Letter from the Editors

Photography is the real star of this week’s issue. Readers will find several articles where the pictures are the main component-and with good reason. Sometimes words cannot convey the true meaning. An example would be efforts to protect old-growth forests in British Columbia from logging and guarantee sustainable forestry. The pictures taken of Avatar Grove, notably of its ‘knarly tree,’ form a connection with the audience that’s greater than any paragraph could.

The beautiful black and white photos taken in Chicago of the Growing Home urban farming project exhibit a shade of optimism triumphing over the sombreness of poverty and isolation. Farming in the neighborhood has forged communal bonds and reduced crime and apathy amongst its residents.

The striking photos of woods and streets stained with layers of rust-red catch you offguard because they look artificial. It’s difficult to fathom their authenticity, but this is the result of an industrial waste accident in Hungary. The red sludge released from an aluminum oxide plant in 2010 left two towns and a countryside covered. It’s revolting and tragic, yet the photos carry a morbid beauty to them.

Outside of photography, standout articles this week inlude the deception from fracking research due to much of it being funded by gas drillers, the shutting down of the world’s only underwater research lab due to budget cuts by an organization whose mission is to research and explore the oceans, and the extreme melting of Greenland’s ice.

Global News

Brazil to build first algae-based biofuel plant

The world’s first industrial plant producing biofuels from seaweed will be built in the northeastern Brazilian state of Pernambuco in late 2013. The $9.8 million facility will make use of the carbon dioxide emitted in the ethanol production to speed up the photosynthesis process in the seaweeds and thus reduce emissions of polluting gases into the environment. Read more here.

This Image is Not Photoshopped

This photo looks like two images stitched together; above is a normal forest, and below, a strange, Martian one. But it’s a single image from a single place and time – the hills of western Hungary, six months after a devastating industrial accident.

In late 2010, the waste reservoir of a Hungarian aluminum oxide plant burst, releasing millions and millions of gallons of caustic red sludge. The meter-high toxic mudslide quickly moved downhill through two nearby villages, burying buildings, poisoning fields and killing 10 people. Read more here.

Greenland Ice Melt, Measured By NASA Satellites, Reaches Unprecedented Level

Unprecedented melting of Greenland’s ice sheet this month has stunned NASA scientists and has highlighted broader concerns that the region is losing a remarkable amount of ice overall.

According to a NASA press release, about half of Greenland’s surface ice sheet naturally melts during an average summer. But the data from three independent satellites this July, analyzed by NASA and university scientists, showed that in less than a week, the amount of thawed ice sheet surface skyrocketed from 40 percent to 97 percent. In over 30 years of observations, satellites have never measured this amount of melting, which reaches nearly all of Greenland’s surface ice cover. Read more here.

Saving ‘Avatar Grove’: the battle to preserve old-growth forests in British Columbia

A picture is worth a thousand words: this common adage comes instantly to mind when viewing T.J. Watt’s unforgettable photos of lost trees. For years, Watt has been photographing the beauty of Vancouver Island’s ancient temperate rainforests, and documenting their loss to clearcut logging. The photographer and environmental activist recently helped co-found the Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA), a group devoted to saving the island’s and British Columbia’s (BC) last old-growth while working with the logging industry to adopt sustainable practices.

This year the organization succeeded in saving Avatar Grove-which was only discovered in 2009-from being clearcut. The grove, a rare stand of massive and ancient trees named after the popular eco science-fiction movie, has become a popular tourist destination, providing a new economic incentive for communities to protect rather than cut Canada’s last great forests. Read more here.

New Green OLED Lights Could be Printed on Plastic

An Israeli is part of a team to invent a new kind of “green” LED light called the OLED. If brought from theory to practice they could be manufactured from plastics and made by ink jets.

Valy Vardeny and Tho D. Nguyen from the University of Utah (Salt Lake City) worked with Eitan Ehrenfreund from Technion-Israel Institute of Technology (Haifa) to invent spintronic organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). A paper describing their invention was published in the journal Nature. Vardeny said spintronic OLEDs could lead to a cheaper, brighter and greener light source. Read more here.

European Offshore Wind Energy Continues to Grow by Leaps and Bounds

The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) assessed the offshore wind capacity in Europe over the last six months. They found that at the end of the first half of 2012, the continent’s offshore wind capacity grew by at an astonishing rate from a year ago. A new report by the EWEA shows that there are 132 new offshore wind turbines, providing an additional 523 megawatts of power, and that these new turbines were fully connected to the power grid during the first half of 2012. Last year, Europe added only 348.1 megawatts from offshore wind during the same time period, making it an increase of about 50 percent. Read more here

In Mexico and Brazil: Cities Are Closing the Loop Between Trash and Food

In nature, all waste, either directly or indirectly, becomes food. For example, leaves falling from a tree, if they are not raked up and put in plastic bags, decompose and enrich the soil, with the help of earthworms and soil microbes, eventually feeding the tree from which it fell or perhaps a different one.

The folks in the Brazilian city of Jundiai, north of Sao Paulo, have found a unique way to apply this law. Their program, “Delicious Recycling,” provides food to residents when they bring in recycling. The food comes from a community garden which boasts more than 30,000 plants. Now, instead of streets and waterways strewn with trash, they have healthy, well-fed residents. The program, a brainchild of the city’s Municipal Utilities department, has been running successfully for ten years. Read more here.

Lambs on the Lam Suggest Selfishness Motivates Herd Behavior

In research published in the print edition of Current Biology, scientists monitoring sheep have demonstrated empirical support for a behavioral theory first proposed almost 40 years ago. “We’re getting to the nitty-gritty of the real evolutionary rules selected for in behavior,” says behavioral ecologist Andrew King of the University of London Royal Veterinary College, a co-author on the study. King has studied sociality in birds, fish, baboons and even humans-and believes these rules of group behavior found in sheep could apply more broadly. “If we can understand how these rules work, we can hint at similar systems and common principles across species.”

Selfish-herd theory, first proposed by the British evolutionary biologist W. D. Hamilton in 1973, posits that individuals dilute their risk of predation by moving into a larger group-a “Don’t eat me, eat this other guy!” response. Although widely cited, the theory is difficult to test in the field given the unpredictable nature of predators and challenge of observing movements in a large group of animals. Read more here.

US Religious Right Propelling Homophobia in African Countries

A wave of US-based religious rightwing groups working in several African countries are expanding their drive to promote both homophobia and anti-abortion stereotypes and governmental policies, according to a new study by Boston-based Political Research Associates (PRA).

The report, Colonizing African Values: How the US Christian Right is Transforming Sexual Politics in Africa, claims that far right groups such as the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), founded by the televangelist Pat Robertson, the Catholic group Human Life International and the Mormon group Family Watch International, work with local people and governments to rally against LGBTI rights and craft anti-LGBTI legislation. Read more here.

