[CoolCommunities] Fwd: Green Up! Meeting this Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.

[Diane Brandon]

Lots of interesting information below the meeting agenda.... keep  
reading.
Thanks to Anne for sharing the news!

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Anne Stephenson" <astephenson at cleanair-coolplanet.org>
> Date: October 4, 2009 11:54:05 AM EDT
> To: "Anne Stephenson" <astephenson at cleanair-coolplanet.org>, "Molly  
> Colman" <macolman at rcn.com>
> Subject: Green Up! Meeting this Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.
>
> Hi all,
>
> Don't forget to join us at our next Green Up! meeting this Tuesday  
> at 7:00 p.m. at Town Hall.  We'll be on the 3rd floor in one of the  
> meeting rooms.
> Our agenda:
>
> 1.  SoBo Central
> 2.  Weatherization Volunteer Projects
> 3.  Weatherization Workshop
> 4.  Sustainability Book Club/Reading Circle at Library
> 5.  Local Experts Lecture Series for 2009-2010
> 6.  South Berwick Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee update and  
> upcoming projects
> 7.  Discussion of a community-wide Carbon Challenge
>
> It's a busy agenda!  And a busy week! On Thursday local Americorps  
> leader Meri Ratzel will lead a workshop on internet resources for  
> garden planning.  That will be at 6:30 in the Town Hall  
> Auditorium.  Also on Thursday, the SBEEAC committee will meet at  
> 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council chambers.
>
> Please email me or Molly if you would like to be involved in any  
> fall events but can't make Tuesday's meeting.
> Looking forward to seeing you all soon, Annie.
>
>
> Anne Stephenson, PhD, LEED AP
> Campus Outreach Coordinator
> Clean Air-Cool Planet®
> 100 Market Street
> Suite 204
> Portsmouth, NH 03801
> Phone: 1-603-422-6464, x 107
> Fax:      1-603-570-7527
> astephenson at cleanair-coolplanet.org
> www.cleanair-coolplanet.org
>
> Clean Air-Cool Planet is the leading organization dedicated solely  
> to finding and promoting solutions to global warming.
>
>
> From: Anne Stephenson
> Sent: Monday, September 14, 2009 2:33 PM
> To: Anne Stephenson; 'Molly Colman'
> Subject: Green Up! News for September
>
> Hi all,
>
> Summer's over.  We're back to school and back to business with  
> Green Up!  Read on for our fall initiatives, our next meeting, and  
> updates on what some of our members did on their summer vacations.   
> I'm looking forward to seeing you all soon!!  Of course, some news  
> and events are surely missing from the list below, so feel free to  
> send along your news and announcements.  Best, Annie.
>
> Green Up! September News and Events
>
> 1.  Next Meeting Date
> 2.  SoBo Central
> 3.  SBEEAC Committee
> 4.  South Berwick Municipal Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
> 5.  Green Up! 2009-2010 Local Experts Lecture Series
> 6.  Green Up!/Library Reading Group
> 7.  Volunteer teams for "Buttoning-Up" Projects
> 8.  Weatherization Workshop
> 9.  Workshop: Wise Landscape and Garden Design Using Internet Tools
>
>
> ***********************************************
> 1.  Next Green Up! Meeting Tuesday October 8th, Town Hall, 7:00 p.m.
>
> On the agenda?  All of the below.  If you can't make it but would  
> like to be involved in any of the projects described below, please  
> send Anne a note.
>
> 2.  SoBo Central
>
> A number of Green Up! members have worked hard to create an  
> umbrella non-profit for Green Up! and a number of other town groups  
> and initiatives.  The fellows under the umbrella include Smart  
> Growth, the Food Pantry, Keep South Berwick Warm, Home for the  
> Holidays, Hot Summer Nights, Kids' Day, and more!  This is a really  
> exciting development that you'll be hearing more about over the  
> coming months after all of the paperwork is signed.  Suffice it to  
> say, it will lead to a more opportunities for town organizations to  
> collaborate -- and raise money.  Most importantly, it will be the  
> leading organization in our efforts to make South Berwick the most  
> sustainable place to live in Maine!
>
> 3. SBEEAC Committee
>
> This spring, the Town Council created a new town committee -- the  
> South Berwick Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee.  Five Green Up!  
> members volunteered for the committee and were appointed -- John  
> Rudolph (chair), Bobbi Beavers (vice chair), Molly Colman  
> (secretary), George Muller, and Anne Stephenson.  To date, SBEEAC  
> has been very active a consortium (Seacoast Energy Initiative)  
> which has undertaken the preliminary research for a multi-town  
> application for stimulus funding.  The proposal includes a  
> revolving loan fund to support energy efficiency loans for  
> homeowners and small businesses.  SBEEAC is also researching a  
> website and kiosk designed as a portal for South Berwick residents  
> interested in achieving greater energy efficiency at home.  SBEEAC  
> will next undertake implementing any energy efficiency  
> recommendations made by the Town Council as a result of the GHG  
> Inventory.
> SBEEAC meets once a month -- on the second Thursday .  More help  
> and more input from residents is always welcome.  Please join us at  
> our next meeting on Thursday October 8th at 7:00 p.m.
>
> 4.  South Berwick Municipal Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
>
> The GHG Inventory will be formally presented to the Town Council  
> this evening and input from the public on opportunities for energy  
> efficiency and greenhouse gas reductions are welcome.  The  
> Inventory is available at the Town Hall for public review and is  
> also available on the town website -- http://southberwickmaine.org/ 
> Public_Documents/SouthBerwickME_Agendas/I026AB515.1/ 
> SupportingDocuments_09-14-09.pdf.
