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Category: Environment

Go Solar If You Can, Before 2020!

Go Solar If You Can, Before 2020!

The hot, sticky, generally annoying but also deadly heat waves that have swept the northern hemisphere have few upsides to them. In Japan, northern Europe including the UK and France, as well as the Northeast (no link needed, we lived through it!) and unusually, the Pacific Northwest and upper Midwest US, the heat has been intense this summer. Even Siberia and above the Arctic Circle in Canada became more than unusually hot. As a result, deaths from heat related illnesses,…

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Plastic Bag Ban Ordinance Tonight!

Plastic Bag Ban Ordinance Tonight!

Tonight, the City Council will hold the public hearing on the the plastic bag ban ordinance! This is a great first step not only to reducing our dependence on single-use plastic, but on keeping our streets (and trees!) clean. The item on the agenda is officially “Item 4.1 Ordinance-Amend Ch. 270 By Creating A New Section Prohibiting Single-Use Plastic Bags.” Check out the full proposed ordinance here (PDF). Any retail or grocery store 3,000 sq. ft. or geater distributing single…

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Lowell Will Have a Plastic Bag Ban! And, On Leading From the Front

Lowell Will Have a Plastic Bag Ban! And, On Leading From the Front

If plastic bag ban enthusiasts tuned into Lowell City Council last night hoping to have an early evening, you were sorely mistaken. Two motions taken out of order—as described by Dick Howe in his CC report but which does not do any justice to the length of time the first motion out of order took—pushed the Subcommittee reports until, if I remember correctly, after 8:30pm. TBH the softball field thing took twice as long as the marijuana-in-public motion, which is…

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Lowell Plastic Bag Ban Reports Out of Committee

Lowell Plastic Bag Ban Reports Out of Committee

Tomorrow night is Prince Spaghetti—no, wait, that’s Wednesday. Tomorrow night is the Lowell City Council meeting! For a good overall preview, you can always turn to Mimi, who is now blogging over at RH.com. But tucked into the city council agenda doc is something very important. Namely, that the Environmental and Flood Subcommittee will be favorably reporting out the plastic bag ban in a 2 to 1 yea vote. Please note: the so-called “Democrat” Rodney Elliott voted against it, something…

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Want Free Money To Save The Planet?

Want Free Money To Save The Planet?

If you’re reading this blog, chances are you care about climate change and our planet. You probably, like me, are always trying to find ways to reduce your carbon footprint or reduce waste. (My latest was buying dishwasher safe reusable silicone freezer/microwave ziplock-like bags, cotton produce bags so I can stop using those plastic ones at the ol’ MB, and silicone cooking tray liners so I can stop using aluminum foil. I’m also trying hard to refuse plastic straws at…

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