News and Insights

This is one in a continuing series of educational columns about fostering environmental stewardship and leadership coordinated by ACES — the Alliance of Climate and Environmental Stewards.

by Madelyn Kaplin

If you were to travel back in time 200 years, you would probably notice quite a few differences compared with our modern world. Sure, there would be no cars on the roads, and the people walking on the street would dress and speak rather peculiarly- but look up: the night sky you would see is vastly different from the one you see today.

The reason? Light pollution.

The advent of the electric light bulb in the 19th century revolutionized the way people were able to live, travel, and work. But the ability to artificially light our world at night has had unintended consequences on our health, our perception of the world around us, and the ecosystems we depend on.That view of the night sky from 200 years ago would have been unobscured- truly dark and bursting with stars on a clear night.

Today, 80% of the world’s population lives under light polluted skies, unable to see the Milky Way.

Over the past decade the night sky has grown brighter by nearly 10% annually. Light pollution- the human alteration of outdoor light levels from those occurring naturally- obscures our view of the universe. We rarely think of light as a ‘pollutant’ in the same way we consider plastic or carbon dioxide- but when lighting is used in excess, and light ends up in places where it is not needed or intended, it, too, can become an environmental pollutant with negative effects.

Exposure to high levels of artificial light at night suppresses melatonin production and disrupts our natural circadian rhythm, increasing our risk for a host of negative health outcomes such as sleep disorders, depression, diabetes, and heart disease. Outdoor lighting that shines when or where it is not needed also wastes energy and money- nearly $3.3 billion annually, according to some estimates.

Humans are not the only ones affected. Every species alive today has evolved with the daily cycle of light and dark. Light pollution prevents fireflies from finding each other to mate, reduces the efficiency of nighttime pollinators like moths and bats, and can even impact when trees bud out and drop their leaves.

Every spring, 3.5 billion birds return to the U.S. from wintering grounds in Central and South America to make nests, lay eggs, and raise their chicks.

80% of migratory species are nocturnal migrants, taking flight at night to avoid predators and stay cool.

These birds cross vast distances (anywhere from a few hundred to many thousands of miles) and use the position of the stars to help guide them.

Not only can a bright night sky make it harder for birds to navigate, but the glow cast upwards from cities and developed areas attracts birds in from miles away, luring them off their course and into dangerous, unsuitable habitat. Disoriented, they may become entrapped, circling lighting sources until they become exhausted, depleting themselves of the energy they need to migrate. Collisions with buildings are perhaps the biggest risk- more than 500 million birds die from flying into buildings every year.

Light doesn’t endure the way plastic or other pollutants do.

If we change how we choose to light our outdoor spaces, we can quickly undo some of the harm caused by light pollution.

Now, as spring migration reaches its peak, is the perfect time to act. Turning off outdoor lights at night, especially between 10pm-6am, using automatic light controls such as timers, dimmers, or motion sensors, switching to warmer color lights (3000 or less on the Kelvin scale), and using down-shielded outdoor lights that prevent light from escaping upward are excellent steps toward helping protect a dark night sky for both wildlife and people.

Madelyn Kaplin is a member of Biology and Visitor Services teams at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. She can be reached at madelyn_kaplin@fws.gov.

ACES and its Youth Corps invite you to stay updated on environmental matters by subscribing to our monthly newsletter via the “Subscribe to Updates” link on  Please consider joining our community of stewards committed to Mak Every Day Earth Day by contacting acesnewburyport@gmail.com We can make a big difference together.

This educational column first appeared in The Daily News of Newburyport on May 24, 2024.

Editor’s note: This is one in a continuing series of educational columns about fostering environmental stewardship and leadership coordinated by ACES — the Alliance of Climate and Environmental Stewards.

by C. Peter Erickson

Year upon year, during nine months of cold and chill, the ocean delivers all manner of flotsam to our sandy shores here on Plum Island. With the coming of summer, folks arrive to take in the sun, sea and sand, and just to come out and play. Finally, winter in New England has ended! Storm tides of winter, now just a memory, remain traced by the bathtub ring of sea hay, driftwood and seaweed, all along the so-called “wrack line” high on the beach.

It is understandable that for many, all this debris on the beach is something of an annoyance. But for migrating shorebirds, the table is set. While sandpipers, sanderlings, and willets skitter along the shore break, our special guests, the piping plovers, nest among the high beach wrack line, venturing to water’s edge early and late in the day. All manner of shorebirds feast upon minute crustaceans spawned in the wrack line and in the sands between grassy dunes and ocean surge. Given the threatened status of piping plovers, our “Plover Wardens” have been authorized to string off sections of the beach to protect them from foot traffic by human visitors. This safe space attracts nesting terns as well, spearing inch long sand eels from the briny deep then returning to nest among their neighboring plovers, while offering air cover to them in return. These diminutive terns have been seen driving off a gang of crows on the hunt for plover chicks. They’ll shoo away dogs and poop on your hat if you don’t keep moving past their nesting. Ya’ gotta love the aerobatics and the sheer courage of nesting terns.

