 Small gas engines are a leading source of air pollution. Find out why battery powered maintenance equipment is the superior solution.
Join the Electrify! Coalition for an informative webinar on electric outdoor power tools. We'll be talking with some of the leading experts and advocates for the electrification of the landscape maintenance industry and the manufacturers of outdoor landscape equipment about why this is important, the state of the transition away from gas powered tools, and provide tips on how you can make this transition in your home or community. We will cover:
Dan Mabe grew up in the outdoor maintenance industry and founded American Green Zone Alliance to improve the quality of life for communities and working conditions for landscape operators. He has become the nations leading expert on electrification in this industry by providing education, training and tool choice validation for low noise, low impact operations. AGZA has pioneered the concept of Certified Green Zones - properties on which routine grounds maintenance is performed with low-impact equipment and practices. AGZA has worked with communities, schools and corporations to certify Green Zone outdoor spaces and document the beneficial impacts in 7 states across the US. Jason Jones, National Business Development Manager for EGO Power tools, and Jack Easterly, Brand Manager for Husqvarna will provide insights on the latest technology and industry trends from two of the leading manufacturers in the industry. Donations: Please consider donating a couple of dollars for this webinar to the Electrify Everyone Fund. All proceeds from your donations go towards installing free heat pump water heaters in low income homes through the nonprofit Community Energy Project. Your donation will help reduce carbon emissions and lower utility bills for these families. Thank you! The Electrify! Coalition: Our coalition of non-profits, faith based groups, HVAC contractors, youth groups, builders and energy providers is dedicated to accelerate electrification through education and policy.  Join Mother's Out Front's second Climate Action Call to take quick and effective action in just 45 minutes! This month, we’ll be advocating for legislation to make clean heat, clean air, and healthy soils a reality across the Commonwealth.
This event is designed for everyone - from curious newcomers to long-time volunteers. We’ll give you everything you need to take action right on the call. No experience necessary to help move forward legislation designed to protect all Massachusetts communities from environmental pollution and climate change. REGISTER HERE  If you missed the Sustainable Wellesley/Wellesley Books discussion with author Paul Greenberg about his inspiring, accessible book, the Climate Diet last week, you can watch it here.
What a treat for our group to hear directly from the author! "Naked food" and "shipped vs. flown" were just a few of the inspirational stories he shared on ways we can address our own household carbon footprints. As Paul says, "everyone can and should do something," and this book offers a wide array of things you can do. He calls this book a "peace offering," for adults and teens/millennials that shares ideas that are not only good for the planet, but good for your health and wallet too. Take some time to read The Climate Diet this summer. Its short, informative and available at the library and the local book store! Then share the book; we all have something to learn.  Saturday June 19 at 10am, join Wellesley residents, students of all ages and folks from neighboring activist groups such as 350 Mass MetroWest, Extinction Rebellion, Sunrise Movement, Fridays For Future, Mothers Out Front and others to raise awareness that is unhealthy for banks to invest in the fossil fuel industry.
Using the imminent opening of a new Chase Bank branch in town to protest JPMorgan-Chase continuing to invest heavily in fossil fuels, you are invited to stand with the community in the “closed to traffic” area of Central Street to interact with pedestrians and shoppers, asking them to sign pre-addressed “Stop the Money Pipeline” postcards to Jamie Dimon, the CEO of Chase. At noon all will process to the Post Office and ceremoniously post the cards. Please add this to your calendar and bring a friend! Meet up on Saturday June 19 at 10am in the small shady park at the intersection of Crest Road and Central Street (rt. 135).  Award-winning food and environmental writer Paul Greenberg will join a discussion of his book, The Climate Diet: 50 Simple Ways to Trim Your Carbon Footprint tomorrow, Thursday, at 7 p.m., sponsored by the nonprofit Sustainable Wellesley and Wellesley Books.
