Click HERE to review the Budget Conference Committee Briefing.
From the desk of Representative Denise Provost
Written by Administrator
Monday, 22 June 2009
SOMERVILLE/STATE SIDE
An e.newsletter from
State Representative Denise Provost
Special “World
Environmental Day” Edition
Vol. 3, No. 5
June
10, 2009
Earth Day is in
April, and World Environmental Day in June gives us additional weeks of Earth
Awareness. Like last month’s successful “Living Green Festival” organized by
Somerville Climate Action, there should be ongoing opportunities for us in
Somerville to move toward more sustainable living. Look for some of that
information in this newsletter, and in future ones.
If you no longer wish
to receive this newsletter, please let me know. If you've changed your email
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Despite the
appearance of Topica's subscription page, there is no need to provide personal
information in order to subscribe to the newsletter. In fact, you don’t even
need to go to the Topica site - just reply to the email to confirm your
subscription request.
A.Focus on the Environment
1. Bringing Efficiency
Home
2. Reduce Waste, Recycle – With Help from Soil Cycle
B. Events
1. Smart, Clean,
and Green Infrastructure Show & Tell:
Local
Practitioners
C. Job opportunities 1. CLF position 2. CAAS Finance Director
A.
Focus on the Environment
1.
Bringing Efficiency Home
At
budget time this year, I found myself wondering, how much is the electric bill
for the State House? Out of which budget is it paid? Do we really have to have
all these lights and computers on all the time?
About
the same time, my husband heard a speaker who offered tips about energy
efficiency that went beyond all his previous research. I invited that speaker,
Laura Kischitz, to come to the State House, and gave her information-packed
presentation. Her newsletter, which I have included below, gives some excellent
resources. I’ll also be scheduling her to come to Somerville for a presentation
in October: stay tuned.
Are
you ready to save money, energy, and the
planet?
This
quarterly newsletter will give you practical solutions to help you reduce
your electricity, energy, and use of single-use disposable items. The best
part is that in choosing to take action, you will save yourself a lot of
money, too. Be sure to let us know what you think of the information,
products, and solutions we offer.
Save a kilowatt and maybe a
mountain...
Take a look at
your electric bill and ask yourself, do you have an opportunity to save
money and electricity . . . and maybe even a mountain?
If your bill is equivalent to the 2007 national average in America, you are
likely consuming about 936 kilowatt hours per month (according to the
Department of Energy). According to the Environmental Defense Fund,
coal is providing 55% of our electricity needs in the United States.
The burning of
coal is the single largest source of the global warming pollutant, carbon
dioxide. In addition to the damage caused by burning coal for
electricity, extracting the coal also takes an enormous environmental
toll. According to Jeff Barrie, Producer/Director of the movie
"Kilowatt Ours, A Plan to Re-Energize America", one pound of coal
is burned to generate approximately one kilowatt of electricity. To
get the coal, Barrie's film takes you to the quaint hills of West Virginia,
where mountain top removal to extract coal is happening on a daily
basis. In Central and Southern Appalachia, 2500 tons of explosives
are used daily to blow up mountains and remove the coal. As of 2007,
over 450 mountains had been blown up in this region.
So, if learning
this information gets you fired up (pun intended), you can take immediate
action to eliminate wasted electricity in your home. I encourage you
to take the challenge and get your whole family engaged.
Start with the
easy stuff... look for all the electronics in your home that are wasting
electricity when you think the appliance is off. Check all of the
outlets in your home. If you have large "chunky" plugs that
are warm or hot when you touch them, or if you have a clock on an appliance
that you don't use, they are drawing electricity constantly. Unplug
all cell phone chargers, DS chargers, electric keyboards, water fountains,
coffee makers, and whatever else is drawing electricity when the item
should be off. Now look at your computer and entertainment
centers. If you leave your computer and the peripherals on, they are
all drawing electricity all the time.
Consider these
simple solutions to reducing your electricity consumption:
1) SmartStrip
power strip - Automatically shuts off your peripheral devices when you shut
off your computer or TV. SmartStrips even have two "always
live" outlets so you can plug in items (a clock, phone or cable box,
for example) that you want to stay on at all times. Using these
power strips to eliminate energy "vampires" can save an
average of $17.00 per month per computer. Learn more aboutSmart Strip Power Strips
2)
PowerCost Monitor™ is a wireless energy monitor for your home. It can
tell you at a glance how much electricity your home is using from
moment-to-moment and in total and how much it's costing you. It's
a great way for everyone in the household to become more aware of your
power usage and cost, and become involved in reducing that
usage. Learn more about PowerCost Monitors
3) KVAR® Energy Controllers help you reduce electricity
consumption on average 8 -25% by fine tuning electrical systems to
reduce wasted energy from inefficient motors. Homes with pools, hot
tubs, air conditioning, or lots of motors including washing machines,
dishwashers, fans, dryers, refrigerators, freezers, etc. will see a
savings of 6-10% in the first 60 - 90 days, or your money
back. Mention Sustainable Life Solutions when you
call them for a special discount. Learn more about KVAR Energy Controllers
Low Cost &
Low Energy Air Conditioning
Stay cool while
reducing your electric bill. Place a plastic gallon jug filled
two thirds with water in the freezer with the cover off. In an open
window, place a fan blowing into the room you want to cool. Place a 9
x 13 pan on table in front of the fan and put the frozen jug of water in
the pan. Turn on the fan and be amazed at how cool you'll stay with a
fraction of the energy a conventional A/C would
cost. Note: additional benefits are that your freezer will
run more efficiently filled with these gallon jugs and, in a power outage,
they will help your refrigerated and frozen foods stay cold longer.