National News

Research shows urban farms reduce violence.

Talking with people involved in urban farming, you realize that their efforts have less to do with providing healthy food than they do with a reclamation of sorts, taking ownership of their community and their daily lives. Growing Home is one of Chicago’s larger urban farming projects, much of it located in Englewood, one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods. Growing Home has altered the landscape of the neighborhood-and it employs local residents, many of whom because of past indiscretions have trouble finding work elsewhere.

There’s been a growing body of research that suggests that urban farming and greening not only strengthen community bonds but also reduce violence. In 2000, Philadelphia had 54,000 vacant lots, and so the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society reclaimed 4,400 of them, mowing lands, providing upkeep, planting trees and gardens, and erecting three-foot-high fences that served no purpose other than as a kind of statement that this land now belonged to someone. The greening of these parcels had an unexpected effect: Over the course of 10 years,it reduced shootings in the areas surrounding these renewed lots. Read more here.

Also read Foodie Fad or Bona Fide Business?: Rooftop Urban Farming

Drought in U.S. is terrible news for the whole wide world

What is particularly striking about this dry spell is its breadth. Fifty-five percent of the continental United States – from California to Arkansas, Texas to North Dakota – is under moderate to extreme drought, according to the government, the largest such area since December 1956.

America’s drought threatens a recurrence of the 2008 global food crisis, when soaring prices set off riots and unrest to parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America, food experts warn. “What happens to the US supply has an immense impact around the world. If the price of corn rises high enough, it also pulls up the price of wheat,” he said. He went on: “I think we are in for a very serious situation worldwide.” Some analysts are predicting a repetition of the 2008 protests that swept across Africa and the Middle East, including countries like Egypt, because of food prices. Read more here.

Frackers Fund University Research That Proves Their Case

The 2009 report predicted drillers would shun Pennsylvania if new taxes were imposed, and lawmakers cited it the following year when they rejected a 5 percent tax proposed by then- Governor Ed Rendell. What the study didn’t do was note that it was sponsored by gas drillers and led by an economist, now at the University of Wyoming, with a history of producing industry-friendly research on economic and energy issues. The researcher, Tim Considine, said his analysis was sound and not biased by industry funding.

As the U.S. enjoys a natural-gas boom from a process called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, producers are taking a page from the tobacco industry playbook: funding research at established universities that arrives at conclusions that counter concerns raised by critics. Read more here.

Aquarius Reef Base, world’s only undersea lab, falls victim to budget ax

The budget for Aquarius, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s national undersea research program is slated to be eliminated, to the dismay of many researchers.

Deployed in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary two decades ago after a four-year stint in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the laboratory has hosted 117 missions since 1993. The 81-ton yellow tube holds six bunks, a galley, a bathroom, a science station and a “wet porch,” where scuba-diving researchers enter and exit. Visitors can stay for up to two weeks with no worry of getting the bends, because the air inside the Aquarius is pressurized. Researchers, who dive up to 12 hours a day, have used the platform to investigate everything from how sponges change the ocean’s chemistry to the way water flows over a reef. Read more here.

Country’s largest biomass plant online, commercial tidal energy coming soon

The country’s largest biomass plant, the 100 megawatt Nacogdoches Generating Facility in northeast Texas, has been switched on by its owner Southern Company. And also this week, the country’s first grid-connected commercial tidal energy project is on schedule for deployment off the coast of Eastport, Maine by developer Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC).

The Nacogdoches biomass plant will provide electricity to Austin Energy via a 20-year power purchase agreement. The $500 million, 165-acre plant is powered by commercially unusable wood waste from saw mills and other wood mills, forest waste, pre-commercial thinnings of cultivated trees and diseased and other non-commercial tree species, and possibly other sources such as limbs and branches knocked down by storms. Read more here.

Federal Solar Tax Credit Generates Green Jobs, Investment and Healthy Taxpayer Returns

Contrary to erroneous, misleading assertions, the federal government’s Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is proving to be an excellent investment for US taxpayers and the federal budget. The Solar ITC can boast of yielding a 10% internal rate of return (IRR) to taxpayers on the government’s initial investment, according to a study conducted by the US Partnership for Renewable Finance (US PREF).

The federal Solar ITC has provided an incentive to private sector businesses and investors that has led to significant growth in green job creation, as well as solar energy system installations across the US. Roughly 90% of the nearly 5,000 MW of solar generation capacity has been installed in the US since the ITC was expanded in 2005 Read more here.

US navy veterans urge Congress to fund ‘critical’ Green Fleet programme

Hundreds of military veterans joined the fight to keep the US navy’s Green Fleet afloat, calling on the White House and Congress to fund military research on alternative fuels. A letter, signed by about 380 retired generals, admirals and other military officials, urges Congress to drop plans to bar the navy from research on biofuels, or from buying fuels which cost more than traditional diesel or jet fuel.

Republicans in Congress are demanding the navy scrap its research on biofuels, arguing the fuels are prohibitively expensive, and a diversion from more urgent security needs. The veterans, pushing back, said such research was critical to national security. “As a country, we must support efforts inside and outside the department of defence to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, deploy clean energy technology and move our nation toward energy independence,” the letter said. Read more here.

Will the Plastics Industry Kill LEED?

The latest skirmish in a decade-old battle broke, as 20 trade groups announced a new coalition to challenge the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system as the dominant standard for buildings.

The new coalition, the American High-Performance Buildings Coalition, includes the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Chemistry Council, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Vinyl Institute, the Vinyl Siding Institute, the Flexible Vinyl Alliance, the Society of the Plastics Industry and 20 other industry associations. The group is lobbying the U.S. General Services Association, which requires the LEED standard for all federal buildings, to reconsider, opting instead to require the Green Globes standard, considered to be friendlier to industry, including the plastics industry, which has invested heavily in the building products space. Read more here.

With Warming, Peril Underlies Road to Alaska

Japan had just destroyed much of the Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor. Alaska was vulnerable to invasion (in fact, the Japanese occupied two Aleutian Islands that June). If Americans did not build a supply road linking Alaska to the heart of North America, the thinking went, invading Japanese would do it for them. Today the Alaska Highway faces challenges that could not have been predicted when it was built. By far the biggest is permafrost, the permanently frozen ground that underlies much of the road.

As the climate warms, stretches of permafrost are no longer permanent. They are melting – leaving pavement with cracks, turning asphalt into washboard and otherwise threatening the stability of the road. Another problem is fire. “Even a natural forest fire will change the surface of the road,” leading to melting, said Bronwyn Benkert, who studies cold-climate issues at the Yukon Research Center, and who is researching highway conditions north of here, near the Alaska border. Read more here

Voices

Global Warming’s Terrifying New Math

Here are some hard numbers about climate change: June broke or tied 3,215 high-temperature records across the United States. That followed the warmest May on record for the Northern Hemisphere – the 327th consecutive month in which the temperature of the entire globe exceeded the 20th-century average, the odds of which occurring by simple chance were 3.7 x 10-99, a number considerably larger than the number of stars in the universe.

