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Scaling Up Local Foods

Looking for real life examples on how to scale up our local food systems?  Interested in how this is being done in the Pioneer Valley? Look no further as the local food gurus at CISA has just realeased a new report on this very topic.  Check it out here.

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Energy Competition Between UMASS Amherst Dorms

For the duration of November, an energy use competition is being held between two Southwest Area towers, John Adams and Kennedy, which are almost identical in size and resident population. According to the Energy Intern Program Coordinator, Sam Willis, and interns of the Campus Sustainability Initiative, Zach Hellyar and Liyang Wang, the goal of the competition is to raise awareness while reducing energy usage among the campus population, one building at a time. A sub-meter tracks the amount...

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Compost Pilot Project – UMASS

This fall UMass Amherst will be host to a compost pilot project outside the Franklin Dining Hall near the Central Residential Area. Although there are presently compost bins in the Bluewall Café and all the dining halls compost food, there has not been a resource for members of the campus community to use when they wish to compost outside of the aforementioned areas. Sara Hopps, who serves as the Food Intern for the Campus Sustainability Initiative, is leading this compost pilot project with...

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Green Living Mobile Project Tour Visits UMass

Since 2009, the Green Living Project’s Mobile Tour has been on the road to promote its message of sustainability. As part of UMass’ first Campus Sustainability Week, the Mobile Tour came to campus to provide tours of its eco-friendly RV and a multimedia and film presentation about the work done by the Green Living Project. The Mobile Tour seeks to share stories from around the world of people working towards a more sustainable planet. The Green Living Project has five areas of focus for its...

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UMass Celebrates First Campus Sustainability Week

This semester, the Campus Sustainability Initiative celebrated the first annual Campus Sustainability Week (October 24-28), intended to highlight student organizations and university programs that are working to make UMass Amherst an environmentally conscious institution. The first day of sustainability week coincided with National Food Day. Local specials were featured in all Dining Commons and community members were given a chance to get some exercise on a “Sustainable UMass”...

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It’s Our Future!

It’s Our Future! Youth Speak Out to Save the Environment &  the Earth Friday, November 18,  7-9pm Northampton Center for the Arts   (17 New South Street–across from Academy of Music) Using poetry, prose, hip-hop rhyming, music (singing a capella, with guitar, etc.), dance, art, video, sculpture, skits, and stand-up comedy, young people between the ages of 8 and 25 are invited to speak out about climate change and other environmental threats, and express their hope and vision...

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Networking event brings local farmers and energy experts together

The Massachusetts Farm Energy Program (MFEP), a project of Berkshire-Pioneer RC&D, celebrated the release of the Massachusetts Farm Energy Best Management Practices Guide with a Farm Energy Networking Event on Monday, October 17th at Bramble Hill Farm in Amherst, Mass. This event linked farmers with energy experts and resources, including state and federal agencies, installers, vendors, and public utilities to initiate on-farm energy projects. This event linked farmers with energy experts...

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N2N Green Victory in Holyoke City Council

The transition from coal to green jobs has begun! After months of planning, education, and outreach, “Action for a Healthy Holyoke,” a coalition which includes Neighbor to Neighbor, won our first victory in our campaign to shut down coal and bring in green jobs!   On Tuesday, the Holyoke City Council unanimously voted to pass a resolution to form a Community Advisory Group that will conduct a study on potential future uses of the Mt. Tom coal plant site.  The coal plant is the...

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USDA announces sign-up dates for conservation programs in Massachusetts

NRCS has announced three rounds of funding for four conservation program in Massachusetts. These federal programs, authorized under the 2008 Farm Bill, provide financial and technical help to farmers and forest land owners to protect soil, water and other natural resources. The assistance is available through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP), Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA), and the Grassland Reserve Program (GRP), all...

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NRCS publishes handbook to help you understand several conservation programs

Massachusetts farmers and forest land owners considering looking for financial and technical help from NRCS  now have a resource to help them understand what’s involved in applying for and participating in several federal conservation programs. “Understanding the 2008 Farm Bill Conservation Programs” is an eight-page handbook that walks landowners through the entire process from conservation planning to submitting an application to signing the contract, and beyond. · Read...

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Unions Champion Employee Benefits

Originally published in the Springfield Republican, August 23 2011 Unions champion employee benefits I would like to tell you a short story. Flash back to 1969. A six-year-old boy, the youngest of four, is walking the picket line with his father. His father tries to explain how he is on strike to fight for better working conditions, but the boy is too young to understand. This father of four is on strike for nearly eight months and must work part-time jobs to support his family. Now flash...

