Sustainable Belmont Votes

Sustainable Belmont Votes

At December’s meeting, Sustainable Belmont’s Advisory Group and Members met and voted on the following measures:

• Approved efforts to make the new high school zero net energy, a building standard that will balance the energy consumed with energy generated, mainly by using solar collectors. The assumption is that the lower operating costs will save the town money.
• Supports the PTA/PTO Green Alliance’s proposal to improve recycling, add food recovery and composting in Belmont Public Elementary and Middle School cafeterias.
• Supports efforts to define a plastic shopping bag ban that preferably reduces carbon. Reducing plastic shopping bags will benefit wildlife and decrease litter problems.
• Supports a proposed State law that requires municipal light plants such as Belmont Light to buy renewable energy, similar to rules that guide investor-owned utilities. This change is supported also by MA Climate Action Network and many of its affiliates. If enacted, this rule would further help de-carbonize Belmont’s electricity and support the Town’s Climate Action Plan.