When we think about global warming at all, the arguments tend to be ideological, theological and economic. But to grasp the seriousness of our predicament, you just need to do a little math. For the past year, an easy and powerful bit of arithmetical analysis first published by financial analysts in the U.K. has been making the rounds of environmental conferences and journals, but it hasn’t yet broken through to the larger public. This analysis upends most of the conventional political thinking about climate change. And it allows us to understand our precarious – our almost-but-not-quite-finally hopeless – position with three simple numbers. Read more here.

A Climate Action Emergency Plan

There is no greater emergency than this. Is an effective response beyond us? There are lots of reasons to think so. Dirty Energy has blocked action, and there’s every reason to believe they will continue to do so. International collaboration is tough. And given the choice, most of us would prefer to hold on to creature comforts as long as possible, and to stay in denial. But the steps needed to avert catastrophe are, in fact, well within our capability as imaginative, hard-working people. And around the world, cities, towns, tribes, responsible businesses, and activists are making change. But we’ll have to scale it up, and quickly.

The Greatest Generation was able to come together as a whole society when the Nazi invasion of Europe and the bombing of Pearl Harbor proved to be threats that couldn’t be ignored. Car factories were repurposed for tank production. Rubber and metals were recycled. Everyone planted victory gardens. Many went off to war. It will take that level of mobilization, built on a deep patriotism, to build and sustain the effort to avert catastrophe. It will mean a willingness to put our farmers, our coastal cities, our children’s food supply, everyone’s access to sufficient water, and the survival of fisheries ahead of the profits and power of Dirty Energy. It is the task that should define our times and could put each of us to work. Read more here.

Public Willing to Pay More for Green Energies

Harvard and Yale researchers found that the average U.S. citizen was willing to pay $162 a year more to support a national policy requiring 80 percent ‘clean’ energies by 2035. Nationwide that would represent a 13 percent increase in electric bills. Respondents categorically defined ‘clean’ as not including natural gas or nuclear power energies. Rather they favored solar, wind, geothermal and, in the very near future, ocean wave farms.

These are very exciting, innovative times with Google’s multi-billion investment in offshore northeast wind farms. Read more here.

A Tragedy We Will Not Try to Avert

Will we even pretend to do anything to prevent the next mass shooting by a crazed loner? I doubt it. We’ll just add Aurora to the growing list – Columbine, Virginia Tech, Tucson – and wait for the inevitable.

I can only conclude that we, as a society, have decided this state of affairs is acceptable, that the occasional murderous rampage is the price we pay for .?.?. for what? For freedom? For the Second Amendment? For campaign contributions from the National Rifle Association? Read more here.

Local News

Massachusetts Senate Approves Updated Bottle Bill

Every legislative session for nearly two decades, state lawmakers have proposed bills to expand the bottle law, the nickel deposit that encourages recycling of soda, beer, and malt beverage containers. The bills have died every time. Advocates could not believe their ears when senators, by a voice vote and without debate, adopted the bottle legislation as Amendment 36 to a jobs and economic development bill. If the bottle bill expansion survives, it would update the 31-year-old antilitter law by applying the deposit to bottled water, juices, and sports drinks, which account for more than a third of all beverages sold in Massachusetts.

The bill, called a tax by opponents, has the strong support of the Patrick administration, which says the state would raise about $58 million by allowing redemption of an additional 1.5 billion containers a year, about $20 million more than under current law. Municipalities would save as much as $7 million in disposal costs, the administration says. The state earns revenue from deposits that are not returned when people put their drink containers in recycling bins or the trash or toss them on the ground. Read more here.

Learn more about efforts to expand the Bottle Bill and ensure its passage into law here

Kids learn the value of dirt, stewardship at ‘sustainability camp’

A group of city kids traded sidewalks and streetlights for dirt, roots and rain last week when they took to the fields at Sharing the Harvest Community Farm for part of a summer sustainability camp funded by UMass Dartmouth. “A lot of these kids don’t know that food comes from somewhere that isn’t a supermarket. One of them thought a tomato was an apple,” said camp director Cindy Macallister. “This shows them what goes into produce.”

The weeklong camp, in its fifth year, is funded by the UMass Dartmouth Chancellor’s Office and managed by the university’s Office of Sustainability. It gives low-income youth ages 11-14 a chance to learn about environmental stewardship, green careers and the world beyond their televisions. A day on the farm is just one of the many events campers attend. Read more here.

Youth Conservation Corps works to clean up Cook Pond

FALL RIVER – The Japanese Knotwood has taken over where the garbage hasn’t and the views of Cook Pond have nearly disappeared. That is all beginning to change with a team from the Youth Conservation Corps and a handful of volunteers as the effort to reclaim Cook Pond is under way.

The team of dozen teenagers, which are employed with The Trustees of Reservations, began the effort Tuesday by first tackling the plants that had creeped over the wall separating the sidewalk along Dwelly Street from the pond. There first mission was to eliminate the Japanese Knotwood, an invasive species that has dominated the pond’s landscape. Read more here.

Lakeville named SouthCoast’s first “Green Community”

t’s official: Lakeville is now a “Green Community,” the first SouthCoast municipality to be awarded the designation. At a Statehouse press conference, Gov. Deval Patrick listed Lakeville among 17 communities across Massachusetts joining the 86 cities and towns already participating in the program.

To achieve Green Community status, a community must meet five criteria. These include a commitment to buy only energy-efficient vehicles, reduce energy use by 20 percent within five years and adopt new and more energy-efficient building codes. Read more here.

Tisbury on the Cape also achieved the Green Community Status

Also read about the aesthetics program and exhibit at Lakeville Public Library

DEP turbine noise test will begin in Fairhaven as soon as weather allows

FAIRHAVEN – The Department of Environmental Protection could begin testing for its study of sound from Fairhaven’s two wind turbines as soon as wind conditions are favorable. At the Board of Health’s Monday night meeting, DEP Deputy Regional Director Laurel Carlson said she would use the same methodology she did when testing Falmouth’s wind turbines. She also said she has already identified four homes from which to test, with the possibility of adding a fifth.

Carlson, who will personally conduct the testing, said the DEP is working with turbine developer Sumul Shah to coordinate turning the turbines on and off during testing so she can measure each neighborhood’s ambient noise. In Massachusetts, something is in violation of noise regulations if it is 10 decibels louder than the ambient noise level. Read more here.

