From maine.chapter at sierraclub.org Wed Jan 14 11:37:44 2009 From: maine.chapter at sierraclub.org (Maine Chapter Sierra Club) Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:37:44 -0500 (EST) Subject: [CoolCommunities] January Cool News Message-ID: <1102380599113.1101980580837.1107.8.4514350E@scheduler> If you are having trouble viewing this e-mail Click here http://campaign.constantcontact.com/render?v=001PwGNN-AAUz4cO7mHtfwfeLU8Z3M5-wPiJCkyRacs_DZ9FjM0OK1OLtW43xspxrugvf9M7pMCa4BAxer1Q5R6GwOdFvYp-AjKvspAGNcOGRap1EKlcH7CaCwaPNowjWVF ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cool News January 2009 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Send Us Your News! Share your successes with other Cool Teams If you have an event, a program you want to share, or just an update on your campaign please send us your news and we will include it in the next Cool Newsletter. Send articles to maine.chapter at sierraclub.org [mailto:maine.chapter at sierraclub.org] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dates to Remember January 15 Tour of Saco's Energy Efficiency Initiatives View the geothermal heating and cooling system, the EW 15 wind turbine and other energy efficiency steps Saco has taken. Saco Transportation Center 9:30 am January 17 + 18 Maine Solar Energy Association Workshop Learn how to build a 60w PV module FMI: 733-1095 or seads at maineline.net [mailto:seads at maineline.net] January 29 Legislative Breakfast Come and meet your legislator at the Environmental Priorities Gathering. Followed by a press conference. 8:00 - 9:30 am Cross Cafe Maine State Office Building, Augusta January 29 "The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil" When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990, Cuba's economy went into a tailspin. With imports of oil cut by more than half and food by 80 percent, people were desperate. This film tells of the hardships and struggles as well as the community and creativity of the Cuban people during this difficult time. Cubans share how they transitioned from a highly mechanized, industrial agricultural system to one using organic methods of farming and local urban gardens. "Everyone who is concerned about Peak Oil needs to see this film" - Richard Heinberg, author of The Party's Over, Powerdown, and The Oil Depletion Protocol Orono Council Chamber 59 Main Street, Orono 7:00 pm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Energy Efficiency Tip >From LocalCooling.com More than 30 billion kilowatt-hours of energy is wasted because many of us simply forget to shut down our computers when we're not using them. If we could just improve the efficiency of how we use our PCs, the savings in energy costs would be over $3 billion dollars! The CO2 emissions from just 15 computers are equivalent in energy terms to the gas consumption used by one car. Find Out more: http://www.localcooling.com/ [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001drO4j9y1b7VBTlCXqjoDWBPS6GEN2knt5oil1rG73FiRtpJ8oyyr7Myl08raUCIGRYCoSS-VK83dzbFJYGNSEnUhAnaqkBuvABlEPJCaH32yu9w4Z2Bw7g==] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Happy New Year Cool Teams! All of us at Maine Partners for Cool Communities (MPCC) and the Sierra Club hope that you will make a resolution to make a special attempt to engage your neighbors in dialogue about global warming and energy efficiency. Inspire them to become involved in their neighborhoods and reach out to others to identify areas where they can become more energy efficient. MPCC will soon be sending a survey to all Cool Teams in a effort to serve you better and continue to share information and ideas, and we encourage you all to send us information for this newsletter. To receive the newsletter or to send information contact maine.chapter at sierraclub.org [mailto:maine.chapter at sierraclub.org]. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ USM Muskie School Project Surveys Energy Efficiency "What are the barriers and benefits of Maine municipalities making climate change and energy efficiency a priority?" is a Masters Degree project that former Physicians for Social Responsibility Executive Director, Melissa Boyd, is developing. Building on her work with the Cool Communities Campaign, she will survey 20% of the 492 municipalities in Maine based on diverse geographic areas and similar characteristics such as population size. Some of these municipalities will be Cool Communities and others will not. The survey questions will relate to global warming and energy efficiency benefits and barriers. Following the results of the survey, she will organize the data along themes and patterns. She will then contact 20 municipalities, some who are currently doing energy efficiency work and some who are not, and conduct interviews of municipal leaders in these 20 areas. The results will be informative and helpful for new and older Cool Communities and for future guidance. