September 2023

Your latest local news on sustainability and climate change action

IN THIS ISSUE

Dunning launches composting of cafeteria waste
Discussions begin on citywide composting
City Council Candidates Climate Forum Oct. 21
FSU summer interns explore environmental challenges
A spotlight on south side vegetable gardens
Volunteer of the quarter | Another EF intern steps up to city government
Bringing energy savings to all: Meet Nirasha Kumar
Briefs: Geothermal update, disaster readiness, EV guides, City Hall heat pumps
Upcoming events | In the news

Dunning Elementary launches composting of cafeteria waste

Above: Nanette Magnani facilitating a planning session of the Dunning School Compost Team in July. (Photo courtesy Matt Torti)

We're excited to announce that Dunning Elementary School has launched the city’s first cafeteria composting program! Students in Dunning’s fifth-grade “Green Team” will guide their fellow students in sorting their lunchtime waste into compost and trash bins.

Since June, the Composting Team has met to plan and implement the program, with Energize Framingham’s Nanette Magnani facilitating and documenting its meetings and Aimee Powelka providing technical support. Principal Kathy Lasky, Vice Principal Kate O’Leary, Office Manager Shannon Pierson, and Jason Padilla, Dunning's Senior Custodian, are all on board. So are John Clow, Custodial Service Manager, Matt Torti, Director of Buildings and Grounds and Dario Nardi, Director of Food Services for the Framingham Public Schools.

“The Dunning Compost Team members all had input and reached consensus on next steps, key activities, timeline, and persons responsible,” says Magnani, who tapped her professional background in helping nonprofits create program goals, objectives, and implementation plans. “The staff are excited and ready to go.”

During the first two weeks of school, cafeteria trash is being handled as usual. Students will participate in tracking the weight and number of trash bags generated. Those data will then be compared with the amount of trash and compost buckets once composting begins on September 26.

Nardi has hired a staff member to be present at the school as the program is implemented. Magnani and/or Powelka will also be on hand at lunchtime to make sure all goes smoothly. EF is seeking interns to help out and create a “how to” guide.

Interested in helping out in the cafeteria? Email [email protected].

Discussions begin on citywide composting

A letter-writing campaign organized by Energize Framingham and interest from several City Councilors have prompted Mayor Sisitsky’s office to begin discussions with Bob Lewis, Director of the Department of Public Works (DPW), about options for municipal composting.

In a July 21 memo to the Mayor, Energize Framingham urged the city to take the following measures this year while working toward a more comprehensive solution:

• Financially support a curbside composting pilot.

• Publicize the availability of private residential curbside options using City communication channels.

• Solicit proposals from qualified private contractors and negotiate a preferred rate for Framingham subscribers.

According to the DPW, the city pays $100 per ton of trash and collects approximately 65 tons of trash daily — of which as much as 30 percent is compostable. Black Earth Compost estimates that its roughly 350 Framingham curbside composting subscribers have diverted an estimated 186 tons from landfills, saving the city $18,600 in disposal costs.

Advocacy pays off!

We’ve just learned of two exciting developments:

• At the joint City Council-School Committee meeting on Sept. 5, the Mayor announced he would establish a Composting Advisory Committee (volunteers welcome) and that he hopes the committee can get a report to the City Council in time for budget discussions for the next fiscal year (spring 2024).

• On Sept. 26, the Mayor and DPW are slated to give a presentation to the City Council on municipal solid waste, recycling, yard waste, and composting — including food waste composting.

Thanks to all who wrote letters!

City Council Candidates Climate Forum: Oct. 21

Candidates for the Framingham City Council have been RSVPing to attend our forum on October 21, co-sponsored by the Plymouth Church UCC Green Team, the First Parish UUA Climate Action Team, and Transition Framingham. Each candidate will have two minutes to introduce themselves and state their climate goals for Framingham. Candidates will then answer questions provided a week in advance of the forum, as well as live audience questions. At this writing, we have nine confirmed to participate. We hope to roll in video statements for councilors unable to attend.

