A regional resource for Cape & Islands climate activists
August 5, 2020
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Sandwich's New Senior Center To Be Energy Efficient, Adaptable
By Tao Woolfe, The Sandwich Enterprise, July 24, 2020
The town’s new senior center will be extremely energy-efficient, taking advantage of solar power and geothermal heating and cooling systems, the project’s architect told the Sandwich Board of Selectmen Thursday, July 23.
“We’re working toward net zero,” said architect Joel Bargmann of Bargmann Hendrie + Archetype, the Boston-based architectural firm hired by the town in March to bring the senior center from concept to construction.
Mr. Bargmann was referring to a net-zero energy building, which means that the energy used by the building is equal to the amount of renewable energy created on the site.
The architect said he is working with the Cape Light Compact to design a solar power system. The firm is also looking at installing a geothermal cooling system that would take advantage of the sandy soil to drill multiple wells on the property through which water could be drawn to provide cooling.
Each room would be on its own heating-and-cooling system, which is more energy-efficient than a large central HVAC system, the architect said. Read more here.
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A net zero model for every town
Sandwich CAN played important behind-the- scenes role
Kudos to the town of Sandwich and its architect for planning and designing an energy-efficient and net-zero Senior Center and Recreational Center. And huzzahs to the the behind-the-scenes role played by the Sandwich Climate Action Network (CAN) in advancing this project.
Through hours of strategic and collaborative work with the town, the CAN facilitated this project by:
- proposing specific, constructive ideas, resources, and links to local energy efficiency organizations;
- understanding municipal economic challenges
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advocating for selection of an architect open to Net Zero specifications.
According to Judith Holt, a member of Sandwich CAN, this project is a win-win as "it will reduce operating expenses for the building for years to come, while reducing the amount of carbon dioxide released to the air." Well done activists and decision-makers, all!
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Help the Cape and Vineyard's low- and moderate-income families access energy-efficient technologies
Just a few days left to support Cape Light Compact's new program addressing energy-related inequities
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests, communities across Massachusetts and the country are discussing income and racial inequality. These discussions have led the Cape Light Compact to assess how these issues intersect with its energy efficiency programs and to identify program offerings for addressing them.
- Converting oil, propane, or electric resistance heat to cold-climate heat pumps
- Installing solar photovoltaic systems
- Installing battery storage for demand response and overall resiliency
Racial and financial disparities to access exist because all three technologies have a high cost to purchase and install. While solar PV systems and heat pumps save customers money in the long run, low- and moderate-income customers do not have the means to afford the high upfront cost to install these technologies. In addition, they are often unable to qualify for loans or other financing to install these measures.
Act Now
The Cape Light Compact recently filed a petition with the Department of Public Utilities to approve the Cape and Vineyard Electrification Offering and is asking climate stakeholders to submit public comment supporting the program before Monday, August 10, 2020 at 5PM.
Please take one moment to redress inequities and support this program:
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Cape Cod CAN forms MCAN chapter, to hold meeting
Powered by local CANs, Cape Cod CAN is off and running--join us for our next meeting!
Thursday, August 20
6:30-7:30 PM
At its recent regional meeting, local climate action network (CAN) members from 13 towns voted to form a Cape-wide chapter of the Massachusetts Climate Action Network (MCAN) and become an official network within the Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative. Individual town CANS will, of course, remain autonomous entities while benefitting from the tools, expertise and support of these state and regional organizations.
Since this July meeting, a working group has been meeting to develop a strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Cape town in 2021. Dubbed “Energize Cape Cod,” this campaign will create a toolkit for local volunteers to use in promoting individual and commercial adoption of rooftop solar power, air source heat pumps, energy conservation measures, and electric vehicles. The toolkit may also be used to encourage continued town government actions to reduce fossil fuel use and promote renewable energy sources. This project will be discussed in more detail at the August 20 meeting, along with updates by local CANs on activities in their communities.