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cool Funding - Deadline Change Due to the current financial situation, New England Grassroots Environmental Fund (NEGEF) is merging the winter and spring application deadlines for its Small Grant Program for 2009. The new deadline for New England Small Grants is May 1st, 2009 with funds available in July 2009. Please contact the NEGEF staff if you have any questions. (802) 223-4622 www.grassrootsfund.org [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001drO4j9y1b7UIgV0zyjn38u_Qo0s8umM8mVe6K-QQ6SOd0QF9UFoZbeqvaiaXMtkp3-l9F5vloWrxHXGY6pYIwLoqG2ViQJuO7oz6UCsUS_tn7fCgMBKNwOL9fCcFsuxF] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kittery Wind Turbine Producing Power The wind turbine located at the Kittery Solid Waste Transfer Station began producing power on October 2, 2008. The turbine had produced 1,715 kilowatt hours of electricity by the end of December and with stronger winter winds, significantly more is expected in the next few months. It has been estimated that the turbine should produce approximately 80,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, which, at the current cost of electricity (10 cents per kilowatt hour), translates to $8,000 per year in savings. The wind turbine produces enough electricity to power the transfer station and about one-quarter of the electricity used at Shapleigh Middle School. The wind turbine in Kittery is one of at least four in southern Maine. Appledore Island has a seven kilowatt system, powering air quality monitoring equipment and Saco has installed two systems similar to Kittery's. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Carbon Reduction Through New Innovative Cement Product Five percent of the world's annual CO2 emissions come from cement use. According to a recent Guardian article, a new environmentally friendly formula for making cement could reduce the emissions considerably. Nikolaos Vlasopoulos is the chief scientist at London-based Novacem, who invented the product. Novacem's invention has garnered support and funding from industry and environmentalists. The new cement is based on magnesium silicates, a different material than traditional cement. Not only does it requires much less heating than traditional cement, but it also absorbs large amounts of CO2 as it hardens, making it carbon negative. The full article can be read at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/dec/31/cement-carbon-emissions [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001drO4j9y1b7X2au_MzaEtTSPn92pupeGRUmW1rsvv9bf5cfdVdR5wnCylZaV4iYLF9qqMVp3kY5Fas_L1SK_fO4Nm2qzBIOhBAry71Cx6HXVR6YZca2SgpEA_rBxg-Lp-lMBshffQcbPivvy3r43GANVro2BIsFSU8aOscfJLrdbi0tsy9Cd3m2YJ61m4_ayY] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Follow the Legislature Keep in contact with Augusta during this critical legislative session. You can get up to date schedules on committee hearings and listen on line to those hearings. Committee clerks will send out a weekly schedule for your convenience. Email them to request you be added to the list. Maine State Legislature http://janus.state.me.us/legis/ [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001drO4j9y1b7WSUnPjoRjt3UqCtOctKyMai4pZCPJ7-eBBDrbnF0k20aFmOfMB8NADjsYTak0avx4g35MRTwZALbCky_VzcciTZ4ckBs3Uponcp0NpJLnR5u7RMNPd4ZZj] State Senate - http://www.maine.gov/legis/senate/ [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001drO4j9y1b7Xjz0-KPdm60Ut5GwB4VVaGl76uaKoQlp-VlzmN5-37wxmfVoQklPR-ZfnQKvFNgfYmthcbF9KXfaHsTeFjiieICBcV-1n61p5j-q5d0hwXxHHoL14u8Evk0Sq2rDPEyDE=] State House - http://www.maine.gov/legis/house/ [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001drO4j9y1b7XvqyIeH-gjClBIYjqVWzuCcD5aqRhpM2xbHGVq0e7-DGcKQozaOlieVkXilQbhnE97OgQoH4lJ791mC9ma3jM7aexOy1AdPKGvGshVyXjih3TcDOwPjL9E] On-line audio http://www.maine.gov/legis/audio/cmte_directory.htm [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001drO4j9y1b7XKAifeAf6Xs3pP_LYNrHt9w_WPajWVlSRGE6iHpqRBEtgiVqPhRDnq5Ha2_PZXcWOeI7aIQ5pRV14FPwIqK2wE8SIpKaUwf5_lE9arD69uSXekSD4kTKaoXIFEs9zCLFZQsIonwBt9RNZPRxovvcgB] Committee Clerks: Natural Resources Veronica.Snow at legislature.maine.gov [mailto:Veronica.Snow at legislature.maine.gov] Transportation Kathie.Bilodeau at legislature.maine.gov [mailto:Kathie.Bilodeau at legislature.maine.gov] Utilities Kristen.Gottlieb at legislature.maine.gov [mailto:Kristen.Gottlieb at legislature.maine.gov] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Consumer Electronics With the growing improvement in consumer electronics technology comes the potential for increased residential electrical load. A Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) study found that consumer electronics were 18 percent of the residential load in 2005 but expected to see an increase of 57 percent by 2010. They found an average home in 2005 could have as many as 30 or more chargers for things like mobile phones and MP3 players. Consumers can look for Energy Star qualified consumer electronics and review TopTen USA [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001drO4j9y1b7XS0UvrtGcJIGSPdfs1moox1-RUGrQAq8LR5CNICEquyR9Yxxy8hoqRQ7NdPYjAE6YM7Pmzm7vO0N39ymoTv8POwRZyS2CQv7jwTGgg2ze5lV2IwK-vtvqbFnDuAM2Jv98=] to search for the most efficient technologies and become aware of opportunities to unplug computers and other appliances when not it use to minimize phantom load. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Forward email http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?m=1101980580837&ea=coolcommunities at keysregion.org&a=1102380599113 This email was sent to coolcommunities at keysregion.org by maine.chapter at sierraclub.org. Update Profile/Email Address http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?v=001QOqrPM3hRDNMuQvXG-DB-LYaJnx3FWNILFkADaMKRlXiicUvPik3-E_Gs9eIW98VkBgSz3PYTBM%3D&p=oo Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe(TM) http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?v=001QOqrPM3hRDNMuQvXG-DB-LYaJnx3FWNILFkADaMKRlXiicUvPik3-E_Gs9eIW98VkBgSz3PYTBM%3D&p=un Privacy Policy: http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp Email Marketing by Constant Contact(R) www.constantcontact.com Sierra Club Maine Chapter | 44 Oak Street | Suite 301 | Portland | ME | 04101 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From maine.chapter at sierraclub.org Mon Jan 26 12:35:27 2009 From: maine.chapter at sierraclub.org (Maine Chapter Sierra Club) Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:35:27 -0500 (EST) Subject: [CoolCommunities] Join the Maine Chapter for the Legislative Breakfast Message-ID: <1102426973975.1101980580837.1107.8.23153035@scheduler> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Join the Sierra Club Maine Chapter at the 5th Annual EPC Legislative Breakfast Thursday, January 29, 2009 8:00am - 9:00am Cross Caf?, State House Cafeteria Augusta ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You're Invited... ...to clean up Maine rivers ...to prevent exposure to dangerous chemicals ...to build greener energy and transportation systems ...to create a legacy for today and future generations ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Help to preserve Maine's precious environment for future generations ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It is a wonderful opportunity to meet with state legislators who may be pivotal on key legislation that will impact Maine's forests, waters and wildlife. Karen Woodsum of the Maine Woods program will be there as well as Sierra Club volunteers. It is important to have a Sierra Club presence at the onset of the legislative session - and just introducing yourself and saying that you care about the protection of Maine 's woods and wildlife will be very effective. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Help build a cleaner energy future ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Climate change and energy costs are two of the greatest challenges confronting our state. By coming to the breakfast not only will have you a chance voice your concern and views to state legislators, but you'll learn about two of our priorities, building a clean energy future through smart planning and an act intended to broaden energy efficiency/weatherization programs and to simplify the process by creating a one-stop shop for incentives and programs to reduce heating and electricity costs to Mainers. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Invite your Representative to the Breakfast ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Make sure your Representative is at the breakfast, ask them to attend. Click here to locate your Rep. [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102426973975&e=001SOTfNXEGiVHXSzwQ64_WGqF3uVt4XqYsyTqn6hbLVf5kX-WoH9GsuGmTEoE5T1RT84XdQE4u9-nIdAUIfvrnCB4FK-r0KFozMB4321Lc1TPifpvPsKk5EHAEVAIC9_4ut7Zz3oABSf58V-LzLdjSIw==] or copy and paste this address: http://www.maine.gov/legis/house/townlist.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Maine's Environmental Priorities Coalition ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Sierra Club Maine Chapter is a member of Maine's Environmental Priorities Coalition which represents over 100,000 members in Maine. We are 27 environmental, conservation, and public health organizations who have joined together for a fifth consecutive year around a Common Environmental Agenda. With your help we can take important steps in protecting the good health, good jobs, and the quality of life that our environment provides for all of us. Please join us for breakfast to learn more about our seven priorities for 2009 and the important role you can play in preserving Maine's precious environment for today and future generations. A press conference will follow at 10:00am in the welcome center. By working together to support our Common Environmental Agenda, we can promote prosperity and protect Maine people. We hope you can join us on the 29th! Maine's Environmental Priorities Coalition: American Lung Association of Maine Appalachian Mountain Club Atlantic Salmon Federation Bicycle Coalition of Maine Conservation Law Foundation Environmental Health Strategy Center Environment Maine Environment Northeast Friends of Casco Bay Izaak Walton League of Maine Maine Audubon Maine Center for Economic Policy Maine Congress of Lake Associations Maine Council of Churches Maine Council of Trout Unlimited Maine Conservation Voters Education Fund Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association Maine People's Alliance Maine Rivers Natural Resources Council of Maine Northern Forest Alliance Physicians for Social Responsibility, Maine Chapter RESTORE: The North Woods Sierra Club, Maine Chapter Ocean Conservancy The Wilderness Society Toxics Action Center ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Contact Information ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you would like to attend and/or if you have any questions please call Jenny at 761-5616 or Karen at 446-5354 (cell). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Join Our Mailing List [http://visitor.constantcontact.com/email.jsp?m=1101980580837] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Forward email http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?m=1101980580837&ea=coolcommunities at keysregion.org&a=1102426973975 This email was sent to coolcommunities at keysregion.org by maine.chapter at sierraclub.org. Update Profile/Email Address http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?v=001QOqrPM3hRDNMuQvXG-DB-LYaJnx3FWNIJXeqj95bTJ49ecRfKOHEN0NOIPfVWAc0opbuBt983Ko%3D&p=oo Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe(TM) http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?v=001QOqrPM3hRDNMuQvXG-DB-LYaJnx3FWNIJXeqj95bTJ49ecRfKOHEN0NOIPfVWAc0opbuBt983Ko%3D&p=un Privacy Policy: http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp Email Marketing by Constant Contact(R) www.constantcontact.com Sierra Club Maine Chapter | 44 Oak Street | Suite 301 | Portland | ME | 04101 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: