Community Conversation about the Memorial Bridge

Guest Blog by Jim Noucas

Portsmouth Listens and Sustainable Portsmouth have finalized plans for a Community Conversation about the Memorial Bridge and regional transportation. It will be held at the PHS Library on Saturday, Feb 11 from 8:30am to 1pm. Because it is a regional issue, we are reaching out to Kittery and anyone who lives, works or plays in Kittery or Portsmouth. Given the energy generated around the Memorial Bridge, we are hoping all of the Green Alliance members will join us.

The City Budget Dialogue recognized that we cannot continue to do what we have been doing if we want to maintain the same level of services and quality of life. One suggestion involved regionalization. Because transportation is an inherently "regional" issue, this dialogue presents an opportunity for our area to start thinking and acting based on our common interests and needs.

The one day dialogue will focus on three issues. First, we will ask participants to identify Kittery and Portsmouth connections and commonalities. Using the Sustainable Portsmouth Vision Statement and Portsmouth Master Plan sustainability model, we will ask participants to articulate economic, environmental and social connections.

The second issue will focus on the Memorial Bridge. Given a completed structural design, what else can be done to enhance the new Memorial Bridge. There may physical enhancements (up lighting to enhance the appearance of the Bridge is an example). The Memorial Bridge also serves as a tribute to the "Soldiers and Sailors Who Participated in the World War 1917-1919". How do we renew and affirm that tribute? How can we make the Bridge even more sustainable (alternative energy sources)?

The third phase will build off of the understanding of community connections arising from the initial discussion and seeing the impact the Memorial Bridge has on regional transportation to identify other regional transportation issues that need to be considered in moving forward. Overall, we will be encouraging a region-wide, systems approach.

Comedian with a heart of green returns to New Hampshire

Supporting a good cause doesn’t have to be a serious affair – and it never will be as long as Mike McDonald is involved. In association Cuzin Richard Entertainment Associates (CREA), the Bostonian comedian will host the 11th Annual Comedy Xxtravaganza this February. As usual, they will donate proceeds to several worthy New Hampshire organizations.

The Xxtravaganza will take place at two venues: February 17th at the Music Hall in Portsmouth and February 18th at the Concord City Auditorium. McDonald, who has appeared on HBO, Showtime and Comedy Central, will belittle and enlighten the audience alongside the likes of “tauntingly contemptuous” Stacy Kendro, the genuinely unbalanced Ira Proctor and DJ Hazard, who once lived out of his car for three years.

“When you do events you can’t use the same people every time,” says Smith, who has been promoting local talent since 1976. “It keeps it fresh and fun. Basically, people are looking to go out and have a good time. They want to laugh. In the middle of February, it’s important to feel good and this show makes it happen.” 

But laughing until you herniate various organs isn’t the only reason to attend. CREA, which has a long tradition of supporting humanitarian causes, will donate a portion of the proceeds from each show to two New Hampshire organizations.

Tim Gaudreau shares personal experience with his carbon footprint in “365 Days of Considered Consumption”

Environmental artist Tim Gaudreau spent a whole year documenting every single item he threw away with a photo. Then he did it again, this time including every aspect of his life that added to his carbon footprint. The task was monumental, as Gaudreau quickly discovered. The year left him with over 28,000 photos and the realization that every minute detail of his routine contributed to his impact on the earth.

Gaudreau's installation, “365 Days of Considered Consumption” is separate from his earlier project, “Self Portrait as Revealed by Trash: 365 days of photographing everything I threw out,” but it's an extension of the same idea. The first project considered only one aspect of his environmental footprint, and came to inform his consumption decisions in order to reduce his waste. By the time he started his second year of photographing, this time including everything from vehicle emissions to television viewing, he'd already made some notable changes in his trash-generating habits. He'd adjusted how he purchased food to avoid items with unnecessary packaging, he'd started growing his own food to eliminate packaging completely and circumvent food transportation emissions, and he'd started composting. Still, nothing could have prepared him for the task of documenting every single component of one year's worth of his carbon footprint.

“When I started the project, I didn't realize how deep it would go,” says Gaudreau. “I found that the easiest way to document my impact was through a photo-diary. Once I started photographing everything, I realized how many layers there are to my carbon footprint, and that really everything I do contributes to it.”