Greenberg’s short book provides an accessible guide to caring for the planet right now. Register here to receive a Zoom link for the event. You can purchase a copy of the book from Wellesley Books here or visit the Wellesley Public Library. Wellesley Books will donate a portion of sales to Sustainable Wellesley. The book opens with this question: “Should we do nothing? Or should we do something?” In the 120+ pages that follow, Greenberg provides a list of urgent, achievable actions that could add up to big impact; for example, switch from beef to chicken to cut your carbon footprint by a fifth, hang your clothing to dry instead of using the dryer, which is “the second-most energy-intensive appliance in your home (after water heaters),” or reimagine your gift giving to include less packaging and more creativity. Readers are urged to take steps to cut carbon emissions and generate less waste, but also to tackle broader efforts like writing to government representatives to support legislation that fosters big change. Greenberg writes that “no one responds to a finger in the face.’ Instead, he suggests that concerned citizens use their own knowledge of issues to inform and encourage support from leaders. Shifting to sustainable practices is not just better for the planet, Greenberg suggests, but improves quality of life by leading to cleaner air, quieter neighborhoods, and nourishing, more delicious food. To start, readers are urged to ask questions like, do you really need or want to travel to a business conference, or could the next event be virtual? Or just how far did that pineapple travel before it arrived in your fruit bowl? The book-group discussion will include a slide-show presentation and Q&A with the author, followed by community discussion. Space is limited, so please sign up today. The Climate Diet is a book to read, discuss and then take along to revisit while sitting on a porch this summer. Pass the book to a friend, or use it as a reference when you wake up at 2 a.m. panicked about the state of our precious natural world. Don’t fret, do something! Greenberg assures that we can get started today. Greenberg’s other books include Four Fish, American Catch and Goodbye Phone, Hello World.  New, Updated Gas Leaks Map shows Wellesley still has 250 unrepaired pipeline leaks, emitting a whooping 91 MT of methane (natural gas).
This puts Wellesley in the state’s top 11 emitters of methane, with the other 10 being much larger cities & towns: Worcester, Weymouth, Quincy, Newton, Medford, Lynn, Dorchester, Brookline, Arlington and Boston. Methane has more than 80 times the climate warming power of carbon dioxide during the first 20 years after it reaches the atmosphere. Leaky, corroded pipes run all over under our town and the entire state. The estimated cost to repair all if these pipes is enormous, at the ratepayers’ expense. Despite the fact that 70 pipe lines have been repaired in Wellesley so far, it seems even more leaks have sprung anew. It’s time to stop using “natural “ gas for our heating and cooking. Gas is unhealthy, dangerous, costly (we are paying for all those leaks!), and bad for the environment. Consider going electric! Email us to learn more!  Know these folks?
Give them a big shout out!! Congratulations to Wellesley High Schools' Climate Action Club members Vaani Kapoor, Kaitlin Braun, and Catherine Smith, who won the Community Engagement Award for their work on Solar Power and other initiatives from Project Green Schools' 2021 Green Difference Awards. Also big congrats to Lisa Moore, Wellesley Natural Resources Commission's Environmental Education and Outreach Coordinator, on receiving a Project Green Schools' 2021 Green Difference Awards for Outdoor Learning and Education. Thanks to Wellesley Green Schools for taking the time to nominate these outstanding individuals. Way to go, Wellesley!  Give input on Wellesley's Sustainable Mobility Plan (SMP).