Meanwhile, all along the wrack line gusty spring winds and summer shore breezes have been blowing sand up to the toe of the dunes. Drifting sand that has become captured here will bury most of that messy looking debris, while raising the surface of the beach and building up the face of storm-torn dunes. Already, this season’s windrow of sea hay is mostly covered. Beneath the surface, this organic material has begun to decompose, adding nutrients to otherwise sterile silt and sand. Dune grass and beach plants are beginning to emerge. There remains ample space for foot traffic, beach blankets, and ball games closer to the water’s edge. Well suited to salty and sandy wind scoured environments, dune vegetation cannot tolerate even a modest number of footsteps. Allowed to fill in naturally, these plants will continue to gather drifting sand, helping to propagate future generations of vegetation. And so the dune building cycles will continue for as long as we let nature run its course, uninterrupted by foot traffic and beach sweeping.

I have heard the word “synergy” defined as when: "The whole is greater than the sum of the parts”. As true as this may be, I prefer Buckminster Fuller’s definition: “The whole is unpredictable from the sum of its parts”. Who could guess that the small but mighty shorebirds, and their dependence upon the wrack line, would be essential factors towards building our protective sand dunes. First comes the wrack line, attracting nesting shorebirds. In the absence of foot traffic, air cover arrives courtesy of nesting terns. Soon to follow, as summer follows spring, are native beach grasses that further build and stabilize the face of protective sand dunes, thereby sheltering the beachfront homes behind them. If next winter’s storms take another bite out of the face of the dunes, then the process will begin all over again, just so long as we humans let it be. It’s all connected. With just a little help and understanding from we human visitors, when left to nature, dunes will build dunes. Who knew?

C. Peter Erickson, a resident of Plum Island with a strong interest in what happens in the natural world around us, can be contacted at cperickson48@gmail.com‍

ACES and its Youth Corps invite you to stay updated on environmental matters by subscribing to our monthly newsletter via the “Subscribe to Updates” link on ACES’ website – https://www.aces-alliance.org/. Please consider joining our community of stewards committed to Making Every Day Earth Day by contacting acesnewburyport@gmail.com. We can make a big difference together.

This column first appeared in The Daily News of Newburyport on May 17, 2024.

Editor’s note: This is one in a continuing series of educational columns about fostering environmental stewardship and leadership coordinated by ACES — Alliance of Climate and Environmental Stewards.

by  Mara Flynn, Director of Youth and Children's Ministry -- First Religious Society Unitarian Universalist

In the lead up to our annual Earth Day Service on April 21, led by the FRSUU Green Team, we spent several weeks in Young Church talking about nature and about our fears and hopes for the planet, our home. We talked about what we can continue to do individually, and about larger systems that need to change. The children created signs and art to share, and five students wrote original "Poems for the Planet" to share with the congregation. We are delighted to be able to share their poetry with you!

email: mara.flynn@frsuu.org

THE POEMS

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We love our earth and please don’t leave trash on earth.
I bet that earth has feelings. Just because someone can’t talk doesn’t mean they don’t have
feelings.
Animals, people - you care about them, right?
So you should care about earth which includes trees, grass, and that stuff.
Bye. Thank you.
Oh. And earth is peace and hope. Bye.
by Serafina Moerlein-age 7‍

Together we can make change.
Not with one of us left out, together we can make change. Show each other that change can
make a big difference. Together we can make change.
by Elodie Stafford-age 8‍

If cats were in charge of the world
Air pollution would be an illusion
Because cats don’t drive cars
We wouldn’t have to cut down trees for our beds They would be made of cloth and fluff
If cats were in charge of the world the
only type of litter would be kitty litter
If cats were in charge of the world, we wouldn’t burn fossil fuels
Cats don’t heat their houses, they leave that to their fur
The world would be a better place if cats, cats, cats, were in charge of the world.
by Esme Speck-age 8 (almost 9!)

Today the world is a good place,
But tomorrow, we can make it greater.
But we should do it sooner, rather than later.
You could plant some trees,
Or make a hive with lots of bees.
You could plant a flower in the soil and try not to use too much oil.
Take a walk in the garden and look at the plants but try not to step on too many ants.
When you are going to school, instead of taking a car, you could ride a bike,
If it's not too far.
by Julia Treat-age 9‍

The earth is the center of our being and it supplies us with all we need to survive and thrive.
It has created many other life forms including plants, animals, and fungi.
While we create buildings and houses, the earth creates forests and plains.
While we create tanks and guns, the earth creates leopards and pumas.
Even though we create technology that can ruin our planet’s surface, we can also create
technology to help repair the earth.
With hope and curiosity we can direct our inquisitive minds and great potential towards saving
our planet earth.
by Hal Shepard-age 9
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ACES Youth Corps and team members invite you to stay updated on climate and environmental matters by subscribing to our monthly newsletter via the “Subscribe to Updates” link on ACES’ website – https://www.aces-alliance.org/. Please consider joining our community of environmentally minded neighbors and let us know your thoughts or ideas to help Make Every Day Earth Day at acesnewburyport@gmail.com. We can make a BIG difference together.

