The Breathe Easy at Home program is designed to improve access and communication between medical resources and families for children with asthma.  Through this collaborative program, doctors, nurses, or other health care professionals can refer patients with asthma for housing inspections if they suspect substandard housing conditions may be triggering a child's asthma in the home.  Triggers such as the presence of cockroaches, mice, or mold and moisture problems can cause serious issues for children with asthma.  This innovative program will track kids through the inspection, violation prepartion, re-inspection, and housing court systems and also work to improve communication between medical, public health and housing workers in hopes of reducing these conditions. Learn more about Breathe Easy.    

Earth Hour 2010 will take place on Saturday, March 27th from 8:30 to 9:30 pm.  We are asking all participants to extinguish all non-essential lighting during this time period. Earth Hour is a community engagement initiative organized by the World Wildlife Fund to raise awareness about climate change and had over 1000 participating cities last year.

Mayor Menino, Mass Audubon, and area property owners and managers are pleased to continue Lights Out Boston for the spring migratory bird season.  Under this voluntary program, participating building owners and managers agree to turn off or dim all architectural and internal lighting between 11 PM and 5 AM during the migratory season.  Partners of Lights Out Boston own and operate buildings that comprise over 23 million square feet of commercial office space in Boston.  These skyscrapers will set an example that encourages everyone to use energy more efficiently. 

 

Lights Out Boston will protect migrating birds, which have difficulty adapting to an urban environment.  When a city skyline—especially buildings over 30 stories high—is brightly lit at night, the lights can confuse the birds.  Scientists are unsure of the exact reason for this problem, but do know that birds can fly as low as 500 feet during inclement weather and skyscrapers are the most visible part of the city to migrating birds. Please visit Lights Out Boston for more information.

'Greening' Historic Preservation Projects

Being green and energy efficient does not have to translate into buying new and throwing out the old. By maintaining and retrofitting older homes, you can save both dollars and energy, without losing the historic character of the structures. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has an online Weatherization Guide for Older and Historic buildings that offers information on energy audits, windows, insulation, roofing, and mechanical systems. It also offers a resource bank for those looking for more in-depth information. Check out the National Trust's Weatherization Guide. Make sure to check with the Boston Landmarks Commission if you are planning any renovation of structures that fall within the historical districts.