Sunday, November 6, 2011

Free Movie -- "Coal Country" -- Sat., Nov. 19th, 7 p.m.


We’ll provide the movie, snacks (Framingham’s Stearns Farm popcorn), and plenty of food for thought.  Join us for a thought-provoking movie (about 45 minutes long) on the effect of coal mining, especially by mountain-top removal, on communities in Appalachia. Hear more about the Sierra Club’s “Beyond Coal” Campaign and learn what you can do to help end this destructive practice. The audience is invited to make a free-will offering to support a local program providing children in Appalachia with much-needed school supplies. This event is at Grace Church, 76 Salem End Rd., near Framingham State University.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Fall Styrofoam Collection -- Oct. 22nd

Save your Styrofoam and plastic utensils -- we have another collection day coming up at Grace Chuch -- Sat., Oct. 22nd., 10a.m.-3 p.m. For more information on what can and cannot be recycled, see http://www.refoamit.com/. To volunteer for an hour or two at the collection (it's light duty, but help is much appreciated!), contact Mary Memmott at memmottm@gmail.com.

Report on "Shine a Light on Solar" and Moving Planet Rally

Earthcare partnered with the Framingham Sierra Club to present “Shining a Light on Solar” on September 24th.  Thank you to Rev. Debbie Clarke and Edwards Church for hosting and providing a delicious lunch, and thanks to Dan Greenwood of SolarFlair for providing timely, important information on solar power and the credits and tax advantages that have made this an increasingly affordable option. We had 30 people in attendance, and the discussion was intelligent and focused. Who knows what new solar installations you will see around town that were sparked at this meeting! If you missed this event, and want more information on solar power, there is another company speaking at Edwards Church on solar power on Tuesday, October 11th. See this link for more information.



Thank you also to the two “Pria” car-loads of folks from Framingham, Sudbury, and Worcester who followed lunch with a trip into Boston to attend the Moving Planet rally. The highlight of the rally was probably seeing all those from the Boston area who have been arrested in Washington protesting the Tar Sands Pipeline project stand up to be recognized. You can find out more about this ongoing protest, and see pictures of Moving Planet Day all over the world, at http://www.350.org/. We proudly held our "350" banner in Framingham and Boston on September 24th -- if you don't know why we care about 350, time to get to that website!


Wednesday, September 14, 2011

"Shine a Light on Solar" -- Sat., Sept. 24th -- 11 a.m.

I just left a planning meeting for this event -- we have a wonderful (free) lunch planned, activites for the kids, and a speaker on a timely subject -- solar energy and your home or business. And then if you feel inspired you can join us as we carpool/T to Boston to participate in a rally calling on our leaders to move beyond fossil fuels (free water bottle included!).  Please RSVP if you can to help us plan, or just come that day. All are welcome.

Here's an outline of the day:

SEPTEMBER 24th :   350.org’s Global Moving Planet event.
Moving Framingham towards Renewable Energy!
When/Where:
11am – 1pm , Edwards Church - Solar Power presentation and lunch
1 pm: Carpool to Riverside - T into Boston
3 pm: Parade from Park St. station to Columbus Waterfront Park
3:50 pm:  New England Rally for Moving Beyond Fossil Fuels
6 pm: Carpool back to Framingham

Join EarthCare and the Framingham Sierra Club as we participate in 350.org’s worldwide rally to demand solutions to the Climate Crisis: Moving Planet- A Day to Move Beyond Fossil Fuels.
We begin with a local event here in Framingham focused on solar energy.   Dan Greenwood of Framingham’s own SolarFlair  , will “shine the light” on solar power as a viable renewable energy source, including information on costs, rebates, incentives, net metering and the Solar Renewable Energy Credit market.   Come enjoy a light lunch and get your solar questions answered, while the kids help create our Moving Planet Banner for the New England Rally in Boston and try some "solar" crafts and activities.
At 1pm, we'll be heading into Boston via carpool and the T to join the rest of our neighboring communities for the Boston rally at Columbus Waterfront Park in Boston near the Aquarium!!  Join us for both events, or just one!  For more info, or to RSVP, contact Mary Memmott at memmottm@gmail.com

Friday, July 22, 2011

Styrofoam Collection -- this Saturday, July 23, 10 - 3

Another one of our "seasonal" styrofoam collections coming up very soon at Grace Church, 76 Salem End Rd.  Bring along your styrofoam and/or plastic utensils (clean, separate from the styrofoam) anytime from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., this Saturday, July 23rd. Stay for a bit and help load the truck if you have time. If you miss this one, look for another collection on Oct. 22nd. For more information on what can be recycled, see http://www.refoamit.com/.  Sponsored by Grace Congregational Church, UCC and Refoamit, Inc.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Sometimes you have to make a stink!

