Center for Business and Environment at Yale Energy Justice Seminar Series

The Yale Center for Environmental Justice (YCEJ) and the Center for Business and Environment at Yale (CBEY) welcome you to join them Mondays at 2:30 p.m. for the Energy Justice Seminar series, which aims to explore “the multifaceted and exciting role of justice in the clean energy transition.” The seminars are free and open to the public.

Energy justice refers to the goal of achieving equity in the social and economic participation in the energy system, while also remedying social, economic, and health impacts on those disproportionately harmed by the way we produce and consume energy. This series will draw from multiple disciplines, including but not limited to law, sociology, anthropology, and economics and will cover broad topics on policy and regulation, community advocacy, housing, transportation, labor, utilities, and more.
To register, visit cbey.yale.edu/programs/yale-energy-justice-speaker-series-spring-2022.

Upcoming lectures are listed below.

February 28 – Energy Justice and Health Outcomes – Kenneth Gillingham, Yale University
March 7 – Intersection of Energy Justice and Labor/Work-force Issues – Vincent Alvarez, President of the New York City Central Labor Council
March 14 – Housing, Energy, Health, and Equity – Diana Hernandez, Associate Professor of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University
March 28 – Housing and Energy Justice – Donnel Baird, CEO of Bloc Power
April 4 – Energy Justice in Philanthropy – Danielle Deane, Director of Equitable Climate Solutions, Bezos Earth Fund
April 11 – Energy Justice and Public Health – Surili Patel, Vice President, Metropolitan Group
April 18 – Energy Poverty and Global Justice Issues – Narasimha Rao, Yale

Urban Resources Initiative Looking for Homes for Trees

We are writing to ask for your help in finding homes for new street trees in New Haven this spring! Our next planting season is just around the corner. Our first day of planting is March 28, and we still have lots of availability in our schedule.

URI will plant a street tree free of charge for any New Haven resident who requests one and is willing to water it for the first three years. If you have an open site for one of these trees in front of your New Haven home or business and/or you know someone else who does, make a request by April 1 to be included in our Spring 2022 planting season (while tree availability lasts). Renters and owners are both eligible.

How to make a request:

1. Send an email to [email protected] with your name, phone number, New Haven street address, and the number of trees you’re requesting. Optional: You may also include any preferences you have for your trees! Our website has an online street tree catalog where you can learn more about species option.

2. Visit our website uri.yale.edu and complete our online webform.

To learn more about GreenSkills, our tree planting and green jobs program, please visit uri.yale.edu/programs/ greenskills or give URI staff a call at 203-432-6189.

Thanks for your help in keeping New Haven neighborhoods green, healthy, and thriving for all.

CT NOFA’s 40th Winter Conference: Innovation and Determination

CT Northeast Organic Farming Association is proud to present our 40th Winter Conference to be held virtually over the course of two weeks, starting Feb. 11 until Feb. 26. In week one, we will offer over 20 workshops on farming, seed saving, organic land care, community food security, social justice issues, and more. In week two, we will host small in-person meet-ups around the state to gather and share much-needed social connections.

Join us as we learn, grow, innovate, and think critically about what our food and farming will look like in the future.

Conference registration includes over 20 live sessions and exclusive access to all recordings and pre-recorded content.

This year, we are implementing a sliding scale pricing model, allowing us to practice economic solidarity, providing mutual support for the cost of our programs. In this way, we make our education more accessible and help cover costs of operation. Choose the pricing tier that fits with your income and access to wealth, and help us create a more just, inclusive, and equitable conference. Many thanks to Soul Fire Farm, and Rock Steady Farm for their vision and leadership in advocating for equitable pricing models. Minimum registration fee is $15. Scholarships are still available thanks to our generous donors and sponsors. There is a link to request a registration fee waiver on the registration page for the conference at ctnofa.org.

URI Seeks Requests for Street Trees

Thanks to a partnership between the City of New Haven and the Urban Resources Initiative, you can request a tree to be planted for free, as long as you commit to watering the tree to ensure it survives. Planting a tree not only helps to shade, beautify, and add value to your home and the street, but it also provides paid work experience to adults with barriers to employment. URI’s tree experts will work with you to plant a tree that thrives at your location and fits your interests.

The spring planting season is only a few weeks away, so request your tree today! New Haven properties only.
To make a request, visit uri.yale.edu/get-involved/request-free-tree. For more information, contact: [email protected] or 203-432-6189.

Empowering Local Clean Energy Action in 2022, 10-11:30 a.m. Friday Jan. 14

The CT Energy Network Presents Empowering Local Clean Energy Action in 2022 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 14, 2022.

It will be a 90-minute info session covering:

· The new PACE Path to 100% Handbook
· Using social media to highlight local efforts
· Strengthening the network of CT clean energy advocates

As local clean energy advocates across the state make plans for the year ahead, PACE and the CT Energy Network would like to share several helpful resources. Foremost among these is a new handbook for local clean energy groups to take concrete steps to promote energy efficiency, renewables and electrification. We will send out this handbook to all registrants; we hope that you will find it useful and will help us improve it based on your practical experiences.

