Sustainable Belmont

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Upcoming: Generational Injustice + Act Now

Sunday, August 3 at 9:30 am
Unitarian Church, 404 Concord Ave. Belmont
*See Calendar list for details

Take Action on Solar Now

MLAB is accepting comments from the public through Aug 15. View & submit a modifiable form letter prepared by advocates of residential solar in Belmont. Please submit this form letter by July 31. Please check back soon to review an extended, detailed comment letter prepared by a group of residents closely following this issue. All residents will be invited to sign this, too.

Take the amazingly short survey for renewable energy.

Photo credit: Regulatory Assistance Project

The Future of Solar in Belmont is at Stake

On June 19th, Belmont’s Municipal Light Advisory Board proposed a new net metering policy which will render future residential solar PV attainable only by the most wealthy. The new policy fails to adequately recognize the positive benefits that small, residential installations have on the environment and steps to attaining the town’s climate plan resolution.

Save the Date – September 7th:

The Green Garden Tour!!

Ongoing Initiatives

The Green Communities Application.
Safe Routes to Schools Community Working Group
Stay connected on the Belmont CommUNITY Path
Reduce plastic bags with getmyeco.com
Stormwater Working Group (update pending)
Energy Working Group – local policy issues with Belmont Light and the Town Energy Committee (update pending)

Marty Bitner The behind the meter consumption of electricity from rooftop solar panels is functionally equivalent to other efficiency improvements ( hanging clothes out to dry, LED light bulbs etc). Belmont Light's singling out rooftop solar as receiving "cross-subsidies" (especially for behind the meter consumption) is unreasonable.

July 31, 2014 at 9:55 AM

Sustainable Belmont Yikes, I've never heard of this. Try closing closing off the hole and those nearby. Next year, hang one of these nearby: http://www.gardeners.com/buy/natural-wasp-deterrent/36-561.html?start=1&q=wasp

July 25, 2014 at 2:00 PM

Sustainable Belmont Kate, here - my in-laws just had a yellow jacket situation under their steps. They like it dry and out-of-the-way. They ended up with a professional in this situation b/c it was hard to access, but learned that if you don't get the queen, they will keep coming back. I think if they are not bothering you, you could leave them and address it in the cold months. They are aggressive though, we have stings to testify that just nearby activity can put them on the defense. I'm surprised they would be in a compost, though b/c usually it's pretty moist in there - not sure what type you have but there must be a dry spot.

July 27, 2014 at 9:23 AM

Rebecca McNeill Thank you for the feedback. Kim, they are pretty far down from the top and going in one of the lower side vent holes and I have been watching them for several weeks. Kate, I have heard the same thing about the queen. It is very hard to know where to put the composters. I have them on the edge of the property under some trees, so I don't think they are moist enough. I might move them to the end of the driveway (after this situation is done and gone), but that isn't too attractive. I called the MA extension offices where we had our garden soil tested and they are going to see if anyone knows and calls me back about whether they will get frozen out in the winter. I just wish I knew an exterminator who would use something like a liquid nitrogen and not an insecticide.

July 28, 2014 at 10:27 AM

Kate Bowen it seems like this article is making vague references to more inputs to areas in Africa, but it doesn't say how they will come by those inputs. it mentions nothing of gmo and its impacts on seed longevity/biodiversity. i haven't looked yet at the reference article, and certainly this is a huge problem - meat consumption is the biggest driver of our homogenous crops and not sustainable. investing in more perennials, small farmers and biodiversity will be key. everyone grow.

July 23, 2014 at 10:32 PM

Marty Bitner I think their calculation of the "cross-subsidy" (the amount of savings for solar customers supposedly shifted to non-solar customers' bills) is unreasonable. They simply subtract a typical electricity bill for a customer with solar from the average non-solar electricity bill amount and call that the "cross-subsidy." By that logic, any electric bill savings realized by hanging one's clothes out to dry rather than running the dryer or switching to LED light bulbs, etc. could be characterized as costs being shifted to one's neighbors since they too have the effect of decreasing one's electricity bill. What I really wonder about is why Belmont is taking such an aggressive stance against solar compared to surrounding communities which are actively encouraging it. Is it the cost of the new substation to come that explains it?

July 7, 2014 at 8:13 PM

Home

Upcoming: Generational Injustice + Act Now

Take Action on Solar Now

The Future of Solar in Belmont is at Stake

Read more about Solar at Stake in Belmont:

Save the Date – September 7th:

The Green Garden Tour!!

Ongoing Initiatives

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