Saturday, June 25th, the Earthcare Grace group (and friends) spent the morning working at Stearns Farm.  This is part of our work hours for our farm share, most of which goes to the Hope Food Pantry in Framingham.  This year's work hours were a little unusual -- most of the kids (and adults) ended up helping to pick potato bugs off the crops -- thousands and thousands of bugs that apparently made an unpleasant stink when drowned!  Kudos to the kids for sticking with it, despite the "yuckiness." When we take a nice big bag of potatoes to the pantry this fall all your work will be appreciated.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Next Event -- Saturday, July 16, 6-8 p.m., "Food for Thought" Dinner


Topic: Is Coal Worth the Cost?


Saturday, July 16, 2011, 6-8 p.m.; Edwards Church, UCC; 39 Edwards St., Framingham

Bring an appetizer or dessert to share, we’ll provide the soup, information, and plenty of food for thought.

Please join us for a light meal (featuring Stearns Farm produce), followed by a “heavy” but important discussion on the impact of mountain-top removal coal mining on Appalachia. We will have a preview/review of the movie The Last Mountain, currently playing nation-wide, which highlights the terrible effect of this practice on people and the environment. There will be also be time to take action through letter-writing.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Thank you Sierra Club -- report on "local food" event

Thank you to the Framingham Sierra Club for an informative, well-attended meeting on local food at the Framingham library last night (March 29th).  I've added some new links to "places to find local food" on the lower right side of this blog page -- Silverwood Organic Farm in Sherborn and the Mass Local Food Co-op that may be coming to Framingham.  Contact Kelly O'Connor: president@masslocalfood.org if you are interested in the Mass Local Food Co-op  (note, this isn't a commitment to participate) or interested in volunteering to help run a drop-off site in Framingham (driving, helping to distribute orders, co-ordinating, etc.)
Anyone else attend the meeting, or know of places (markets, farms, etc) that I should add to our local food list?  I have the feeling I have not found everything yet!  I would love to find more place to buy eggs, for example.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Earth Hour -- tonight -- Saturday, March 26th, 8:30 - 9:30 p.m.

Can you turn off all your lights and electronic devices  for one hour tonight?  This has become an annual event  -- check out the website for more information on "Earth Hour" -- http://www.earthhour.org/Homepage.aspx?intro=no.  I just saw this on today's Carbon Fast -- and like most of the things on the fast, I think it's worth a try. 

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Lenten Carbon Fast -- Discussion

Lent started this week and some of us are signed up for the Lenten Carbon Fast -- sponsored by the New England Council of Churches -- you can still sign up here.

The fast gives you daily email suggestions of things to do and prayerfully consider.  Here's a summary so far:

Day 1 -- commit to the fast!
Day 2 -- pick a lightbulb anywhere in your home and take it out for the duration of the fast
Day 3 -- slay "vampire power" in your home -- unplug power plugs needlessly using electricity
Day 4 -- sign up for an energy audit through NSTAR or your own power company
Day 5 -- consider how 20% of the earth's population use 80% of its resources

I was a little dubious at first thinking I'm "ahead of the curve" on some things and at my limit on others.  But then I found an extra light-bulb in my bathroom that turns on every time I turn on the bathroom light -- I get along fine without it.  If all 1,000 people in the fast do the same, that's not insignificant.  I went looking for vampire power and found two things I'd forgotten about.  I got to pat myself on the back for already having an energy audit.  And the thought for Day 5 prompted me to get some laundry on the line today, even though the weather is a bit borderline, and the girls had a great time running through the towels.  A clothes dryer is quite a luxury in the grand scheme of things -- after all I'm lucky to have a washer compared to a lot of mothers around the world.  And you can't play "run through the towels" when they are in the dryer.


So looking forward to the next 35 days -- anyone else have any reactions to the fast?

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Response to "No Impact Man"

Thank you to the brave souls who came out on a tough weather night to share good popcorn and a good movie. 

If you are thinking of doing your own, "no impact" project for Lent or on your own time-table, our youngest viewer would love to hear from you.  She has been inspired to create her own earthcare blog (really, on her own, I only found out what she was up to after helping to spell various words like "styrofoam," "transportation," etc.), you can find it here: http://www.earthcarebyakid.blogspot.com/.  We can't wait to hear what projects this may have inspired!

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Free movie night -- "No Impact Man" -- Friday, Feb. 25th

Free Friday Night Flick with Earthcare Education!

Featured Movie: “No Impact Man

Friday, February 25, 7 – 9 p.m.

Grace Congregational Church, UCC; 76 Salem End Rd., Framingham

We’ll provide the movie, snacks (Framingham’s Stearns Farm popcorn!), and plenty of food for thought.

Edwards Church UCC and Grace Congregational Church UCC present another in our series of Earthcare events. Find out what happens when a “New York liberal decides to practice what he preaches for one year . . . Turns off the electricity, stops making garbage, gives up TV . . . all while taking his baby daughter and caffeine-loving retail-obsessed TV-addicted wife along with him." Then discuss how you could dial down YOUR impact this Lent with a “carbon fast.” Sponsored with the generous support of the Barnes Foundation.

Call the Grace office 508-872-3342 for more information, see the Grace website for directions.