The Federal Tax Credit, MA State Rebate, and Drive Green Dealer Discounts Can Lower the Purchase Price of an Electric Vehicle 

The town of Wellesley is striving to achieve a 50 percent, community-wide reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050. Transportation currently accounts for 43 percent of Wellesley’s greenhouse gas emissions. Electric vehicles (EVs) are an important part of Wellesley’s emissions reduction strategy along with increased biking, walking, and use of public transit. For those considering buying a new EV, current federal tax credit, state rebate, and Green Energy Consumer Alliance Drive Green programs offer significant savings.

The Drive Green program, for example, offers negotiated dealer discounts on EVs from a range of makers, including Chevrolet, Mitsubishi, and Nissan, making it easy to compare prices and find a dealership with knowledgeable sales staff. Special offers on pre-owned EV and hybrid vehicles are also available. Tesla EVs are not part of the Drive Green program.

“Transportation, along with buildings, is a leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in Wellesley,” said Dr. Marybeth Martello, Wellesley’s Sustainability Director. “Every one of us can help combat climate change by replacing older, gas-powered vehicles with EVs. EV purchase incentives make it more cost-effective for each of us to do our part.”

As one example, a new Hyundai Kona Electric, an EV with a battery range of 258 miles, is now available for just $24,497. Normally retailing for $38,575, this EV is available now for $14,078 less, thanks to a Green Energy Consumer Alliance Drive Green discount, a federal tax credit, and the state of Massachusetts MOR-EV rebate:

$38,575 Retail price
($4,078) Drive green dealer discount
($2,500) MA state rebate
($7,500) Federal tax credit
$24,497 Final effective price

To learn about the Green Energy Consumer Alliance, click here. 

To learn more about Wellesley’s Climate Action Plan, click here. To comment or ask a question, email climateaction@wellesleyma.gov. 

FROM GREEN NEWTON:
​A hearing on three bills regarding manufacturer funded recycling programs will take place in the Massachusetts State Legislature from 1-5pm on June 22. Passing these bills on extended producer responsibility (EPR) for paint, mattresses, packaging, and paper would help defray the cost of disposing of or recycling these items that cities and towns in Massachusetts currently bear. It would also set a precedent in Massachusetts for a better way to manage the items that are thrown away each year. The three bills are:

• Paint EPR H.938 – this bill is the most likely to get passed this session, it has support from the paint industry and 10 successful programs nationwide, including neighboring states of CT, RI, VT, and ME.
• Mattress EPR S.569 – this bill would ensure that mattresses are recycled in Massachusetts.
• Packaging & Paper Products EPR H.878/S.517/S.610 – this bill would reimburse municipalities for their recycling programs.

We need you to:

• submit written testimony by midnight on June 22. You can use this template to support all three bills or you can simply write, “I’m in favor of each of the bills because they are beneficial to the environment.”  Send by 11:59pm on Tuesday, June 22 to JointCommittee.Environment@malegislature.gov.
• contact your legislator and tell them you strongly support the three EPR bills because cities and towns should not have to bear all the cost of recycling products. You can find your state legislator here.

What is Extended Producer Responsibility?
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)  legislation makes manufacturers have a stake in recycling the products and packaging they generate.  An EPR bill would create a fund to cover the cost of recycling and incentivize companies to make their packaging more recyclable.
​
Why is EPR needed?
Municipalities have little power to control the barrage of materials flooding the Commonwealth but are responsible for managing recycling and disposal.

• Recent fluctuations in the recycling market have drastically increased costs for municipalities, which now pay tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.
• A growing percentage of packaging waste is plastic – 40 percent of all plastic production is used for packaging. However, just 10 percent of all plastic produced is recycled. The rest is burned, buried in landfills, or lost in the environment, contributing to air and water pollution, the formation of microplastics, and a growing litter crisis in our oceans.
• Companies that sell packaged products do not have an incentive to design packaging so that it can be recycled, or to use recycled content in their manufacture. While producers benefit from wrapping their products in disposable materials, local taxpayers are responsible for cleaning up litter and paying for trash and recycling, regardless of whether they purchased the products.

I’ve never heard of EPR–is this a new idea?
Extended Producer Responsibility has been tested and proven in countries all over the world.

1. Successful product stewardship programs have transformed waste management in the EU, Canada, Israel, Brazil, Chile, India and Russia.
2. California, Connecticut, and Rhode Island already have EPR legislation for the recycling of mattresses. 10 states nationwide have laws on recycling paint. Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York are joining together to call for the positive transformation that an EPR program would bring to not just Massachusetts, but the entire Northeast region.

