Stoughton Energy & Sustainability Committee

Volunteers Wanted - Climate Action Plan Committee:

There are six (6) important positions open for residents of the Town of Stoughton who are interested in formulating climate action goals for the Town and producing a comprehensive climate change mitigation plan for Stoughton.

Applicants with interest in protecting the environment and fighting climate change are strongly encouraged to apply for the two year term on this critical committee.

Applications for appointment to the Climate Action Plan Committee will be accepted at the Select Board’s Office, Town Hall, Ten Pearl Street, Stoughton, Massachusetts 02072 until noon on Thursday, June 15th, 2023. Interviews will be conducted at the Select Board’s June 20th, 2023 meeting. They will be in person in the Great Hall, Town Hall, 10 Pearl Street, Stoughton, MA. Please forward all Applications directly to [email protected]

Our entire committee would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who came out and was a part of the 2nd Annual Brewfest this past Saturday! It was a wonderful event and we are so appreciative of all the support we got.

Our co-hosts First Parish of Stoughton were incredible to work with and we thank them for all the effort in letting us share their space for this event.

We had delicious beer poured by great brewers including Brockton Beer Company, Crue Brew Brewery, Shovel Town Brewery, and White Lion Brewing Company!

We want to thank our sponsors, the Stoughton Knights of Columbus, San Salvador Council #200 and HarborOne Bank for their support.

We also want to make sure and shout out the local businesses who donated items for our great raffle, including Olivio's Grille & Pizzeria, Pearl Street Nutrition, Old Colony YMCA - Stoughton, and Big Jamie Cutz Barbershop! Make sure to check out all these great local businesses.

We had wonderful musical entertainment all afternoon provided by excellent musicians - Heather Lynn Music, Kass Melo Music and .

And lastly, a huge thank you to all of our vendors who came out to provide great information, resources, and merchandise for our Brewfest attendees - Mad Mama Vintage, Mass Save, Summit Energy, Yai's Kitchen, Equal Exchange, and so many more!

We look forward to seeing everyone at our next event!

ATTENTION STOTONIANS & FRIENDS! The Stoughton Energy & Sustainability Committee, Stoughton House of Brews, & First Parish Universalist Church are partnering together to host The Stoughton Brewgrass Festival. This is a fundraiser event, and will be held on June 15th, 2019 from 2PM – 5PM. The festival will include beer, food, live music, arts, and more. Proceeds from the fundraiser will be donated to charity. Plans are currently in motion to make this event possible, so mark the date on your calendars and stay tuned for more details TBA!! If you have any questions, or would like to somehow participate in the festival, please send us a message!

Stoughton says no to sustainability hire, citing budget constraints

https://stoughton.wickedlocal.com/article/20190325/NEWS/190328246

stoughton.wickedlocal.com Sustainability advocates want Stoughton to hire a full-time "Energy & Efficiency Coordinator," a position they say would more than pay for

Massachusetts Clean Energy Day - NECEC

Heads up!! The Massachusetts Clean Energy Day event is coming next week - 5/24! Come by and learn about the growing vitality of the clean energy industry in our state and regional economy. The event will take place at the Massachusetts State House in Boston and is open (FREE) to the public from 11am-2pm. Please follow the link below to reserve tickets or learn more!

https://www.necec.org/necec-events-details/massachusetts-clean-energy-day-866.html

necec.org Massachusetts Clean Energy Day will showcase the growing vitality of the clean energy industry and the importance of consistent policy support as a means of catalyzing the state’s - and our region’s - economy.

Wireless Enabled

Always wanted a wireless enabled thermostat (like the Nest) but didn't want to pay full price? Until April 30th, in celebration of Earth Day, you can get a Wi-Fi enabled thermostat over 50% off through Mass Saves. http://www.energyfederation.org/masssave/thermostats/wireless-enabled.html

energyfederation.org

Cleaning out your closets before winter comes? Remember to donate your used textiles in the Bay State Textiles donation bins at Stoughton elementary schools - all donations through the end of December count towards the collection contest which will unlock an additional $325 in prize money for our schools!

We hope everyone is having a great summer so far and taking some time to vacation and enjoy nature! The Energy & Sustainability Committee has also been looking forward to taking some vacation time ourselves and we wanted to share our revised meeting schedule for the summer.
Our next meetings will be Wednesday, July 19th and Wednesday, August 9th at 7pm, Stoughton Town Hall. We'd love to see you there and we'll be back to our regular, twice monthly meeting schedule after that.

This Saturday, April 29th is The People's Climate March in Washington D.C. It represents another important opportunity to stand up for and promote the ideals, values, and priorities that have and to give them the attention they deserve.