See who’s running and use this tool to identify your current City Councilor (most are running for re-election).

Interested in helping publicize this event? Sign up to help here.

FSU summer interns explore ways to mitigate heat

Seventeen high schoolers from Framingham, Marlborough, and Milford explored community environmental challenges this summer through a five-week, $15/hour internship. It was sponsored by Framingham State University’s Christa McAuliffe Center for Integrated Science Learning and the Metrowest Stem Education Network.

The students’ five projects had a common theme: mitigating the effects of extreme heat and especially heat islands – areas with minimal tree cover, and therefore higher summer temperatures. The teams shared their findings through reports, infographics,and slide presentations provided to local officials.

The projects explored:

• how trees could mitigate the effects of heat islands in South Framingham, where temps can be as much as 50 percent higher than in areas with tree cover. The students call for at least 40 percent tree canopy coverage.

• a redesign of Roosevelt Park in Framingham’s Tripoli/Coburnville neighborhood, with additional trees, a community garden, and a better playground with heat-resistant equipment.

• how implementing more networked geothermal systems could help ease the heat island effect – with the vision of connecting 10 of Framingham’s 40 environmental justice block groups to geothermal loops by 2030.

• consolidation of large city parking lots into multistory parking garages with solar canopies, converting the leftover parking lots into green spaces.

• how different roofing materials can mitigate extreme heat. The students compared a white roof, a black roof, a green roof (rooftop garden), and a roof covered with solar cells – and urge homeowners and city governments to move away from black roofs.

See all the student projects here, and watch for a webinar later this fall where students talk about their experience.

A spotlight on south side vegetable gardens

Photo: Allison Stagg

On a beautiful Saturday morning last month, more than 40 people met with vegetable gardeners on Framingham’s south side through the 12th annual Framingham Vegetable Gardens Tour.

Organized by Transition Framingham’s Community Gardens Working Group, the tour included two community gardens: one for the residents of Bethany Hill Place, and the Pratt Street Community Garden offering individual plots on a parcel of land owned by the city.

And there were four stops at home gardens – including one with chickens and one with beehives. Gardeners generously shared lessons about vegetable gardening from their own experience and answered questions from the enthusiastic group.

Transition Framingham is currently managing a design study funded by the Community Preservation Act to add two community gardens on the south side of Framingham, and is exploring strategies to add fencing at the Pratt Street garden. Funds raised by the tour benefit the ongoing work of Transition Framingham and the Framingham Community Farm food pantry garden.

Volunteer of the quarter: Dani Moeller 

If you’ve been to the Framingham Farmer’s Market this summer, you may have met Dani Moeller. Dani has earned our undying appreciation this summer, representing Energize Framingham at the market nearly every Thursday. (Secondary thanks to husband Martin who helped with setup and breakdown each week!)

The Farmer’s Market runs through September 28 – if you haven’t yet, stop by our table and say hello! We are collecting Framingham residents’ climate questions for the upcoming City Council Candidates Climate Forum.

Another EF intern steps up to city government

Energize Framingham interns go on to do great things! Framingham High School Senior Eliza Rubel, an intern with us in the last school year, has been appointed to the City Council Youth Council by District 7 Councilor Leora Mallach. She’s the second Energize Framingham member to have a role in city government, following Hiranmayi Narasimhan’s appointment to the Framingham Sustainability Committee this spring. One of Eliza’s excellent newsletter contributions follows just below!

If you or someone you know is interested in interning with us, email [email protected].

Bringing energy savings to all: Meet Nirasha Kumar

By Eliza Rubel

Nirasha Kumar’s new dollhouse, complete with models of home insulation, sustainable fixtures, and energy-efficient appliances, is engaging children and introducing parents to the benefits of Mass Save programs. Through Mass Save, Massachusetts homeowners, renters, and business owners can access home energy improvements like heat pumps, insulation, energy-efficient appliances, and smart power strips at little or no personal expense – and enjoy savings on their utility bills.