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TOGETHER ON THE LAND: Options for Ecological Community Living

TOGETHER ON THE LAND Options for Ecological Community Living   MULTI-SITE GROUP TOUR 8:30am-5pm Sunday September 11, 2011 Pre-Registration Required $20 per ticket, discounts & scholarships available   FIND OUT MORE & REGISTER ONLINE AT VCLT.ORG/TOUR -or- Call Megan at 413-624-5128 to register. ============================================   Join us for a tour of ecological living options in the Pioneer Valley.  We’ll visit homes and farms that have tested different models for...

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Greening Greenfield Energy Committee wins Grant

Greening Greenfield Energy Committee wins Grant

Good news GGEC just received $500 Wolfe & Rita grant via the the Massachusetts Climate Action Network.  Thank you to Susan for writing this grant! You are GREAT! These funds will go a long way towards supporting our efforts this year! See below for more info, and others who received grants. MCAN Chapter Wolfe Rita Grant Applicants and Chapter Representatives Thank you for your grant applications.  All of the applications submitted were excellent and for the first time ever, all were...

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Report on Money Savings in MA

Report on Money Savings in MA

Massachusetts just printed a GREAT REPORT on $money$ saved through energy efficiency. Its inspirational! It has lots of numbers, but it also has success stories & IDEAS Residential programs – MassSAVE & low income programs Small businesses Large commercial & industrial businesses Municipal efforts They calculate that $18 bil left MA last year to pay for oil, gas etc. — 80% of total spent…just slightly higher than the 78% that the Greening Greenfield Energy Committee...

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PVLocal First Releases the 2011-12 Buy Local Guide

PVLocal First Releases the 2011-12 Buy Local Guide

Pioneer Valley Local First, an organization which has been working for the past 10 years on creating a vibrant local living economy in our area, has just realeased it’s NEW 2011-12 Buy Local Guide! Haven’t had a chance to pick up a paper copy -or- prefer to view it electronically? No worries, follow this link to their website where you can download the guide for...

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WMGC Clambake

WMGC Clambake

  Sustainable Living Celebration!   YOU ARE INVITED Saturday August 27th 2011 189 Pleasant Street, Easthampton, MA     MUSIC ALL DAY! 1-4pm Tours, Demonstrations & Sustainable Living Presentations 4-5:30pm Launch NEW Green Mentor Program! 5:30 Clambake & BBQ with Live Music & Friends Clambake, BBQ, Workshops, Live Music and more! • Event is free and open to the public, rain or shine, no pets please • Sponsorships & donations accepted • BYOB • More info...

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New Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program to Launch – July 28

New Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program to Launch – July 28

PRESS RELEASE – Massachusetts – Up to $200 in rebates will be offered on ENERGY STAR® refrigerators ($150) and room air conditioners ($50) when the Massachusetts Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program launches on July 28. Based on similarly-designed programs in other states, $2 million for rebates should fund the purchase of 20,000 new energy efficient appliances to replace the same number of inefficient models. NEW: DOER recently announced it is waiving appliance turn-in requirements...

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Center for Popular Economics 2011 Summer Institute Schedule

Center for Popular Economics 2011 Summer Institute Schedule

Center for Popular Economics2011 Summer InstituteSmith College, Northampton, MAJuly 24-29Workshops and Panels – free and open to the public. Please join us! PLEASE NOTE: This schedule is subject to change. For the most up-to-date schedule of public events, times and locations, please check the CPE site. ************************************** Center for Popular Economics Summer Institute 2011 Organized in collaboration with Free Press, Center for Media Justice and the Smith Association...

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GETTING TO ZERO GARBAGE

By David Starr – I know it may be months away but there is a Special Collection of Rigid Plastics scheduled for Saturday, September 17th. This is a SPECIAL collection because we aren’t normally permitted to recycle items made of rigid plastics. Our recycling centers don’t normally accept them. While it would be great if we could recycle these plastics with the same convenience that we recycle bottles, cans and paper, we aren’t able to do that at this point. SAVE YOUR...

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About EarthThrives

Welcome to EarthThrives, featuring video clips of “local heroes” — residents and businesses in Western Massachusetts that are incorporating greener habits and technologies into everyday life.

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