Bright Ideas No. 35
SHORT TAKES
BRIGHT IDEA: Get Behind the Electrify Everything Campaign
In partnership with Revision Energy, the City’s Sustainability Office has mounted a long-term Electrify Everything campaign for Portland residents. When we consider weaning ourselves from fossil fuels, what frequently pops to mind are solar panels and electric cars. But there are many other possibilities.
Whether you rent or own, how about getting your electricity from a solar farm? Or getting an e-bike? Or retiring old gas-powered garden and lawn equipment in favor of battery or electric-powered models?
Through Electrify Everything, you can get $500 off solar installations, $250 off air source heat pumps, and up to $60,000 if you’re a low-income household going solar! This is in addition to generous rebates and incentives provided by Efficiency Maine for electric appliances and weatherization as well as tax credits for solar installations. Contact Revision Energy for details. Visit www.revisionenergy.com.
BRIGHT IDEA: Protect New and Old Trees to Sequester Carbon
What do you recall from childhood about trees? Do you remember the sound of rustling leaves as you played outside in the fall? Did you harvest fruit or use twigs and leaves when creating games or making school projects? Maybe trees in your neighborhood were scant, scrawny, or non-existent. What did you notice when seeing trees in other neighborhoods?
Trees play an important role in our lives. They nourish us and the Earth by filtering air and water. Trees also provide cooling shade that makes city life more inviting and comfortable.
While Portland’s nickname is “Forest City,” we now lose more trees each year than are planted. And the poorest areas of the city have the sparsest tree canopy. Check this out for yourself at www.treeequityscore.org.
The One Climate Future plan aims to protect trees, and with the help of Portland residents, we can work with City officials to enforce and expand protections for existing trees. In fact, we can adopt new street trees, giving them water and TLC during their first crucial years. Interested? Contact PCAT via email: portlandclimateactionteam@gmail.com. Or visit us on Facebook.
BRIGHT IDEA: Share Your Views About the Climate Crisis
Undoubtedly our most serious crisis is the climate catastrophe. The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report reveals a “Bleak and Brutal Truth”:
…massive cuts in emissions are unavoidable to avert the worst.
-IPCC report
Mitigation is central to systemic global change, including decarbonizing energy, electrifying transportation, shifting to more plant-based diets, and restoring key ecosystems. Oxfam’s climate policy lead, Nafkote Dabi, emphasizes the point, “Barring action on a sweeping scale, humanity faces worsening hunger, disease, economic collapse, mass migration of people, and unbearable heat. It’s not about taking our foot off the accelerator anymore– It’s about slamming on the brakes.”
Call upon government representatives at every level to immediately read and heed the IPCC’s recommendations. Spread awareness to everyone you know.
Bright Ideas is brought to you by Portland Climate Action Team which meets monthly on the 4th Thursday, 6-7:30 p.m. All are welcome to join in. FMI: portlandclimateaction@gmail.com.