Green Alliance couple donates firewood to York County Shelter Program

One of the great things about joining the Green Alliance is the sense of meaning that comes with being part of a growing community of people who care not only about protecting the environment, but are also always willing to help out a neighbor in need.

It was a typical Monday in early January when GA Director Sarah Brown received an email from Diane and Peter McDonald, two GA members living in Dover, NH.

“Hi Sarah! We have some firewood that we'd like to donate to someone in need if they can pick it up. Do you have any leads?” the couple inquired.

Quick as a jiff, Sarah sent out an email to Mary Doyle of the York County Shelter Programs (YCSP). Headquartered in Alfred, Maine, YCSP operates a network of emergency shelters, transitional housing, and food pantries for families and individuals in need.

"We would definitely be interested in a donation of firewood,” Doyle responded. “Two of our Shelter houses use wood so it would be wonderful to receive such a donation."

“Yes, we would love to donate this wood to you!” Diane chimed back in.

Even better, John Bubar, Chief of Housing and Maintenance at the Shelter, lives in Dover and offered to pick up the firewood on his way to work.

“We are always very concerned about conserving fuel at the Shelter, so it was exciting to learn that John would be already driving by where the wood was located,” Doyle said.

“Diane and I loaded the truck with a half cord of hardwood in just a few minutes,” Bubar reported after his visit to the McDonald abode. “Talk about a couple of woodchucks chucking wood!”

TODAY peaceful demonstration to reinstate $31,000 of much-needed funding to York Food Pantry

4:00 to 4:30 outside the Alfred County Courthouse

The York County Shelter Programs' Food Pantry has recently suffered a $31,000 budget cut, while tough times continue to force more and more people to rely on the vital social service the pantry provides. At the last county Budget Committee meeting, the motion was made and passed to reinstate this desperately needed funding. David James, the committee member who made the motion, explained that he has seen poverty first hand through his work delivering Meals-On-Wheels, and that the Shelter's Food Pantry does a good job of giving out food to needy folks in all of York County.

The pantry currently distributes an average of 39 food boxes per day, and the need has been increasing drastically. Three years ago, the York County Shelter’s Food Pantry provided 9,251 food boxes—this past fiscal year they provided 13,792. A $31,000 budget cut while the pantry's work is increasing in urgency every day would be tragic. “We want to let the York County Commissioners and the general public know that the $31,000 cut in the county budget for the Food Pantry is simply not acceptable,” says Mary Doyle, who manages public relations for the York County Shelter Programs.

It's vital that the local community show their support for the Food Pantry's indispensable work of caring for our friends and neighbors. Today is your chance: a peaceful demonstration will be held from 4:00 to 4:30 outside the Alfred County Courthouse in support of reinstating the $31,000 back into the county budget for the York County Shelter Programs' Food Pantry. A county budget hearing will take place inside the courthouse at 4:30 p.m. after the demonstration. There will be an opportunity for public comments about the Food Pantry funding.

Staff, residents, volunteers, and local high school students have been working tirelessly to prepare for the demonstration making posters, banners, and “Fund our Pantry” scarves. Hot cocoa and cookies from the Shelter's Bakery will be served during the demonstration. The demonstrators hope you can spare thirty minutes today to join with them and show your concern for the critical issue of hunger.

Come to the 2012 Polar Grill Fest to celebrate winter while supporting a worthy cause!

Eat, drink, be merry, and help local green businesses raise money to end childhood hunger, all at the Polar Grill Fest 2012!

Green Alliance business partner Redhook is hosting this year's Polar Grill Fest, where New Englanders can celebrate their winter-grilling mettle with outdoor bars, heated tents, fire pits, live music, great people, and tons of food. Watch New England's best grillmasters demonstrate their skills, pick up cooking tips, and taste the results for yourself for only $5 per plate! Throw in a $5 Redhook Beer for a delicious and well-balanced meal.

Have fun with friends, food, and live music, with the satisfaction that you're also supporting a worthy cause. All proceeds from Polar Grill Fest 2012 will benefit Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry Campaign to end childhood hunger. This national campaign aims to end childhood hunger in American by 2015 by ensuring that kids in need are enrolled in effective federal nutrition programs, by investing in community organizations that fight hunger, by teaching families how to cook healthy and affordable meals, and by building public-private partnerships to end childhood hunger at the state and city level.