An energy efficient building code that still allows the combustion of fossil fuels is not helping Massachusetts achieve its goal of Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Because of the state’s Net Zero goals outlined in Gov. Baker’s Clean Energy Climate Plan, new homes will have to either be built to Net Zero now or be retrofitted later. It is less expensive to both the state and owners to build Net Zero buildings now than to retrofit buildings down the line. But cities and towns are prohibited from exceeding the state’s “stretch” code (a building code that requires higher energy efficiency standards for new buildings than the base code) even while many developers are already building to Net Zero standards at little to no a to no additional cost (ReadyforNetZero_03.01.21.pdf).
That’s why Massachusetts needs a new “Net Zero” stretch code that includes the use of renewable energy instead of gas or oil.  
To keep the pressure up to guarantee that the Net Zero stretch code developed by the Department of Energy Resources is truly Net Zero, please consider:
1) Writing to the Board of Building Regulations and Standards (Dan.P.Walsh@mass.gov) to let them know that a true Net Zero stretch code means building safe and healthy housing, affordable to heat and cool, and effective in mitigating climate change. A true Net Zero stretch code transforms our buildings from a major source of emissions to being part of the climate solution.  

2) Share the news on your favorite social media and include any and all of the following hashtags:  #NetZeroForAll, #NetZeroNow, #ProtectOurAir, #ElectrifyEverything, #AllElectric, #PassOnGas, #GasFreeHomes, #CleanEnergy, #AirPollution·         
Need inspiration? 
Harvard Study estimates burning fossil fuels for buildings costs Massachusetts $8.4 billion in annual health impacts 
An interactive map shows health impact of building emissions by state
Thanks!

Many Town Boards, Committees, and Commissions positions are available.
Take a look here. Positions are appointed by Wellesley Select Board.

Council on Aging: The Wellesley Council on Aging (COA) was established by legislative action in 1972 to coordinate and carry out programs and services to meet the needs and objectives of the population age 60 and over. The COA is funded through local taxes, state, federal, and local grants, and private contributions.

Cultural Council: The Wellesley Cultural Council administers money that the Massachusetts Cultural Council allots to Wellesley from state funds, including the state lottery. These funds support the arts, humanities and sciences in the Wellesley community. The Council also serves as an advocacy voice for the arts in our community and state.

Historic District Commission: The Commission's primary responsibility is the review of applications for alterations to exterior architectural features for the sixty-five (65) properties within the Cottage Street Historic District and four (4) Single Building Historic Districts.

Historical Commission: The Wellesley Historical Commission works to protect and preserve tangible evidence of the architectural, aesthetic, cultural, economic, political and social history of Wellesley.

Sustainable Energy Committee: The Sustainable Energy Committee (SEC) leads efforts to accomplish the goal adopted at the 2009 Annual Town Meeting (ATM): to reduce Town-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 10% below 2007 levels by 2013, to monitor and report progress toward that goal, and to propose further goals for emissions reductions to Town Meeting. The 2014 ATM adopted the SEC proposal to establish a new goal to reduce Town-wide emissions 25% below 2007 levels by 2020. The Unified Plan also identifies sustainability and energy conservation as important goals.

Veterans Advisory Board: The West Suburban Veterans’ Services District (WSVSD) operates under the provisions established by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 115. The office provides veterans and their dependents with a full range of benefits and services based on qualifications and eligibility requirements, using all available Federal, State and Town government agencies. The department also monitors the care and maintenance of all veterans’ graves and sixteen veterans’ monuments in Town. There are five board members with three year terms. Updated: April 15, 2021

Veterans’ Graves and Ceremonial Officer: This appointed position works with the Veterans Services Officer to register and maintain veterans’ graves including the placement of a United States flag on each grave on Memorial Day. Coordinates and supervises the observance of Memorial Day and Veterans’ Day in the community in conjunction with the WSVSD and ceremony committee. (Must be a Wellesley resident).

Wellesley Housing Development Corporation: The Wellesley Housing Development Corporation's mission is to sponsor and assist in the development of affordable housing opportunities for persons of low and moderate income in the Wellesley, Massachusetts in order to implement the Town's Affordable Housing Policy.

Youth Commission: The Wellesley Youth Commission provides programs and services designed to ensure that Wellesley's youth feel they are a valued part of the Wellesley community.

Zoning Board of Appeals: The Zoning Board of Appeals is a quasi-judicial board which interprets and enforces the town Zoning Bylaw by hearing and deciding on petitions for appeals of town officer or board decisions, Chapter 40B comprehensive permits, site plan approvals, special permits and variances.

Learn More! For detailed information on Town of Wellesley Boards and Committees, please visit here: To volunteer for any Town Board or Committee, please complete this volunteer form.

Sustainable Living Wellesley Facebook page was all a flutter as the new year began. It all started with Courtney’s simple question about what others are doing for sustainable swaps in their homes.

This is such a great question as we all aim to ditch the bad habits from last year and aim for new ones that go easier  on the planet (and our wallets)! 
    
