Watching West Coast cities push ahead with curbside food composting, I’ve been almost green with envy. Perhaps most highly publicized is San Francisco’s program, which began last year as part of the city’s ambitious goal to achieve net zero waste by 2020. Then there’s Seattle’s program, which has been running since 2005! And now Portland, [...]
Founded in 1981, Beyond Pesticides is a non-profit organization devoted to assessing and publicizing the risks of conventional pest management practices and identifying and promoting healthy and environmentally-friendly non-chemical alternatives. Beyond Pesticides provides a wealth of information about pesticides including the Pesticide Gateway, a database of 80+ pesticides, and fact sheets on non-chemical treatments for a range of pests, from ants to rodents to wasps.
The Boston Building Materials Resource Center is a nonprofit dedicated to reusing good-quality used and surplus building materials. They accept donations of everything from used sinks and cabinetry to surplus lumber, and they resell them to the public at low prices. If you are undertaking a home improvement project, check with the resource center before you throw your old stuff away.
Energy Federation Incorporated is a MA-based non-profit that provides products and services to help people conserve energy and water. EFI’s online store sells energy efficient lighting, low-flow showerheads, and other conservation-related products directly to consumers. Many products that EFI sells, like dimmable CFLs, are hard to find at retail stores.
Freecycle is an excellent resource if you’re looking to reduce your waste. Freecycle, which is a grassroots, online movement, is dedicated to keeping good stuff out of landfills. Freecycle networks exist in a number of MA towns and cities. Members give and get stuff from each other for free by posting items online. Each network is moderated by a local volunteer and membership is free.
Green Decade Coalition/Newton is a Newton, MA based non-profit that promotes environmental stewardship through educational programming and advocacy. Green Decade is a highly respected organization that works closely and effectively with city leaders on a wide range of environmental issues from energy conservation to waste reduction to transportation. Green Decade’s educational programming is also extremely high quality. Of particular note is their environmental speaker series and their green tours.
There is a new online resource available for consumers who want to know what is in the products they buy. Healthy Stuff has tested over 5000 consumer products for the presence of chemicals associated with a range of health and environmental hazards. Before you panic: Healthy Stuff tests only for the presence of chemicals not exposure. Exposure depends on a variety of factors such as the tendency of a chemical to volatilize, how the product is used, etc. However, given that the government does not require safety testing of chemicals before they go to market, and that neither the government nor manufacturers make information about chemical content available to consumers, Healthy Stuff plays a key role in informing and empowering consumers to make safe, eco-friendly choices.
For many observant Jews, the personal meaning and value of kashrut (dietary laws or customs) is connected to the ethical treatment of animals. Now that the veil of secrecy surrounding industrial farming has been lifted, many observers of kashrut are finding it hard to reconcile their personal commitment to kashrut with their knowledge of the inhumane and unsustainable practices of factory farms and slaughter houses that supply kosher meat. And some are choosing sustainably sourced meat over kosher meat.
Fortunately, Boston-area Jews no longer need to forgo observance in order to uphold their commitment to the humane treatment of animals. There is LoKo, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing Boston-area Jews with local, kosher, free-range, humanely raised chicken and meat. LoKo is still just getting off the ground and will be offering chickens beginning at the end of June.
If you live in Newton or surrounding towns, such as Needham and West Roxbury, and you haven’t yet been to Newton Community Farm, you are missing out on an amazing source for local, seasonal produce. Established in 2005 following the City of Newton’s purchase of the site, Newton Community Farm sells sustainably grown fruit, herbs and vegetables from June-Oct at its farm stand on Winchester Street, at the Newton Farmer’s Markets, and to CSA shareholders. Newton Community Farm is situated at the corner of Winchester and Nahanton streets in South Newton on land that has been farmed for over 300 years. It is the last working farm in Newton.
The Northeast Organic Farming Association is a non-profit, membership organization that supports sustainable agriculture in the Northeast. NOFA MA is one of seven NOFA chapters that provide a variety of services farmers, land care professionals, and consumers. Consumer programs include workshops on topics such as organic gardening, food preservation, and winter gardening. They also publish an organic food buying guide and a list of MA CSAs (CSA stands for community supported agriculture. A CSA supports itself by selling seasonal shares; shareholders pay an upfront fee for a certain amount of farm-grown or raised food each week).
Founded in 1981 by Lois Gibbs, CHEJ exists to help families and communities protect themselves from exposure to enviromental toxins. Gibbs was spurred to action by her own community’s environmental health nightmare: She and her neighbors had been poisoned by toxic chemicals buried beneath their homes by Hooker Chemical Corporation. Since then, CHEJ has help communities organize to stop pollution and hold polluters accountable. CHEJ works on a variety of campaigns, including one to phase out the use of Poly Vinyl Chloride (dubbed “The Poison Plastic”) and another to help schools engage in environmental advocacy. They also publish a variety of fact sheets and reports on environmental health issues for the general public.