Pencil It In: The Future of Energy

image courtesy of cognoscenti.wbur.org

When: Monday, May 13, 2013, 6:30 pm

Where: BSA Space, Atlantic Wharf, 290 Congress Street, Suite 200, Boston

What: The Future of Energy Panel hosted by The Nature Conservancy and WBUR

image courtesy of nature.org

How can we meet and manage growing energy demands while protecting the planet’s health—and ours? What role can renewable energy—which, in 2011, accounted for only about 9 percent of all energy used in the United States—play in meeting that demand? What is the future of energy?

Join moderator Anthony Brooks, co-host of WBUR’s Radio Boston, and renewable-energy thought leaders for this important community conversation at The Future of Energy, the second event in the Future of Nature lecture series that The Nature Conservancy is co-sponsoring with WBUR, Boston’s NPR news station, this spring.

Panelists:

Daniel Kammen, professor and director, Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory, UC Berkeley

Jigar Shah, partner, Inerjys clean-energy investment firm, founder SunEdison solar services company

Joe Farigone, science director, The Nature Conservancy

BGB Gets a Content Makeover

image courtesy of lynneknowlton.com

So, up until recently there has been no real rhyme or reason to the content of my posts - but now, to make Boston Green Blog more manageable for all you readers, I am going to post certain types of content on specific days of the week. Hopefully this will make BGB more navigable. I am very excited about this new format, and would love to hear your thoughts!

Mondays - New Perspectives. Each Monday I will feature a post from a guest author.

Tuesdays - Green Tip Tuesdays. Fresh green living ideas coming at ya every Tues.

Wednesdays - Review Wednesdays. Product reviews, business reviews, event reviews and more.

Thursdays - Pencil It In. Notable events happening in greater Boston.

Fridays - Fun Fact Fridays. A mixed bag of informative green topics.

5 Green Living Apps for iPhone

1.

image courtesy of CBSnews.com

LevelUp - This may not be officially as "green" as the other apps on my list, but LevelUp is at the top because I use it the most. Save paper by paying electronically (no receipt needed - it gets e-mailed to you instantly). LOVE this app, and bonus, the company is based in Boston!


2.

image courtesy of Pin App

One Small Act - Make green living goals, follow through, and get points!


3.

image courtesy of Inhabitat

Good Guide - this app is my new obsession. Scan the bar code of a product (or search by name) and Good Guide will give you an environmental rating and a health rating of the given product. Amazing!


4.

image courtesy of FishNavy.com

Seafood Watch - remember those cards that people used to carry around in their wallets that explained which seafood was safe to order? How old fashioned! Get the app -  it is both easier to read and harder to lose.

5.

image courtesy of itunes

Do It Gorgeously - Yes, Gorgeously Green has its own app with tips, videos, shopping lists and more. This one is great for when you're bored and ready to get some new green living ideas.

For more green living apps, check out Groovy Green Livin's top 6 green apps.

Guest Post: Intro to New Generation Energy

First things first - thanks for having us on Boston Green Blog! Here at New Generation Energy, we love the Boston Green Blog and are very excited to be even a small part of it.

For those of you who don’t know us, New Generation Energy (NGE) is a Boston nonprofit aiming to help local nonprofits become more sustainable. Basically, by helping nonprofits go green, we get to help our environment and our community at the same time. A nonprofit can focus on their own mission and put the money they save through every green initiative back into their own projects.

NGE works to educate nonprofits about the importance of energy efficiency, fundraise for sustainability projects and build communities with interest environmental causes. NGE is currently working on the foundation of two initiatives; Young & Green and Local & Green.

If you are a young professional between 21 and 45 with an interest in sustainability, Young & Green would be a perfect group for you. This Young Professional group aims to bring together like-minded environmentally conscious individuals in the Boston area. Young & Green is a group for focused individuals who have an interest in their community, sustainability and helping non-profits thrive. A great social outlet for Boston professionals, Young & Green hosts monthly events for all members and interested parties. These may include private events, related speaking programs, networking opportunities and many others. Our events partner with local Boston businesses to provide members with a fun and unique experience as well as provide the benefit of discounted tickets on all NGE events outside of the group.

Young & Green’s most recent event was a mixer at Mass Ave Tavern in Back Bay. About fifty young professionals were in attendance from around the greater Boston area. The night was spent enjoying food and new company while discussing mutual interests in sustainability around Boston. Right now, we are in talks about our summer event, so make sure to keep an eye out here: http://newgenerationenergy.org/youngandgreen

NGE’s largest program is Local & Green, an initiative that provides hands-on support for energy efficiency projects in the local community. For one year, NGE helps selected regional nonprofits become more sustainable, designing and implementing projects to help nonprofits save money and increase their impact. From project design to 100% funding, Local & Green is NGE’s 360° approach to powering sustainable communities. NGE and Local & Green have worked with the Asian Task Force Against Domestic
Violence, Cambridge Community Center, Community Servings and the Elizabeth Peabody House.

And that wraps it up! Thanks again Boston Green Blog and if you have any further questions regarding NGE, Young & Green or Local & Green feel free to contact Dylan Joffe at joffe@newgenerationenergy.org for details. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook and check out our own blog!

Save the Date: EarthFest May 18, 2013

image courtesy of design-impact.org

In two weeks, music lovers and green living enthusiasts will unite on the Esplanade for EarthFest hosted by Radio 92.9! This event is always a blast - it is all the fun of an outdoor concert with free samples from all of your favorite green companies. Mark your calendars! 

Interactive Green Living with Motley Green

image courtesy of  hmodeofaide.files.wordpress.com

I am a huge fan of the online tool Practically Green. PG is a great way to track your progress to a healthier and more environmentally friendly lifestyle, so I am not surprised to find similar tools popping up all over the web. One such tool I recently discovered is Motley Green. Like Practically Green, Motley Green prompts users to take a brief lifestyle quiz to gauge your level of greenness. Unfortunately, the Motley Green quiz is not geared for apartment renters - there are a lot of questions regarding lawn care and building insulation that is not usually something that urban apartment dwellers deal with.

However, I love the interactive aspect of Motley Green. It is like the content sharing that occurs on Ozoshare. I'm excited to start using Motley Green more often and get to know how it works a little bit better. I'll report back in a few months with my thoughts!

Green Substitution: Swap Vaseline for Waxelene

image courtesy of thesimplemoms.com

I have very sensitive skin and am constantly battling eczema outbreaks (sorry if that is an overshare hah!). Last year, my doctor suggested that I protect the eczema-prone areas of my skin with Vaseline. My heart  dropped when she said this because I've been working for years to rid my cosmetic shelf of petroleum-based products! But, I have to agree with my doctor, that petroleum jelly was an effective skin protector. Luckily, a representative from Waxelene recently contacted me about their organic beeswax alternative to petroleum jelly. I received a sample in the mail and have been testing it out for a couple weeks - and despite a different consistency, Waxelene works just as well as traditional petroleum jelly.

Waxelene is a great product and is an alternative to petroleum jelly that provides all of the same benefits, but is safe for consumer health and the environment. If you're interested, check it out at the bath and body section of Whole Foods.