This column first appeared in The Daily News of Newburyport on May 10, 2024.

‍This is one in a continuing series of educational columns about fostering environmental stewardship and leadership coordinated by ACES -- the Alliance of Climate and Environmental Stewards.

by Kathleen Brittan

After a soggy Saturday and a rain delay, Sunday morning, April 21 was sunny and clear. Vivid colored lines and graphics, created by local artist and activist Megan Chiango, adorned Cashman Park. Bright future high-tide marks dressed the public boat launch pillars. and orange-clad people started to gather.

Storm Surge, a local non-profit dedicated to tackling climate change through science-based outreach, education, and community events, exhibited “Rising Tides: Visualizing Change to the Cashman Park Shoreline,” fittingly to coincide with the international Earth Day celebration and ACES’ Earth Day event.

The interactive exhibit demonstrated the challenges of sea level rise and its effects by using colored bands on the boat launch pillars that mark projected future high-tide levels for the years 2030, 2050, and 2070, based on State of Massachusetts estimates.

As further demonstration, colored chalk lines on the ground represented how far high-tide levels would reach into the park. These were laid according to a map generated by the Woods Hole Group, vividly illustrating the encroaching waters’ reach into the park and abutting neighborhoods.

Storm Surge’s call to the community was met with a robust turnout. Gathering community members stood along the 2050 high-tide line to demonstrate the impact of rising tides which was captured in an aerial video produced by Dr. Stephen Young, Jason Risberg, and members of the Salem State University drone class and geography club.

Some attendees expressed surprise at the extent to which the predicted twice-daily tides could inundate the park, a space many know and cherish. Others expressed deep concerns that, based on their observations of recent flood events, the future might be worse than projected. Participants actively engaged in discussing what options might be available to mitigate the rising waters in the future. The event was successful at raising awareness and encouraging discussion.

Cashman Park, Newburyport’s largest and most used recreational hub situated along the scenic Merrimack River, stands on the frontlines against the impacts of a changing climate. Facing threats from rising sea levels, the “Rising Tides” exhibit dramatically demonstrated the need for a pro-active climate adaptation strategy.

Sea levels are rising and it’s up to us to start the conversation about what that means for places we love, like Cashman Park. “Rising Tides” is a call to action for every Newburyport resident who enjoys our beautiful park, cares about the environment, or just wants to learn more about what climate change means for us and our city, both now and in the future. While the group markings have faded, the colored bands and informational banner near the boat launch will remain in place through the end of September.

“Rising Tides” also serves as a catalyst for the community to join the conversation. Learn more at storm-surge.org and share your ideas at upcoming meetings. Visit the city’s website and register to attend one of the community forums on climate action next month. Contact your council members and parks commission and encourage conversation and planning for the future of Cashman Park.

This project was a collaborative community effort that included the participation and support of the following organizations and people that made “Rising Tides” possible:

The City of Newburyport, including the Resiliency Committee, the city’s engineer, the Parks Commission, the Harbormaster, and Newburyport Youth Soccer provided invaluable support, thus ensuring a smooth and successful event.

Salem State University provided outstanding aerial video work, the Woods Hole Group gave their mapping support, and the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game approved the flood markers on the boat launch.

ACES Youth Corps and team members invite you to stay updated on climate and environmental matters by subscribing to our monthly newsletter via the “Subscribe to Updates” link on this website – https://www.aces-alliance.org/. Please consider joining our community of environmentally minded neighbors and let us know your thoughts or ideas to help Make Every Day Earth Day at acesnewburyport@gmail.com.

Together we can make a BIG difference.

This column first appeared in the Daily News of Newburyport on May 3, 2024.

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Editor’s note: This is one in a continuing series of educational columns about fostering environmental stewardship and leadership coordinated by ACES — the Alliance of Climate and Environmental Stewards.

There is too much plastic in our lives. Earth Day celebrations around the world this year focused on and amplified what we already knew. You can see it all around. It’s on the roadsides, our beaches, or in your recycling bin headed towards a down-cycled future. Daily we read of micro-plastic particles in the air we breathe and the food we eat being captured in our bodies and affecting everything from pulmonary and digestive functions to reproductive health. We all know it and our response to this excess of plastics needs to be to find better ways to slow down and then reverse some of these problems.
 