As part of the SMP, the Town has launched a series of short surveys to gather more information on a range of mobility topics. Each survey takes five minutes or less to complete. Please respond to as many or few that apply to your travel and spread the word to friends and family. The most recent survey asks about school travel and is designed for either students or parents. Your input is important as we seek ways to make low impact travel modes (walking, biking, buses) safer and more attractive. In addition to the school survey, we encourage you to take any previous surveys that apply to how you travel, get deliveries, and plan for future travel. The first five of 10 surveys are available at this link under the “Wellesley Wheelhouse” Tab. So far the topics focus on: Survey 1- Work from Home trends Survey 2 - Biking and E-bicycles Survey 3 - Use of Ridehailing Services (e.g. Uber and Lyft) Survey 4 - Use of E-commerce Survey 5 - School Travel In the future watch for surveys on autonomous vehicles, bikability, use of food delivery services, microtransit, and electric vehicles. If you have questions, please email smp@wellesleyma.gov. Thank you for your help with this community project!  The Wellesley Department of Public Works needs your help to reduce the current demand for water in Wellesley and has issued a Water Supply Conservation Declaration. The decision requires residents and businesses to begin following specific water restrictions effective today, Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
The requirements include a mandatory alternate day outdoor watering schedule for homes and businesses, a ban on outdoor watering between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., and a request to reduce the amount of outdoor watering time by 20 percent. Complete details are included below. According to DPW officials, the measures are needed to ensure that Wellesley’s water supply continues to protect the health and safety of residents, including providing enough water necessary to fight fires. Water supplies in Town are low due to that fact that the Morses Pond water treatment plant was taken offline in early May after tests showed higher than allowed levels of PFAS6 substances. This treatment plant supplies over one million gallons of water per day to homes and businesses and its loss is causing a shortage in the system. “The water in Wellesley is safe to drink and use, but we’re asking for cooperation from everyone in the community by following these restrictions as we head into the summer months,” said DPW Director Dave Cohen. “By taking action now, we hope to avoid a ban on all outdoor water use later.” Outdoor Water Use Alternate Day Restrictions Based upon street address numbers, nonessential outdoor water use IS ALLOWED according to the following schedule: Odd numbered addresses are restricted to Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Even numbered addresses are restricted to Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. Nonessential outdoor use of water on Monday is prohibited. Nonessential outdoor watering hours are restricted to before 9:00 a.m. and after 5:00 p.m. Outdoor watering is prohibited during the daytime. Essential uses of water are: For health and safety reasons Irrigation to establish a new lawn and new plantings between the months of May and September Agricultural operations to maintain livestock and crops Irrigation of lawns, gardens, flowers and ornamental plants by means of a hand-held hose Nonessential uses are: Irrigation of lawns via sprinklers or automatic irrigation systems Washing of vehicles, except in a commercial car wash or as necessary for operator safety Washing of exterior building surfaces, parking lots, driveways or sidewalks, except as necessary to apply surface treatments such as paint, preservatives, stucco, pavement, or concrete Reduce Use While Watering To help maintain appropriate water levels in Town storage tanks, the DPW is also asking residents to reduce the amount outdoor watering time by 20%. For example, this means that if you have an automated irrigation system with a 15-minute watering time in each zone, you should reduce each zone’s watering duration by at least 3 minutes. Additional recommendations to help reduce water use include checking for and repairing any water leaks in irrigation systems, faucets, shower heads, and toilets. Visit the DPW webpages for more information on water conservation. The Natural Resources Commission also offers tips for healthy and sustainable lawn and landscape care. Impact of PFAS6 on Water Restrictions The Water Division acknowledges that the current PFAS6 situation is a major reason for these new rules. PFAS6 is a new drinking water standard which tests for the sum of six PFAS compounds. PFAS are Perand PolyFluorAlkyl Substances, a group of numerous human-made chemicals used since the 1950s to manufacture stain-resistant, water-resistant, and non-stick products. This drinking water standard is set to protect against adverse health effects for all people consuming the water. “It’s important to note that the Morses Pond plant was the only one in Wellesley with higher than allowed PFAS6 levels. It is closed and will likely remain closed all summer,” said Water and Sewer Superintendent Bill Shaughnessy. “Since May 3, all water for Wellesley is coming from the Town’s two other treatment plants and from the Quabbin and Wachusett reservoirs operated by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA). While some other communities affected by PFAS6 concerns have bottled water requirements, it is not necessary here. All of the water provided to our residents meets all current MassDEP water quality standards.” Residents with individual concerns about PFAS should contact their physicians or other health professionals. For complete PFAS information, visit the DPW webpages or contact MassDEP. |
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