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You don’t have to suffer, for eco-fashion
Here at D2E we are committed not only to finding sustainable clothing companies and designers so that we can feel good about what we wear – we are also committed to finding good fashion. You don’t have to be limited fashion-wise to be eco-wise.
Check out this great video created by the talented Hired Pens. They help us get this message across in a humorous way.
Recycling within reason
Check out this great video that the Hired Pens created for us. They are a local copy writing and video production company and they are very good at what they do – and they have a great sense of humor.
This video shows that though recycling is good – it can be taken overboard. Have fun viewing!
D2E 2008 video – check it out!
We just posted a video from last years event. If you attended last year, it is fun to watch and remember the energy. If you did not attend, this will give you a better picture of D2E. We work hard to promote sustainable businesses and organizations that are helping us move to a sustainable future. We also enjoy the educational programming for people like us. We have all learned so much with this show, and it is a pleasure to share the wealth with all of you. We can enrich our lives with more than money.
Does government policy matter?
Alternative energy is alive in Massachusetts
We have been talking about Policy a lot these days at D2E. One of the many things we have learned in this exploration is how important our government policy is in moving us closer to a more sustainable world. The US is far behind Europe in this regard. So It is great to see the Patrick administration taking action. It looks like the economic climate might slow us down a bit, but with the right leadership, we can make great strides.
We spoke with NEEP, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnership, yesterday. They have agreed to moderate a panel at D2E on policy. So now we are looking for some city, state and federal policy makers to sit on the panel and speak to the audience at D2E. What are they up to? What progress has been made? What plans are set for the future? How can citizens get involved? These are the questions that keep us up at night.
Check out today’s Globe to see a story about what’s going on here in Massachusettes.“Will the economy take the wind out of Patrick’s plan?” by Erin Ailworth.
“It’s pretty clear that we can meet every one of those goals if we have the will,” Rogers said. [John Rogers, a senior energy analyst for the Union of Concerned Scientists] “And it’s pretty clear from what the science is telling us that we have to meet so many of these goals to get on the path that we need to be.”
Are you interested in what the governement is up to? What type of policy discussion would you like to see at D2E in April?
Citizen Schools taking action
I just received these two notices from Citizen Schools. This is a great organization that is currently second in the running for education ideas at Change.org. If they make it into the top ten overall, their program will be reviewed by the new presidential cabinet as a way to improve our educational system. You can read about how I participated in their last WOW! event and you can vote for them here.
They are also hosting a great event on MLK Day that I am signing up for.
Celebrate Martin Luther King jr Day by interacting with our youth, our future.
Come together with Citizen Schools, our students, and dozens of volunteers from across Boston to celebrate service and mentor young people as they make their own declarations of service to others.
When: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Monday January 19, 2009
12:00-4:00pm
Where: Citizen Schools Headquarters, 308 Congress Street, Boston, MA
In the Childrens’ Museum building
Keynote Speaker: Robert Louis Jr., Vice President, The Boston Foundation
What to expect:
Martin Luther King Jr. left a profound legacy of service to our country. On the eve of his own Presidential service to America, Barack Obama has called each of us to service too. In celebration of this historic time, we want to help young people think about the importance of service and how they can do their part to serve their communities. We’re hoping you’ll join in the fun!
We invite you to spend the afternoon with 80 students and alumni of our program to share ideas, hopes, experiences, and knowledge that celebrate service. After an introductory lunch, games, and kick-off speech, we’ll pair you with a student and you’ll work 1-on-1to mentor your future leader in developing his or her own understanding of service. You’ll help your student write a letter to President-elect Obama, outlining his or her hopes and dreams for the country that culminates in a personal declaration of service stating how he or she plans to serve the community.
The historic election of President-elect Barack Obama has inspired thousands of young people in Boston to understand the needs of their country and serve them. You can help these young people harness their enthusiasm by celebrating service – not just for one day, but for a lifetime. So join us on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to share your afternoon with our nation’s youth, and help them shape America’s service agenda.