> The town welcomes your input on how to best make municipal  
> operations energy efficient and how to undertake those changes in a  
> way that is instructive for town residents.  There are a number of  
> easy energy saving projects "low-hanging fruit" mentioned in the  
> report but also a number of administrative policies that must be  
> implemented in order to institutionalize collecting and  
> interpreting energy data.  This is the same process that homeowners  
> and business owners need to go through too -- the easy stuff that  
> saves you money off the bat is, well, easy.  The harder part is  
> changing the habits of our households, or in this case a large  
> staff in multiple departments and buildings, to achieve significant  
> energy savings over the long term.  The opportunity presented by  
> the SB's process to have a larger, community-wide conversation  
> about how we use energy is really exciting.
>
> 5.  Green Up! 2009-2010 Local Experts Lecture Series
>
> Our lecture series last year was really successful and it will be  
> again this year!  Volunteers for the lecture committee are needed  
> to decide on this year's program and solicit speakers.    Possible  
> workshop topics include biochar, permaculture, home air sealing  
> techniques and materials, saving and reusing original wooden  
> windows, and more!
>
> 6.  Green Up!/Library Reading Group
>
> Molly Colman has proposed a sustainability reading group at the  
> library.  What should we read?  "Food Matters" by Mark Bittman or  
> "The Transition Handbook" by Rob Hopkins... or any number of  
> interesting sustainability books we haven't gotten to yet!   
> Suggestions welcome! You can suggest books to Molly by emailing her  
> at macolman at rcn.com.
>
>
> 7.  Volunteer teams for "Buttoning-Up" Projects
>
> The nip in the air these beautiful September mornings reminds us  
> it's time to get ready for the cold weather lurking right around  
> the corner! GreenUp South Berwick is collaborating with two local  
> organizations on weatherization events this fall. We're working  
> with Town Social Worker Vicki Desilets to tighten up the homes/ 
> apartments of local folks who could use some help reducing their  
> fuel and electric bills. On Thursday, Sept. 17, from 4-6 p.m. at  
> the Community Center, several GreenUp members will host a mini  
> energy workshop for folks who use the South Berwick Food Pantry.
>
> We'll demonstrate some weatherization materials, look over the self- 
> audit checklists Vicki previously mailed to Food Pantry applicants,  
> and ask a few questions that will help us identify up to 10  
> prospects for House Warmings this fall. We'll also explain our  
> exciting new Bill Buster Contest that will award cash prizes to the  
> families that reduce their next electric bill the most. Donations  
> to the Contest fund are welcome! So far someone has agreed to match  
> the savings of the top three families, but we'd love to expand that  
> number.
>
> Our mutual goal is to make the Fuel Assistance Fund go further by  
> reducing the amount each family requires. If we can wrap pipes, put  
> plastic on windows, and have some furnaces serviced, it will  
> stretch those precious dollars. We'll also replace light bulbs and  
> show the families other easy ways to save electricity. So stay  
> tuned: We'll be putting out a call for House Warming volunteers in  
> a couple of weeks!
>
> If you'd like to be a team leader or would like to help in the  
> meantime, please contact Nora Irvine (JourneyBag at aol.com) who is  
> the woman behind this great effort!
>
> 8.  Weatherization Workshop
>
> GreenUp also has been talking with Marshwood Adult Education about  
> putting on a larger energy fair for the whole community at the High  
> School in October or early November, and Director Connie Patton is  
> eager to work with us. This will be for do-it-yourself folks who  
> just need some instruction in how to use weatherization materials.  
> We're lucky to have two certified home energy auditors in our  
> ranks, Annie Stephenson and Mark Hunter, to answer people's  
> questions but we'll need more volunteers and ideas for that event.  
> Please let us know if you'd like to get involved. You'll likely  
> take home some tips for tightening up your own house!!
>
> 9.  Workshop: Wise Landscape and Garden Design Using Internet Tools
>
> Sponsored by The Friends of the Library, the Conservation  
> Commission, and Green Up! South Berwick
>
> Guest Lecturer Meri Ratzel
> Americorps Service, Maine Conservation Corps
> Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve
> Town Hall Thursday October 8th at 6:00 to 8:00
>
> Want some help planning your landscape or garden? This workshop  
> will focus on the use of the Internet to help gardeners situate,  
> plan and design gardens and landscapes with attention to climate,  
> soils and water quality. Participants will be introduced to the use  
> of Internet tools to identify local temperature variations, climate  
> zones, soil maps, rainfall data and ecosystems. There will be a  
> demonstration using these tools to design specific landscapes,  
> incorporating both aesthetic and ecological concerns.
>
> Tools offered include:
> USGS/NRCS VegSpec program http://vegspec.sc.egov.usda.gov/vegSpec/ 
> index.jsp
> USDA Plant Finder Database. http://plants.usda.gov/checklist.html
>
>
> Anne Stephenson, PhD, LEED AP
> Campus Outreach Coordinator
> Clean Air-Cool Planet®
> 100 Market Street
> Suite 204
> Portsmouth, NH 03801
> Phone: 1-603-422-6464, x 107
> Fax:      1-603-570-7527
> astephenson at cleanair-coolplanet.org
> www.cleanair-coolplanet.org
>
> Clean Air-Cool Planet is the leading organization dedicated solely  
> to finding and promoting solutions to global warming.
>