 

In addition, this event will share some recent efforts to use social media to highlight efforts of local clean energy advocates. PACE is eager to support local teams in spreading the word on events, initiatives and programs being carried out locally. Finally, we would like to use this event to further strengthen and empower our Connecticut clean energy community. With your help, the CT Energy Network and PACE would like to help advance these collaborations.

Who should attend:

All local clean energy advocates, including those that already belong to a dedicated group (e.g., task force, commission, sustainability team), as well as folks from towns that do not yet have an organized group of this kind.

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/empowering-local-clean-energy-action-in-2022-group-therapy-tickets-235543957317

Campaign to Replace Off-Road Gas Engines

by Stanley Heller, Promoting Enduring Peace

Do you enjoy the smell of leaf blowers or lawnmowers in the afternoon? How about the sound which can equal the decibels at close range of jackhammers? If you don’t like it, think about the lawncare worker who has to put up with it for 6 or 8 hours a day.

Promoting Enduring Peace is working to get these machines replaced with electric versions. The two biggest reasons are their greenhouse gas emissions and the danger to the workers. The typical leaf blower uses a two-stroke engine and unlike an auto or truck has nothing on it to limit pollution. In 2011 the car company did a study and found that the “hydrocarbon emissions from a half-hour of yard work with the two-stroke leaf blower are about the same as a 3,900-mile drive from Texas to Alaska in a [Ford-150] Raptor.” Sounds crazy, but it hasn’t been refuted.

The biggest danger is to lawncare workers. They breathe in aerosolized fuel and other pollutants for hours a day, greatly increasing their chances of getting cancer. Most wear sound-protecting ear gear, but it’s unclear the amount of protection they give. The second danger is less immediate, but affects all of us, the carbon dioxide these machines send into the air. A study in 2015 by the EPA found that 4% of the CO2 the US sends off each year comes from these machines.

Electric-powered lawn equipment has been getting better and more powerful and can do the work of the fossil fuel-powered machines. We need legislators to propose measures to deal with the transition. It’s been done in California. The sale of off-road gas engines will be illegal there in 2024. There are local efforts in Stamford, New Haven and Hamden to ban the leaf blowers, but we need to think bigger.

One thing that could be done is to give away free electric-powered machines in exchange for the gas-powered relics. Rebates and incentives are part of the law about these engines in California.

To help out with this effort contact [email protected].

People’s Action for Clean Energy News

Dear Friend,

We hope that you and your family remain well in these challenging times. While 2021 has been difficult on many fronts, there is also cause for hope. Our national leaders understand the urgency of the climate crisis and are now making historic investments in clean energy and resiliency. There is no turning back from this realization, and we must now apply this sense of urgency to rebuild our economy cleanly, efficiently and equitably.

2021 has been a watershed year for PACE. For the first time ever, we have a full-time employee, and we are thrilled to introduce to you Deb Roe, our new Program Manager. Deb joined us from her role as Executive Director of Northeast Storytelling and brings a wealth of experience, insights and energy to the team!

PACE’s core mission remains working with towns across the state to help them understand their energy usage and transition to 100% clean renewable energy. To this end, over the past year we have:

  • Conducted “HeatSmart” campaigns to promote energy efficiency and heat pumps in the towns of Branford, Guilford, Middletown, Bethel, and, soon West Hartford,
  • Completed a groundbreaking project to quantify the potential of solar energy on parking lots in the state and PACE is now working with Branford on a solar canopy campaign,
  • Published a Clean Energy Handbook for local clean energy advocates,
  • Built and analyzed unique databases of all buildings and vehicles in the state,
  • Enhanced the PACE energy model and created analyses for the towns of Brookfield and Stonington (a service we offer at no cost to any interested town),
  • Conducted six virtual gatherings of the CT Energy Network (along with Clean Water Action) on topics ranging from solar canopies and all-electric homes and cars to municipal leadership, DEEP and the future of renewable energy tariffs.

Please help us to engage your town with our programs; as residents you play a valuable role in connecting PACE’s 100PercentCT program to your town.

Thank you,

Mark Scully, President and Bernie Pelletier, Vice President
PACE. PO Box 134, West Simsbury, CT 06092
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (917) 843-7214, pacecleanenergy.org

2022 Organic Vegetable Gardening Series

Junyi Wang, Communications Specialist, Neighborhood Housing Services

Are you or a loved one a gardener who can’t wait for the ground to thaw? Prepare for Spring with our 6-class organic vegetable gardening series taught by Advanced Certified Master Gardener Rachel Ziesk! All classes are virtual and take place on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

For many New Haven residents, food security is elusive. We like to do our part in helping neighbors grow fresh, healthy organic produce, in soil that’s been tested for lead and other contaminants. That’s why every year we offer this series for free to New Haven community gardeners, and we offer a help-a-neighbor rate for those who would like to help us make additional scholarships available.

