Hi, Green Friends,
I hope you all had a merry holiday season and are off to a great start on your New Year! I gave you a longer break than I'd planned, but to those who had perhaps hoped I was gone for good, no such luck.
Here's a great way to start the New Year. If you haven't done it yet, check in at www.NeighborhoodEnergyChallenge.org, and sign up. Do it by the end of this month, and be eligible for great grand finale prizes. If you've signed up, check in and fill out the new "Get Started" page (2 minutes, tops,) be sure your "Carbon Snapshot" is done, and collect your points for December.
National Grid reports a huge increase in requests for home energy audits in November and December in our area. Remember, an energy audit is worth 5000 points on our challenge. And it's free! You'll find the link to request an audit on our Challenge web site, or on your gas or electric bill.
We were pleased to see that Newport Clean City offered a special holiday wrapping paper recycling program the week after Christmas. We hope people took advantage of it, so it'll come back next year.
Here are a couple of ideas for your Christmas tree: Cheryl Cadwell, master gardener and columnist for The Newport Daily News, suggests laying it out in your yard (perhaps stacked with a couple of others from neighbors) to provide winter shelter for birds and critters. No space? In towns with municipal trash pickup, you can put it out on designated collection days, so it'll be chipped up for compost.
Yet again, a round of applause to Aquidneck Land Trust for acquiring more easements to important parcels of land--this time on Mitchell's Lane, Middletown, and on Webster Avenue, Newport.
Does it strike anyone else as ironic that Middletown officials are questioning the effect of domestic wind turbines on their landscapes, yet giving up the fight to take down those ugly billboard$ on rural landscapes on East Main Road? And are they really considering another $trip mall on West Main Road, with the possibility of another big box?
Keep up the good green work!
Your friendly neighborhood troublemaker,
Beth
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Apeiron Sustainable Business Network Launch
Time: 10:00 AM
Location: 17 Gordon Ave., Providence
You're cordially invited to the official launching of The Sustainable Business Network of Rhode Island(SBNRI) and Press Conference at 10:00 AM, at 17 Gordon Avenue in Providence.
Please RSVP: Call 401-228-7930 or contact tomas@apeiron.org
The Sustainable Business Network of Rhode Island (SBNRI) stems from the Apeiron Institute’s mission of building a socially, environmentally and economically sustainable Rhode Island. Apeiron believes in the importance of connecting businesses to encourage local buying and producing, and believes in the importance of educating the community of businesses about their role in combatting the world’s environmental challenges.
The SBNRI is a membership-based organization of locally owned businesses, service providers and community organizations committed to building a more sustainable Rhode Island for future generations. The SBNRI provides its members with valuable resources and benefits to help them succeed in strengthening their economic, social and environmental sustainability.
Learn more about the Sustainable Business Network of Rhode Island at http://www.sbnri.org/.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
No Green Drinks this week
Time: n/a Location: n/a
(See January 13.)
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Door hangers - Neighborhood Energy Challenge
Time: 9:45 to 12 PM (Pizza from 1 to 2 PM)
Location: Channing Memorial Church, 135 Pelham St., Newport
Help create the "buzz" about the Neighborhood Energy Challenge and Home Energy Audits. Meet at 9:45 AM at Channing House (next door to Channing Memorial Church) and form teams to distribute door hangers in neighborhoods in Newport or Jamestown until 12 noon, then come back for a pizza party!
National Grid has provided the door hangers publicizing both these energy saving programs, and we need to get the word out to our neighborhoods. (National Grid is providing the pizza, too.)
Come for as long as you can. Any amount of time will be a big help! Can't come this Saturday? We'll be doing it again on Saturday, January 16--same time, same station.
Clean Ocean Access Cleanup
Time: 12:00 to 2 PM
Location: Taylors Lane, Little Compton
Clean Ocean Access will be performing our first cleanup of the new year. Come on out for 2 hours or 15 minutes, bring your neighbors, family, friends or just yourself. The usual suspects will likely show up with ample amounts of coffee, hot chocolate, donuts and possibly some fresh brewed apple cider! For important information, check out this link: http://members.cox.net/coa_2009/Taylors_Lane_2010.pdf, or email dmclaughlin71@hotmail.com.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Alliance for a Livable Newport Annual All Member Meeting
Time: 6:30 to 8 PM
Location: Newport Public Library Program Room, Spring St.
Please join the ALN Board for our annual membership meeting.
On the agenda is a discussion of the ALN Strategic Plan and a review of ALN activities that were initiated or completed in 2009. We've included time for discussion and we'd like to hear your ideas for topics for our Public Forums in 2010. Refreshments will be served.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Green Drinks
Time: TBA Location: Herreshoff Museum, Bristol
SPECIAL GREEN DRINKS EVENT! Join Green Drinkers from around the state of Rhode Island at the Herreshoff Museum in Bristol. Details to come.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
SAVE THE DATE:
RI Interfaith Power and Light Annual Conference:
Improving Our Stewardship Of Creation
Time: 4:30 to 9:20 PM
Location: LaSalle Academy, 612 Academy Avenue, Providence
More information in our next issue.
