The WCG is a volunteer organization based in Weston, MA helping to raise awareness of the climate crisis and influence behavior that will impact our community and the world.
U.C. Berkeley has created an amazing set of resources under the name Cool Climate Network. It's worth exploring their site in general, but one of the most fascinating areas is the interactive carbon footprint map, based on data from their CoolClimate Calculator and the research of Christopher Jones and Daniel Kammen. For those interested in how the maps were created, the abstract of their paper is below. Whether or not you care about how it works, go to the site and just start playing around. It is quite intuitive and very informative. The URL is http://coolclimate.berkeley.edu/maps
Data are from the following paper:
Christopher M. Jones and Daniel M. Kammen, "Spatial Distribution of U.S. Household Carbon Footprints Reveals Suburbanization Undermines Greenhouse Gas Benefits of Urban Population Density." Environ. Sci. Technol., 2013, dx.doi.org/10.1021/es4034364
Abstract:
Which municipalities and locations within the United States contribute the most to household greenhouse gas emissions, and what is the effect of population density and suburbanization on emissions? Using national household surveys, we developed econometric models of demand for energy, transportation, food, goods, and services that were used to derive average household carbon footprints (HCF) for U.S. zip codes, cities, counties, and metropolitan areas. We find consistently lower HCF in urban core cities (40 tCO2e) and higher carbon footprints in outlying suburbs (50 tCO2e), with a range from 25 to >80 tCO2e in the 50 largest metropolitan areas. Population density exhibits a weak but positive correlation with HCF until a density threshold is met, after which range, mean, and standard deviation of HCF decline. While population density contributes to relatively low HCF in the central cities of large metropolitan areas, the more extensive suburbanization in these regions contributes to an overall net increase in HCF compared to smaller metropolitan areas. Suburbs alone account for 50% of total U.S. HCF. Differences in the size, composition, and location of household carbon footprints suggest the need for tailoring of greenhouse gas mitigation efforts to different populations.
Weston Media Center was on-hand to video Willie O'Laughlin's June 23rd talk on the Belo Monte Dam and other projects impacting the Amazon Rainforest. We are posting the video here for your convenience, but you can also find it on the Weston Media Center's Vimeo Channel (see links below).
Join Willie O’Laughlin and the Weston Climate Group for a discussion about the role Rainforests play in our Climate, the development and controversy behind the Belo Monte Dam, and an outline of the resistance movement going forward.
Brazil is building the world’s third largest dam in the rainforest, the Belo Monte Dam, to produce electricity for their economy. The Belo Monte Dam is the leader in a wave of 100 new dams in the Amazon Rainforest. Dams decrease the fish and wildlife in the rainforest, and change the lives of the Native people on the rivers. The people and development that come into the forest with the dams bring deforestation, mining, and farming to the rainforest, and create big changes in land-use for the rainforest. The Amazon Rainforest is an important part of the earth because it produces rain and oxygen. The Belo Monte Dam has been under consideration since the 1970s, and construction broke ground in 2011 through a difficult license and permitting process. The resistance lives on, and Indigenous Tribes are protesting and fighting with the National Guard troops at the dam site today. NGOs like Amazon Watch and International Rivers are working against the dam, and the dam does not have firm support of the Brazilian public. For more insight on Belo Monte, visit wildxingu.tumblr.com.
In an exciting follow-up to the successful HEA campaign last year, the Weston Climate Group is collaborating with Next Step Living, Inc. and the Massachusetts Chapter of the Sierra Club to help
Weston homeowners find sensible ways to move beyond the high cost of heating
with oil and natural gas with less expensive, cleaner and more sustainable
alternatives. We are calling this campaign Clean Heat, since the greatest improvement opportunities are for those switching away from heating with oil to more economically, and environmentally, sustainable modes. That said, everyone can benefit from more efficient alternatives to at least some extent.