We need to try somethings to get the reduction of plastic’s harm in our lives. Here’s some ideas we suggest be considered. 
 
Avoid buying bottled water, especially in single use plastic bottles. Buy a few good stainless-steel bottles to take to school, the gym or work and avoid ingesting any more plastic than necessary.
 
To reduce the overall quantity of plastic items produced, governments should put a special disposal cost surcharge or ban, tax, or set adequate deposit return fees for single use products or packaging when it’s not critical to functional need. Municipalities and school boards can choose to restrict purchasing of such items for use in their buildings. States can pass or update bottle return regulations to achieve much higher levels of return for reuse or recycling of plastics of all beverage bottles including alcohol. At the Federal level a wholesale tax should be explored on plastic packaging intended to be shipped by Amazon, FedEx, etc. This will cause their engineers to come up with better methods and packaging designs.
 
Design a framework of regulation, based on the best science to identify the most biologically harmful “forever chemicals” used in plastic formulations. The choice of these should be a combination of the most harmful and most widespread. With some of these chemicals just now being regulated by the EPA in water supplies, why not slow down the new plastics entering the system in the front end along trying to remove them at water treatment plants.
 
How can we persuade the plastic industry lobbying group that originally designed the system defined the recycling “triangle” coding to change it to accurately reflect which plastics are truly recyclable? They should remove the designation as recyclable for those that may be technically recyclable, but which are largely not recycled due to cost and demand for their down cycled product. Originally devised in 1988 by The Society of the Plastics Industry (now known as the Plastics Industry Association), this system is very misleading because although it may be technically possible to recycle the items designated with a triangle number, for some of those plastic types it’s not economical to do so. This makes it even more costly for municipal waste and recycling processes to cope with.
 
In our personal spending we can try to buy items with less plastic packaging, especially of the single-use kind. And explore the emerging trend of patronizing refillaries. A refillary is a shop that sells products by weight or volume into the customers’ own reusable containers. Examples today in Newburyport include Green House, a shop on Water St with carries products like body wash, soaps, hair and beauty products as well as household cleaning products. The use of a refillary saves the world from those oversized throw away detergent jugs or shampoo bottles which are not economic to recycle. A parallel concept for beverage bottle reuse is to buy your beer from local craft brewers in glass growler jugs either your own which you bring into the brewery to refill or one of their returnable for a re-fill jug. These growlers make great birthdays or other gifts for friends and family who are beer drinkers, for example on Father’s Day. 
 
So as this an idea to use this week, why not consider giving a ‘thank you’ gift to your mom or sister of personal care or beauty products from a refillary or stop buy your favorite local brew pub and ask about growlers as a Father’s Day gift. And talk up plastics reduction ideas and maybe share this article to your Facebook friends. And remember to do something today to “Make Every Day Earth Day”.

ACES youth corps and team members invite you to stay updated by subscribing to our monthly newsletter via the “Subscribe to Updates” link on this website. Please consider joining our community of environmentally minded neighbors and let us know your thoughts or ideas ON REDUCING PLASTIC by using the CONTACT page on this website. Together we can make a BIG difference!

This column first appeared in The Daily News of Newburyport on April 25, 2024.

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ACES EARTH DAY EVENT

Sunday, April 21, 2024

12:00– 3:00pm

No Rain Date ……. Mother Earth is on our side with a Sunny Day

PROGRAM DETAILS

Time Start      Time End        ‍

12:00               12:10             ACES Kickoff – Welcome and Opening Remarks by Art Currier

12:10               12:15             Announcement of all participating organizations

12:15               12:20              Introduce Master of Ceremonies, Kristine Malpica, of Imagine Studios

12:20               2:00               Live Music Performances

                                              Music with Earth Day/Environmental Theme

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Shout-out Recognition to the 18 Participating Organizations and any special activity going on at their tables

12:20               3:00                 “Give a Hand for Environmental Action” -- Make Every Day Earth Day 2024

                                               Hand drawing on 12-foot canvas. Christmas tree seedling “give-away.”

2:00                 2:30                 Speeches by elected officials and Forever Green Newburyport 2024

2:45                 3:00                 ACES Closing Remarks

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS

ACES

C-10

City of Newburyport Recycling, Energy & Sustainability

Coastal Trails Coalition

First Parish Church of Newbury Food Pantry

Imagine Studios

Maple Crest Farm

Merrimack Valley Planning Commission

Newburyport Livable Streets

Our Neighbor’s Table

Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

Repair Café Newburyport

Resilient Newburyport

Small Solutions/Big Ideas

Storm Surge

Port Parks Alliance

Merrimack River Watershed Council

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This is one in a continuing series of educational columns about fostering environmental stewardship and leadership coordinated by ACES -- the Alliance of Climate and Environmental Stewards.

