Did you know that you have the option to choose who makes your electricity? Since deregulation in 1997, NSTAR no longer generates electricity. This is why there are separate charges on your utility bill for generation and distribution.
One of the hopes of utility deregulation in the late 90s was that it would allow for market forces to create a cleaner energy supply. The idea was that if customers were not forced to buy energy from their local utility they might express demand for less damaging electricity generation. Many academics and environmentalists were worried though, that consumers would instead focus on cost and become blind to other energy attributes, or remain ignorant of the specific ties and between power generation and the environment. This belief seems well-founded since more… [view entry]
April is National Garden Month, so get out there and get grubby! It’s an excellent way to get some Vitamin D, and fresh produce. Larger plantings or vines may also shade your home from the brutal sun of summer.
If you don’t have a yard, consider container gardening or applying for a plot in a community garden. Either way, you may want to take advantage of the city’s annual rain barrel sale so that you can water your plants with no-cost chlorine-free water. You can also feed your plants for free with compost available during normal recycling center hours (T&R 4–7:30PM and S 9–4PM) thanks to the city’s compost program and the local businesses and homeowners who contribute their food waste.
If you are lucky enough to… [view entry]
Energy planning ought to be about avoiding problems and seizing collective opportunities. Cities (and nations) have problems when there is not enough energy available at a reasonable price. And, if they could get their act together, cities, regions, states and countries could reduce wasteful patterns of energy use and take advantage of “greener” energy production technologies that reduce costs of all kinds—especially environmental cost—and increase energy independence (i.e. reducing our dependence on “foreign” oil). Energy planning is about figuring out the best way to match energy supply and energy demand in sustainable ways. It gets complicated, though, because different groups have their own ideas about (1) the desirability of relying on various sources of energy; (2) the desirability of relying primarily on markets to set prices, encourage technology innovation and meet long-term… [view entry]
A New Scientist report highlights the dramatic differences between consumers’ perception of a company’s “greenness” and reality.
New Scientist investigated consumer perception via a 2008 Earthsense survey of consumer ratings, and compared those numbers to each company’s Trucost score, the estimated cost of its environmental impact as a percentage of its annual revenue. The resulting infographic is striking: you can see a clear divide between consumer perception and real performance of certain companies.
A few examples which standout are potentially perceived as being greener than they are Discovery Communications, whose environment-focused television programming probably influences consumer opinions, and Whole Foods Market, although the article defends them by pointing out that they haven’t yet released all of their emissions data.
On the flip side, some companies rated by… [view entry]
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In case you had to work yesterday, and were unable to make the Environmental League of Massachusetts‘ Democratic Senate candidate forum1 at BU, we’ve managed to scrounge up some coverage of the debate. Although a live webcast was available, an archived stream does not seem to be however, NECN has a few minutes of video along with their summary. WBUR also has a brief, if blasé write-up, whereas the Globe’s article at Boston.com includes some colorful quotes.
The Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters—not to be confused with ELM above, but co-sponsors of yesterday’s debats—has compiled a set of resources which you may find useful in evaluating which candidate to vote for.
P.S. If you’re not yet registered to vote, applications must be postmarked today in… [view entry]
If you’ve tried all of the of the recent tips on how to keep warm while saving energy, but are still shivering in your boots (you may or may not be wearing boots), then here are some more resources to check out:
Although you could be forgiven for wondering if we even had a summer, it’s clear winter’s just around the corner. Here are some ideas to help you prepare:
Eat spicy food
Drink warm beverages
Use body heat instead of central heating: cuddle
Wear socks/slippers: warm tootsies = warm feelings
For other, more pragmatic tips, see the CEA website.
CEA has received a number of tickets for free general admission to the Museum of Science, and is making them available to interested parties. They will be available for pick-up from CEA’s offices beginning at noon on Friday 9/25, which should be staffed until 7PM on that date. Note: The tickets expire Wednesday 9/30.
Alas, this windfall comes a little late for you to catch Manufactured landscapes, and too early for Running the Numbers: Portraits of Mass Consumption. However, the museum has a number of other interesting exhibits—including several related to energy—as well as a special showing of the new film Food, Inc. on Wednesday at 2; advanced registration required.
The tickets were donated by The WhizKids Foundation, a Cambridge-based non-profit that works with local schools to improve STEM education.
Cambridge born and raised, 19 year old Lily Saporta-Tagiuri was awarded a Fulbright scholarship this summer to study and conduct research in China. Her project focuses on the Chinese awareness of the environmental repercussions that come along with modernization. After several years of studying the language, Lily was able to conduct her research in mandarin, and wrote her final paper in Chinese characters. She is currently in the process of translating her work into English. I had the pleasure of speaking with Lily about her research experience. Below is a short interview:
Q) Do you think the Chinese government is more or less concerned than the U.S. government about the state of it’s country’s natural resources and climate change?
A) This is a difficult call to make and it really depends… [view entry]
In case you missed it in our local paper and you don’t read the Climate Protection Action Committee (May), the Museum of Science is home to a roof-top laboratory for small wind turbines. If you did catch those pieces when they came out, where you aware that there are now five turbines being test?