$ per million BTUs
“This educational campaign will introduce Weston
homeowners to cost effective heating and cooling options that will reduce
dependence on oil or natural gas and help to eliminate toxic and climate
changing emissions,” said Ed Woll, Vice Chair, Massachusetts Chapter of the
Sierra Club.Campaign representatives will
be at the public library, at popular retail establishments and in Weston neighborhoods
to answer questions about air source heat pumps and encourage homeowners to
take the first step by signing up for Next Step Living’s free no obligation
home heating and cooling assessment.
Everyone in Weston should be receiving a letter about this campaign, plus there will be articles in the Town Crier and online. Upcoming ways to learn more about clean
heating and cooling alternatives in-person include:
• May 13 – Home Heating System Options Workshop, Weston
Library, 7 p.m.
• May 17 – Information table at Weston Center 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• May 22 – Clean Energy Future for Weston Panel, Weston
Library, 7 p.m.
• June 7 – Information table at Land’s Sake's Farm Stand Opening Celebration,
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• June 19 – Home Heating System Options Workshop, Weston
Library, 7 p.m.
The Next Step Living no-cost heating and cooling
assessment includes in-depth explanations of a ductless mini split heat pump
system and its benefits, a customized estimate of the energy and financial
savings possible, a discussion of available rebates and incentives, and the
opportunity to get the answers needed to make an informed decision.To schedule a free no-obligation heating and
cooling assessment call 866.867.8729 or visit www.nextstepliving.com.
Update: The Weston Media Center video'd the May 22nd panel discussion. It can be viewed online at: http://vimeo.com/96935436
Thanks to Next Step Living and Sagewell, our big push to get 300 households to sign up for Home Energy Assessments (HEAs), in recognition of Weston's 300th Anniversary in 2013, was a huge success! As the headline reads, we actually exceeded our goal by almost 100 households, coming in at a total of 392 HEA sign-ups. While we recognize that a sign-up does not automatically translate into people taking significant action to save energy and money, it is a critical first step. Next Step Living is expert at making sure that people come away from their assessment experiences understanding the costs and benefits of taking action, including the myriad financial incentives available to them, making it easy for the homeowner to make intelligent choices. In addition to the benefits accrued by the homeowners who participated, Sagewell's promotion to the schools, covered previously on this website, resulted in 48 families signing up for HEAs, distributed as follows: High School: 21 Middle School: 6 Field School: 7 Woodland: 9 Country: 5 Congratulations to the High School for such great participation! That said, every school wins since each school will receive from Sagewell $10 per affiliated sign-up to use as they wish towards "green" projects. Thank you to all who helped make this campaign a success, with particular appreciation for Superintendent Cheryl Maloney, PTO President Rebecca Stevenson, and Janet Kresl Moffat for their assistance with the promotion to the school community. 3/31: Updated numbers! Several more families were able to book their home energy assessments before the cutoff, so the final numbers are actually: High School: 23 Middle School: 9 Field School: 7 Woodland: 9 Country: 5 TOTAL: 53Meaning Sagewell will give a total of $530 to the schools for green projects! Nicely done, all.
The Weston Climate Group, Sagewell, Inc., and the Weston Parent Teacher Organization have put together a wonderful year-end promotion. For every Weston household signing up for a free Home Energy Assessment (HEA) using one of the links below through December 31, 2013, Sagewell will donate $10 to the affiliated Weston Public School. This is a fantastic opportunity to raise some money for the schools simply by taking advantage of a free program that provides homeowners with information and incentives to be more comfortable for less money. Update: To further encourage Weston households to take advantage of December's no-cost Home Energy Assessment sign-up promotion, Sagewell has announced that it will give an extra $250 for every 50 sign-ups a school gets, on top of the $10 per household donation already in place. Choose a school to support and click its link to get started... Weston High School: http://www.sagewell.com/whs
Any Weston household can sign up using the links above. A household can only be associated with one of the links so families with kids in more than one school will have to choose which school to support.