Vogue magazine’s April 9th edition features an article titled “Everything You Need to Know About Earth Day 2024."
 
It recounted that Earth Day was the brainchild of US senator and environmentalist Gaylord Nelson, following a big oil spill in 1969 off the California coast near Santa Barbara. He came up with the idea of having college teach-ins to highlight the importance of clean air and water, with April 22 chosen as a convenient date between Spring Break and finals. An interesting poetic angle of its "origin story" is that Saint [Santa] Barbara was the patroness saint of firemen, firework makers, mathematicians, lighting and chemical engineers. Ironically all of these can be relevant to environmental discourse today.
 
Creating Earth Day was a brilliant and potent move with the first event in 1970 leading to an astonishing 20 million people participating. It was so big that by the end of that year President Richard Nixon, ever as astute politician, created the Environmental Protection Agency in December 1970, as well as signing of the Clean Air Act. 
 
Has it really worked? Don’t we still see bigger and more frequent storms, rising seas and more flooding? And what about and more industrial pollution and plastic microfibers than ever in our lives  

Yes! It has worked and will continue working as long as people bring their attention back to it. Worldwide meetings of nations like the COP 28, and Prince William’s Earth Shot Prize continue the push. So do major donors like Microsoft founder Bill Gates’ massive grants, especially on Africa. Reductions in automobile noxious gas emissions have been making strides each year, even more so as hybrids and EVs have emerged. And recent polls suggest that more than 30% of Americans are trying to cut back on their purchase and use of plastics. And more than that think there is too much plastic waste and its resulting pollution in our lives. 

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But - there is always a but - lots more needs doing. That's where we come in. By "we" I mean humans and our lands and resident wildlife. We can re-wild our earth and make it a healthier and more prosperous place if we band together and think about, and do, innovative things. Things like planting pollinator gardens, insulating our homes better, creating community gardening spaces, and eliminating as many single use plastic applications as possible. 

It's a hopeful thing that humans are rallying around the globe. According to Deloitte’s Sustainable Consumer research of 2,000 UK adults, four out of five UK consumers adopted more sustainable lifestyle choices during COVID-19 pandemic. 85% of consumers adopted at least one lifestyle change to be more sustainable, with a third considered “highly engaged”. That's up 17 percentage points from before the pandemic. Three-fifths of consumers reduced their single-use plastic usage, while two-fifths are buying fewer new goods than they were a year ago, driven by Gen-Z and younger Millennials. A third of consumers look for brands with strong sustainable and ethical credentials.

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Our collective “Earth Work" seems to be paying off. Let’s keep it up. Let’s try to do something every single day to make a difference. It's time for hope and hard work, not resentment and resignation. Let’s celebrate East Day together.

ACES youth corps and team members invite you to stay updated by subscribing to our monthly newsletter via the “Subscribe to Updates” tab on this website. Please consider joining our community of environmentally minded neighbors and let us know your thoughts or ideas to help MAKE EVERY DAY EARTH DAY at: acesnewburyport@gmail.com

‍Together we can make a difference!

This column first appeared in The Newburyport Daily News on April 19, 2024.

It’s no ‘bull’ to say that climate and the environment has been getting a lot of attention locally. With Plum Island closing entry and exit during last week’s storm and Salisbury Beach appearing on the CBS national news as a poster child for sea level rise with waves cresting over the sand and down alongside Tripoli’s Pizza, we have seen clear evidence of our dire situation.
 
Newburyport considering moving its Ward 1 Plum Island satellite voting venue onto the mainland suggests that at least for that location a strategic retreat seems sensible. With insurance companies raising rates and FEMA toughening its standards, coastal communities like ours need to begin thinking about this issue, even if it’s twenty-five or more years down the road.
 
Climate has been on the minds of scientists and nature lovers for years, but lately it’s catching the attention of planning boards and public safety officials. Many states are making climate care part of formal government efforts.
 
But this Earth Day weekend, it’s all about celebrating our lives together on this beautiful blue and green planet. Join ACES and seventeen other environmental groups on Sunday, April 21, from noon to 3 PM at the Market Square Bullnose in Newburyport for a story, information sharing and learning how to get involved. Folks from Maple Crest Farm, Merrimack Valley Planning Commission, Newburyport Livable Streets, Our Neighbors Table, First Parish Church of Newbury Food Pantry, Nourishing the North Shore, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, C-10, Merrimack River Watershed Council, Coastal Trails Coalition, Small Solutions/Big Ideas, Storm Surge, Port Parks Alliance and the Repair Café of Newburyport will be on hand. Also meet members of the Governor's Academy Green Team and the City of Newburyport Sustainability Office.