Renewable Energy Subsidies Called Unfair as Lawmakers Debate Its Expansion

An increasing number of homeowners, businesses, and municipalities connecting solar panels and wind turbines to the region’s power grid receive a little-known subsidy, and the cost is being borne by other utility customers, who may soon pay anywhere from a dime to as much as $100 more on their monthly electricity bills. The surcharge on customers who do not feed into the grid has become increasingly controversial as state lawmakers this month hash out the language in a bill that would double the amount of power that utility companies could buy from those producing their own energy.

As lawmakers debate whether to raise the cap on the state’s so-called net metering program to 6 percent of the maximum amount of electricity that utilities can produce on days when demand peaks, utility representatives, business groups, and ratepayer advocates have raised concerns about the fairness of continuing a program designed to spark the growth of solar and wind power, which are now being adopted more rapidly. Read more here.

Fish Dying Off in Falmouth Due to Septic Systems

This most recent event is far from the first fish kill in the area, said George Hampson, a Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution oceanographer emeritus. The die-offs typically occur during algae blooms, he said. When water becomes ripe with nutrients such as nitrogen from septic systems, algae can flourish, blooming and spreading across the top of the water like a smelly blanket. As the algae grow, they ingest more and more nitrogen, hoarding it from the plant life hear the top of the water, Hampson said. Without enough nitrogen, plants at the top of the water die and sink, using up valuable oxygen, Hampson said.

Essentially, the oxygen supply becomes diminished and the fish start to get sick and then they die, Hampson said. The nutrients feeding the algae were likely introduced to the water through nearby septic systems, said Gerald Potamis, Falmouth’s wastewater superintendent. Read more here.

Dartmouth resident claims recycling policy unfriendly to the elderly, disabled

Deliveries of 65-gallon recycling bins, part of the new Save Money and Reduce Trash automated recycling program, began earlier this month. The bins replace the smaller, 15-gallon ones now in use and are designed to be picked up by a mechanical arm attached to a Department of Public Works truck, removing the need for DPW workers to empty them by hand. The SMART program will serve 9,800 DPW customers and begins the week of Aug. 6.

But Laurette Landry, who wrote in her complaint that she has difficulty walking and has suffered a heart attack in the past, said the bins are too heavy to push, especially over a dirt road like Albro where curb-side pickup is unavailable. Read more here.

Newport Man Generates Energy and Anger

John McNulty, a gifted do-it-yourselfer and admitted “thorn in the ass” to those who disapprove of his abundance of re-purposed outdoor furnishings – piles of masonry stones, assorted boats and a roof that looks like a makeshift weather station – didn’t wait around for government to tell him how to generate his own electricity.

A semi-retired carpenter and rental property owner, McNulty, 71, started building his own turbines in 2007, after attending local seminars about wind energy. He now has four on his home, all built from scrap tubing, computer boards and his remarkable understanding of electrical engineering. Each turbine has its own inverter and battery pack, which supply electricity for everything but his clothes dryer and kitchen stove. Wind energy, along with two generators, have kept the lights on without fail, even after tropical storm Irene shut off power in much of the state last year. Neighbors, many with expensive views of Newport Harbor, have complained to the city about these visual intrusions Read more here.

Cyclists take to their wheels in 30-mile ride around the bioreserve

About 18 members of the Fall River Bicycle Committee spent the morning wheeling in a large, 30-mile circle around the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve. The Fall River Bicycle Committee is a stalwart group whose members try to plan some sort of biking expedition every week. It isn’t a small group, either. “We send out over 100 emails,” Chairman Brian Pearson said. Read more here.

New law could cost Dartmouth $600,000 in revenue

DARTMOUTH – A proposed state law could force the town to lose out on up to $600,000 a year in revenue from solar farms, town officials said. The law, currently in a legislative committee, would require towns to accept payments in lieu of taxes, a switch that would cost Dartmouth thousands, said Town Administrator David Cressman, adding that he doubted the bill would make it past the committee.

The town’s industrial solar farms pay property taxes, which they would stop paying if a payment in lieu of taxes system were established, Cressman said. “The legislature is under several misunderstandings,” Cressman said, adding that some supporters of the bill said industrial solar would not grow without the payments instead of taxes system to spur development. He said Dartmouth’s rank against the other 350 cities and towns in the state proves that notion wrong. Read more here.

Marion Selectmen approve wind turbine project agreement

Beginning in 2014, the town of Marion could see a 30 percent reduction in its monthly electric bills following the Selectmen’s approval to enter into an alternative energy agreement with a wind turbine project in Plymouth. The Selectmen, with the endorsement of the Marion Energy Management Committee and Town Administrator Paul Dawson, agreed to a 20-year contract with Future Generation Wind.

Keith Mann, owner of Future Generation Wind and Mann Farms, said the wind turbines would be constructed on his cranberry farm off of Route 25 in Plymouth. Mann said he planned to have the installation completed by January of 2014. Read more here.

Organic farmers lament state decision to use aerial spraying for EEE

For many organic farmers, the state’s aerial assault on mosquitoes that could be carrying eastern equine encephalitis has been cause for concern. Those who earn their livelihood from producing chemical-free goods were keeping a nervous eye on the sky these past weekend nights as spray planes passed over 21 communities in southeastern Massachusetts. Read more here.

Student interns show green thumb at New Bedford summer program

The garden they’ve been tending to is thriving and so are the two dozen or so members of the Student Leadership Intern Program. In the hot and muggy halls of the GiftsToGive Mill in the South End, the students reflected on their time in the program. “We help out the community and learn as we go along,” said Ory Todd, a New Bedford High School senior.

The intern program is funded by GiftsToGive, New Directions, the HOPE Collaborative and some private sponsors. It allows students living in New Bedford and surrounding communities to earn income while helping out in the community. This day’s agenda included garden maintenance; site supervisor Mel Aviles said Great Scapes Nursery in Mattapoisett donated the seeds. “The kids tilled all the beds, weeded the gardens and put everything in the ground,” she said. “They rotate the watering schedule and all contribute to the upkeep of the garden.” Read more here.

Cape hatchery floats proposal

DENNIS – A shellfish hatchery considered vital to the Cape’s economic interests could become a county-owned facility. The Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates last week heard a proposal under which the county would purchase the Aquacultural Research Corp. on Chapin Beach Road for $4 million and lease it back to the shellfish operation.

The assembly passed a resolution in support of the plan last week after listening to a presentation by William Clark, director of the Cape Cod Cooperative Extension. “This is vital to many other businesses on the Cape and as an industry unto itself,” Yarmouth delegate Spyro Mitrokostas said. The towns on the Cape rely on ARC stock to seed their shellfish beds, and most of the private shellfish farms do business with the hatchery, he said. “Without them we wouldn’t have any recreational shellfishing or commercial shellfishing either,” said Mitrokostas, who also heads the Dennis Chamber of Commerce. Read more here.

