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!

"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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.