Green eNews May 2016: Go Green Winners, #1 Food, and More!
Published on May 20, 2016 10:57
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Hello Teachers, Staff, and Community!
Whoops! We apologize for the typo about the date for Fresh Pond Day in our April e-news. The correct date is June 11th. If you're interested in volunteering, please contact [email protected] or 617.349.6489. Hope to see you there!
Happy Spring!
Kristen Middleton
[email protected]
617.349.6856
Go Green Challenge Winners
The annual Go Green Challenge competition in our elementary schools resulted in Morse School winning first place, Tobin School winning second, and Peabody School winning third! Hear more >>
CPS' Food Ranked #1 in the Nation for the 2nd Year in a Row!
The 2016 Districts with the Best Food ranking provides a comprehensive assessment of the food of a school district. This grade takes into account key factors such as the average expenses per student, as well as student and parent reviews, in an attempt to measure the quality of food provided by the district.
At the time of calculation, the database contained records for 12,153 school districts. School districts were not included in the ranking process if they did not have sufficient data. The final ranking results in 7,133 school districts receiving a grade, with 7,133 of those also receiving a numerical ranking. Learn more >>
MassCommute Bike Challenge
As you may know, MassCommute sponsors a Bicycle Challenge during Bike Week every year. What you may not know, is that Cambridge residents win most years by logging more bicycle miles than any other municipality in the Commonwealth. However, the City of Cambridge never wins as an employer.
This year, we want to see if the employees of the City of Cambridge can win!
It’s simple:
1) Register to participate as a City of Cambridge Employee.
2) Ride your bike to work during May 14-22nd (and to the park, and to dinner, and everywhere!).
3) Log those miles at the following website. Easy, peasy.
Will you join us? If so, email [email protected] and we'll add you to our list of Bike Challenge participants. The Bike Challenge is followed by a really fun party at Flat Top Johnny’s in Kendall on June 1st. The door prizes are AMAZING and winning teams get great swag. Help make us proud! If you’ve registered in years past, your log-in (email address) and password will be the same this year. Learn more at http://masscommutebicyclechallenge.org/.
Please share this with any coworkers who bike to work. This is going to be fun! Although the week is wrapping up, there's still time to log your commutes!
350MA.org
350 Massachusetts is a volunteer-led, campaign-focused initiative connecting and organizing a strong grassroots coalition to address climate change and build a just and secure future beyond fossil fuels. Meetings are held every two weeks. All meetings are held at First Church Cambridge, 11 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA and begin at 6:30PM. Get more info at www.350MA.org.
Spotted at Our Schools...
John Pitkin, a local Cambridge resident and climate change activist, has developed a climate change curriculum called "The Struggle" along with local artists and educators, which is being piloted at the Graham & Parks School this spring.
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OPT OUT OF UNWANTED MAIL
Do you get unwanted mail from retailers, credit card companies, or cable/phone companies? You can opt out of mailings from more than 4,000 companies with Catalog Choice and help reduce waste. For example, you can stop getting weekly circulars from Global Direct as they will honor opt-out requests, so add them to “your choices.” Just register for FREE to create an account to start cleaning out your mailbox. To date, more than 3,700 Cambridge residents have signed up and opted out of nearly 25,000 different unwanted mailings!
ACCO CLIMATE FUNDAMENTALS ACADEMY
May 24 & 25 | MIT
This workshop will provide participants with a foundation for understanding greenhouse gas emissions and related reporting and disclosure frameworks, strategies for engaging stakeholders and leading organizational change, assessing the legal and policy landscape and examining the economic implications of climate change. Participants will learn about specific initiatives in their localities, states and regions, as well as relevant national and international activity. MIT in partnership with ACCO is offering a 20% discount on registration. Use promo code CFA-Discount-MIT when prompted. More info and registration >>
NEEP SUMMIT
June 13-14
Omni Mount
Washington Resort
Bretton Woods, NH
This annual meeting is sponsored by the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnership. More info & registration >>
HIGHEST SPIKE
IN CO2 EVER
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii measured an increase of 3.05 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in 2015. This was the largest year to year increase observed in the most important greenhouse gas since the observatory started collecting measurements 56 years ago. Other data shows that CO2 levels are now higher than any time in human history. 2015 was also the fourth year in a row that CO2 levels increased by more than 2.0 ppm. The rate of increase in atmospheric CO2 has been accelerating in recent years. Increases in atmospheric CO2 are largely the result of burning fossil fuels. (source: Mashable, 3/10/16)
FRESH POND
KIDS' WALKS
These are casual nature explorations, designed for young kids and their parents/caretakers, and play in our urban wild! Please come dressed ready for the weather (and in clothes that are OK to get a bit dirty).
When: Fridays 9-10AM
Where: Fresh Pond (additional information upon registration)
Please register for parking and meeting information with Catherine Pedemonti.
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY ENERGY PRIZE UPDATE
On April 20th, the City of Cambridge took part in the Cambridge Science Festival, a multi-day event within the city that celebrates science, technology, engineering, art and math in Cambridge and New England, as well as their impact on the global community. Hear more >>
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Kristen Middleton
Sustainability Manager
Email Kristen
Cambridge Green Schools Initiative
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