Clicking on the link will take you to Sagewell's website where you just enter your address (no invitation or other codes needed), click the Find Savings Now button, and then fill in the information in the resulting form. Make sure to leave the box checked that requests a no-cost in-home energy assessment. You will also be eligible to receive a free thermal image report of your property, if available from Sagewell.
Once you submit the online form you will be contacted within a few days to set up an appointment with a qualified energy efficiency firm to conduct an in-home assessment. The assessment itself should take place by the end of January, 2014 to get credit for signing up for this promotion. Assessments are free and there is no obligation to do any follow-up work. You will also receive an e-mail within 5-10 working days with instructions on how to view the online thermal image report for your home.
Sagewell will track all sign-ups using the urls above and will reward each school with $10 per HEA appointment to spend as the school sees fit. Each school will determine how their funds will be spent, with special consideration given to environmental and "green" projects.
Contact Rudy Ruggles with any questions or concerns.
What is a Home Energy Assessment?
HEAs are free in-home evaluations of household energy use, conducted by state-licensed specialists, and paid for by money that is already assessed on every National Grid and NSTAR customer’s energy bills. The program is called MassSave and is managed by the state. Essentially, everyone has already paid for an HEA, so they might as well get the benefits. Upon completion of the HEA, the homeowner gets a report containing ways they could save energy and information about any rebates and incentives that can help them defray resulting up-front costs for investments like insulation and heating system replacements. Again, there is no obligation to actually do any of the work suggested.
Who is Sagewell?
Sagewell, Inc. is a Massachusetts-based thermal imaging company that helps connect homeowners with HEA resources. When someone signs up through their site, Sagewell can answer any preliminary questions and determine which energy efficiency company should come to the person’s house to do the assessment (generally Next Step Living here in Weston, although the homeowner can request a different one). As an additional benefit to those who sign up, because of the Weston Climate Group’s collaboration with them, Sagewell has thermal images of most Weston homes (taken from the street) and will send the homeowner a thermal image report if Sagewell has the images on file (see example below). Sagewell benefits from people signing up through their site and is happy to show their appreciation by supporting Weston's schools. For the curious, here are a couple of links to news stories about Sagewell:
The Weston Town Crier carried the following article this week, reflecting our goal of 300 Weston households getting home energy assessments this year. Click here to go to the online version of this article on Wicked Local.
Autumn has arrived, everyone has returned from
the Cape or wherever else they disappeared to over the summer months, and
school is back in session. The leaves are starting to fall, as is the
thermometer. Now is the perfect time to start making a few little changes that
will increase your comfort and decrease your heating bills over the winter to
come. The quickest, easiest first step is to get a free Home Energy Assessment.
But, that’s not nearly as boring as it sounds thanks to many great special
events going on in Weston at the moment.
Energy efficiency means different things to different people, from saving
money on utility bills to decreasing reliance on fossil fuel-based energy.
Despite these various motivations, as a town Weston households have not reduced
their energy use over the past decade, but that is starting to change. Since
the beginning of 2013, over 200 Weston homes have signed up for Home Energy
Assessments (HEAs). The Weston Climate Group has set a goal of 300 households,
in honor of the town’s tercentenary.As
a final push towards reaching this goal, the Weston Climate Group and its
partners have put together some wonderful programs and events to give people an
opportunity to learn more and turn their good intentions into actions.
Saturday, September 28, is a perfect coincidence
of events. Not only is it the 19th Annual Weston Car Show at the
town center, it is also National Plug In Day, celebrating electric and hybrid
vehicles. As such, the Weston Climate Group and Next Step Living have arranged
for a Tesla to be a part of the car show. Attendees can stop by to see how the
remarkable, award-winning electric car can make energy efficiency a whole lot
of fun on the road, while also learning about how to make a difference at home.
Next Step Living, the preeminent home energy efficiency firm, can answer
questions about energy assessments, solar power, and heating options.
