environment
Boston is on a carbon diet
We just heard that Boston will receive $6.5 million in federal stimulus funds to help get “Renew Boston” off the ground. This is an effort to reduce the city’s carbon footprint, while creating jobs at the same time. See report from the Herald this morning.
Former Vice President Al Gore will team up with Mayor Thomas M. Menino today to announce that the city is receiving $6.5 million in federal stimulus funds to help kick-start “Renew Boston,” a program aimed at reducing the Hub’s greenhouse gas emissions.
The money will help create a program that will reduce energy consumption by weatherizing homes and retrofitting city-owned buildings. The money also will be used to spur the development of “shovel ready” municipal solar-electric, solar-thermal and wind-energy projects, according to the city.
Boston seems to be a very active town with engaged citizens and city workers. While organizing Pitch the City this year we were able to get an inside view and it was inspirational. Not only was the City of Boston open to the idea of gathering ideas from the public, they encouraged us to conduct the contest and help them make it happen. On top of that, we received over 100 ideas from citizens! We are looking forward to hearing the four finalists on Sunday at D2E and hope you can join us.
Don’t forget to come by the Hynes this weekend. We have a lot of great events going on. Check out our EVENTS page for details.
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?
What to do with old meds
Unwanted medications can contaminate drinking water. (Photo courtesy NOAA)
A friend of mine asked this question and I did not have an answer. There have been very few times when I have needed prescription medication, so this is an issue that I have not had to consider. Then today I came across an article on the Sundance Channel website.
“Many people may not be aware that improperly disposing of prescription or over-the-counter drugs, such as flushing them down the toilet, contributes to pharmaceuticals found in our waterways,” said Mayor Richard Daley (of Chicago), announcing the new drop boxes on November 1.
– The Sundance Channel
This is great for Chicago – but what about everywhere else?
I did a little poking around on google and found an interesting article on medicinenet.com. Apparently there are studies going on to determine the effects of Prozac on fish…
Wisegeek.com recommends you call your pharmacist. They often have take-back programs or will know of how you can dispose of them.
I called the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy to see what they recommend but after speaking with two people that had no idea, leaving a message and not getting a call back. I suggest you call your local pharmacy to get the answer.
As my friend Aniko says, “I don’t want to find out my old medicine is making fish grow three eyes.” Or being treated for a depression that they did not know they had.
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