Community outreach is an important part of sustainability, so it's no surprise that three Green Alliance business partners—Redhook, Favorite Foods, and EcoMovement—are joining together to sponsor this fundraiser. By sharing their resources to support the No Kid Hungry Campaign, these three businesses are demonstrating their commitment not only to green living, but to investing in the strength of the local community.

Bill McKibben brings climate change fight to Exeter, NH

Anyone who says the green movement lacks leaders hasn’t been to a Bill McKibben event in New Hampshire. Hundreds of people packed into the South Church to hear the author and climate activist from neighboring Vermont speak during his 2008 visit to Portsmouth.

McKibben returns to New Hampshire on January 26, 2012 for a Climate Change Awareness Lecture at the Congregational Church in Exeter, UCC, located at 21 Front Street. The event starts at 7:00 PM, but judging by past crowds at McKibben events around the Seacoast, attendees should plan to arrive a little early.

Martin Luther King Day 2012: Celebrating 40+ years of environmental justice

Today, as the nation pauses to observe Martin Luther King Day, the Green Alliance honors Dr. King's historic contributions to the civil rights and environmental movements.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder put it best when he said that Dr. King “…helped to plant the seeds for what would become our nation’s now thriving environmental justice movement.”

Indeed, the very concept of environmental justice is based on the idea that all people have the right to breathe clean air and drink clean water. To live, work, and play in a healthy and safe environment.

Dr. King lived this ideal during the final days of his life. He traveled to Memphis in 1968 to join more than 1,100 African American sanitation workers on strike for safer working conditions, fair wages and benefits, and union recognition. It was a protest that began with storm. Two black sanitation workerss were crushed to death by a garbage truck compactor while working during a heavy downpour. That same day, more than twenty black sewer workers were sent home without pay while their white supervisors were allowed to stay on the job and collect pay.

On the day of his assassination, Dr. King was in Memphis fighting for equal rights for those who earn their living disposing of society's waste.

He left behind many important questions still worth pondering today:

“Why are there 40 million poor people in America?”

Today, 46.2 millions Americans live in poverty, representing 15.1 percent of our nation’s total population, according to the U.S. Cenus Bureau. 

A Perfect Move jumps at chance to donate to Kittery Community Auction

A Perfect Move supports all kinds of charitable causes, but when company principal Genevieve Benton got an email from Jeremy Paul of the Kittery Rec Department asking local organizations and businesses to sponsor or donate to their 4th Annual Kittery Community Auction, she didn't have to think twice. As a Kittery resident herself, Genevieve knows first hand what a great job the Rec Center does providing programing for people of all ages.

“I'm a huge supporter of the Kittery Rec Department,” says Genevieve. “They provide services for a broad spectrum of people and their programming is just amazing. I want to make sure we keep our families active, and giving back to the rec center is a great way to encourage that.”

As a second generation family owned and operated moving company, A Perfect Move has always been committed to supporting the local community. In addition to providing a wide range of services to make every stage of the moving process run smoothly, APM operates a non-profit repurposing store that gives to local charities 100% of the profits earned by selling furniture and other materials donated by customers and community members. On top of this operation, APM hosts a variety of events each year to benefit local charities and nonprofits. This past year they hosted fifteen such events.

Green Alliance makes NH Business Magazine's "The Influencer Index" for 2012

NH Business Magazine has unveiled the 2012 edition of The Influencer Index and making the list of the 65 leaders who “make it happen” in New Hampshire is Green Alliance Director and Founder Sarah Brown!

Sarah joins Granite State green icon Gary Hirshberg of Stonyfield Farm on the list of the state's most influential people, which also features such household names as New Hampshire Governor John Lynch and U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen. 

Here’s what NH Business Magazine has to say about the pioneering female entrepreneur behind the Green Alliance:

Sarah Brown founded The Green Alliance in Portsmouth to bring attention to environmentally sound and sustainable businesses, help them market their services and connect them with like-minded organizations and consumers. The alliance has grown from two companies three years ago to 98 as of December.