For those who can’t make it to the car show, there is a special
promotion underway that might be of interest. Sagewell, another firm partnering
with the Weston Climate Group, is offering a limited time benefit to Weston.
For every homeowner who signs up for a home energy assessment with them between
now and the October 5th Founder’s Day Fall Festival, Sagewell will
make a donation to the Weston 300 Legacy Trail Trust. As an added benefit,
people who sign up through their website (http://www.sagewell.com) will get
a free preliminary solar photovoltaic system assessment and are eligible to
receive a complementary infrared image of their house as seen from the road.
See the website for more information. There is no cost or obligation for the
homeowner.
Join the hundreds of people in Weston who have taken the first steps
towards energy efficiency at home. Help the town hit the goal of 300 home
energy assessments. They are free and the resulting advice could save hundreds
of dollars over the coming years. If nothing else, come check out
the Tesla this Saturday. Energy efficiency has never been so slick!
Weston’s Board of Selectmen has created a committee to evaluate town properties as sites for Solar Photovoltaic (PV) arrays to generate electricity for the town. You can read more about the committee and its charter on the town website here and about the solar panel project itself here. The following information is from the recent News & Events posting on the Weston town site.
Satellite image of the Weston closed landfill with the proposed array superimposed on the site. The array image shown is approximate in size, shape and location.
The Warrant for Town Meeting starting on May 13th includes Article 39 relating to a Solar Photovoltaic array on the Town’s closed landfill. Two informational meetings at Town Hall and three site visits to the Town’s closed landfill have been planned to help explain Article 39 to residents. Further information on renewable energy from a Solar Photovoltaic Array is available under Town Projects.
Site Visit starting at Weston Transfer Station -- Saturday, May 4 -- 10:00 AM
Informational Meeting at Town Hall -- Tuesday, May 7 -- 7:30 PM
Informational Meeting at Town Hall -- Thursday, May 9 -- 7:30 PM
Site Visit starting at Weston Transfer Station -- Friday, May 10 -- 10:00 AM -- Note: State Representative Alice H. Peisch will participate in this visit
Site Visit starting at Weston Transfer Station -- Saturday, May 11 -- 3:00 PM
The Transfer Station is located at 195 Church Street, near the Kendall Green Train Station. Please bring comfortable shoes. We will walk 100 yards on an unpaved road and then 400 yards across open grass.
Article 39 is asking for the authority to lease the closed landfill over a long period to a developer. The electricity generated would be renewable energy equal to 20% of the demand from the Town’s municipal and schools. The Town would buy the energy at a lower price than available on the electrical grid, saving $85,000 the first year, and $2.3 million over a 20-year contract. No Town capital funds would be used, and there would no effect on its credit rating. Please visit the Solar PV Panels under Town Projects for more information.
350.org has produced a documentary that is being screened across the country this Sunday evening. Nina Danforth arranged for a screening here in Weston, and Joe Mayher is kindly offered to host it at the Congregational Church of Weston, located at 133 Newton St. It’s 42-minutes long, covering everything from the cross-country “Do the Math" tour Bill McKibben did last year, to the latest dispatches from leaders in the fight to stop Keystone XL, to the campaign to divest from fossil fuels. We will gather at 7:00, show the movie, and then spend some time discussing it. If technology allows, we will tune into the live online stream of a half-hour panel discussion of the movie being held in New York that starts at 8:00.
We hope you will be able to join us this Sunday. Check out the trailer below. Click here for more information and to RSVP (appreciated, but not required).
Join hundreds of millions of people all over the world in celebrating Earth Hour on March 23rd. All you have to do to participate is turn off all non-essential lights from 8:30-9:30pm this Saturday night.
For more information, see http://www.earthhour.org/ and read Talia Gifford's article about it in the Weston Town Crier online here.
This is part of the Boston College Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences 2013 Colloquium Series
All colloquiums are open to the public free-of-charge. Reservations REQUIRED due to limited seating. Ample parking is available and light refreshments are provided.