There will be live music provided by Imagine Studios, and maybe even a sing-a-long. You’ll also hear informally from some of our local elected officials including Newburyport Mayor Reardon, Amesbury Mayor Gove, officials from surrounding communities, Representative Dawn Shand, and Senator Bruce Tarr.See what you can do locally to help the cause. Whether you are a long-time resident or new to the area, come on down and maybe meet a few new like-minded friends. And bring the kids or grandkids along. After all, caring for the planet is about protecting their future and personally making every day Earth Day. It’s an opportunity to gather and connect as a community around shared values of caring for the Earth. So come on down to the celebration on Sunday, have some fun, meet others, sing along and find out how you can Make Every Day Earth Day. But that’s not all the Earth Day activity happening this week! Learn about the energy savings technology of Heat Pumps on Thursday night at the FRSUU Green Team sponsored “Heat Pump Party-Technology, Rebates/Incentives, Costs and Experience.”On Saturday Storm Surge sponsors the timely “Riding Tides - Visualizing Cashman Park Coastline Change,” Climate Cafe sponsors “Treading Dangerous Waters,” and Image Studios presents “One World Earth Day Benefit."

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Other events taking place on Sunday are the Blue Ocean Society “Plum Island Beach Cleanup” and the “10th Annual Earth Port Film Festival.” Details of these and other year-round environmental events are available at: https://www.aces-alliance.org/events Elizabeth Marcus and Ben Iacono are co-leaders of the 2024 ACES based Earth Day Celebration.

ACES youth corps and team members invite you to stay updated by subscribing to our monthly newsletter via the “Subscribe to Updates” link on this websitePlease consider joining our community of environmentally minded neighbors and let us know your thoughts or ideas to help MAKE EVERY DAY EARTH DAY by using the CONTACT page on this website. Together we can make a difference!

This column first appeared in The Daily News of Newburyport on April 12, 2024.

Editor’s note: This is one in a continuing series of educational columns about fostering environmental stewardship and leadership coordinated by ACES — the Alliance of Climate and Environmental Stewards.

by Richard K. Lodge

Consider the oyster. These mollusks do a great job filtering seawater of pollutants, sifting through as much as 50 gallons of water a day. The benefits continue even after they’ve been harvested, shucked, and devoured. Dump their shells on the sea floor and tiny young oysters can attach and grow to full size – all within a few years’ time.

Once small oysters attach to a hard surface they stay put. As they grow, they clean the water through their constant siphoning, and as a bonus, the shell reefs help stabilize the sea bottom and tamp down the power of the sea. The reefs continue to grow, not only supporting newly spawned oysters but also self-sustaining populations of mussels, snails and other marine life. Developing an oyster reef as part of a shoreline protection plan isn’t a novel idea. Newburyport’s 2020 Climate Resiliency Plan suggests the city work with Mass. Audubon to “design and implement a living shoreline demonstration project on the Audubon property.” That living shoreline would involve an oyster reef.

In recent years the non-profit Massachusetts Oyster Project has helped set up oyster upwellers – baby oyster incubators — in Gloucester, Marblehead, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Hyannis and Nantucket. Another upweller is planned this summer in Yarmouth Port. An upweller is a compact system of buckets and PVC tubing powered by a small pump to grow oyster seed, called spat. The pump pulls water from the ocean up through the bucket and tubing system, then back into the ocean. The spat feed on the plankton in the circulating sea water and filter out pollutants.

The seed oysters, which start out the size of red pepper flakes, live in the upweller all summer and grow to about an inch in length by the fall. At that point, the Oyster Project works with the state Division of Marine Fisheries to choose a good spot to “plant” the oysters – including Gloucester’s Mill River – where they can grow and help stabilize the seafloor. The Oyster Project runs another program to collect shells left over from shucking at restaurants south of Boston and even from the Annual Oysterfest in Newburyport. The shells are dumped in outdoor storage areas where they bake in the sun for a year to remove impurities and prepare for their next act. The shells then are returned to the ocean floor around Wellfleet and Nantucket where young oysters and other sea creatures attach themselves and help build new reefs.

A shell collection project can be totally separate from the upweller program, but it’s easy to see how both undertakings can have big payoffs for the environment. When it comes to raising oysters, the Newburyport waterfront dock could be a good location for an oyster upweller and offer thousands of visitors the opportunity to see an aquaculture project in action. An upweller can illustrate how oysters improve water quality and bolster oyster populations while contributing to shoreline stabilization. Upwellers can educate the public and serve as a great maritime teaching tool.

Raising baby oysters on the Newburyport waterfront would help filter out some of the toxins that drift downriver in combined sewer overflows.

A shell recycling program might fit well into Greater Newburyport, as well, if a suitable flat holding area could be located. With at least a dozen restaurants in a 10-mile radius of Newburyport shucking thousands of oysters every season, a shell recycling program could be a great way to put the shells to use growing new oyster reefs instead of sending them to a landfill.

