Image by Tara Holmes

On June 1st, three tornadoes touched down in western Massachusetts during a surprise series of storms, leaving a wake of destruction and confusion. Massachusetts, not known for tornadoes, is now beginning to rethink state policies surrounding severe weather preparation and emergency response.

ReBuild Western Massachusetts, a program developed by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) and administered in partnership with the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), was announced on August 4th and will distribute more than $8 million to help building owners affected by the tornadoes rebuild using energy efficiency practices and renewable energy technologies. Eligible participants include those who can document damage caused by the June 1 storms, and who own buildings in communities in Hampden and Worcester Counties, including: Agawam, Westfield,… [view entry]

It’s that time of year again: flowers, green grass, open windows and local events! Cambridge is taking advantage of renewed springtime energy and is hosting Climate Change Week 2011, a citizen initiative, endorsed by the Cambridge City Council. Events will be taking place May 13th through the 21st during the City’s Go Green Month, with events all across Cambridge. The mission of the week is to encourage residents and the city to join together in celebration of local climate-related accomplishments and proceed with clarity to a better, greener future. A list of events and volunteer opportunities can be found here. Hope to see you there!

This is a busy week for the Earth.  One year ago today, the BP Deepwater Horizon spill took place, killing 11 rig workers while leaving a massive wake of environmental and social devastation, impacts of which are still being felt today.  What have we learned one year after such a monumental tragedy?  Friday, April 22nd, marks the 41st anniversary of Earth Day and I’m honestly not certain how much we’ve learned.  BP’s profits are strong and plans to resume deepwater drilling in the Gulf continue while many in Congress adamantly deny climate change even exists.  In fact, just last week, the US Senate and House of Representatives stood at a near stand-still over budget cuts to public programs, like the EPA.

Still, all hope might not be lost for the… [view entry]

Oftentimes, I find myself wondering: what green happenings are taking place in and around Cambridge and Boston?  If you have similar sentiments, there are a number of leads that might satisfy your curiosity.

A smart place to start is, of course, the Cambridge Energy Alliance Community Events Calendar, but on the off-chance you still can’t find what you’re looking for, there is still hope!

Whether you’re interested in a weekend afternoon outing, or changing your transit habits, look no further.  The City of Cambridge has designated May, 2011 as “Go Green Month” and the third week of May as “Climate Change Week.” During the month of May, (and hyper-concentrated in the week from May 13th to 22nd), you can find an array of local activities including nature walks, talks,… [view entry]

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]

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]

The EPA recently announced the winners of its Smart Growth Awards program, a program that ranks national cities and communities on metrics of green development and environmental design sensitivity.  The program also ranks urban planning elements such as density and compact community development.  The recent winners are: Portland, Oregon, San Francisco, NYC, Baltimore and 20 rural Maine communities. NYC came out on top this year with increased bike paths and carved out public spaces as key improvements. “New York City has achieved a relatively small carbon footprint, given its size, through its commitment to creating compact and walkable neighborhoods” the EPA said.

Portland won EPA recognition for its “Making the Greatest Place” growth plan which “…calls for maintaining connections with nature, preserving existing neighborhoods, strengthening employment and industrial… [view entry]

What would you do if your doorbell rang on Halloween and instead of saying “trick or treat!” your visitors handed you a new, curly-cue light bulb (or two)? This year’s Halloween saw an event that was a brand new take on the usual compact fluorescent light bulb canvasses that the CEA hosts.  We are thrilled to see that this creative event went off without a hitch, and that it has set a great precedent for following years!

Please see below for the post featured on the Green Medford blog:

A group of us from Green Medford and Fletcher Green (a Tufts graduate student group) trolled the streets around the Columbus School last night–Halloween evening–handing out bags of treats to delighted and laughing residents at 84 addresses. People… [view entry]

The Cambridge Energy Alliance has participated in many CFL exchange canvasses. On a chosen day, we and volunteers head out into neighborhoods and knock on doors, offering to give an equal number of CFLs for the number of regular light bulbs a household will hand us. As a special treat with Halloween approaching, Green Medford has announced an event that is a new take on this idea.

From the Green Medford blog:

Hi all! I want to share with you a very fun idea and ask for your help in making it a big success!

We’re calling our event “Reverse Trick or Treat,” thought up by JR Siegel, a student at the Fletcher School and a Medford resident. The idea is for a bunch of residents to… [view entry]