Pick up your copy of The Influencer List in the January 2012 edition of NH Business Magazine on newsstands now.  

Solar company uses social media to raise money for nonprofits in ME, NH

A local installer of solar hot water and photovoltaic systems is providing Maine and New Hampshire communities with more than just clean, renewable energy. ReVision Energy raised a total of $6,000 for a dozen local nonprofits in 2011 through an innovative social media program dubbed Check in for Charity.  

"We were looking for a way to both raise awareness and money," says Fred Greenhalgh, who runs the program as ReVision Energy's Online Marketing Manager. "The goal is to make it is as easy as possible to contribute in a small way to each nonprofit, and then share the effort with friends online."

“Selected nonprofits have one month to rally supporters to ‘Check in’ on ReVision Energy's website, blog, or Facebook page,” he explains. “Every ‘Check in’ is worth $1, up to a maximum donation of $500."

The Seacoast Science Center in Portsmouth was one of last year's beneficiaries.   

“It was the easiest $500 I ever raised,” according to Nichole Rutherford, Development Director for the local nonprofit.

“A lot of our supporters are families who can’t donate a lot of money,” she notes. “This was a fun way for them to get involved and feel good about supporting our work.”

Mother Jones video on Climate Change & New Hampshire's Seacoast Conference

In November, the Green Alliance teamed up with Farrell Seiler and the New Hampshire Carbon Action Alliance to sponsor and promote Climate Change & New Hampshire’s Seacoast, an all day conference held at the Portsmouth Harbor Events & Conference Center.

The event focused in part on science, exploring the local impacts of climate change on everything from weather to allergies, but it also provided a venue where New Hampshire Republicans could share their ideas on climate change, energy security, and jobs. Jon Huntsman and Mitt Romney were among the Republican presidential candidates who were invited to attend. Neither showed.

James West of Mother Jones has put together a compelling video capturing the spirit of the conference in the words of Seiler and keynote speaker former Republican Congressman Bob Inglis of South Caroline. The video is a result of West’s ongoing work at The Climate Desk, a journalistic collaboration dedicated to exploring the impact – human, environmental, economic, political - of a changing climate. Partners in the collaboration include The Atlantic, Center for Investigative Reporting, Grist, Mother Jones, Need to Know, Slate, and Wired.  

NH Scientists to 2012 Election Candidates: Evidence of climate change is “overwhelming”

A total of 50 scientists, researchers, and experts in New Hampshire have signed onto a letter urging all candidates for public office to accept the reality of climate change, take action to curb global warming pollution, and develop climate preparedness strategies for the state and local communities. 

Among them, Green Alliance Environmental Advisory Board member Cameron Wake, Director of Carbon Solutions New England and Associate Research Professor at the University of New Hampshire’s Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space. He'll be speaking about economic development and climate change at the Rye Public Library on January 31, 2011 at 7:00 PM.

Below is the text of the letter, which has been covered by the New York Times and The Hill:

Back in 1876, Mark Twain aptly remarked “One of the brightest gems in the New England weather is the dazzling uncertainty of it.” Our location halfway between the equator and the North Pole and sandwiched between the Appalachian Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean makes our weather more variable than most other places on Earth.

New Hampshire’s culture, environment, and economy are fundamentally integrated with our seasonal climate that traditionally and reliably served up resplendent summers, crisp autumns with spectacular fall foliage, a white Christmas and winter sports, and the eternal hope of spring. Our citizens have adapted to changing economic and climatic conditions to keep New Hampshire consistently ranked near or at the top as a state with the best quality of life (1).

New Hampshire’s climate has experienced substantial changes over the past half century (2). Over this period, the northeastern United States has experienced a region-wide winter warming trend of almost 4 degrees Fahrenheit. The number of days with snow on the ground has decreased an average of one week. Pond hockey and ice fishing have taken a hit as ice breaks up on our lakes more than a week earlier than it used to. Peak snowmelt runoff in the spring now occurs 7–10 days earlier in northern New England rivers. Increasing extreme rainfall events and flooding, rising seas, and an influx of pests (Lyme-disease-bearing ticks at the top of the list) have emerged as the latest and potentially most serious challenges to our health and our quality of life.

