For those of you itching to see some good, quality short films on everything from climate change, to sustainable, local farming to climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for charity, then look no further — the Wild & Scenic Film Festival is in Boston March 25th and 26th!

The event, sponsored by e-inc, consists not only of the film festival itself, but a series of panels, fund-raising events and guest speakers, including Robin Young, host of WBUR’s “Here and Now”.  Panelists include: David Cash, Undersecretary of Policy, Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs; Howard Herzog, Senior Engineer, MIT Energy Initiative; Namrita Kapur, Director Corporate Partnership, Environmental Defense Fund; and Alexander Taft, Climate Officer, National Grid.  There will also be a locavore tasting menu of foods and wine… [view entry]

Residents of Cambridge, MA were introduced to a new opportunity on February 8th, 2011. Energy efficiency is on the minds of renters, condominium owners, and homeowners alike as the environmental, financial, and physical benefits become more prominently appreciated. Usually when energy efficiency information is available, it is more general and further discussion with specific professionals is suggested, since the process of making home energy efficiency improvements is tailored to unique home and ownership characteristics and often entails several detailed levels of complexity. On February 8th, those professionals were brought together in one place for an evening of sequential enlightenment for curious attendees, with an added bonus of networking amongst their industry peers and less-assumed partners, Green real estate agents.

When the Cambridge Energy Alliance and Coldwell Banker Agents Amy Tighe and Robin… [view entry]

Many Massachusetts residents want to live in a healthy and thriving green community, but don’t know how or where to start considering many of the broader environmental challenges that are so vast they can be paralyzing. With such a wide assortment of programs, subsidies and rebates, it can be a challenge for Massachusetts residents to stay on top of state and local energy efficiency options available to them [even though some communities have organizations like CEA to help navigate].

One useful state-wide resource was established under the Green Communities Act, which was signed into law by Governor Patrick in July 2008 and created the Green Communities Division within DOER to serve as the hub for all cities and towns on all matters related to energy. The Green Communities Act established… [view entry]

A recent Sierra Club magazine article illustrates, in a unique diagram, how the United States, with 4.5% of the world’s population, is responsible for nearly 20% of global carbon dioxide emissions.  In fact, state by state, U.S. CO2 output equals that of entire countries, as illustrated on the map.  Data are from the 2007 U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Feel like banging your head against the wall each time you try to discuss climate change with someone you know? Below is a highly valuable blog entry that was spawned from climate change concensus-building expert Larry Susskind‘s participation in a CEA/HEET-sponsored event. Here, Mr. Susskind thoroughly discusses how best to communicate with those who are critical of climate change’s legitimacy. Ultimately you must work around confrontation by facts, to get to the heart of concerns for each conversation partner. If you have been experiencing difficulty communicating with skeptics in your life, this is a blog for you.

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From Larry Susskind’s blog, The Consensus Building Approach:

On Wednesday, November 10th, I had an opportunity to speak to a packed room of students and community residents at Harvard College seeking… [view entry]

On December 29th, Massachusetts officials announced a state-wide plan to cut heat-trapping carbon gases emitted by homes, cars and businesses in the state by 25 percent below 1990 levels over the next decade.  The targets set by the plan are the highest allowed under climate legislation passed by the state in 2008 and among the most stringent in the nation.  This aligns Massachusetts with states like California and New Mexico, who have already announced similar action.

The Massachusetts plan relies mainly on existing programs such as energy-efficiency standards for building construction, renewable-energy mandates and curbs in the electricity sector under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, of which Massachusetts is a signatory.  Ian Bowles, the state’s energy and environmental secretary, highlighted that… [view entry]

In a breaking news article, the Boston Globe reported that the Boston Water and Sewer Commission is releasing polluted water into area rivers, including the Charles, Neponset and Mystic, all of which flow into Boston Harbor.  Massachusetts US Attorney Carmen Ortiz and the Environmental Protection Agency’s New England office alleged the Commission is acting in violation of the federal Clean Water Act.  Federal agencies are poised to take legal action in February following an official lawsuit by the Conservation Law Foundation.  CLF said the lawsuit “documents serious failures in the system that are allowing ongoing unlawful pollution of Boston’s waterway.”  A statement by the Boston Water and Sewer Commission evaded direct mention of the allegation commenting “We have no comments on the specifics, however, the commission takes its… [view entry]

As delegates, politicians and heads of NGOs from around the world gather in Cancun, Mexico this week and next for the COP16 conference, the follow-up to the climate talks in Copenhagen, or COP15, many are wondering what will result from these talks, and more importantly, what, if any, internationally binding climate contracts will be made.  Many speculate that any progress at COP16 will be frozen by continued immobility on the parts of China and the United States, who held their own separate talks earlier this fall, however refuse to budge on overarching climate agreements unless the other moves first.

Reports have suggested that the Cancun talks are only a stepping stone to the 2011 conference in South Africa with little tangible action expected to result.  Nevertheless, climate change must be… [view entry]

In a recent post by GOOD, a detailed breakdown of 2008 energy consumption in the US illustrates the range of energy use across the country by state. According to this data, Massachusetts comes in with 1.00 – 1.49 quadrillion BTUs of total energy consumption, while California or Texas, for example, come in at more than 2.50 each. The graph also breaks down total energy consumption by person, or per capita.  How does your state measure up?

The Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, located in the town of Vernon on the boarder of Massachusetts and Vermont, has been a topic of environmental concern and debate for many years.  On Sunday, November 7th, the plant shut down due to a cooling water leak, but was back online to the New England grid early next Thursday morning.

Local residents and politicians, fearing the dated, aging plant could lead to potential nuclear disaster, have been pushing to permanently close the plant for years.  In fact, the consensus in the Vermont Legislature is that Vermont Yankee should be closed when its 40-year license expires in March, 2012.  Entergy, the Louisiana-based power company that owns the plant, has since put the reactor on the market as of last week given the continued… [view entry]