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This Week in Sustainability

SEMAP Seminar: Local Food 101

Thursday, July 26, 6:00PM – 7:00PM Engelnook Farm, 365 High St, Rochester, MA 02770
Local food is fresher and tastes better than food shipped long distances from other states or countries. Knowing where your food comes from and how it is grown or raised enables you to choose safe food from farmers you trust. Buying local food gets you outside, keeping us in touch with our neighbors, the seasons, and the harvest calendar. At this seminar, learn more about why supporting our local food system is important: ecologically, economically, and socially — and how YOU can support your local food system! Free to attend. Must RSVP. Learn more here Contact Sarah Cogswell from SEMAP at email or 508-542-0434.

Meeting: Plans for Proposed BIO Marine Park in Somerset

Thursday, July 26, 7:00PM American Amvets Meeting Hall,659 Brayton Avenue, Somerset, MA
Hosted by the Somerset group The Coalition for Clean Air (CCA), the meeting will discuss efforts to reuse the property that housed Montaup coal plant–now closed. CCA advocates for its eventual (and hopefully) ‘clean and green’ reuse. One idea is a Bio Marine Park, proposed by Mr. Jan Schlichtmann, famous for his portrayal in the movie A Civil Action. He and others will present their plans to the public. This project would seem to be a wonderful addition to Somerset. Attend the meeting and learn all about the proposal

Contact Emily Johns at here or 508-994-2164 for more information.

For the Sake of Life on Earth – A Weekend of Deep Ecology

Friday, July 27 – Sunday, July 29 Starseed Healing Sanctuary and Holistic Treatment Center – Savoy, MA
Join Jeremiah Wallack, Joseph Rotella, and Aravinda Ananda for a weekend of Deep Ecology as we explore the challenges we face on our beautiful planet and draw on our collective power, strength and wisdom to act for the healing of our world. We will embark on a rare journey together, building our weekend community and engaging in a powerful series of Re-Earthing rituals created by John Seed, Joanna Macy and others, designed to help end the sense of alienation from the living Earth that many of us feel. This weekend will incorporate many practices from the Work That Reconnects, and Saturday will culminate with a Council of All Beings. Sunday will have a special focus on building support for going forth in our work for the healing of our world. This workshop will renew the spirit and vision of those who serve the Earth and connect us with deep sources of joy and inspiration as we build strength and solidarity in our connections with each other and the web of life. The cost for this weekend is on a sliding scale of $200-$300 which includes program, delicious vegetarian meals, and a tent site. For an additional $45 per night, you can stay in a shared room in the retreat house. Some partial barters are available. For more information or to register, please email Aravinda at here. Learn more about Starseed Healing Sanctuary here.

Stars and S ‘mores

Friday, July 27, 2012, 8:00PM – 9:30PM, Audubon Environmental Education Center, 1401 Hope Street, Bristol, RI
Flickering flames, songs, stories and marshmallows are all part of a memorable campfire evening. Bring the family and join our naturalists around the campfire to discover the legends of the night sky. Begin with a brief background in astronomy and what stars and constellations are visible this time of year. Then listen to a few stories from different cultures explaining why the stars and the night sky look the way they do. End the evening with a marshmallow roast! After all, what campfire would be complete without S’mores? Advanced registration is required. For ages 8 and up. $10/member adult/child pair; $5/each additional member. $12/non-member adult, $6/non-member child. For more information or to register, please email programs@asri.orgor call (401) 949-5454 ext. 3041.

Sunset Cruise with Habitat for Humanity

Saturday, July 28, 6:00PM – 8:00PM New Bedford Harbor – 66B State Pier
Buzzards Bay Area Habitat for Humanity is hosting a sunset cruise to fundraise for the organization’s work in developing affordable homes for local families in need. The cruise will leave from New Bedford Harbor – 66B State Pier, out to Clark’s Cove, through Padanaram Harbor to Mishaum Point and then return to New Bedford. The Sunset Cruise with offer a “Taste of Southcoast” with light fare served and music by locals Grace Morrison, Ben Moniz and Marta Rymer. Tickets are a $50 donation and $15 per child’s ticket with an adult ticket purchase. Tickets may be purchased online at Learn More Here. For more information contact Hope Aubin here or 508-758-4517.

Local Food 101: SEMAP Seminar

Tuesday, July 31, 6:00PM – 7:00PM Old Methodist Meeting House – Wareham
Local food is fresher and tastes better than food shipped long distances from other states or countries. Knowing where your food comes from and how it is grown or raised enables you to choose safe food from farmers you trust. Buying local food gets you outside, keeping us in touch with our neighbors, the seasons, and the harvest calendar. At this seminar, learn more about why supporting our local food system is important: ecologically, economically, and socially — and how YOU can support your local food system!

Learn More Here. For more information contact Kristen Irvin here or 336-509-0044.

Organic Cranberries: Twilight Grower Education Series

Tuesday, August 1 Fairland Farm, 200 Flag Swamp Rd., Dartmouth, MA
This workshop covers basic cranberry production and the challenges and opportunities attributed to organic production. Learn more about organic weed/pest management, harvesting, marketing and the global business of cranberries. $20 per person, $15 for SEMAP and/or NOFA/Mass members. This course is presented in partnership with the Northeast Organic Farming Association and is supported by a grant through the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources’ Massachusetts Grown…and Fresher! program.

Learn More Here. For more information contact here or 336-509-0044.

Women’s Full Moon Canoe Trip

Wednesday, August 1 Lloyd Center Headquarters, 430 Potomska Road, Dartmouth
Girls’ night out! Enjoy canoeing the historic Slocum River. Transportation to launching site and all equipment provided. Bring footwear that can get wet, as well as a snack and beverage (non-alcoholic). Pre-registration required by noon on Tuesday, July 31st Limit: 12 Prices: Members: $20 Non-members: $25 Preregister here or call 508-990-0505 x10. If you have specific questions regarding the program, please call Jasmine at 508-990-0505 x13, or email here.

Southcoast Health Systems Farmers’ Market

Thursday, Aug. 2, 2PM-6PM Charlton Memorial Hospital, 363 Highland Ave., Fall River

Thursday, Aug. 9, 2PM-6PM South Coast Business Center, 200 Mill Road, Fairhaven

Thursday, Aug. 16, 2PM-6PM St. Luke’s Hospital, 101 Page St., New Bedford.

Southcoast Health System is offering a series of farmers markets at sites throughout the region as part of an initiative to urge local residents to pick local produce over processed foods.

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Save The Date

An Afternoon at Goosewing Beach Preserve

Friday, August 3, 2012, 4:30PM – 6:30PM, Goosewing Beach Preserve, 140 South Shore Rd., Little Compton, RI
Free! Bring the whole family for this exciting annual event! Learn from visiting environmental experts, meet surprise animal guests, and explore Goosewing Beach with those who know it best! For more information call 401.331.7110 x. 33 or email kpisano@tnc.org.