A key factor in finding sustainable items is getting items that can be reused numerous times rather than once. 

Let's start in the kitchen:

• An easy swap is to switch from paper towels or napkins to cloth alternatives. After each use, just throw your cloth napkin in the wash and it’s good as new. Wellesley town resident, Joan Minklei, shares that they have washcloths that she stashes under the sink to use instead of paper towels.
• Make the swap to reusable snack bags. The little ziplock bags that so many people use for leftovers, storage, and school and work lunches contribute to the billions of pounds of plastic already conjugating in our oceans. These reusable snack and stasher bags are a sustainable option that can be used over and over! Not sure how to clean them? Kelly Caiazzo posted on the Facebook Page that she just puts her “stasher bags in the dishwasher by stretching them over the rack prongs gently and then just towel dry the inside.” Or, if it’s laundry day, Courtney Carter adds “I dump the crumbs out and then flip them inside out and throw them right in with the kids’ laundry.” Easy; affordable and helps the planet.
• Elizabeth May recommended buying “in bulk as much as possible” to cut down on the packaging. She admits that they have had to swap out some of their former “everyday foods in plastic packaging like yogurt and certain ice cream brands.”
• Others mentioned buying cleaning products in bulk as well.

 
Moving on to the laundry room:

• Wellesley residents have swapped out dryer sheets for wool dryer balls which can be used hundreds of times and absorb moisture to help dry clothes more quickly. Courtney Carter made the switch a few years ago and admits “I love mine so much I bought my mother-in-law some for Christmas” because who wouldn’t want wool dryer balls for Christmas? 

Bathroom:

• Resident Meredith Lepper has switched to shampoo and face soap bars. Rather than buy these essentials in the usual plastic packaging, these alternatives are waste and package free. They’re simply your usual shampoo, conditioner, face wash, etc., but in bar form instead of liquid that you rub to create a lather. 
• Others are using reusable razors as well.

Closet. Yup, we said it. Your closet!:

• Got some clothing items you don’t wear anymore or don’t fit? People are able to sell their clothes to consignment or thrift stores where others can buy them secondhand. Buying second hand is great for the environment and for finding extreme discounts on items! When using websites such as The RealReal and thredUP, Kelly Caiazzo explains that “not only do I sometimes score amazing designer dresses for a steal but it's a huge environmental win because of the waste produced by the textile industry.” 

    
We loved the communal idea generation on a topic near and dear to all of us. These items may seem small individually, but at large can make a difference.

These were just a few ideas shared in that chat. For more ideas, join Sustainable Living Wellesley Group on Facebook!
    
​Thanks to Kate Lapierre for contributing to this story!
    

On Thursday, January 28, from 6-7:30 p.m., Sustainable Wellesley will sponsor a panel discussion entitled Banking on Our Values, inviting the community to learn more about investing in companies that prioritize climate action and equity. Financial experts Heidi Vanni, Chief Client Officer at Boston Trust Walden, Sumeit Aggarwal, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Finhive, and Glenn Migliozzi, Lecturer in the Finance Division at Babson College, will share their expertise and field questions on the non-financial factors that influence investment decisions. Personal and professional investors will learn from this conversation on the short- and long-term benefits of incorporating these investment strategies and how one may begin to embrace them.  

Heidi Vanni is Managing Director and Chief Client Officer at Boston Trust Walden, a Boston-based investment management firm that invests in publicly traded companies. On behalf of clients, the firm seeks to advance sustainable business practices around climate, equality and governance. Ms. Vanni works with both institutional and private wealth clients, building portfolios that enable them to align their investments with their mission or values. 
​
At Finhive, a Massachusetts-based social enterprise building personal finance into the core capabilities of communities and small businesses, Co-Founder and Managing Partner Sumeit Aggarwal is focused on narrowing the gender gap in investing and finance. Finhive hosts training sessions on topics like investing and financial health for individuals, and consults with small businesses providing cash flow analysis, budgeting, profit margin analysis, pricing strategies and other financial topics.

Babson College lecturer Glenn Migliozzi, teaches courses in personal finance, alternative investments and business ethics. Prior to joining the Babson staff, he held a range of financial positions from corporate finance director to hedge fund manager. In his free time, Migliozzi supports agencies that address food insecurity, financial literacy and legal services.

Organizers and moderators Jacob Nichols, President of the Babson Sustainability Club and Sustainability Intern at Babson; and Jacob Landau, a Sustainable Wellesley Intern, speaker at the October 2020 Wellesley Climate Rally and Wellesley High School junior, will guide the conversation about how values-based investing can maintain or improve financial returns, while better meeting social impact goals. 

Register for this free event here. Sign up today. Space is limited to 100 participants. 

Questions? Contact info@sustainablewellesley.org.