I received a bunch of free CFL and LED bulbs from MassSave as a blogger. I was very clear that I was going to say what I wanted, not necessarily nice things. I held up my end of the bargain, as … Continue reading →

Friends, It’s been a while since our last storm, so a few quick reminders about safety related to energy efficiency. Remember, our safety personnel will likely have their hands full with other emergencies – let’s do them a favor by … Continue reading →

The thermometer says it is wicked cold outside, it seems appropriate to address a few questions that always come up this time of year. Please add any questions you may have in the comments below. Q. When I open my … Continue reading →

Every Halloween we see a lot of good rotting flesh go to waste. That’s right, pumpkins tossed into the trash. In Arlington we’re not allowed to put pumpkins in with the yard waste, so they often go in the garbage. … Continue reading →

If, dear reader, you live in Arlington and have considered going solar then please read this. Ryan Katofsky, Arlington’s “Solar Coach,” will be speaking Thursday, May 31 about the discounts available for solar installation. Whether you’ve considered buying or renting … Continue reading →

That quote is from Michael Blasnik, who has been mentioned on this blog several times. The full article can be seen here. I have the discussion with people all the time – people who insist that they’re going to save … Continue reading →

A quick post with a pic from travels this weekend. Cheap bulbs aren’t worth what you pay for them. These bulbs may not cost much but you’re goingkeep need to keep replacing them as they burn out. Until they do, … Continue reading →

THREE TYPES OF PEOPLE – THREE TYPES OF COMPOST NOTE: Each year Arlington holds an EcoFest where people gather to learn about various environmentally related issues. This year I was asked to discuss compost with people. Below is a version … Continue reading →

This Saturday, March 31, Sustainable Arlington will host its annual EcoFest. This year the focus is on local food. Local in the sense of buying from a local farmer, and in the sense of growing it in your yard. I’ve … Continue reading →

This Sunday, March 18 at 9 am we’ll hold another Q-Lon training for Team Leaders/potential Team Leaders in East Arlington. There will be people from HEET groups around the area learning how to install our favorite door air-sealing kit. If … Continue reading →

Local leadership -- cities and towns -- has been central to Massachusetts' success in clean energy; particularly energy efficiency and solar photovoltaics.

The Boston Red Sox purchased Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) to offset the greenhouse gas emissions from this year’s Earth Day game.

The agricultural sector accounts for fourteen percent — or as much as twenty-five percent if you include agriculture-driven deforestation — of global greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, agriculture may be one of the greatest tools we have for mitigating climate change, and Massachusetts can lead that charge.

As aquaculture continues to expand here in the Commonwealth, aquaculturalists using traditional land-tied technology have often found themselves competing for space with other commercial and recreational uses of littoral waters. This new and improved FLUPSY, now free from a shore-based energy source, allows siting of shellfish nurseries in more remote, less controversial areas.

Bright high school students from the Boston Public Schools visit the Mass. Clean Energy Center as part of the Boston Private Industry Council’s Job Shadow Day and learn about MassCEC's role in the clean energy sector.

Rachel Schowalter Multimedia Intern at Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) View Rachel's Bio On Dec. 11, I was given a tour of MassCEC’s Wind Technology Testing Center in Charlestown, where engineers test wind turbine blades from all over the world. The center, which can handle blades up to 90 meters...

A just-completed high performance computing center in Holyoke will help Massachusetts stay at the forefront of discovery and innovation, and demonstrate clean energy leadership through application of efficient data center design and technology.

Did you get some sort of new electronic gadget as a holiday gift? If you did, you have a new, easy opportunity to save energy in your home.

DOER and MassCEC launched a $100,000 pilot incentive program to assist residents to trade in their inefficient wood, wood pellet, or coal-burning stoves for safer, more efficient, and cleaner models. Qualifying residents can get a voucher of either $1000 or $2000 (depending on income) to replace older, non-EPA certified stove models with high efficiency stoves that use less wood and release fewer particulates into the air

This heating season will be the most expensive on record for those residents who use heating oil to warm their homes. If you look at recent pricing data for Massachusetts, it’s easy to see that heating oil prices have gone up over the past few years in comparison with natural gas prices, which have actually dropped.

Samsung brought in 95 percent of Android profits in the first quarter.

The search for a suitable Samuel Adams can presented some interesting design challenges. The goal: make the experience as close to drinking from a glass as possible.

Travels are learning to live with baggage fees and it's helping airlines turn profits.

What makes things go viral? Six principles drive us to share, says Jonah Berger, and companies such as Apple have used this knowledge to their advantage.

Three moves this week demonstrate country's determination to sell nuclear abroad as it builds and plans 150 reactors at home - more than a third of the world's present total.

I've posted this before, and about this topic several times before, and may well again: I believe it's the No. 1 issue facing all Americans, and I believe it will only be solved when we demand that it be solved. Yes, that's somewhat unlikely in present-day America, but it's going to happen, because it has to.

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I do not get why the farm bills being contemplated this week by Congress would slash food-stamp aid.

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If there ever was a sober voice in this world’s considerable madness around weight loss, it’s the National Weight Control Registry. Based in Rhode Island, it tracks more than 10,000 people who’ve been keeping an average of 70 pounds off for more than 6 years, and its purpose is to learn what helps these people keep it off.

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It is true that much of the commercial weight-loss industry is composed of charlatans who lack evidence to back up their come-ons. But that's not the same as saying that there is no way to reduce one's body size sustainably.

As you know, I did (am doing) it, and I have lots of friends who have as well. But there's also the long-term, legitimate, National Weight Control Registry, which is coming up on 20 years and tracks more than 10,000 people who've lost significant weight and kept it off for significant time.

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Here's a great rundown of food addiction as it interacts with, and sometimes substitutes for, addictions that most everyone acknowledges more easily. The writer is Dr. Vera Tarman, medical director of a Toronto treatment center.