Additional
information
Here are some
additional books and websites with terrific information to help
you learn more.
Carbon Footprint:
- Low Carbon Diet, by David Gershon, a 30-day
program to lose 5000 (carbon) pounds.
Cleaning Products Safety Issues:
- "Greening the Cleaning" section of the
Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology website
- Poison Profits: The Toxic Assault on our Children, by Alice
and Phillip Shabecoff
General:
- 350.org: To learn more about the reasons reducing
carbon emissions is important!
- Tracking Trash, Loree Griffin Burns (For understanding the
impact of plastics on the earth)
If
you are interested in hosting a "Green Home Party", having
a Home Sustainability Consultation, or planning a "Going Green Around
the Home" event in your community, or becoming an independent Sustainable
Life Solutions consultant, please e-mail us e-mail (
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) for more information or call 617-281-1866.
Sincerely,
Laura Kischitz
President,
Sustainable
Life Solutions
2.
Reduce Waste, Recycle – With Help from Soil Cycle
Almost
one quarter of household waste, by USEPA estimates, could be composted. Not
only is such waste diverted from landfill, the resulting compost is a
nutrient-rich growing medium and fertilizer for plant life. Everything about
compost is a “win” – unless, of course, you live in a small city apartment with
no yard, you don’t garden, or – whatever!
Groundworks
Somerville [www.groundworkssomerville.org] now has a pilot program that allows
anyone in the community to compost. Somerville Soil Cycle is a service that
will provide individuals and small businesses with free weekly pick-up of
compostable waste, and use it to revitalize a city –owned Brownfield site. This
program is youth-run and sustainably powered, with all pick-ups made using a
bike-cart built by Somerville High School Metal Shop students.
March
with us Saturday in Boston’s Pride March, to give enhanced meaning to a
long-time civic slogan. Join our Somerville group this Saturday, June 13, at
11am on the Corner of Rutland and Tremont Streets in Boston’s South End. To
find our group, look for our “Somerville Pride” banner. Help us spread the word
that a Somerville in which any GLBT person can feel safe to be “out” is a
healthier environment for everyone.
2.
Smart, Clean, and Green Infrastructure Show & Tell”: Local Practitioners
Please
join us for a panel of guests “showing” their work and “telling” us how to get
even more smart, clean, and green infrastructure projects on the ground here in
Massachusetts. Networking lunch provided and compelling discussion guaranteed!
What: Panel presentation, discussion, and networking lunch
Who: David Del Porto,
Ecological Engineering Group
Bryan
Glascock, City of Boston
Craig
Lindell, Aquapoint, Inc.
Brent
Reagor, Public Health Director Town of Concord
Carol
Steinfeld, Greenwood Environmental Communications
Bob
Zimmerman, Charles River Watershed Association
The
Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) is hiring a Transportation and Environmental
Justice Advocate. More information about the position can be found at the
following link:
The
Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS) has an opening for a Bilingual
Haitian-Creole/English-speaking Housing and Benefits Advocate.
Under the supervision of the Advocacy Program Director, the Housing and
Benefits Advocate will be a direct advocate for low-income Haitian-Creole and
English speaking Somerville residents in the areas of housing and benefits, as
well as in other arenas affecting the low-income community.
Description of
Advocate’s Duties:
Under
the supervision of the Advocacy Program Director, the Housing and Benefits
Advocate will be a direct advocate for low-income Haitian-Creole and English
speaking Somerville residents in the areas of housing and benefits, as well as
in other arenas affecting the low-income community.The Advocate will assist low-income tenants
by informing them of their rights, advocating for them in court to prevent
evictions, and assisting them to access and maintain safe, sanitary
housing.The Advocate will work closely
with other members of the Advocacy Program, other CAAS staff and outside
organizations, to improve housing and benefits policies and empower low-income
residents on a variety of issues, including tenant organizing.
Qualifications:
Experience
in housing or human services strongly preferred.Candidates must be able to learn complex
state and federal regulations, acquire and use legal knowledge, work closely
with a team and with a diverse group of people.Candidates must be sensitive to the needs and interests of low-income
and immigrant communities.Community
organizing experience is a plus.Some
evening and weekend hours will be required.A valid driver’s license and reliable vehicle are very helpful.
