MAYOR'S FOOD + FUEL CAMPAIGN

With the high costs of energy and food hitting the wallet of every Bostonian, Mayor Thomas M. Menino is bringing together business and community partners to help Boston residents from all income levels deal with these rising costs.
The Mayor's Food and Fuel Campaign will help residents be better prepared for this winter and gain access to various resources available to the public. The City and its partners are hosting a major Food and Fuel Summit on September 27, and will also host a series of community dinners across the city later in the fall.

Learn how to reduce your electric,
heating, water, and food bills now!

Attend the Food and Fuel Summit on September 27 from 9 AM to 1 PM at Madison Park High School, 55 Malcom X Boulevard, Roxbury.

Free Weatherization Kit including a Compact Fluorescent Light bulb and valuable coupons for the first 200 participants!

For additional information, including directions and translation in other languages, please call 617.635.4500 or visit the Food and Fuel Campaign website.

For easy steps to lower your utility bills or weatherize your home this winter, visit the City of Boston's Resource for Residents.

On September 3, Mayor Thomas M. Menino stood alongside prominent commercial property owners and the President of Mass Audubon to announce a new initiative called Lights Out Boston.  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 fall bird migratory season, which ends October 31, 2008.  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.

Visit Lights Out Boston for more information.

The Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) has drafted a Wind Energy Facilities zoning article for siting large, small, and building- integrated wind energy facilities in the City of Boston.  A hearing for public comment on the draft article will be hosted by the BRA on September 24 at 6:30 PM in room 900 of Boston City Hall.  The purpose of the Wind Energy Facilities article is to establish clear guidelines for the erection and operation of wind energy facilities.  The proposed zoning provides standards for the placement, design, monitoring, modification, and removal of wind energy facilities that address public safety, minimize impacts on scenic, natural, and historic resources of the City of Boston, and provide adequate financial assurance for decommissioning.

Check Out Your Solar Potential

Green Operations Executive Order 

Signing his second major executive order on green initiatives, Mayor Thomas M. Menino set in place policies that increase the City's purchase of environmentally preferred products such as green cleaning supplies, expand its recycling programs, and employ information technology for energy and resource conservation. 
The “Green Operations Order” covers the approximately 400 buildings owned and operated by the City of Boston.

Many City agencies have already begun to implement green initiatives. For example, computers in City Hall are set to automatically shut off at night; Boston Public Schools has converted all of its oil burners to natural gas; several agencies are using energy efficient lighting and systems that turn lights off when rooms are not in use; and a wind turbine is now providing clean renewable energy on top of City Hall.

Click here for more information on the Executive Order on Green Maintenance and Operations

Boston Harbor Designated a No Discharge Area

 Mayor Menino joined US EPA Regional Director Robert Varney and MA Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Ian Bowles to announce the designation of Boston Harbor as a No Discharge Area. Effective July 8, all treated and untreated boat sewage must be pumped from boaters' sewage holding tanks into a pumpout facility or pumpout boat. There are 35 pumpout facilities in Boston Harbor; the City will provide a new pumpout boat and is committed to adding new pumpout facilities. Visit Boston Harbor Pumpout Facilities for a listing.

Boston Taxi Fleet Going Green

The Boston Police Hackney Division announced recently that, as part of many new improvements in the taxi industry, all taxis must be hybrid by 2015.

The hybrid vehicles will be phased in as current vehicles reach their mandatory retirement age. Hybrid taxis have been operating on the streets of Boston since 2006 under the City's CleanAir Cabs program.  Hybrid taxis will reduce carbon emissions from the taxi fleet by about half and will save taxi drivers $1,000 a month in fuel costs.

Community Climate Action and Air Quality Grants Program

On September 29, 2008, the City of Boston will release a Request for Proposals (RFP) for its Community Climate Action and Air Quality Grants program. In the first round of funding, Boston residents, businesses, and non-profit organizations may submit proposals (due October 24, 2008) for grants of up to $9,999 for projects that encourage and support reducing greenhouse gas emissions and saving energy. The purpose of the funding is to reduce air pollution that contributes to global climate change.

For more information, contact the Air Pollution Control Commission at 617.635.3850

I Took the Mayor's Climate Action Pledge

Mayor's Youth Council Reps Christian Onouha and Sherry Li show off their Climate Action Pledge.  Join these and other Boston residents by doing your part to protect the environment and take the Climate Action Pledge today!

Note: We apologize if you have received this newsletter twice as an early draft was inadvertantly sent to a small subset of our distribution list.