When you consider the oyster, think about how we might work with it to improve the water flowing into the Atlantic and the coastline we all treasure. For more information visit: https://massoyster.org/. Richard K. Lodge retired as editor of The Daily News at the end of 2021. He lives in Newburyport and can be reached at richardklodge@gmail.com. ACES youth corps and team members invite you to stay updated by subscribing to our monthly newsletter via the “Stay Informed” link on this website. Please consider joining our community of environmentally minded neighbors and let us know your thoughts or ideas to help MAKE EVERY DAY EARTH DAY at acesnewburyport@gmail.com

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It’s less than a month until Earth Day on April 22nd and this year’s theme is “Planet vs Plastics.” The organizers of Earth Day at earthday.org are seeking a global reduction of plastic production by 60% by 2040, a hard goal but according to the research, a necessary one.
 
The danger from all the plastic in our lives is clear. Plastics at the scale and in the places we encounter them pose a significant health threat. 
 
Micro-plastics, tiny fragments from plastic items, have been shown to be inhaled or ingested into our bodies. These particles inhibit bodily functioning in a variety of ways from lung function to intestinal processes. The chemicals used in producing plastics, including from oil drilling and gas fracking, have proven to cause cancer.
 
Many complex chemicals that make plastics more rigid or flexible, transparent or opaque, shaped into objects or woven into cloth are carcinogens that can modify hormone balance. Known as endocrine disruptors, these chemicals interfere with fertility and gestation, often leading to Infertility and possible long-term damage to babies. Male sexual functioning and male fertility are also vulnerable to exposure to these plastic compounds, since male sexual development from womb to adulthood relies on a fine balance of hormones.
 
We are further impacted by plastic severely damaging ocean ecosystems and harming fish populations. We’ve seen the terrible pictures of seabirds, turtles and whales tangled in plastic debris ranging from plastic ropes to plastic six pack collars. This threatens coastal livelihoods and more importantly, reduces food for humans.
 
New research has found that microplastics can accumulate inside major organs, like the brain and liver of mice. More frightening still, microplastics have been found in human lung tissue, the tissue of human hearts found after surgery, and the urinary and gastrointestinal systems of a sample of young people aged 16–35 years. 
 
According to Kathleen Rogers, the President of EarthDay.org, “Our reliance on plastics could be the biggest gamble in the story of human health, in history. We are all ingesting and inhaling microplastics. They are everywhere. Are we just hoping they are safe, or is even the remotest possibility they might be toxic so terrifying, that we can’t contemplate it?”  

So, what can one person do about this? Start by paying attention to the packaging of what you buy. Purchase items in cardboard boxes instead of plastic bags. Remember to bring your own reusable grocery shopping bag so you don’t need plastic bags at check out. When you buy produce, put the apples or tomatoes loose in the upper level of the grocery cart so you don’t have to use those plastic roll-down bags. And help spread the word to reduce plastic use. Post your ideas about how to minimize plastics on social media. Urge your friends and followers to reduce plastics use on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram. 
 
Band together. What can four or five neighbors do to reduce plastics in our lives? Why not have your book club, bridge group or work colleagues decide to write to officials to stop buying single use plastic bottles for public buildings. Or write to state law makers supporting laws meant to reduce plastic use. If you exercise to maintain your health, talk about the importance of plastic reduction at your pickle ball court or Pilates class, because this is a health issue.  
 
What can businesspeople do to reduce plastics? Start by recognizing that your customers will feel better about your brand if they see you making an effort. Whether you run a small downtown retail store or you are a midlevel manager in a larger firm, challenge yourself and your team to find ways to reduce plastics. Reduce them in the packaging of the supplies you use and in the types of products you sell.
 
Let’s each resolve to do something to reduce plastic use and amplify our efforts by working together for the health of our planet.
 
Our Youth Corps team members ask you to join us and keep up with this very significant challenge and help us reduce plastics in any form. If you’d like to share ideas, drop us a note at aces-alliance@gmail.com and we’ll see if we can help you get involved with one of our alliance programs. And sign up for our newsletter to stay in the know about our local environment and opportunities to care and help at https://www.aces-alliance.org.

On March 23, Tinkerhaus Community Makerspace is embarking on a project that encourages sustainability and climate resilience through hands-on experiential learning. We are building bike parking racks and raised planter beds for the community. We are building them to encourage a more sustainable community, a place that makes biking easy and a place that attracts pollinators. But that’s not all… we are building them with local youth so that they will both learn how to build a large, functional item and so they can know the feeling of doing something to make the community more sustainable. This project is aptly called Bikes to Blooms.

