SUSTAINABILITY & RESILIENCE NEWSLETTER

MARCH 2023

Select Board Supports Curbside Composting Pilot

On Monday, February 6th, the Select Board supported a Town curbside composting pilot. The pilot will use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to provide 2,000 households with a no-cost curbside compost service.


Compostable waste makes up 35% of Lexington's waste stream, making town wide composting a critical step in reducing the amount of waste sent to the incinerator.


Details about the roll out of the pilot program and how to sign up to participate will be available later this year.

Job Opportunity: Clean Heat Outreach Specialist

Lexington Climate Action Network (LexCAN), in partnership with the Town, is seeking a part-time Clean Heat Outreach Specialist (CHOS) to accelerate and assist in the transition to clean, healthy and affordable HVAC and appliances in Lexington homes. The CHOS will conduct outreach, drive energy efficiency program enrollment and participation, and develop communication tools to empower homeowners and residents to play a role in Lexington’s progress toward climate change mitigation and resilience goals. 


Details:

  • Remote work, with regular attendance at in-person events
  • 10-15 hours per week (flexible)
  • 1 year position (flexible)


To apply, send a resume and cover letter to lexclimateaction@gmail.com and mpeard@lexingtonma.gov.

Job Description

This new position is made possible by a Mass Save Community Education grant.

Streamlined Path to Home Weatherization with Mass Save

Good news: If you are a National Grid or Eversource customer and you are confident insulation and air sealing upgrades are needed in your home, Mass Save® has a listing of specialized Independent Installation Contractors (IICs) who can provide you with direct support for these upgrades, without having to wait for a Home Energy Assessment first.


Pricing is consistent among all IICs through the program, so there is no need to contact multiple contractors to get the best quote. Once the work is completed, Mass Save may complete an inspection.

Find a Contractor

As a reminder, demonstration of sufficient weatherization is a requirement to access whole-home heat pump rebates.

TONIGHT: Preserving Lexington's Trees Workshop

The team sponsoring the Statement of Concern for Lexington’s Trees is holding a workshop about the threats to our trees and what can be done to strengthen our canopy for the future. The team will provide an overview of potential protective actions and invite you to help identify and prioritize ideas.

 

Attendance is limited to 80 and registration is required.



Thursday, March 2

7:00 PM

Lexington Community Center

39 Marrett Rd

Register Here

Presented by Lexington Living Landscapes and the Lexington Field and Garden Club.

Cary Library Lecture: Gardening for Wildlife in an Era of Climate Change

The evidence is clear: climate change is here. The effects that scientists have long predicted are occurring and will only intensify in coming years. What does this mean for our native flora and fauna?  And what can one homeowner really do to mitigate a global crisis?


Trevor Smith will take you past the bleak headlines and talk about what WE can do. How our plant choices and simply changing the way we maintain our properties can make a huge difference in our local ecology. His presentation will leave you inspired and empowered to take action.



Monday, March 6

7:00 - 8:30 PM

Virtual

Learn More & Register

Virtual House Tour for Green Construction & Lexington HeatSmart

Thinking about green retrofits for your home? Last spring, Joshua and Rachel Summers opened their home to the community while it was under construction and Todd Burger showed his renovated barn to demonstrate how they are using green construction techniques to achieve zero emission homes.


Join the LexCAN monthly meeting to watch a short film about the process and have a chance to hear more from the owners. You can also watch the video on your own and learn more with fact sheets about the Summers home and Burger home.


There will also be the chance to learn about the Lexington HeatSmart program and how to get assistance from the Town's Energy Advisors in the process of upgrading your home to heat pumps. Some of these Advisors will be available to answer questions. 


Tuesday, March 14

7:00 - 8:30 pm

Virtual

Zoom Link

The Climate Crisis and the Energy Transition: Perfection Meets Pragmatism

The Elizabeth Howe Lecture Committee and the Climate Action Team of First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church present a conversation between two of the nations most authoritative experts on energy.


Dr. Ernest J. Moniz is the 13th United States Secretary of Energy (2013-2017), and the Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics and Engineering Systems emeritus at MIT. His broad responsibilities as Secretary included advancing President Obama’s all-of-the-above energy strategy, and promoting American leadership in science and clean energy technology innovation.


Dr. Robert C. Armstrong directs the MIT Energy Initiative, an Institute-wide effort at MIT linking science, technology, and policy to transform the world’s energy systems. He chaired MIT’s The Future of Energy Storage study (2022) and was a member of MIT’s study groups, Future of Solar Energy (2015) and Future of Natural Gas (2011).


Sunday, March 26

4:00 pm

First Parish

7 Harrington Rd.


The event will also be live streamed via the First Parish website.

Just Launched: Reusable Takeout Container Pilot

LexZeroWaste has developed a pilot program for reusable takeout called ZeroToGo. Those who register to participate will have the option to order take-away meals from Royal India Bistro in returnable/reusable stainless steel containers with silicone lids.


Participation in this program will be limited to 60 LexZeroWaste members who will be eligible to register for one of three four-week sessions. ZeroToGo orders may be placed Monday through Thursday only.


If you’re not yet a member and would like to participate in this ZeroToGo pilot program, you can sign up as a member here

Learn More

Take the Resilient Lexington Survey

The Town of Lexington is developing a Climate Action & Resilience Plan, called Resilient Lexington. The Plan will build upon a solid foundation of climate leadership and complement ongoing efforts to create a sustainable future. Over the course of the planning process, the Town will complete a series of community assessments, data analyses, and stakeholder and community engagement activities to complete our Plan. Your response to the survey will help the planning team understand public priorities and ensure the proposed strategies are actionable.

Take the Survey

Learn more about the planning process on the Town website or through the Resilient Lexington Summary.

Keep Produce Stickers Out of the Compost Bin

Do you compost with Black Earth Compost? Help keep their compost clean with their new Sticker for a Sticker challenge.


Produce stickers do not break down in the compost pile and due to their small size are not filtered out in the screening process. They have to be painstakingly hand picked out of the finished compost.


Black Earth will send you a holographic sticker if you fill one of their outlines up with produce stickers. Simply print out an outline, hang it by your compost bin, and fill it up! A great way to get kids (and adults!) in the habit of good composting practices.

Get Started

QUICK LINKS

Sustainability Webpage
Community Choice Program
Lexington HeatSmart
HomeWorks Energy Assessments
Sustainable Transportation
Waste Reduction

Questions? 


Maggie Peard

Sustainability & Resilience Officer

(781) 698-4538

mpeard@lexingtonma.gov

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