Cornerstone Treecare joins fight against nitrogen pollution in Great Bay

Local arborist Micum Davis of Portsmouth has become the newest member of the New Hampshire Coastal Protection Partnership’s Board of Directors.

Founded in 2008 by a group of local experts and citizens concerned about declining water quality in the Great Bay Estuary, NH Coast is a Portsmouth-based nonprofit organization dedicated to combining sound science with education, collaboration and advocacy to protect the natural resources of the coastal watershed and effect long-term visible change.

“I was honored to be asked to join the organization,” said Davis, who has been active in the group as a donor and program sponsor for several years now.

NH Coast’s grassroots efforts to encourage Seacoast property owners to adopt estuary friendly lawn care techniques proved to be particularly appealing for Davis. Now the owner of Cornerstone Treecare, he got his start as an entrepreneur in the lawn care industry.

“I purchased a small lawn care business in 1997,” Davis recalled. “One of the things I noticed early on was there were a lot of chemicals being applied to lawns around the area. The way lawns were reacting, along with my own research, showed me that this was not benefiting lawns. In addition to upsetting soil ecosystems, these fast release fertilizers were not fully absorbing and that reality was effecting more than homeowners realized.”

“It scared me to see all that stuff being put down, running off into ecosystems, and the watershed,” he said. “From my perspective, organic offered a valuable alternative. Seeking Organic Solutions, or SOS, became my catchphrase at the time, and SOS still marks my vanity license plates.

Landscaper Brian Wade serves on the board of directors for the 25th Annual Trans NH Bike Ride for Muscular Dystrophy

Being the owner of one of the most environmentally friendly and innovative landscaping companies in the industry would have been impressive enough. But for Brian Wade, owner of Wade Landscaping & Property Maintenance LLC, good deeds come in numbers. A sustainability pioneer committed to educating employees and the community about green issues, Wade is also a professional firefighter, and serves on the board of directors for the Annual Trans NH Bike Ride to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Wade has been a pioneer of sustainability in his field since his company's inception. Wade Landscaping uses organic hydroseeds and eschews the chemically harmful fertilizers used by most other landscaping companies. They compost clippings and recycle mulch. Their equipment uses non-toxic 2-cycle fuel, and all vehicles run on Simply Green BioFuels. The company also has an anti-idling policy which significantly reduces their carbon emissions.

Wade's endeavors to educate about sustainability are commendable as well. He has contributed to local publications including Foster's Daily Democrat and the Dover Daily News to inform individuals about steps they can take to reduce their impact on the environment. Wade keeps employees up-to-date about the products the company uses and how employees can make greener choices at home.

Sustainability isn't just about environmentalism, though. Another important part of sustainability is the work of strengthening communities and striving toward a better quality of life for all. This isn't news to Wade, who, when he isn't working toward a healthier planet or saving people from fires, finds time to serve on the board of directors for the Annual Trans NH Bike Ride, an event that raises money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

“We are a group of people who share a passion for helping those afflicted with muscular dystrophy. This ride was started over 25 years ago by a bunch of firefighters who cared and it has only grown since. This year we expect over 100 cyclists.” Wade says.

Indeed, the Annual Trans NH Bike Ride to benefit the MDA was started in 1988 by a group of firefighters from Salem, NH. The first ride was undertaken in August of that year by just eight cyclists. In the years since then, the ride has grown to include about 100 riders annually. The ride traverses the state from Canada to Massachusetts, a journey of 250 miles, over three days in June. All funds raised remain in New Hampshire and support those affected by muscular dystrophy. Last year, this amount topped $125,000.000.

Kennebunk Savings continues tradition of community generosity

The holiday season can be especially difficult for many families in need.  One way that Kennebunk Savings is helping to strengthen communities and lend a hand to those in need is by donating thousands of dollars to local nonprofit food pantires.  As part of its "Community Promise" program, the business has donated a total of $5,000 to nonprofits including York County Food Rescue, York County Shelters Programs Inc., York Community Food Pantry, and the Seacoast Family Food Pantry in Portsmouth. 

