Your latest local news on sustainability and climate change action
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IN THIS ISSUE

Tour Framingham’s geothermal district and more
Everyone can do something about climate change
Briefs: Geothermal update, Walnut Street flood mitigation, spotted lanternfly
Upcoming events | In the news

DON’T MISS!

Curious about how the clean energy transition is progressing in Framingham? 

Energize Framingham is hosting a free community tour of clean energy initiatives at Framingham Public Schools on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. The tour will include an update on the first-in-the-nation networked geothermal project, which is already providing clean energy to Framingham’s Farley School Administration Building, along with the adjacent solar panels, battery storage, and EV charging stations at Fuller Middle School. Framingham Sustainability Coordinator Shawn Luz will talk about the work done so far, its impact for the city and community, and what’s next for the city.

RSVP and meet behind 19 Flagg Drive (Framingham Public Schools Parent Information Center) under the solar panels. The tour will be entirely outdoors – please dress for the weather.

Background on the geothermal project and future plans for geothermal in our July/August 2024 newsletter. 

Everyone can do something about climate change

With all eyes on the election and our amazing editor Nancy Fliesler taking a well-deserved vacation, we thought we would turn our focus to you and what you can do to take climate action.

Don’t let a busy life, lack of funds or climate anxiety get the best of you. Think about what you are able to do NOW. Here are some climate-friendly actions that can save you money, now or in the future. 

Reduce your meat consumption by even one meal per week. Or try out Meatless Mondays.

Did you know that livestock production (especially beef) creates more planet-warming greenhouse gasses than the entire transportation sector? Cows emit methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and carbon-absorbing forests are destroyed as they are converted to grazing land. 

Insulate your home

It doesn’t matter if you rent or own – you can Insulate for free through Mass Save. For renters, homeowners and landlords in 1-4 unit buildings, insulation ranges from 75 to 100 percent off. Learn more on our website and watch the Framingham Public Library and Sustainability Committee’s series YouTube video: Expensive Energy Bill Got You Down? Mass Save insulation and more.

Subscribe to community solar 

Did you know you can get a portion of your power from solar energy, saving on your electricity bill, without having your own solar panels? You can do that by subscribing to community solar, provided by a large solar installation or “farm” in Massachusetts that’s connected to the electric grid. Learn more in our April 2024 issue and on the plugIN Metrowest website.

Address food waste: Subscribe to curbside composting

Food waste, when dumped in landfills, is another contributor to methane emissions. In Framingham, we generate around 45,000 pounds of food waste per week! Black Earth Compost provides residential curbside food waste pickup here in Framingham, turning food scraps into rich compost for gardening.

Are you planning on buying a car in the next two years? 

Consider an electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid. More and more models are available with ever-increasing ranges. State incentives of $3,500-$6,000 are available, as are federal tax deductions. Incentives are also available for at-home electric vehicle chargers.

A plug-in hybrid vehicle is another great choice if all-electric is not for you right now. If your household has two cars, consider owning both an EV and a plug-in hybrid(or even a gasoline car) to optimize both daily driving and less frequent road trips.

Own a home? Explore heat pumps and solar.

• Is your heating system over 15 years old? Want to add air conditioning? Explore heat pumps as an efficient, fossil-fuel-free way to both heat and cool your home. To learn more, watch the Framingham Public Library and Sustainability Committee’s video: Get Comfy with Heat Pumps.

• Have a sunny roof? Consider solar panels and watch the Framingham Public Library and Sustainability Committee’s video: Go Solar at Home. This helpful article from NPR/WBUR provides tips for consumers on choosing a reputable installer, financing, and deciding whether solar is right for you. 

• If you’re considering either heat pumps or rooftop solar, coaching is available from neighbors who have had systems installed. See plugIN Metrowest for details. 

Garden and landscape sustainably

Watch this recorded talk about how to garden and manage landscapes for resilience to droughts and heavy rains, part of our changing climate.

Want more info? 

• Check out the Framingham Public Library’s Sustainability Series on YouTube. These educational talks were co-sponsored by the Framingham Sustainability Committee.

• Learn all about climate and sustainability happenings in Framingham by browsing back issues of our newsletter, (There are lots of efforts you can get involved in!)

• Follow what our city government is doing by attending public meetings, listed on Framingham’s Public Meeting Calendar with their agendas. Most meetings include a zoom link or can be attended in person. Relevant meetings include those of the Framingham Sustainability Committee, the City Council Subcommittee on Environment and Sustainability, the Agricultural Advisory Committee, and selected meetings of the full City Council and the School Committee.

Got a few minutes a month? Help us share Framingham climate news!

• Energize Framingham is all-volunteer organization and all of us are pressed for time. Give us a boost by sharing our social media posts. You can keep tabs on our Facebook group and Facebook page yourself, or sign up for email notices for important posts by sending an email to [email protected] (subject line: “email notices”).

• Take photographs or watch a city public meeting related to climate and sustainability and take notes. Email us at [email protected] if interested in helping with this effort to keep the community informed.

BRIEFS

Geothermal update

The majority of homes along the route of Framingham’s networked geothermal system have had their heating/cooling equipment converted to a geothermal heat pump system, according to Eversource. All pilot participants in the Framingham Housing Authority campus on John J. Brady Drive have now been connected to the geothermal system. As remaining customers wait to be connected, they are still receiving electric heat from their heat pump equipment. More on the Eversource website.

