It’s a New Year’s tradition for many people to look back and be grateful for accomplishments and look ahead to hope for a better year. I hope you’ll join me in celebrating some of the examples of progress on climate crisis solutions in 2022 that I’ve listed. I’m hopeful for accelerated progress in 2023. This is only a partial list of climate crisis solutions completed and in-progress in the Valley.

In 2022, I’m grateful for:

The Inflation Reduction Act passed that is now putting money into programs that will help reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.The IRA will help communities electrify buildings and transportation and make our sources of electricity renewable. The website of Rewiring America has information to learn how the IRA can help fund your own household carbon reduction. Each person’s effort to be more efficient, use less energy, and replace fossil fuels with renewable sources of energy moves us closer to the goal of Northampton becoming a net carbon neutral city by 2050.

River Valley Market in Easthampton opened with a solar carport over the parking lot, and LEEDS certified building design to obtain a net zero carbon footprint.

Smith College broke ground in May 2022 on a geothermal heating system to provide campus-wide building heat. The full installation by 2025 will lower the college’s carbon emissions by 90%, allowing Smith to become carbon neutral by 2030. Did you know the Northampton Senior Center was designed and built in 2007 as a LEEDS certified building with a geothermal heating and cooling system? This system saves nearly 400,000 kilowatt‐hours (estimated $104,000) per year. A roof-mounted PV solar array was recently added.

Solar panel installations were completed in November at Bridge Street Elementary School, Leeds Elementary School, and RK Finn Ryan Road Elementary School. Solar energy will supply about 15% of the three schools’ electricity usage.

Local Energy Advocates of Western Massachusetts (LEA) supported the municipalities of Northampton, Amherst and Pelham to prepare an application for a joint Municipal Aggregation (also known as Community Choice Aggregation). State legislation allows communities to apply to have local control to negotiate and select their own energy providers and sources. This municipal aggregation will green our electricity and help to stabilize costs for residents.

The Northampton Energy & Sustainability Commission (NESC) with the support of former and current city employees, and residents, have worked on projects to support the 15 goals described in the Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan. Examples of projects included net-zero work at Leeds School to add attic air-sealing, insulation, and air energy recovery ventilators, increasing the number of electric vehicle charging stations, and dimming lights at the Roundhouse parking lot.

Tree Northampton volunteers planted nearly 2,000 trees over the last seven years to replace the aging and missing trees across the city. It was a challenging year in 2022 to plant due to drought and hot weather. I was grateful to help plant two red gum trees in my yard, and my neighbors helped plant another red gum and six tulip trees on Howes Street. These trees will grow into a beautiful carbon capturing landscape.

The Local Energy Advocates of Western MASS raised funds for Solar Assist Air Source heat pumps for hot water systems in two Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity homes. This could be the first installation in our area of this technology for low-income homeowners to lower electric bills over time, compared with resistance hot water heaters. This project will also demonstrate this technology to home contractors in western Massachusetts to make them aware of the option when installing water heaters in a building without a basement.

I’m hopeful we will accelerate progress in 2023 on these solutions to the climate crisis:

■Adopt the new net zero building codes in Northampton and other municipalities.

■Convert more of our transportation sector to electric vehicles powered by renewable, sustainable energy sources.

■Build or retrofit more energy efficiency buildings, especially in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods such as the solar-assisted heat pumps for hot water in the Pioneer Valley Habitat homes on Burts Pit Road.

■Hire a climate crisis director as a full-time position responsible to coordinate actions to meet the city’s goal of Northamptom becoming a net carbon neutral city by 2050. A newly formed Northampton Climate Emergency Coalition has been meeting with Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra to share ideas for a job description.

■Induction Cook Kit Library Loan Program — This program launching in February at Forbes, Lilly, and Jones libraries allows residents to experiment with safet, more responsive, and more energy efficient induction cooking to replace gas and traditional electric cooktops. Learn how to freely borrow a one-burner induction hot plat and pans from Forbes, Lilly, and Jones libraries. Attend a seminar at Forbes Library, Feb. 7 at 6 p.m., in the community room. 

■Thank you to the Gazette for publishing the Climate Change@Home series sponsored by Whalen Insurance.

Congratulations for the accomplishments of 2022. Cheers to 2023 and that we will cooperate to implement more local solutions that contribute to the global climate crisis and ensure a just and sustainable future. 

Tom Bassett is a Florence resident of 40 years, grandfather of four, retired mechanical engineer, and member of Mothers Out Front and Local Energy Advocates of WMASS. Please reply with comment and ideas for future columns to shawbass@comcast.net. 

 

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