For those attending you can find more details here: http://sierraclub.org/peoples-climate-march/details-and-downloads

For those who may be looking for transportation to the event buses are leaving from the South Shore and more details can be found here: http://350mass.betterfutureproject.org/pcm

March On!

March For Science Boston

Tomorrow, April 22nd is the March for Science on the Boston Common from 1-4pm, supporting the importance of scientific research and discovery. Several members of our Committee will be in attendance and we would love to see you there. More information on the main event, as well as groups who will be marching to the Common from various locations, can be found at the event website: https://www.marchforscienceboston.com/

marchforscienceboston.com Join the March For Science Boston on April 22 on the Boston Common to take a stand for science. We believe in publicly funded science, science education, and science based policy.

We are adjusting our meeting schedule for April. Our next two meetings will be on Thursdays - April 13th and April 27th - at Stoughton Town Hall, 7pm. All are welcome to attend and we hope to see some of you there!

Did you know you live in a Green Community? Here is one of Stoughton's three new Ford Fusion Hybrids recently added to the town's municipal vehicle fleet. These fuel efficient hybrids replaced gas guzzling vehicles to save the town money and keep our air cleaner. These five-star safety rated cars get an estimated 43 MPG during in-town driving.

Earth Hour

Will you be participating in Earth Hour this Saturday (3/25) at 8:30 p.m.? Find out more information on how you can be a part of the movement towards building a better tomorrow for our planet and future generations! https://www.earthhour.org/

page here: https://www.facebook.com/events/245738609170454/

earthhour.org WWF's Earth Hour shows us how each of us can be heroes for our planet, our home. Our actions today can change our tomorrow - together, let's

We are proud to announce a partnership between the Stoughton Schools and Bay State Textiles to have textile donation bins placed at all elementary schools by the beginning of April. These bins provide a great place to donate used clothing, shoes, rags and other textiles to be re-used or re-purposed instead of going to a landfill. Each school's PTO will receive money based on the weight of donations. Keep your eye out for bins with this logo on it coming soon to a school near you!

Did you know you live in a Green Community? In 2015, Stoughton was recognized by the Commonwealth as a Green Community after meeting five energy-saving criteria. If you're interested in keeping Stoughton green, contact [email protected].

Stoughton Energy & Sustainability Committee's cover photo

Stoughton Energy & Sustainability Committee

Massachusetts energy officials overhaul solar incentive program, cutting cost to ratepayers in half

Thoughts?

masslive.com The switch is expected to cut the annual cost of solar installations to ratepayers in half.

Hello everyone!

Are there ways you think you can help the town become more energy efficient? Do you have an understanding, ambition, or passion to benefit Stoughton’s environmental health and sustainable design? Well the Stoughton Energy & Sustainability Committee is looking for your help! We are seeking Stoughton residents of all ages to help join our mission to improve town energy consumption, waste & water systems, community well-being, sustainable development, and more. If a role with our committee is something you think you’d like to be a part of, please do not hesitate to reach out! Your input is highly welcomed and greatly appreciated, whether it be expertise, ideas, strategies, or just moral support that you bring to the table. Please feel free to send all inquiries or questions to [email protected]. Thank you all!

Energy

I am posting this as Jill Somers, a member of the SESC committee. Here is President Elect, Donald Trump's position on Energy. It is not inline with what millions of Americans have fought for, advocated for and sacrificed for. https://www.donaldjtrump.com/policies/energy/

donaldjtrump.com

Hazardous Waste Day is October 22. Spread the word!

Stoughton True Value

Get started on beekeeping! Shop local, and save the bees!

If you've considered starting beekeeping, we have the supplies you need. Visit us at 531 Washington Street, Stoughton, MA or at truevalue.com/stoughton

www.stoughtonesc.com
We have a new updated website! We opted to move web host services to save on costs. What content do you want to see on it?

The SESC took a photo in front of the Town Hall last week, for submission to the Massachusetts Green Communities Grant Program, "Faces of Green Communities" website. Shown here from Left to Right are: Former member, Eric Studer, Former Board of Selectman Chairman, John Stagnone, Committee Chairman (rear), David Billow and Members, Jill Somers, Nick Petitpas, Nathan Cleveland, Hollyce States and Committee Secretary Tony Phillips. The committee remains committed to the Town of Stoughton for continued support to the Town and its residents. Photo by Kathy Billo. Thank you Kathy!

MA Senate Votes to Ban Plastic Bags Statewide

What are your thoughts on this?

patch.com What do you think? Environmentally friendly or too inconvenient?

On behalf of the The Stoughton Board of Health, DPW and Environmental Affairs Office, I am providing this information about the next scheduled Hazardous Waste Collection Day, scheduled for Saturday May 21st, at the O'Donnell Middle School. See flyer for details. Thank you!

