My friend, Tom Blue Newell, Uncle Scam, Deacon Blue, Nostrildamus, a Harvard Square busker and street performer ( http://www.unclescam.org ), stopped by this morning. He’s thinking about a new show, especially since he expects to be recuperating from an operation this season. He wants a “Rascal,” a motorized wheelchair with solar power that might also serve as a puppet in his show. He already uses an amp for his performances and has a battery system mounted on his cargo trike. He even has a little bit of solar. He envisions a solar awning to charge the batteries that can run the wheelchair and power his audio and other equipment, too. He also needs a place to keep it in Harvard Square. He’d like something in the works within two weeks and a usable machine within two months.
Continue reading Solar Street Performance VehicleEducation
189 Pleasant Street, Easthampton, MA, Saturday, August 28th, 2010, 8 AM- 12:30 PM.
Project Retrofit of the Western Mass Green Consortium is holding its 2nd 2010 Workshop to involve community voices in strategies to grow the “green economy.”
$992 Million Dollars in Federal Stimulus money has been spent in 4 Western MA Counties in the past 18 months.
How can we collaborate & work together to build an economy in Western MA that works for ALL of us. Help us build a vibrant Green Economy that builds upon what we have done AND outlasts the Stimulus Funding.
February 13, 2010 was the first Project Retrofit Workshop to identify regional barriers to growing the energy efficiency/retrofit industry. This meeting will bring together individuals, businesses, and community organizations at a morning planning session to begin implementation of the needed tools identified in February.
Participants who arrive at 8 and stay until 12:30 are welcome to stay for a party and BBQ, as well as guided tours of the sustainable designed property. Please bring a dish to share.
For a complete agenda, to volunteer, or for more information visit www.westernmassgreenconsortium.org.
Continue reading Strategies to Grow the Green Economy in Western MassSunday, Jun 13th, 12:30-5:00 pm
Last call, we still need at least 20 people!
Weatherization Barnraising at the Democracy Center
Right in Harvard Square
45 Mt. Auburn St.
(Leakiest site we’ve every seen! Over 18,000 cubic feet per minute as measured by the blower door.)
Home Energy Efficiency Team
http://www.heetma.com
I went walking down by Magazine Beach today
and picked up
a clear plastic cup with clear cover
a black plastic cup cover
a white plastic cup cover
a smaller plastic cup, crushed
a broken white styrofoam “clamshell” container
a brown plastic tray for cookies or something like that
a white plastic spoon, dirty
and an orange straw
Let me make this perfectly clear: A full scale attack has been launched against public education in America. The so-called education reform bill that was passed in Massachusetts in January – and welcomed with great fanfare by Governor Patrick and Mayor Menino – is part of this attack.
Continue reading Public Education is Under AttackGot the following email and thought I’d pass it on in case somebody here might be interested:
Continue reading Green Building CourseDo you want to know more about green building? Do you know a student who might want to earn college credit to learn about green building?
My name is Ryan Harb. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a finishing graduate student from UMass and in May I will become the first person in the country to receive a MS in Green Building. I have a strong interest in ecological design and for 4 years I have been transforming my single-family home in Amherst, a college rental property, into a model sustainable residence. One project I’m working on now is a front yard transformation – creating a 5000 s.f. highly productive, food producing, permaculture garden at my home. Designing sustainable (food and other) systems is one of many aspects of green building.
This summer I will be co-teaching a 3-week Sustainable Design and Construction course at Sirius Community in Shutesbury, MA – a model educational and sustainable ecovillage in scenic western Massachusetts. This is one of the few opportunities in the country to receive college credit while learning experientially about sustainable design and construction. All students will receive natural building certification upon completion of this course.