Northeast Biodiesel Groundbreaking August 3, Greenfield, MA

by: gmoke

Mon Jul 26, 2010 at 21:05:09 PM EDT

Dear Co-op Power Members and Supporters,

Join us Tues., Aug 3rd, 11 am, for the Grand Groundbreaking for Northeast Biodiesel at our land in the Greenfield [MA] Industrial Park - Silvio Conte Drive (at the end of the road near the Coke plant).

After five years of development, everything has finally aligned so that we can build our recycled vegetable oil biodiesel plant and make a clean fuel alternative to diesel fuel that can be used in any diesel engine or oil heat system.  

Payoffs for Layoffs Continue As Massachusetts Legislature Cries Crocodile Tears

by: Nat Fortune

Sun Jun 27, 2010 at 16:54:42 PM EDT

Not mentioned in the press releases is the fact  that our legislature  gave away $300 million they would otherwise have this FY2010 in "single sales factor (SSF)" tax expenditures to Fidelity/Raytheon/related manufacturing corporations for "job creation,"  even though many of those corporations  are actually cutting jobs. According to the Boston Globe, "Fidelity's Massachusetts workforce now stands at  a more than 9,000 workers, down from 13,000 four years ago."

As Jill Stein often puts it, these tax expenditures are literally  "payoffs for layoffs."  In my opinion, they are also the legalized theft of public funds.

Why not use the tax dollars we're throwing away on tax expenditures like these  to really create jobs by rehiring laid-off teachers, firefighters, librarians, and health care workers? Why not collect the taxes we would otherwise be due instead of raising the sales tax?

Want to know  how the "single sales formula" or "tax apportionment" scam works? Read on.  

How to Change US Energy in One Growing Season

by: gmoke

Fri May 28, 2010 at 19:12:35 PM EDT

The people who attend farmers' markets are a core constituency for green technology and practical applications that save money, energy, and resources.  They are likely to be early adopters who can spread those possibilities into the community.  I've done energy demos at my local farmers' market and know that a renewable energy company sometimes participates in the year-long weekly market near Providence, RI.  I wouldn't be surprised if there were more examples out there.  

Do energy education weekly at as many of those 4000 weekly markets as possible and over one growing season energy use and attitudes would change significantly.  See Mr Franklin's Folks for one vision of how this might work.

DeLeo's Speech: A Disturbing Vision for Massachusetts

by: jandrews

Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 17:07:36 PM EST

1) Remember all that talk about how casino revenues would be devoted to worthy purposes like education?  Now DeLeo has a different idea: the priority is doling casino revenues out as gifts to corporations.  You know, building infrastructure for businesses.  It's NOT graft - it's economic stimulus.  The recent Supreme Court decision allowing corporations to spend unlimited money in campaigns seems to be having its effect already.  The politicians aren't even waiting for the money to appear before they sell out.

Climate Change Is Moot

by: gmoke

Sun Feb 21, 2010 at 00:45:46 AM EST

For instance, the Home Energy Efficiency Team of Cambridge, MA  began doing monthly weatherization barnraisings in the summer of 2008. Today they are in contact with about 20 other communities in MA, RI, and NY which are doing something similar and there are other groups in MA, NH, ME, CA that are doing solar barnraisings.

Just for a change, we should spend some of the time and media real estate on a few of the ready solutions like that (weatherization, insulation, efficiency, renewables) instead of the phony debate about global warming, global weirding (a term Friedman got from Hunter Lovins, I believe), and climate change we have been indulging in for years.  I don't care if you believe in anthropogenic climate change or not.  If you insulate your band joist and attic hatch or install a setback thermostat, you're going to save money and energy and reduce greenhouse gases and other pollutants whether you trust the science or consider it a liberal conspiracy.

Dr. Jill Stein throws her hat into 2010 gubernatorial race

by: eli_beckerman

Thu Jan 07, 2010 at 18:58:35 PM EST

Dr. Jill Stein plans to join the race for 2010 race for governor, running as a Green-Rainbow candidate and pushing the issue of universal health care, posing a challenge to Gov. Deval Patrick's left flank.

Stein told the News Service late today that she plans to formally announce her campaign later this month. Her candidacy will further complicate a field that already has two major Republican candidates, a state treasurer running as an independent, and Patrick, the Democrat seeking reelection.

"I am very excited to offer voters a real choice for change," Stein told the News Service in an interview. "We're looking at three candidates for governor who have very similar opinions on a variety of key issues. It's very important that voters have a second choice."