The SESC has grown by 2 additional members this year. We welcome Nick Petitpas(left) and Nate Cleveland(right) to our committee. Both of our enthusiastic members, alongside, Tony Phillips (center) are at todays Earth Day Celebration at the Library. Come on down. We are here until 2:00pm.

We are currently revamping our website as we change hosts. Stay tuned for a new and improved site from WordPress!

Please remember to exercise your right to VOTE today in Stoughton! Polls are open, turnout is low. Let your vote count, and get out to Vote!

Let's play a game similar to Where's Waldo? There have been THREE Green Communities Signs (Similar to the one pictured here) installed around Stoughton this week. If you find one, take a picture, and post it in the comments with it's location. Where's signage?

REUSE! Because You Can't Recycle The Planet.

This is a great educational event happening at the Randolph Theater. While it is put on by the town of Braintree, the topics are universal and educational for everyone who lives on earth. Will you attend?
It is now currently sold out. Sign up for the waitlist. https://www.tugg.com/events/88730 #.VsUqAauLWOQ.facebook

tugg.com Please join us for an exclusive one-night only screening of REUSE! Because you can't recycle the planet.

Residents have been asking us, "What is the next step for Stoughton, in this Green Communities Grant program?" The short answer is that our Town Manager, Michael Hartman and a few other department managers must gather over the next two weeks (Or 10 business days) to determine and report to the DOER how to use the first round of Grant Funding - which is $209K. This funding must be used on municipal energy conservation projects that have already been defined in the Energy Reduction Plan. The Town Manager has to meet the deadline of January 22, 2016 to adhere to the grant funding distribution policy or else we will lose the funding.

UPDATE 1/16/16: The town manager has been working with the DOER and learning more about this program. Unfortunately, we have became privy to some information that was not disclosed to us from the DOER that may (or may not), throw a monkey wrench into the planning for this program. Michael is savvy nonethless and I have a feeling he may be able to work through this hiccup. He is doing a nice job through this now, if we do not meet the deadline it will be because of this information that none of us knew before applying.

UPDATE 1/23/16: The deadline for the funding application was yesterday 1/22/16. I am awaiting confirmation that it was met. I trust that our Town Planner got it done, but until I hear a confirmation, I wait anxiously.

UPDATE: 1/30/15: We can applaud and Thank our Town Planner, Noreen O'Toole for taking swift action, and applying for the funding for the Green Community Grant Program by the deadline of 1/22/16. The first round of grant funding will be used for converting the rest of our Street Lights to LED lights, saving the town significant money and energy. In addition to the street lights, we also will be installing upgrades to a water pumping station. This project too will also help us to reach our goal of reducing the Towns Energy consumption by 20% by 2020. To learn more about ways in which we aspire to reduce municipal energy expenditure, view the Energy Reduction Plan here:http://stoughtonesc.org/uploads/2/8/7/6/2876566/town_of_stoughton_energy_reduction_plan_2015_final-w-appendices.pdf -Thank you for your continued Support Stoughton! -Jill Somers

Congratulations Stoughton! We have been designated a Green Community through the Massachusetts Green Communities Grant Program! We made the Map! Learn more about this program here: http://www.mass.gov/eea/energy-utilities-clean-tech/green-communities/

Updated 12.18.15: The SESC is still waiting to hear whether or not the DOER has designated Stoughton as a Green Community. We will post the update as soon as we hear, and the appropriate town leaders are notified. - Jill

Update regarding GCGP submission: This week the committee had to submit clarification information to the Program reviewers for the GCGP. It is our hope that we will hear within 3 weeks if Stoughton has been designated a Green Community. We will post updates when we can.

We DID IT! After FIVE years of consistent perseverance, the Stoughton Energy and Sustainability Committee has just submitted the Massachusetts Green Communities Grant Program Application! If designated a Green Community, the Mass DOER will award Stoughton with grant funds towards Municipal Energy Conservation Projects! Thank you Stoughton Residents, Board of Selectmen, Town Management, School Department, Department Heads, Stoughton Staff, Mass DOER, MAPC, SESC, all our support network and others who have been with us through this whole process!

Five ways Americans should — and shouldn’t — recycle

All these apply to Stoughton, especially regarding the plastic bags. See #1 and #5. Do not put your recycleables IN plastic bags. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2015/06/21/dcrecyclingside0622/

washingtonpost.com With the vast majority of U.S. towns and cities opting to let residents toss all their recyclables in one blue bin (and leave the sorting to machines), here are five ways residents can make sure more of what they bother to recycle actually gets reused.