The dollhouse is just one tool that Kumar, an Energy Advocate for Framingham and Natick, uses to engage moderate income, immigrant, and English-as-a-second-language (ESL) communities who often don’t access Mass Save initiatives. Her work is paid for by a grant from Mass Save’s Community First Partnership.

“The average person wonders if Mass Save vendors are authorized, if someone’s just trying to sell them something,” she says. “They don’t know who to trust.” Since all Massachusetts residents pay into these programs, everyone should know how to benefit from them, she says.

Forging community connections 

Kumar’s own immigrant experience makes it easier for her to understand and connect to the communities she works with. Rather than trying to “sell” MassSave programs, she tries to forge meaningful connections. Working in spaces like food banks, ESL classes, senior centers, and Brazilian festivals, she offers materials in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and always tries to do more listening than lecturing.

Through innovations like the dollhouse – as well as quizzes, crosswords, and coloring pages where kids can test their energy knowledge – Kumar bridges language barriers and builds trust and interest with families. She finds that the dollhouse effectively breaks down and demystifies sustainable home features and avoids overcomplicated messaging – an effective tool for increasing access to home improvements while helping the environment.

“Halloween is going to be mind-blowing,” she says. She’s planning a theme, with costumes, around “energy vampires” – electric appliances that draw energy even when they’re not in use – and how smart power strips through Mass Save can save up to 48 percent in energy consumption.

Watch for Kumar’s many engagements around town! Learn more about Mass Save initiatives for your home or business and savings for renters.

IN BRIEF

Geothermal project construction is proceeding apace. Eversource has begun drilling boreholes at the Farley Lot at MassBay Community College on Normandy Road and the fire station on Concord Street. As of mid-August, installation of the main pipe was 50 percent complete. Installation of equipment in residents’ homes – the final step before system turn-on – could begin in November, in time for the winter heating season. Take this informative video tour of the loop.

If a climate emergency hits Framingham, are you ready? Learn about the city’s Ready Framingham program and how to prepare for weather events and sign up for alerts.

Looking to learn more about electric vehicles? Eversource is offering educational webinars about EVs, home charging stations, and Eversource’s rebate program for charging stations. The state’s MOR-EV Program is also providing rebates of $3,500 to $5,000 for the purchase of an EV.

Heat pumps at City Hall: Supported by a Green Communities Competitive Grant from the Mass. Department of Energy Resources, the Memorial Building recently got several heat pumps, a highly efficient mode of heating and cooling that should save the city money. The ultimate goal is to transition the building off of its natural gas steam heating system.

UPCOMING EVENTS

A lot is going on! Here are some highlighted events. Visit our website for a complete list.

Tues., Sept. 12, 7-8:30 p.m.: Community Workshop: Vision for a Climate-Ready Future
Costin Room of the Framingham Library and on Zoom. Help set a future vision for the City of Framingham. Live Spanish and Portuguese interpretation will be provided on Zoom.

Thurs., Sept. 14, 7-8 p.m: Composting: The next frontier
Framingham Main Library, Costin Room, 49 Lexington Street or live stream on YouTube. Learn the ins and outs of curbside compost collection for households, cafeterias, and commercial spaces.

Sun., Sept. 17: Join the March to End Fossil Fuels in New York City
This march, projected to be the largest climate march since the pandemic, starts at 1 p.m. at 56th St. and Broadway. You can reserve a seat on one of 350 Mass’s buses to NYC (deadline Sept. 10). More info from endfossilfuels.us.

Mon., Sept. 18, 6 pm: City Council Subcommittee on Environment & Sustainability. An update on Framingham’s geothermal project is planned. Check the City Public Meeting Calendar for Zoom link. 