This generosity is a tradition for Kennebunk Savings; each year, the company donates 10 percent of its earnings to nonprofit organizations.  Since 1994, these gifts have added up to $7.5 million.  Extensive community involvement is just one aspect of Kennebunk Savings' commitment to sustainability.  In addition, the business uses a company-wide recycling program, efficient up-to-date plumbing fixtures, and lawn treatment and cleaning products that are as organic as possible.  Kennebunk Savings is also in the process of switching all incandescent light bulbs to high efficiency alternatives.

Read more about Kennebunk Savings' green practices and community involvement here!

Guest Blog: Taking Action on the Farm Bill

By Shane Smith, Concord Food Co-op Outreach Coordinator with Roger Noonan,  Organic Farmer, Middle Branch Farm. For more information on discounted co-memberships with the Green Alliance and the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire, please visit http://www.greenalliance.biz/green-alliance-and-nofa-nh-co-memberships-now-available

“It’s been said that we vote for a new food system with our pocket books. Buying local and organic foods over industrialized foods sends a message to the market place but not to our political leaders,” says organic farmer Roger Noonan from Middle Branch Farm in New Boston. In September, the Concord Food Co-op flew Roger to Washington, D.C., in collaboration with the New England Farmers Union (NEFU) to meet with members of Congress about why it is important to create policies that support agriculture throughout New England in the 2012 Farm Bill. He traveled with a delegation of 11 NEFU members – comprised of farmers and buy-local activists – and met with Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Kelly Ayotte, and Representatives Frank Guinta and Charlie Bass.

“If I was cynical about our federal government prior to my trip to D.C., I came away even more cynical. I also got angry and determined to do what ever I can to see that agriculture in New England is not put at a competitive disadvantage due to federal policy,” says Roger. “I was surprised at how much work we need to do to inform some members of our congressional delegation on the Farm Bill and its importance to New Hampshire and the region in general. Farmers may make up only one percent of the population, and perhaps to our leaders do not represent a significant voting block, but 100 percent of all voters do eat.”

Donate to Jewett Farms' Holiday Food Drive, and get a free hand made wooden ornament!

If you're in the Newburyport area between now and December 21, drop by Jewett Farms' studio on Merrimac Street and donate non-perishable food items for the Merrimack Valley Food Bank. When you do, you'll receive a hand-made wooden ornament created from reclaimed wood! It's a great way to help those in need while walking away with a unique stocking stuffer that's actually made by humans, and made from nature's original building material: wood!

These ornaments are also available for sale for $4 at Jewett Farms, with all proceeds donated to the Lydia Valdez Fund - helping a local family fight childhood cancer. And don't forget that Green Alliance members always get 50% off design services at Jewett, so if you're in the market for the finest in cabinetry, wood flooring, and soapstone, pay them a visit this holiday season!

Guest Blog: Give New Hampshire farms a slice of the pie

Reprinted with permission from the Concord Food Co-op (www.concordfoodcoop.coop) and with assistance from NH organic farmer Roger Noonan.

Is supporting your local farmer, visiting your farmers market, CSA, Co-op, or other local food source important to you? What about having fresh,local food for your child’s school meals? We have a groundbreaking opportunity for you to support your local farmers and to ensure your local food system continues to grow.

The Farm Bill is moving fast! Act now to voice your support for the The Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act, introduced to Congress last November, which would consolidate and strengthen aspects of the 2012 Farm Bill to support local farms and make it easier for consumers to have access to healthy foods. The Farm Bill is rewritten approximately every five years. Help us ensure that it doesn’t only support big agriculture but also small-scale farms in New Hampshire and the country!

Guest Blog: Help us fight GMOs!

by Karen Booker, NOFA-NH PP&A Committee Member

NOFA-NH’s (Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire) Public Policy & Advocacy Committee urges you to join us and act now to help us fight genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and the consumer’s right to know.

The Just Label It campaign has submitted a petition to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) calling for mandatory labeling of GMOs, also referred to as genetically engineered (GE) foods. NOFA-NH has signed on as a partner of this petition, and we ask all our members to also lend their individual voices.

“We are asking the FDA to change a decade’s old and out-of-touch policy,” said Andrew Kimbrell, Executive Director of the Center for Food Safety and lead author of the petition. “Today’s consumers are more informed than ever, and they have a right to know about the foods they are purchasing and consuming. We want the FDA to require labeling on foods intentionally produced using genetic engineering.”