Birding Lecture with Charles Clarkson

Sunday, August 5, 2012, 10:30AM – 11:30AM, Norman Bird Sanctuary, 583 Third Beach Rd, Middletown, RI
Trophic Relationships in Birds: Niche Fulfillment — Birds in temperate zones liike ours experience a broad range of climatic variables that make resource abundance changes on a temporal scale. In the tropics, avian species must divide resources temporally and spatially, with many birds adapting arboreal and cursorial lives to monopolize resources. This lecture will explore the difference between species that adopt specialized vs. generalized foraging habits and unique physiological processes that allow them to thrive. Charles Clarkson currently serves as co-chair for the Conservation Committee for the Waterbird Society and teaches Ornithology, evolution, and ecology for The Semester At Sea.” His use of photos and videos make these presentations exciting and interesting for birding enthusiasts of all levels. Free for Members, $4 for Non-members. For more information go to www.normanbirdsanctuary.org/.

Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) Summer Conference

Friday, August 10-13, 8:00AM, UMass Amherst
Come for 225+ workshops on organic farming, gardening, land care, draft animals, homesteading, sustainability, nutrition, food politics, activism, and much, much more. Special workshops designed for kids and teens. An educational, fun opportunity for your children to bond with others from the Northeast while you attend workshops and events. Entertainment for the whole family: Music and dance, an old-fashioned Country Fair, farmer’s market, games and fun. Modest registration, inexpensive dorm rooms, camping and delicious, wholesome organic meals. More information at www.nofasummerconference.org or email info@nofasummerconference.org. Call 413-230-7835.

Tomato Canning Adventure

Saturday, August 11, 10:00AM – 1:00PM First Congregational Church of Wareham, 11 Gibbs Ave., Wareham, MA
Artisanal Food Educator/Chef Rosa Galeno grew up in the Italian countryside where canning is a way of life. Rich with tradition and innate know-how, Rosa will show us how easy it is for busy families to prepare and process fresh locally grown tomatoes and enjoy them year round. Imagine the fresh taste of heirloom tomatoes in the darkest winter evening, filling your kitchen with the fragrance of fields bursting with juicy tomato goodness. Participants will learn canning, preservation, and recipes.

PRICE: $25.00 / $20.00 for SEMAP Members. LUNCH will be served. Learn More Here. For more information contact Kristen Irvin here or 336-509-0044.

Sustainable Table Workshop Series: All About Heirloom Tomatoes

Saturday, August 18, 10:00AM – 1:00PM 24K Heirloom Tomatoes – 538 Horseneck Rd., South Dartmouth, MA
This 3-hour workshop will be held at Bob Feingold’s 8-acre property in South Dartmouth and will cover why Bob loves and grows heirlooms, how to select varieties of heirlooms to grow, and tips for successfully growing your own heirloom tomatoes. Cost: $25 per person, $20 for SEMAP Members. Limited to 15 participants. Contact Kristen Irvin from SEMAP at her email for details. Learn more here. Register here

Corn & Tomato Festival

Saturday, August 18, 11AM – 3PM Verrill Farm – 11 Wheeler Road, Concord, MA 01742
Verrill Farm’s annual Festival featuring its two most popular crops – corn & tomatoes! Taste over 30 varieties of our own tomatoes & up to 8 of corn. There will also be samples of dishes made in the farm stand kitchen. Additional food & beverages available a la carte. Pony rides by Giddy Up Ponies & Hayrides Live music by Monadnock Blue Grass. Call 978-369-4494 for more information or go here.

Westport Town Family Concert

August 18, 5:30PM – 7:30PM Westport Town Farm, 830 Drift Rd., Westport, MA
Join the Westport Land Conservation Trust and The Trustees of Reservations for a family concert on the grounds of the Town Farm. The South Coast Chamber Music Society will perform.Bring your own picnic suppers, chairs, blankets and flashlights. This concert is supported by the Westport Cultural Council through a grant from the Helen E. Ellis Charitable Trust administered by Bank of America. Help us bring more concerts to the Town Farm through your free-will donation!

Donations Requested Details here.

9th Annual South Coast Artists Studio Tour – Westport

August 18 and 19, Saturday and Sunday, various locations in Tiverton, Little Compton, Westport and Dartmouth
A self guided open studio tour featuring 73 exhibiting artists living and working in the coastal communities of Tiverton, Little Compton, Westport and Dartmouth. Along the way you’ll discover artists working in different mediums, such as oil, acrylic, watercolor, photography, sculpture, basketry, textiles, shells, ceramics, glass, wood, paper, jewelry and recycled materials. For the map and more information, click here to see a brochure.

DNRT “Barn Bash” Square Dance at the Sylvan Nursery Barn

Saturday, August 25, 6:00PM – 10:30PM, 253 Horseneck Road, Dartmouth (1 mile south of Russell’s Mills Village)
Please join Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust and its local supporters for a fun-filled evening of delicious food and lively square-dancing to benefit land conservation in Dartmouth. Silent Auction. Lowest priced ticket is $85 per person. For more information, to view silent auction items, or to reserve tables and make donations, go to http://www.dnrt.org/sp_event.htm.

Bay Adventure to Penikese Island

August 25, 9:00AM – 3:00PM, Departs from Woods Hole
Join the Buzzards Bay Coalition this summer for a Bay Adventure to Penikese Island. Participants on this full-day excursion will explore beautiful Penikese Island in the middle of Buzzards Bay. Planned activities include an oyster farming demonstration, tour of Penikese Island School, and coastal exploration activities with Bay Coalition education staff. Cost: $60 for Bay Coalition members, $75 for non-members, $40 for children. Reservations required and space is limited. Email Margo Connolly or call 508.999.6363 x224 to make your reservation. Program cost includes boat transportation to and from the island. Details here.

Lloyd Center Sunset Kayak Tour

Wednesday, August 29, 6:00PM – 8:00PM, Lloyd Center Headquarters, 430 Potomska Road, Dartmouth
What better way to end the day than a peaceful paddle along the Slocum River. You’ll feel your stress dissolve as you glide along this spectacular estuary, enjoying the setting sun. Watch wading and shore birds flock to feed, see fish jump and await the multitude of color changes in the sky. This is a wonderful and relaxing way to explore the delicate ecosystem of this salt marsh. Inexperienced paddlers are welcome. All tours include basic kayak equipment and instruction by certified guides. Lloyd Center members: $38, non-members: $45. Pre-registration required by noon on Tuesday, August 28. Age 14 and up. (10 spaces available) You can also call the Center’s event line at 508-558-2918. Details here.