Cars that get at least a portion of their energy from electricity have a lower carbon footpint than their gas-only relatives. However, not all electricity is created equal(ly). Carinsurance.org has created an interesting infographic that reflects the differences that electricity sources have on how "eco" even electric cars are. As the accompanying text on their website says, "the 'greenness' of your electric car depends a lot on just where you’re plugging it in." Happily for us, the Boston area is among the more "green" locations for electricity-powered cars, with electricity having the same footprint as if the car were getting 67 mpg. Contrast that with the folks out in Denver, whose electricity generation profile nets them only the equivalent of 33 mpg. Check out the graphic for more:
Climate change involves dynamic systems that are often hard to understand properly through static numbers. Here are a couple of animations that help paint a better picture of two relevant patterns: global temperature and atmospheric CO2 accumulations.
Global Temperature
Here is a short, but stunning animation of global temperature changes since the late 1800s.
The global average surface temperature in 2011 was the ninth warmest since 1880, according to NASA scientists. The finding continues a trend in which nine of the 10 warmest years in the modern meteorological record have occurred since the year 2000.
NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York, which monitors global surface temperatures on an ongoing basis, released an updated analysis that shows temperatures around the globe in 2011 compared to the average global temperature from the mid-20th century. The comparison shows how Earth continues to experience warmer temperatures than several decades ago. The average temperature around the globe in 2011 was 0.92 degrees F (0.51 C) warmer than the mid-20th century baseline.
Global temperatures have warmed significantly since 1880, the beginning of what scientists call the "modern record." At this time, the coverage provided by weather stations allowed for essentially global temperature data. As greenhouse gas emissions from energy production, industry and vehicles have increased, temperatures have climbed, most notably since the late 1970s.
In this animation of temperature data from 1880-2011, reds indicate temperatures higher than the average during a baseline period of 1951-1980, while blues indicate lower temperatures than the baseline average.
Atmospheric CO2
This second illustration is from The Earth System Research Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It's approximately 3 minutes long and shows the "Time history of atmospheric carbon dioxide from 800,000 years ago until January, 2009." (actually updated to 2011)
The graphic on the left of the screen shows the levels measured by the various monitoring stations (note the latitude markings on the x-axis). It bounces up and down as the months go by, steadily bouncing higher as the years go by. The graphic on the right charts these bounces over time as consolidated lines reflecting the rise of the average level of CO2 accumulation in the atmosphere, along with a spinning dial showing the months (annual fluctuations create the saw-tooth pattern). There is a lot going on, but the trends are clear.
If you are like most people, you have never seriously considered whether your home is a candidate for solar panels. Most people assume that they know the answer to questions like:
- Isn’t New England too far north to get enough sunlight for solar power?
- Aren’t there too many trees?
- Isn’t it expensive to install solar photovoltaic (PV) panels?
- Don’t I have to buy a whole system, install it, and maintain it myself? Do I need to be some sort of an engineer or DIY handyman?
The thing is, in general Weston Climate Group members aren’t usually satisfied being like “most people,” especially when it comes to environmentally (and financially) responsible behavior. Don’t you think it’s time you checked some of your assumptions? Luckily, it’s easy!
To begin with, check out Carolyn Ellis’s article in the summer issue of the Wellesley Weston Magazine profiling several local folks who have installed solar panels (online at
Then, when you are ready to see (for free) whether your house might be a good site for solar, you can take advantage of the Sierra Club’s collaboration with Sungevity, one of the nation's leading home solar leasing specialists. Click on this link to get to the Massachusetts Sierra Club web site and scroll down to the Go Solar article.
If the Sierra Club isn't of interest to you, check out other organizations partnering with Sungevity (http://sungevity.org/non-profit-organizations-and-partners). If you'd like some alternatives to Sungevity, other solar leasing organizations you might want to look into include:
Solar installations may not work for everybody, but don’t assume one won’t work for you. Why not find out if you can reduce your electrical bill while also decreasing your environmental footprint? A couple clicks of your mouse could make a world of difference!
