Mission statement to encourage Duxbury to become more sustainable by informing ourselves and the community about practical energy- saving measures, adapting them ourselves, facilitating their use by others and supporting town, state and federal energy independence initiatives.
History Sustainable Duxbury was started in the fall of 2005 as a result of meetings with Judeth Vann Hamm the founder of Sustainable Hull and the release of the film “An Inconvenient truth”. A small group of residents felt that we could start a similar group here in Duxbury Massachusetts to address the issues of global warming and sustainability at the local level. At that time many other towns on the south shore were doing the same. This group of towns, numbering 14 in all, is now united as Sustainable South shore and will soon be certified as a nonprofit 501c3 organization. You may contact them at www.sustainablesouthshore.org
Our small group has grown in number with over 75 residents now on the mailing list and a very active core group of 15-25 members ranging in age from 18 to 83. Our meetings are usually on the first Wednesday of the month 7:30 upstairs at the senior center. New members are always welcome. For information call Jim Savicki 781-585-8041.
• 2005
Members submitted energy saving tips to the local news paper and one member Dick Rothschild started a monthly column entitled “Thinking Green”
• 2006 Members arraigned showings of the films “An Inconvenient Truth” and “who Killed the Electric Car” at the public library. Both were well attended.
Members attended the MCAN conference on global warming at MIT.
• 2007
Members took part in the “Windmill to Wind mill Bicycle Ride” in Hull as part of “step it up 2007”. Members offered assistance to the town’s alternative Energy committee who were looking into possible sites for wind turbines in Duxbury.
Members took part in the Earth day celebration at First parish church.
We successfully helped over 200 families reduce their junk mail by taking part in the “Stop Junk Mail ”program offered by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
Members manned a table at town meeting handing out energy saving information.
Members participated in the annual Fourth of July parade with hybrid cars and bicycles and handed out energy saving literature.
• 2008
We helped convince Selectmen and citizens by speaking at several meetings of the value of a “Save As You Throw” program. This program was enacted and currently saves Duxbury approximately $20,000 per month or $240,000 a year. In addition the program has reduced the annual sticker fee for use of the recycling station.
We took part in the annual Fourth of July parade which used the theme of “Our American Heroes”. We selected as our hero Rachael Carson. Her book, “Silent Spring,” was inspired by the number of birds killed in Duxbury due to DDT use in the 1960’s.
Thanks to Duxbury citizens, we raised $22,000 for the New England Wind Fund Solar Challenge. As a result, the Town will receive a solar array and accompanying educational software. All of these will be installed at the Chandler School in June 2009. This software will be integrated system-wide in science and math curricula while also educating students in PC technology.
We organized a “sell out” presentation called “Sea Change” by world renowned environmentalist, Roger Payne and his wife Lisa Harrow. The event also included an environmental fair.
Some members participated in a “Project 350” action on the 350th day of 2008. This world- wide movement is staging events like this to raise awareness of the need to reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere to 350 ppm (particles per million). Rates much higher than this would make our planet unsustainable.
• 2009
In late 2008, Massachusetts began a three-year trial of a public bus service (GATRA) to run from Independence mall through Duxbury to Marshfield. A team of our members has been actively encouraging ridership through posting bus information around town and handing out schedules at the train station and “Foodies”.
A team is working on an “anti-plastic” bag/bottle model campaign. We are planning an Earth Day event to demonstrate the negative effect of plastic bags in our community.
Another team is working with the town’s Agricultural Commission to find land and water for community vegetable gardens in Duxbury.
We now have available for member use a power cost monitor and kill-A-Watt-meter. This kit can assist members in reducing their home energy consumption.
We also have access through Sustainable South Shore to a thermal imaging camera that will help homeowners reduce wasted energy/heat in their homes.
In celebration of Earth day 2009 a team of members headed by Janis Owens wanted to bring attention to the number of plastic bags we use and have in our society today. They gathered information on plastic bags and collected all the bags that were put into the recycling area at the recycling station over a five day period. Their plan was to tie the bags together and display them at some visible place in town. As soon as the collecting started it was obvious that tying them together was out of the question. We collected an estimated 24,150 bags of all sorts and tying them together would have resulted in a chain of bags over five miles long. The bags were gathered at the beach and the recycling station for a photo op and information on reusable bags was handed out at both locations. The event was a huge success in pointing out how many bags the average Duxbury home uses in a week.
During the summer crews from NEXAMP and local Electrician Orie Fontaine began installing the 2.4 KW solar panel array at the Chandler school. The panels are located in the court yard where they may easily viewed. The panels were activated in August. A "Ribbon Cutting" ceremony is planned for September 2009. You may view the Data being gathered at the site by going to http://www.sunviewer.net/portals/chandler/.
Plans are being made to participate in the 350.org International Day of Global Warming awareness that will take place on October 24, 2009. If you would like to help please let us know by responding on the "Conact Us" page.
Sustainable Duxbury took part in the annual 4th of July parade for the third time. This year the theme for the parade was " Celebrating our American Heritage" and our float displayed a Duxbury home complete with solar panels a windmill and a garden. The float was preceded by a banner that said " Creating a Greener Heritage for the future". along with the usual candy thrown to spectators we gave away roughly 200 reusable shopping bags donated by local markets; Foodies ; Stop and Shop; and Hannifords. The float team was headed up by Emily Averna, our youngest member who will be a sophomore at American University in St Louis in the fall. It won a fourth place ribbon. Pictures are available on the "images" page of this site.