Mon., Sept. 25, 6-9 p.m.: Framingham Energy Assistance Fair 
Framingham Main Library, 49 Lexington Street. Learn about fuel assistance programs, discounted rates and flexible payment plans, no-cost Home Energy Assessments, and more.

Tues., Sept. 26, 7 p.m. City Council Meeting
Blumer Room, Memorial Building 150 Concord Street
Check the City Public Meeting Calendar to confirm time and for Zoom link.
The Mayor and Department of Public Works are slated to give a presentation on municipal trash, recycling, and composting.

Tues., Oct. 3, 7 p.m. Energize Framingham group discussion. In-person at the Framingham Main Library in the J-room.

Sat., Oct. 21, 6:30-8:30 p.m.: City Council Candidates Climate Forum
Scott Hall, First Parish Church, 24 Vernon Street, or stream live on YouTube. A Where do Framingham’s City Councilor candidates stand on climate issues? Get your questions answered. 6:30-7 meet and greet, 7-8:30 panel forum.

IN THE NEWS

Framingham

Mapping extreme heat in Massachusetts (NBC Boston)
Featuring the 2023 Heat Watch Campaign, a “citizen science” project led by FSU’s McAuliffe Center and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.

Geothermal heating/cooling project in Metrowest takes major step forward (WCVB)
The drilling phase is reaching a crescendo ahead of an expected launch this fall.

A new geothermal project in Framingham may be the future of home heating (WGBH)
Framingham Sustainability Coordinator Shawn Luz is interviewed with Zeyneb Magavi of HEET.

Massachusetts

How one housing project in Newton may change the way we think about building green (Boston Globe)
According to the developers, there is no other passive house project this big in the country.

Bigger, earlier and itchier: Why poison ivy loves climate change (WBUR)
Think there’s more poison ivy around? You’re right!

Massachusetts is building a green economy, but does it have the workers to do so?
According to the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, it will take 38,100 workers to help Massachusetts transition to a clean energy state.

Boston University’s ‘Jenga’ building stacks its way to the top as finalist for World Building of the Year (Boston.com)
BU’s new Center for Computing and Data Sciences is carbon-neutral and 100 percent fossil-fuel-free, with heating and cooling provided by geothermal wells.

Tiny Forests With Big Benefits  (New York Times)
Quick-growing, carbon-dioxide-absorbing tiny forests are slowly but steadily appearing in the U.S. In Cambridge, a forest roughly the size of a basketball court, one of the first of its kind in the Northeast, sits atop an old landfill.

Region

Rooftop solar boosts grid reliability in fossil-dependent New England (Canary Media podcast)
In a reversal, the region’s grid operator ISO New England says rooftop solar is critical to keep the lights on.

Heat pumps sold so fast in Maine, the state just upped its target (Canary Media)
Maine blew past its goal to install 100,000 heat pumps by 2025. Now it’s pledging to install 175,000 more by 2027.

4 new offshore wind power projects proposed for New Jersey Shore; 2 would be far out to sea (Associated Press)
They would join three wind farms already approved by NJ regulators. But at least one developer may pull out as opposition grows. A recent poll found diminished support for offshore wind; the industry points to misinformation and politicization.

NYC Housing Program aims to replace gas stoves with induction stoves (NY1.com)

National

Montana judge hands young plaintiffs significant victory in landmark climate trial (CNN)
The judge ruled that Montana’s continued development of fossil fuels violates a clause in its state constitution guaranteeing the right to a “clean and healthful environment.”

Big carmakers unite to build a charging network and reassure reluctant EV buyers (NPR)
BMW, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis (formerly Fiat Chrysler) aim to open 30,000 new high-speed fast-chargers in North America, powered by renewable energy.

Can affordable housing be energy efficient? These developers say yes (Energy News Network)
A $5.5 million affordable housing development in Minnesota challenges the notion that sustainability and affordability are mutually exclusive.

ABOUT US

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

Editors: Nancy Fliesler and Aimee Powelka
Have a tip for us? Email [email protected]
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