter Lois Levin, Transp; EnvEditorTAB Jean MacRae, at large Ken Mallory, at large Eric Olson, at large Jim Purdy, Vice Pres, Energy Myron Rosenberg, Development Dan Ruben, Chairperson Mindy Sieber, at large Peter Smith, Newsletter; Chamber Elaine Vildzius, at large

Board of Directors

Karen Albert Ana Zarina Asuaje Solon, Louise Bruyn, Past Pres. Sheila Clawson David & Elva Del Porto Bev Droz, Past President Dianne Dumanoski Kevin Dutt, Public Affairs Katherine Gekas Bonnie Glickman,EcoTeams Ellie Goldberg Fred Gordon, MCAN Bd. Barbara Herson, Past Pres. Sunwoo Kahng Francoise LaMonica,NewTV Brooke Lipsitt Matt Pawa Annabelle Ship Rohna Shoul Heather Tausig Maeve Ward

Advisory Board

617 965-1995

e-mail: info@greendecade.org

www.greendecade.org