SEMAP’s 2nd Annual BOG JOG & Veggie Stampede

Saturday September 15, 2012 from 9:00AM to Noon, Tihonet Village Market at 146 Tihonet Road, Wareham, MA
Run or Walk through the A.D. Makepeace property and bogs. Run through wooded trails, break in and out of the dense forest into the sunshine, around a bog and then back into the tree-covered trail. Pre-Registration Fee: $25.00. Race Day Registration Fee: $35.00. All registrants receive a race t-shirt at registration. LOCAL FOOD CELEBRATION at the Finish Line! No strollers, dogs, scooters, or roller blades allowed. Race will be professionally timed and posted on-line. Medals for overall winners and each age group. For more information, go to the race website.

Organic Farming Practices I at BCC

Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, September through December, Bristol Community College, Fall River, MA
Enrollment is open for all interested in Organic Farming Practices I. The course is designed for serious gardeners and small-scale organic farmers. Topics will include sustainable agriculture in our future world, extensive soils studies including fertility, conservation, management, crop rotation, and more. This Fall semester course will be offered on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from September – December and earns 4 college credits. Tuition waivers may be available for senior citizens and veterans. Questions? Contact Dr. Jim Corven at 508 678-2811, ext. 3047 or james.corven@bristolcc.edu.

Organic Pest and Disease Control at BCC

Mondays 6 to 9pm, starting in September, Bristol Community College, Fall River, MA
New Course available: Organic Pest and Disease Control. This course is designed for gardeners and farmers who want to prevent pests/diseases and manage their land with minimal chemical dependency. The course will meet on Monday evenings from 6-9:00 pm for 6 weeks starting in early September. The course offers one college credit and tuition waivers may be available for senior citizens and veterans. Questions? Contact Dr. Jim Corven at 508 678-2811, ext. 3047 or james.corven@bristolcc.edu.

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Announcements

“Books, Arts, and Blooms” at Lakeville Public Library

Content taken from The Standard Times

“Books, Arts and Blooms” is the name of an eye-catching exhibit, currently being showcased at Lakeville Public Library, in which members of the Lakeville Garden Club teamed up with local artists to express their impressions of selected books in the form of floral arrangements and artwork. From sculptures to quilts and collages to acrylic paintings, the various works can be viewed in the Great Ponds Gallery alongside photos of gorgeous bouquets and other floral arrangements.

To view the exhibit, Lakeville Public Library is located on 241 Main Street, Lakeville, MA 02347. Read more about the exhibit here.

The River Project 2012 at Slocum’s River Reserve: Ongoing through May 18, 2013

The beautiful Slocum’s River Reserve in Dartmouth is the inspiration and the setting for six large-scale site-specific sculptures that will be on display from June 16, 2012 through May 18, 2013. The Slocum’s River Reserve is jointly owned and managed by The Trustees of Reservations and Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust and is located on Horseneck Road in Dartmouth, 1.4 miles south of Russell’s Mills Village. For more information visit the River Project 2012 web page slocumsriverproject.wordpress.com.

Donations Sought for “Earn a Bicycle” program

Mass in Motion-Fall River is seeking donations of used, retired bicycles for a RECYCLE A BICYCLE program being held this summer at Durfee High School, and continuing in the fall with the Applied Physics Class for the Class of 2016. In each case students are taking bicycles and refurbishing them. After bicycle mechanics comes bicycle safety, learning the rules of the road from the Fall River Police Department, and receiving a bicycle helmet. Finally with bicycles restored comes navigating safely around the City. And for those who complete the program successfully, “Earning a bicycle”. Please help us by donating any used and older models, retired bikes stored in your basement or garage. Some will be restored, some will be used for parts. Drop off can be arranged at Durfee High School in Fall River Mass or at Motion-Fall River, the Health and Human Services Division, located at One Government Center.Contact Contact Julianne Kelly, Coordinator for Mass in Motion-Fall River, at jkelly@fallriverma.org or 508-324-2405.

ACUPCC Five-Year Report Underscores Profound Impact

The American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment and its almost 700 signatories have demonstrated a profound and positive impact in negating the affects of climate change and integrating sustainable practices on their campuses since the initiative’s inception in 2007, according to Celebrating Five Years of Climate Leadership, the ACUPCC’s five-year report. The report quantifies the progress of the initiative, which represents an agreement between nearly 700 colleges and universities to promote sustainability through teaching and action. These actions includes reducing carbon emissions on their campuses; deploying sustainable practices; revising their curriculums and cultures to raise awareness of sustainability in students and graduates; sponsoring research and developing best case practices; and engaging local economies and communities. The report was released in conjunction with the ACUPCC’s annual Climate Leadership Summit , which was held at American University in Washington, DC on June 21st and 22nd.

The report’s highlights include:

• More than 675 signatories, representing 6 million students or 30 percent of the nation’s college and university population, have committed to the ACUPCC.
• Collectively, entire network has reduced gross greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent since 2007.
• By 2022, the signatories are projected to reduce their gross emissions by over 50 percent.
• More than 30 percent of signatories have targeted becoming climate neutrality within 20 years.
• Signatories collectively represent the third-largest purchasers of Renewable Energy Credits in the U.S.-enough green power for 130,000 American households.
• Almost 200 signatories offer nearly 10,000 courses focused on sustainability.

The ACUPCC is a high-visibility effort to address global warming by garnering institutional commitments from college and universities to accelerate the education, research and community engagement to equip society to re-stabilize the earth’s climate, and eliminate net greenhouse gas emissions from their own operations.

Learn more here.

Massachusetts Audubon Society Offers Free Summer Vacation Guide

From Boston.com The Massachusetts Audubon Society is offering a variety of outdoor activities and events this summer. To help families and visitors plan a trip to one of its 50 wildlife sanctuaries, Mass Audubon has created a new online vacation guide. The vacation guide offers something for everyone of all ages and backgrounds. out the Vacation Guide here.

Clean Air-Cool Planet is Hiring a Campus Program Associate

CA-CP is looking for a program associate to help us support and continue to develop carbon management tools (like the Campus Carbon Calculator) and programs for colleges and universities.

To apply, please send a letter of intent, resume and list of three references (or letters of reference) and a writing sample to Clean Air Cool Planet, attn.: Lynn Sullivan. Details and Job Description here.

New Job Openings at Buzzards Bay Coaltion

The Buzzards Bay Coalition has the following open service positions:

Commonwealth Corps Environmental Educator
The Buzzards Bay Coalition seeks two energetic individuals to join our team as Commonwealth Corps Service Members. This year-long position is as a core part of our Education and Public Engagement department with an overall goal of engaging the community in active and on-going stewardship of the Bay and Watershed. Specifically, service members will be working on our youth education initiatives which seek to strengthen the ethic of environmental stewardship in the region while also improving academic achievement in the classroom through increased school engagement. View the full job description at This Link

MassLIFT Land Steward
The MassLIFT Land Steward at Buzzards Bay Coalition will serve our communities by advancing the management and stewardship needs of land conservation projects led by the Buzzards Bay Coalition. This includes stewardship of the Coalition’s “river reserves” along the primary tributaries of the Bay, the 20 Conservation Restrictions currently held by the Coalition and new conservation projects now being advanced in partnership with individual town conservation commissions and local partner land trusts. View the full job description at This Page

Visit Save Buzzards Bay for information on all our positions.