February 12: Soils and Composting – The most important component for a successful garden is soil health. Learn how to make your own compost and everything else you need to keep your soil healthy for the most productive garden.

February 19: Garden Planning & Season Extenders – Ensure a long and productive growing year with row covers, organ-ic mulch, cold frames and more! Get the most out of even a small garden space.

February 26: Cool Weather Crops – Start your garden as soon as the soil thaws, even in mid-March! This class covers how and when to plant cool weather crops and manage their pests and diseases.

March 5: Warm Weather Crops – Learn how to make the best of our growing season including which warm-weather crops are best started indoors, which can be direct-seeded, what conditions and fertilizers each crop prefers and how to fight their pests and diseases organically.

March 12: Seed Starting – Start your own seedlings! Learn about when to start indoor seedlings, watering, using lights, and dealing with common problems. We will also review which crops can be planted directly outdoors and when.

March 19: Essential Flowers & Herbs for Vegetable Gardens — Flowers and herbs attract pollinators and beneficial insects to help keep your garden healthy and productive. Learn about the best flowers and herbs for your garden, how to plant them and the conditions they need to help you in your garden. Register at Virtual Gardening Series 2022, NHS of New Haven Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite

Any questions? Contact Kathy Fay, (203) 562-0598 ext. 225, [email protected].

CT Green Energy News

Study: Business lobbying a major barrier to clean energy legislation in Connecticut
Energy News Network. Dec. 17, 2021

“Brown University researchers found that utility and business interests outspend environmental organizations on lobbying 8-to-1, though an industry group says the study overstates its spending and influence on energy…’Environmental groups and ordinary citizens will never have the money or resources to match what Ever-source and the CBIA spend to influence lawmakers. But broad majorities of Americans see climate change as a serious problem and are demanding action from their elected leaders. So the real power is at the polls.'”

TEDxHartford

In this 17 minute video, Connecticut’s own Leticia Colon de Mejias talks about her journey from unawareness to alarm about the dangers of climate change. Her overall message is one of hope and a call to action: climate change is solvable.

3 of 5 ex-utility officials guilty of theft in lavish trips

AP News. “Five former utility officials were found not guilty Friday on a charge of conspiracy, while the same federal jury found three guilty of theft stemming from lavish trips they took to the Kentucky Derby and a luxury golf resort. The junkets had been arranged by the Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative for dozens of top staff, board members, family members and others from 2013 to 2016.”

Public Utilities Regulatory Authority 101
Tuesday, January 18, 2022 12:30 p.m.

Who oversees public utilities? How are rates determined? How are decisions about energy sources made? The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) has regulatory oversight of public utilities in Connecticut, including electric, natural gas, and water. Join the discussion about utility regulation with PURA Chair Marissa Gillett. Look for this article online at par-newhaven.org for the link to register for this webinar.

CT Green Energy News is brought to you by People’s Action for Clean Energy (PACE) and Eastern CT Green Action. It features news and events for advocates of clean energy, energy efficiency, and climate action at the state and local levels. To subscribe, email [email protected].

Chastening Chase ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬

by Melinda Tuhus, PAR reader and environmental activist

Local activists undertook a weekly protest of Chase Bank during the month of December, sometimes outside the bank on Church/Wall streets, and sometimes at other venues with lots of people, like the Christmas tree lighting on the Green and the Wooster Square farmers’ market. We reached a lot of people with our flyer explaining that Chase has invested $317 billion in fossil fuel projects in the past five years, 29% more than the next leading bank, and that it must stop doing so. Customers said they would share the information with bank employees, and a few said they were canceling their accounts and moving their money elsewhere (the Connex credit union is a block away). The branch manager said he would share the letter we gave him with his higher-ups. We’re hoping CEO Jamie Dimon hears about it. (This is part of a national campaign targeting Chase.) More information is at StoptheMoneyPipeline.org and www.bankingonclimatechaos.org.

To help, please contact me at [email protected]. Put CHASE in CAPS in the subject line.

Here are some of the songs we sang outside of Chase Bank:

O Come on Chase Bank (to the tune of O, Come All Ye Faithful)
O Come on Chase Ba-ank,
Di-vest from the pipelines.
Come, be responsible: respect
Treaty rights!
Why don’t you bankers finance
Cleaner energy?
You could invest in solar.
You should invest in solar.
You must invest in solar
And Di-vest from oil!

Jingle Bells
Jingle Bells, Something smells…
Another oi-l spill.
Bank of Chase, You’ve gotta know
That dirty oi-l kills. HEY!
Jingle Bells, come on Chase,
Make a New Year’s vow:
Use your might and do what’s right
Stop funding fossils now!

Bankers need to know
That we are not okay
With ramming pipelines through,
Spilling all the way.
So, Bank of Chase rethink
Your thoughtless policy.
People before Profits
Is a better strategy, HEY!

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

Clean power we need, not dirty Fracked gas
Clean power for climate and a happy Workforce!

Chorus

Oh Chase Bank please stop investing
Oh, Chase Bank please stop investing
Oh, Chase Bank please stop investing
In Dirty Energy.

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