Attend our tour of the geothermal district and other clean energy projects (see first item).

Flood mitigation begins at Walnut Street

Walnut Street, which runs behind Bowditch Field, is prone to flooding. The neighborhood may now begin to get some relief as work begins to restore the natural wetland habitat, clear obstructions to water flow, create a stormwater management system,  and construct an elevated boardwalk for recreation and to connect Walnut Street to Stonybrook Drive (near Fuller Middle School). More background in our June 2022 newsletter.

Spotted lanternfly spotted in Framingham

The spotted lanternfly, introduced accidentally into the U.S. in 2014, is a sap-feeding insect that can cause damage to non-woody plants or young trees, making them more susceptible to disease, drought, or other stresses. It also infests crops like grapes, apples, and peaches.The lanternfly first hit Massachusetts in 2021 – and now it’s in Framingham. This guide from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources provides detailed information on its impacts and how to deal with it..

UPCOMING EVENTS

Want to receive emails about upcoming events? Go to EnergizeFramingham.org and click the green “Sign In/Join” green button at the upper right. You can also check our Events page for updates and view recordings of past events.

All month: Keep Framingham Beautiful’s Neaten Up November 
The goal is to have 150+ people pick up 750 bags of litter before it all gets covered by the winter snow. Participation is simple:
1) Pick up one bag of litter
2) Email your tally and location to [email protected] or post on the KFB Facebook group.

Wed., Nov. 13, 7-8:30 p.m. Eco-Anxiety: Saving Our Sanity, Our Kids, and Our Future
Author Heather White will discuss her new book.
Wellesley Books, 82 Central Street, Wellesley

Save the date!
Tues., Dec. 31, 4:30-7:30 p.m. New Year’s Eve on the Cochituate Rail Trail
Friends of Framingham Trails (FoFT), in partnership with the City of Framingham, is planning our second  annual New Year’s Eve event on the Cochituate Rail Trail. Come visit Energize Framingham’s fire pit! We’re partnering with Zippity Do Dog for a second year, so grab some dogs and chat with us.

IN THE NEWS

Framingham

Framingham board adjusts proposal to satisfy state's new multifamily housing law (MetroWest Daily News)
Housing density in planned overlay zoning in the city's Nobscot and Saxonville sections would be halved after the Planning Board made adjustments to Framingham's proposal to comply with the MBTA Communities Act. The Act calls for communities that are close to T service to zone for multifamily housing.

City councilors, others frustrated over Framingham proposal to address MBTA zoning law (MetroWest Daily News)
Under the MBTA Communities Law, Framingham must zone for a total of 4,355 housing units. Residents and city councilors express frustration with the Planning Board's blueprint for complying with the law.

Massachusetts

Here’s what’s in the new Mass. climate and clean energy bill (WBUR)
Lawmakers have come up with a package of energy provisions they believe will pass both the House and Senate.

Massachusetts may again lead on climate change. The state (finally, almost) has a sweeping climate bill. (Boston Globe) 
After setbacks this summer, the bill has just a few final legislative hurdles to pass to become law. It would again put Massachusetts near the front of the pack of state houses fighting climate change. It still has to pass both Democratic-led chambers and is widely expected to do so.

House, Senate reach deal on climate bill (CommonWealth Beacon) 

Zillow added climate risk data to its for-sale listings. Not everyone in the real estate game is happy. (Boston Globe)

'The water is going to win': Climate activists say Mass. is unprepared for future (WGBH News) 

Echoes of Helene flooding in Massachusetts climate planning (CommonWealth Beacon)
Katherine Antos, the undersecretary of decarbonization and resilience at the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, predicts that inland flooding will have the largest impacts on Massachusetts infrastructure.

A Massachusetts town uses batteries to help its grid — and its schools (Canary Media)
Batteries can serve double-duty, shoring up the grid and providing backup to buildings when the power goes out. The battery will help the Wakefield schools afford to go solar and switch their HVAC to electric heat pumps.

When patients couldn’t afford utilities, a Boston hospital turned to solar for help (WBUR) 

More good news for heat pumps in Massachusetts, as regulators order National Grid to develop special rate (Energy News Network)
A decision by public utility regulators instructs National Grid to develop a lower, wintertime electricity rate for customers who use a heat pump in their home.

National

Clean energy groups deploying solar generators for Helene disaster relief (WSOC-TV, North Carolina) 

Valdosta disaster response after Hurricane Helene was helped by solar power. Here’s how.  (Macon.com, Georgia)

As parts of Florida went dark from Helene and Milton, the lights stayed on in this net-zero, storm-proof community (CNN) 

Of general interest

Solar farms don’t hurt nearby property values, new research finds (Canary Media)

Experts uncover stunning side effects of solar farms: 'Introducing structural complexity into the environment' (The Cool Down)
“Solar farms can serve as hubs for biodiversity enhancement, introducing structural complexity into the environment and providing crucial shelter and habitat for various species.”

What Happens to All Your Compost? Meet the Person Who Handles It. (New York Times)

Can You Get Rid of Your Front Lawn Without Offending the Neighbors? (New York Times)

ABOUT US

Energize Framingham provides climate education, outreach, and advocacy to promote a healthy, equitable, and resilient community.

Have a tip for us? Email [email protected].
In case you missed it… Back issues!
Editors: Nancy Fliesler and Aimee Powelka