We hope you--and members of your town's climate groups and municipal energy and environment committees--will join us to get involved in your local CAN, learn more about Energize Cape Cod and keep up to date with CAN activities in each community. Click on the link below to make sure you get on the mailing list for Cape Cod CAN updates.
Act Now
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House passes 2050 Climate Roadmap bill at the 11th hour
While the bill falls short on time-frames, let's celebrate this victory!
In the final minutes of its 2020 legislative session, the Massachusetts House voted to pass H.4912 as amended. Known also as the Climate and Environmental Justice bill, the bill would:
- Create carbon emissions targets for 2030 and 2040, requiring the state to reduce emissions by 50% and 75% below 1990 levels respectively
- Establish a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050
- Create a clean energy equity workforce
- Fund energy efficiency and weatherization upgrades for public housing, just to name a few of its provisions.
The legislation was also amended to:
- Include essential protections for environmental justice communities that are already suffering from environmental pollution and climate impacts
- Increase the state’s offshore wind procurement
- Update appliance energy efficiency standards
- Identify high priority locations for public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations
- Develop programs that allow residents to install curbside chargers.
Unfortunately, according to Jacob Stern, Deputy Director, Sierra Club Massachusetts Chapter, the bill would also push back the implementation for many of these policies until 2024 and fails to include a commitment to reach 100% renewable energy in a reasonable timeline.
What Happens Now
The legislation will now go to a conference committee for a compromise with the Senate version of the bill that passed in January. In a conference process, three Senators and three Representatives will produce a final version of the bill that needs to be passed through both chambers again, and then signed by the governor.
Our calls, texts, and letters are essential to ensuring passage of climate legislation that will enable the Commonwealth to address the climate crisis expeditiously and equitably.
Act Now
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Subscribe to the Climate XChange Policy Roundup to keep up to date on climate and environmental justice bills' progress over the next few months.
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Call your Senators to support passage of a climate bill this season. Let's not let another year go by without action!
Sources: Climate XChange, Sierra Club Massachusetts Chapter
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Northeast region organizations support Vineyard Wind
23 groups call the project indispensible to regional health, economic development and climate crisis mitigation
Thanks to those of you who'd submitted public comment and/or testimony in support of the Vineyard Wind project. You're in good company!
Twenty three New England environmental organizations collaborated on a letter supporting the Vineyard Wind Supplement to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement stating, "Offshore wind is our region’s best opportunity for new sources of energy. This clean energy resource is
the single biggest lever we can pull to reduce emissions, address the climate crisis, and grow the economy at the same time. All New England states have mandated emissions limits or goals, and offshore wind energy is critical for meeting those targets." Read more here.
Your activism makes a difference!
Act Now
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Share this powerful endorsement letter widely as it describes the myriad ways in which the Vineyard Wind project will help build our economy, improve public health and enhance our ability to rapidly transition off fossil fuels.
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DYK? Human well-being has never been better. In spite of lingering global public health problems, human wellbeing has never been better. Learn more on September 9 at the free webinar A New Deal for Planetary Health.
DYK? New research from Duke University shows that the U.S. could prevent 4.5 million early deaths over the next 50 years if global warming were limited to 2 degrees C (3.6 degrees F). Mitigating climate change could also keep 3.5 million Americans out of hospitals and emergency rooms and prevent the loss of 300 million workdays, saving the country some $700 billion a year.
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Massachusetts Legislative Resources
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The Climate Action Alerts newsletter is designed and produced by Fran Schofield and reported by Susan Starkey. We'd love to hear your thoughts. Please share this action alert with your friends and
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The Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to reach carbon neutrality—or net zero—on Cape Cod and the Islands of Massachusetts by enhancing communication, collaboration, and activism among organizations, programs, and individuals committed to mitigating the climate crisis. We depend upon the generosity of our stakeholders to conduct our work.
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All donations are tax deductible as allowed by law. |
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CAPE COD CLIMATE CHANGE COLLABORATIVE
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