Please arrive by 12:00 PM. Dress is casual. Lunch will be provided.
For more information, contact Daniel Rosen at danielrosen@citizenschools.org, 617-695-2300 ext. 150.
Citizen Schools; exposing middle school kids to professional opportunities
Last night I had the honor of serving as a judge at the annual Citizen Schools Design & Development WOW! presentations. Citizen Schools is a local non profit that works with middle school kids. The Design and Development Apprenticeship is an urban planning ideas competition – and we at D2E love ideas! This event engages more than 100 youth from middle schools throughout Boston. For 10 weeks each fall, the students collaborate with volunteer architecture and development professionals and Citizen Schools staff to re-envision Boston’s built environment and public open spaces, developing plans and models for projects in different city neighborhoods.
This student from the McCormack school impressed us with his innovative ideas, his spiffy suit and his articulate presentation. Well done!
The Edison Middle School tackled the problems with City Hall!
It was inspiring to hear these students ideas. And it was great to also meet some of the graduates from previous years that are now in college. This really is what it’s all about. Kids have to be exposed to options in order to understand that there are opportunities.
According to John Werner, the enthusiastic leader of Citizen Schools, “This program works. Our combination of rigorous academic support and engaging apprenticeships is producing a generation of eager and invested learners. Citizen teachers are sharing their expertise and kids are listening. Our students are outperforming a comparison group of public middle school students on 6 of 7 key indicators, including MCAS scores, attendance, suspension rates and on time promotion to 10th grade, a critical indicator of HS graduation rates. As well, graduate of our 8th grade academy program are graduating from HS and attending college at nearly twice the rates of their BPS peers.”
I was really tired on this Monday and at 4pm I was dreading the commitment I made to be a judge. Those feelings faded as soon as I arrived and saw all the great work being done. I was energized and excited to be a part of this great effort. And a big “Thank you” goes out to all of the local businesses that stepped up to the plate and brought the students into their offices. This was a big time commitment and a great investment in the future of Boston. We at D2E applaud you!
Participating Apprenticeships:
Payette Associates: McCormack Middle School
Cubellis: Edwards Middle School
Goody Clancy: Irving Middle School
Harvard Graduate School of Design: 8th Grade Academy
ICON Architecture, Inc: Rogers Middle school
Paul Lukez Architecture: Mario Umana Middle School Academy
Shepley Bulfinch: Gavin Middle School
Jones Lang LaSalle: Edison Middle School
Altitude, Inc.: McCormack Middle School
Below are a bunch of photos to enjoy.
Students are making plans for a bike and pedestrian path to help improve and reinvigorate the Columbia Point neighborhood.
Jones Lang LaSalle even went to the extent of teaching the kids about budgeting. I could have used a few of these lessons!
To the tune of Rocky, the students marched up to the podium to collect their awards.
Ernest Pough, a graduate of Citizen Schools and current Freshman at Union College was one of my fellow judges. He passed out our awards to the teams.
Dear Santa: Times are Tough
We all have a bit of Santa and misfit in us. Now the Post Office is giving us an opportunity to give or receive - depending on where we happen to land this year.
This morning I read a touching story in the Globe by David Filipov and I have to share. Apparently, each year the Post Office gets letters addressed to Santa in the North Pole and they actually read them. They take the ones that are asking for necessities like shoes and coats and they put them in a separate pile. Then they open up the Secret Santa Office so that people who can provide the basics for their family will have the opportunity to share their wealth. Below is the address for the Secret Santa Office and the times that it is open. When you arrive, you can choose a letter to sponsor. So if you can only afford to buy an extra coat, choose a letter that only asks for a coat. If you can afford more, it looks like there are some detailed letters for families with multiple kids.
Starting Monday, the Secret Santa Office will be open in the lobby of Fort Point Station in the General Mail Facility at 25 Dorchester Ave. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday until Dec. 24. The phone number is 617-654-5776. Sponsors need to bring a photo ID.