UMass Dartmouth’s Living Classroom Program Profiled in Sustainability Journal

UMass Dartmouth’s Living Classroom program is profiled in the April 2012 issue of Sustainability: The Journal of Record. The Journal is published by Mary Ann Leibert, Inc., a leading company in authoritative international publications for the Scientific, Technical, and Medical knowledge and information industries. The profile, written by Pamela Marean from UMass Dartmouth’s Sustainability Office, discusses how The Living Classroom stimulates curiosity in students and local residents alike about how sustainability principles work in our lives by applying higher learning concepts to our immediate environmental resources–namely the University’s hundreds of acreage of forests and wetlands. This article represents a great accomplishment for UMass Dartmouth and is bound to bring greater attention to The Living Classroom, as well as all innovative programs under the umbrella of the Sustainability Initiative. Interested readers can view a copy of the article here.

Buzzards Bay Coalition and YMCA Southcoast launch River Exploration Camp

This summer the Buzzards Bay Coalition and YMCA Southcoast will offer the new River Exploration Camp. The camp will run from July 9 through 13 for ages 9 to 11, and from August 13 through 17 for ages 12 to 14. This week-long day camp will be full of hands-on activities for kids explore the Mattapoisett River from its headwaters to Buzzards Bay. Campers will spend the week in an in-depth study of the Mattapoisett River. Starting from a home-base at Camp Massasoit at the mouth of the river, campers will travel upriver to YMCA property on Snipatuit Pond in Rochester, where the river begins. Campers will learn what it takes to be a river biologist while hiking, seining, water sampling, and creating a Mattapoisett River Field Guide. Learn more here.

UMass Dartmouth Included in Princeton Review’s Annual Guide to Green Colleges

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth was selected for inclusion in “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges: 2012 Edition.” This free, downloadable book is a one-of-a-kind resource and is published in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The comprehensive guide focuses solely on colleges that have demonstrated a notable commitment to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation. The Princeton Review chose the listed schools based on research it conducted in 2011 of over 700 colleges and universities across the U.S. and in Canada. It provides “Green Rating” scores of colleges for its school profiles in its college guidebooks and website. The institutions in the guide represent those with the highest “Green Ratings.”

Interested readers can download a free copy of the guide at Princeton Review’s site or at the website for the U.S. Green Building Council’s Center for Green Schools.

UMass Dartmouth Sustainability Courses for Fall 2012 Semester Announced

UMass Dartmouth’s Sustainability Studies undergraduate courses for the fall 2012 semester have been announced and listed. Learn more here.

The Marion Institute seeks a Fundraising Professional

The Marion Institute (www.marioninstitute.org) seeks a Fundraising Professional to join the Executive Director and MI team. We are looking for a person who is excited by the prospect of leading and managing all aspects of MI’s fundraising. Working closely with the Executive Director and the Board, the Fundraising Professional will be responsible for shaping and executing the overall MI approach to generating financial support. This will involve building on an existing successful foundation as well as bringing a fresh perspective to the task of setting priorities and implementing specific aspects of the fundraising strategy. This would include MI’s annual appeal, targeted major donor appeals, web based fundraising, special events for constituency/membership development and cultivation, foundation and government grants, corporate gifts, leadership on all special fundraising efforts and the development of a planned giving program. Learn more here.

SouthCoast Energy Challenge Business Rewards Program

The SouthCoast Energy Challenge launched its Business Rewards Program at three Dartmouth businesses: Alderbrook Farm, Baker Books, and Mirasol’s Café. A tidy box near the entrance of each establishment signals to customers, “Save money on utility bills… and earn a $10 gift certificate to this establishment!” How does it work? Any customer who registers for and receives a no-cost, Mass Save home energy assessment by filling out an attached slip and dropping it in the box will receive their complimentary $10 gift certificate to that business! It’s as easy as that! And the perks don’t stop there. Simply getting a home energy assessment can save you 3-5% utility costs. During the assessment, the energy experts at Next Step Living make a few simple, on-the-spot retrofits to increase your home’s efficiency. These retrofits include installing energy saving light bulbs, an efficient showerhead, and programmable thermostats if you don’t have them already. They will also make recommendations to increase the efficiency of your home on a deeper level. Added insulation, air sealing, and weatherstripping are some common recommendations. Furthermore, they will help you make a plan to take advantage of state rebates and funding opportunities available through the Mass Save program. For more information, visit the SouthCoast Energy Challenge.

The Top 10 Peak Oil Books Of 2012

“Peak Oil” is the term for predictions about when we will have passed the mark for extracting oil from the earth in its best quantities. After Peak Oil, extraction supplies will only dwindle. Experts say we already passed that mark three decades ago. For the best, most recent reading on the subject, including its effects on the economy, energy supplies, and other factors expected to peak and dwindle, click here.

Regional Bikeway Conversation

Conversations about the Regional Bikeway are heating up and we need your help! The Fall River, Dartmouth, and New Bedford bikepath committees are seeking members. For more information contact:
New Bedford: Angela Bannister bannist324@yahoo.com or Pauline Hamel phamel@bu.edu
Dartmouth: Wendy Henderson whenderson@town.dartmouth.ma.us
Fall River: Brian Pearson btrekman@comcast.net
For information about the regional bikeway, contact Adam Recchia arecchia@srpedd.org.
For information about upcoming bikerides, contact Brian Pearson btrekman@comcast.net.

Essay Contest for Kids and Teens

Like A Drop of Water’s writing contest offers young people, ages eight through seventeen, world wide the opportunity to share their ideas on how they and their countries can reduce climate change and pollution. The writing contest is open to all young people in the world from the ages of eight through seventeen (8-17). There is a $400.00 award every month to eight or more young authors with scholarship awards ranging from $25.00 to $100.00 through 2015. In addition, the judges will select the best essay in the calendar year and that young person will receive a $500.00 scholarship award. Yearly the top fifty essays will be sent to the White House and be made available to governments across the world. Bi-yearly, the best one hundred winning essays will be published as an e-book for world wide distribution. Learn about the contest here.

Buy Carbon Credits with the Marion Institute

Offset one ton of carbon emissions for just $7. Your tax-free donation will go directly to the Marion Institute’s Gaviotas Carbon Offset Initiative, which has been reforesting tropical rainforest for over twenty years. Donate here.

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Weekly Green Tip

Indoor Plants as Air Filters

Keeping indoor plants not only adds a nice green touch to our homes; some indoor plant species have proven to be effective filters for pollutants. Learn more here.