The WCG will meet for one last gasp before summer swamps us, in the Weston Library Conference Room at 7 pm on Tuesday, June 19th. Note that we will be in the Conference Room, in the back right corner of the library, not the Community Room where we usually meet for events.
The agenda continues to evolve, but here is what’s currently planned:
Ed Woll, the chairman of the energy committee for the Mass. Sierra Club chapter, will be our guest for much of the evening. He will describe the Sierra Club’s partnership with Sungevity around the Solar Homes Program and discuss whether there might be an opportunity to get Weston households involved. More on the program at: http://content.sierraclub.org/solar/?ref=10
An update on Sustainable Middlesex, a regional collaboration among groups similar to the Weston Climate Group, intended to leverage information & activities and exchange ideas
Bill McKibben and the folks at 350.org are spearheading another worldwide day of action. May 5th is Climate Impacts Day, when people around the globe will highlight places where climate change has wreaked havoc on people and planet alike. McKibben’s group will collect images from these gatherings and create a virtual collage of these hotspots, connecting the dots for all to see. There’s much more information about this initiative online at climatedots.org. This powerful 2-minute video from the site shows what’s at stake:
If you are interested in participating in this important day, consider joining one of these nearby events:
In Concord — Join Thoreau's May 5th Climate Revolution: The Dot Hurled 'round the World!
On May 5th at 3:30 pm, concerned citizens and climate action groups from around the Metrowest area will gather at the Old Manse, 269 Monument St. in Concord to continue Thoreau's revolution to honor and preserve nature - as well as to preserve a livable world for humans! The Manse, described as "the centerpiece of Concord's political, literary, and social revolutions," is a natural spot for us to join 350.org's Climate Impact Day, a global effort to "connect the dots between climate change and extreme weather."
This event is co-sponsored by The Old Manse, MaynardCAN!, ConcordCAN! and a coalition of over 40 climate action/ environmental and transition town groups in Metrowest. Fun speeches (Manse director and Maynard resident Tom Beardsley will speak on Thoreau's climate activism, students from environmental groups will be represented), music and a group photo!
In Wayland — Wayland Connects the Climate Dots at the Pubic Library
Gather at 9:30AM for a big group photo in the parking lot at the public library (5 Concord Rd.) commemorating the major flooding of Spring 2010. As you may know, Wayland, situated on the flood-prone Sudbury River, is considered a climate-impact "hot spot" for the Boston Metro area. In Spring 2010, the historic library building -- a pride and symbol of our community -- was inundated. They will take a photo on the spot, and then set it side-by-side (split-screen) with the classic photo taken by Judy Canty Graves of the flooded library parking lot, which appeared on the front page of the Town Crier:
In Wellesley — Wellesley Connecting the Dots all Day Long
We're organizing a day of educational and fun events to recognize the impact of climate change and what can be done on an individual and community level.
8 am Walk on Wellesley Trails beginning on the Brook Path and continuing a 10 mile walk on all the other town trails ending about Noon, led by Wellesley Trails Committee. Do all or part of this walk! www.wellesleytrails.org
9 am Wellesley Natural Resources Commission along with the Village Congregational Church hosting a tree planting event at Barton Rd—50 trees will be planted!
10 am Wellesley Books story time for children all about the Weather!
11-2 Wellesley College environmental groups will be celebrating Open Farm Day at the gardens off of Weston Rd. Students and interns prepare the garden for fruits and vegetables to be planted. Produce is sold on campus during the summer.
2 pm Wellesley Main Library story time and craft for children reading "Energy Island: How One Community Harnessed the Wind and Changed Their World" about the island of Samso, Denmark where residents joined together to become energy independent using wind, solar and other renewable energies, by Alan Drummond. Kids will make their own wind turbine powered action toy to take home. Wellesley College students will be at the library offering face painting and participation on a group art project.