A local business and church making a difference
Anton Cleaners are accepting winter jackets. They clean them and then pass them on to someone that needs it.
This morning on the way to work I stopped at my local Anton Cleaners to drop off an old winter jacket. It was in great shape, but just did not fit me right. No matter how much I like to think I am still a small, I really need to wear a medium these days. So it felt great to know that this slightly used jacket was going to be cleaned and then given to someone who needs it. While there I noticed that they have an eco-clean program. So here is an example of a local business that is thinking about the community and the earth.
We at D2E love to hear about our local organizations pitching in to help the greater community. Sustainable living is about everything – not just “going green”. It’s about people and business and how we all affect one another.
I came across another great local effort from one of our local Unitarian Churches. I grew up a UU and I learned a lot about community with our church.
Learn about the growing green economy
Join UU Mass Action and the Boston Green Justice Coalition this Sat to kick off an exciting and innovation campaign to ensure that our region’s growing green economy will create quality jobs, healthier communities and energy savings for low-income residents.
Saturday, December 6th @ 10:00am
Twelfth Baptist Church Roxbury (150 -160 Warren St.)
Green Jobs are a major component of the UU commitment to address the effects of Global Warming. Please support this coalition in their efforts to realize this goal in Boston. The Green Justice Coalition is a partnership of community groups, labor unions, environmental organizations and other allied organizations who are building a broad-based effort in support of a sustainable, equitable and clean energy economy in the Boston region.
For more information, please visit our website: uumassaction.org
US backing of wind farm could come this week
This computer-generated image showed what a view of Cape Wind farm would look like from Oak Bluffs. The developer expects the turbines will produce 170 megawatts of power a year.
While reading through the Globe this morning I came across a story about Cape Wind. I really did not think this project had much of a chance, considering the Kennedy’s are against it. But it looks like there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Bina Venkataraman from the Globe reports today on the progress of Cape Wind, and it is well worth checking out the whole story.
Mark Rodgers, communications director for Cape Wind, said the company predicts the $1 billion project could be operating by 2011, though opponents have said they will go to court to try to block it. The developer expects the turbines to produce about 170 megawatts of power a year, equivalent to almost three-quarters of the average electricity demand for the Cape and Islands.
The proposal from a once little-known company has endured years of environmental review, several rounds of political maneuvering by the likes of Senator Edward M. Kennedy and former governor Mitt Romney, and strong opposition from a group of homeowners on the Cape and Islands. They worry that the 440-foot-high turbines, visible on the horizon, would mar their views, depress property values, and deter tourists. But the project has gained momentum as the public’s appetite has grown for renewable energy to help forestall global warming. The turbines would be placed about five to eight miles from the Cape coast.
Taking Action
In my busy life, trying to run a business while keeping my husband, my dog and myself happy, I find it hard to be an activist. I am so active trying to make a living while enjoying my own life, the thought of getting politically involved is daunting. But I try to stay aware and be active when I can. I read the Globe every day (okay, I scan it and read the articles that interest me) and I read the Boston Business Journal each week (this one I actually read from cover to cover). I read the NY Times on the weekends, I subscribe to a few blogs and I get the David Suzuki and 350 newsletters.
Through these news outlets, I have become ’sort of’ active and I have become aware of others that are much more active. My ’sort of’ activeness began with No Impact Man when he made it easy to send a letter to his congressman and now I am getting involved with 1 Sky.
My business is all about promoting sustainable businesses and educating people about how to live a more sustainable life in our urban environment, so I am lucky in that my job is involved in the effort to help make our economy and our lives more sustainable.
This morning the Globe published a piece titled “Breaking a town from the center”, written by Bill McKibben and Sue Halpern about how their little town in Vermont unified to keep their post office from closing down. This is a great story about how individuals can help make a difference. It is also an insight into how the commercial parts of our towns and cities are so important to our communities.
On my end, I am going to sign up with 1 Sky and see what I can do while my congressional representatives are home for the summer. I’m sure they’d love to hear from me during their summer vacation!
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