January Green Movie Matinee -- "In Transition 2.0"

Green Movie Matinee – In Transition 2.0 – Sat., Jan. 26, 3 -4:30 p.m at Grace Church. Our green movie series continues! -- more to come.  Our winter theme is "environmental movies with positive vision" and this one definitely fits the bill. The Transition movement is about communities around the world responding to rising energy costs, economic instability, social inequality and climate change with creativity, imagination and humor, and setting about rebuilding their local economies and communities. Free cider and Stearns Farm popcorn served! Co-sponsored withTransition Framingham. More information: www.transitionframingham.org  Grace Church is located at 76 Salem End Rd., near Framingham State University.  For directions see www.gracechurchucc.org or call  508-872-3342.

November Green Movie Night -- and more?

A Sacred Duty: Applying Jewish Values to Help Heal the World: Monday, November 19  at 7:00 pm
This movie explores the ethics of our treatment of animals with a positive message about what can be done.  Jointly sponsored by Open Spirit and the Earthcare Team of Grace and Edwards Churches. In the Education Building at Edwards Church (up the hill, beside the sanctuary).Donations gratefully accepted.
 
We will take a break from our green movie series in December and begin again with "environmental movies with a positive message" in January, February, and March.  We would love suggestions of good movies for this series -- send them in!

October "Green Movie Night"

Green Movie Night at Edwards Church

"Peaceable Kingdom" -- Wed, October 17 at 7:00 pm. This movie explores the ethics of our treatment of animals with a positive message about what can be done. Jointly sponsored by Open Spirit and the Earthcare Team of Grace and Edwards Churches. In the Education Building at Edwards Church (up the hill, beside the sanctuary). Snacks provided; donations gratefully accepted.

Green Movie Series 2012-2013

This year the Earthcare group has decided to co-sponsor a film series with Open Spirit at Edwards Church, inspired by Transition Framingham.  Most films will be on the third Wednesday of the month. Our fall series will focus on food and how our choices affect our bodies, animals, and the planet.  In the winter we will switch the theme to "Sprouts of Hope -- Environmental Films with Positive Vision."  We are looking for suggestions for films for the winter series especially -- some ideas are In Transition 2.0 and Grown in Detroit, but if readers of this blog have other ideas, we'd love to hear them! The fall series will be all shown at Edwards Church and the winter series at Grace.

Reminder -- Upcoming Styrofoam Collection at Grace Church

Saturday, July 28, 10 a.m. -- 3 p.m., at the Grace Church parking lot, 76 Salem End Road

Please remove all tape and food particles. For more information on what can be recycled, see www.refoamit.com.  Volunteers to help sort and pack the styrofoam are welcome! If you miss the July collection you can visit us again on Oct. 27 or Jan. 5, 2013.

August -- All About Food

The showing of "Transition 2.0" at Edwards Church in May has prompted a lot of thinking from those who were there about our food system, farms, personal food choices and their effect on the environment.  So there are two events coming up this summer we hope you will consider -- the first sponsored by our friends from Transition Framingham, and the second an Earthcare event.

"Stone Soup" bowl from Stearns Farm work day, fall 2010  

"LOCAVORE" POTLUCK PICNIC -- (sponsored by Transition Framingham) -- Butterworth Park, Arthur St, Framingham, 01702  -- SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2-5pm (rain date August 12)

Bring a dish to share, made with at least one locally grown ingredient. Transition Framingham will provide tables for the food, plus plates, flatware, cups, water and lemonade. You bring a blanket, lawn chairs etc. For more info. email Transitionframingham@yahoo.com or call 508-628-9294. Transition Framingham is a group of citizens working towards a more sustainable future for Framingham in the face of economic instability and climate change. Check them out at www.transitionframingham.org.

Green Movie Night: Meat the Truth: The Massive Impact of Livestock Farming on Climate Change, Wednesday, August 15, 7 p.m. 
The first in a series of monthly movies exploring how the food we eat affects our bodies and our planet. Meat the Truth, produced by Marianne Thieme, examines the connection between livestock farming and greenhouse gas emissions, and aims to contribute to the societal discussion about a more plant-based diet. Jointly sponsored by Open Spirit and the Earthcare Team of Grace and Edwards Churches.   In the Education Building at Edwards Church
(up the hill, beside the sanctuary).  And coming up (same location)-- September 19 - Forks Over Knives.

Earth Day 2012 has passed . . . now what?

The Earthcare group has been somewhat quiet the past few months, although several of us participated in the Carbon Fast and others were involved with the Framingham Earth Day Celebration, or styrofoam recycling at Grace.  But coming up in May are a flurry of events we invite you to consider -- one that would only require about an hour of your time, another that would mean a weekend, and one just an evening. Take your pick!

Event #1 -- Perhaps less than hour -- show up at the Wayland Town Library on Saturday, May 5th at 9:30 a.m. to help draw attention to this "climate dot" as part of 350.org's "Connect the Dots on Climate Change" Day.  You may remember that the Wayland Library was severely damaged by the spring floods of 2010. This is the kind of extreme weather we can expect to see more of as carbon dioxide levels continue to soar.  Come be counted with those who care and want to see real limits on carbon.

Event #2 -- A weekend commitment -- Transition Framingham is offering a "Training for Transition" course the weekend of May 12-13, to learn skills to build local resiliency in the face of peak oil and climate change.  See the Transition Framingham website for more information.

Event #3 -- An evening commitment -- Earthcare Framingham is hosting a viewing of a movie about the Transition movement on Tuesday, May 29th, 7 p.m. at Edwards Church. Come learn more about this grass-roots movement with a positive vision about how to "transition" away from fossil fuels to a new economy.

After Mardi Gras -- Join us for a Carbon Fast? -- Kick-off Potluck Wed., Feb. 22nd, 6:00 p.m.

This week marks the beginning of Lent, and instead of "giving up" chocolate or television or other temptations, we invite you to join us in the Ecumenical Carbon Fast. Some of us in the Earthcare group did this last year and it was a good discipline.  You sign up for a daily email with a reflection and an invitation to concrete actions -- some are small (remove one lightbulb from your house) -- some more challenging (if you still eat meat, consider becoming vegetarian). We will gather for a potluck dinner to kick off the fast at Edwards Church, this Wed., Feb. 22nd, at 6 p.m. -- followed by the Ash Wednesday service at Edwards at 7:30 p.m.  All are welcome! Whether you come to the potluck or not, you can sign up for the Carbon Fast at http://www.macucc.org/pages/detail/2410 or see the daily posts on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/carbonfast?sk=wall.

Styrofoam Collection -- Sat., Jan. 7, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

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, Jan. 7th. We will also be accepting cans of non-perishable food to help the Hope Food Pantry in Framingham re-stock after the holidays.  Stay for a bit and help load the truck if you have time. If you miss this one, look for another collection in April, close to Earth Day. For more information on what can be recycled, see http://www.refoamit.com/.  Sponsored by Grace Congregational Church, UCC and Refoamit, Inc. Congratulations to Barbara Sherman of Refoamit on being selected as the Woman who Made Framingham Better in 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.

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.

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. 

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?

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!