In Lexington — Tree Trouble in Lexington
10-10:45AMat Paint Mine Conservation Area. From the parking lot at Estabrook School, 117 Grove St., follow the signs. Meet at the fallen tree on the Robinson Rd. extension. If possible, wear a white shirt. The event is sponsored by Lexington Global Warming Coalition and Lexington Interfaith Environmental Action Team to support the 350.org planet-wide Connect the (Climate) Dots event. The event will focus on Lexington’s trees as an example of how extreme weather can impact our community. During the “Halloween Storm” of October 29, 2011, snow fell on trees whose leaves had not fallen due to the unusually warm fall weather. We’ll share stories of how we were affected by the storm, celebrate the environmental benefits of trees, and take a photo of the group around what used to be a beautiful and flourishing ash tree. An optional walk in the woods will follow.
In Sudbury — Climate Action Rally
12:30 Gather at the traffic circle opposite Sudbury Town Hall to demonstrate your determination to address climate change. Make a "350 ppm" sign. Come in costume as an endangered species. Wear green. Bring your camera. Exercise your creativity and join with fellow Earthlings to "connect the dots" needed to save our planet.
In Boston — Wake Up the Earth Festival
Noon-6 pm Southwest Corridor Park, across from the Stony Brook T stop, Jamaica Plain. The Wake Up The Earth Festival is an annual event that celebrates the best of our community: rich cultural diversity, community arts, a commitment to social change and the parks and gardens that are the result of tireless community organizing. Beginning with a parade down Centre Street in full regalia, the festival fosters a deep sense of community stewardship and pride. This year’s festival will include dancers, stilt-walkers, drummers, music, storytelling, popular theater, food vendors, crafts, a youth stage, children’s activities & more. More info: http://cityfeedandsupply.com/featured-local-spontaneous-celebrations-wake-up-the-earth-festival/
Earth Day is April 22nd, but why wait? Follow the lead of the Weston High School and celebrate Earth Week all next week. They have created ideas for each day — let’s all join in!
Monday: Celebrate the Earth: Wear Green on Monday — It's a great place to live! Let's celebrate the earth by wearing green. Keep in mind that there is no Planet B
Tuesday: Everything ReUsable — The Earth is not disposable; don't use disposable for the day. Pack snacks, lunches, water… in reusable containers. In 2008, the average amount of waste generated by each person in America per day was 4.5 pounds
Wednesday: Day of Low Energy — Open the blinds, switch off the lights. The per capita energy use in the US dropped between 2009 and 2010. KEEP IT UP (err, DOWN)
Thursday: Lower your carbon footprint — Save fuel. Carpool. The US leads the world in per capita emissions of CO2
Friday: Give back to the planet — Pick up litter, plant a tree, etc. Litter is estimated to cost the US 11.5 billion dollars per year.
Bill McKibben is a global leader in the fight to curb climate change.
A well known environmental author and activist, he is the
founder of 350.org, an international climate change campaign.
350.org is named for the safe level of Carbon Dioxide in the
atmosphere: 350 parts per million.
When he's not busy organizing, Bill is an active writer on the climate crisis and other environmental issues. His 1989 book
The End of Nature was the first book to warn the general public
about the threat of global warming.
Bill is a frequent contributor to various magazines
including The New York Times, The Atlantic Monthly, Harper's,
Orion Magazine, Mother Jones, The New York Review of Books,
Granta, Rolling Stone, and Outside. He is also a board member
and contributor to Grist Magazine.
He has been awarded Guggenheim and Lyndhurst Fellowships,
and won the Lannan Prize for nonfiction writing in 2000.
He is currently a Scholar in Residence at Middlebury College
and lives in Ripton, Vermont with his wife, author Sue Halpern,
and daughter Sophie.