We have the plans and measurements. We will order lumber and hardware. We have volunteer teachers with lots of experience and as a makerspace, we have lots of tools. Although we have already started reaching out to local groups that work with youth to recruit interested participants, we still have room for more student workers.

In addition to creating places for people to park their bicycles as they ride through town, we will be building planting boxes for organizations that would like to grow food or flowers. We are offering these to The Huddle, The Tannery, Newburyport Youth Services, houses of worship, the library, etc. If your organization would like to be involved and receive a planting box, please contact us via the information provided.

At a time when the choices we make in our daily lives significantly impact air quality and greenhouse gas emissions, it's important for us to recognize the power of collective action. Through initiatives like the Bikes to Blooms project, members of a community can take meaningful steps towards a greener future. Whether it’s through participating in community projects such as this one, adopting more sustainable habits, or simply spreading the word, every action counts.

Makerspaces like Tinkerhaus serve as communal hubs where individuals can collaborate on projects, sharing tools, ideas, and expertise that might otherwise be out of reach. Tinkerhaus has an intentional green agenda, focusing on the reuse and repurposing of donated materials and tools. The mission of Tinkerhaus is built on three foundational beliefs: the innate human capacity for creativity, the future’s dependence on innovation, and our commitment to fostering a sustainable tomorrow.

Tinkerhaus is located at 3 Graf Road, Newburyport. If you’d like to see what else we have to offer, come for a tour on the third Saturday of the month from 10:30 -12, or email mary@tinkerhaus.org to arrange a time so you can better understand how we support individuals and groups that need tools to work with to develop an envisioned project.

We are fortunate to have the Bikes to Blooms project supported by the generosity of volunteers and through a Community Partner grant from the Resilient Newburyport: Community Action Project. The Community Action Project is a two-year effort organized by the City’s Climate Resiliency Committee whose goal is to strengthen community ties and foster resilience against the impacts of climate change. Reach out to resilientnewburyport@gmail.com or sign up for Resiliency News and Announcements at https://www.cityofnewburyport.com/subscribe to learn more.

All of us can play a part in securing a sustainable and resilient future for Newburyport.

ACES Youth Corps members encourage students to participate in this free and unique project by registering at www.tinkerhaus.org. The initial build event is happening on Saturday, March 23, 2024. In addition, organizations interested in obtaining a Bikes to Bloom bike parking rack or
raised planter bed are encouraged to reach out to mary@tinkerhaus.org.

The City of Newburyport’s Sustainability Office invites Newburyport residents to celebrate the significance of Global Recycling Day as we seek ways to reduce waste throughout the world. Recycling is challenging. What we often think of as recycling is just one small part of a larger process. That process involves several complex and sometimes difficult steps. And, unfortunately, a lot can, and often does, go wrong at any number of those steps, especially for difficult-to-recycle materials like plastic. The production and disposal of plastics generates huge amounts of CO2 emissions and recycling can help in its reduction. Considering that 2023 was the hottest year on record, it’s important now more than ever to do everything that we can to mitigate all climate impacts, especially as a coastal city. Since Newburyporters are already avid recyclers, conscientious about their waste, we are excited to observe a day dedicated to acknowledging international efforts towards sustainability on March 18. Here in our small, sea-side corner, we are fortunate to have a well-functioning, staffed recycling center that offers multiple streams of materials to be recycled. The Recycling Center is located on 23A Colby Farm and can be utilized by Newburyport residents on Mondays and Thursdays from 12:15 PM to 2:15 PM, as well as the first Saturday of each month from 8 AM to 12 PM. While some plastics are, in fact, difficult to recycle, the Colby Farm Recycling Center has a partnership with a recycling contractor that recycles bulky and rigid plastics. Also, our curbside recycling program that takes food containers, boxes and paper, consistently recycles plastic containers that are labeled 1, 2, and 5. Metal, paper and cardboard all have market value. Glass and metal can be recycled infinitely without losing any quality. If you have any questions or concerns about recycling please call the Recycling Department (978) 499-0413.
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As Matthew Gandy of Evercore Investments notes: “Recycling is more than just a response to the environmental crisis and has assumed a symbolic role in beginning to change the nature of western societies and the culture of consumerism. Indeed, many environmentalists assume that there will be an inevitable shift from our ‘throwaway’ society to a post-industrial ‘recycling’ society of the future.”

It should be acknowledged, however, that the byproduct of plastic recycling is not considerable enough to be the be-all and end-all solution to the plastic waste crisis. We are surrounded by plastic, so much so that it would be difficult for the average person to simply cut all plastic out of their life. While we must do our part in trying to reduce our use of plastics, it is equally important to voice our concerns to local governments and to hold plastic producers accountable.

The city is fortunate to have an extensive recycling center which allows us to recycle many products including textiles, tires, any electronics, all metals, bulk plastics in any form, Styrofoam, antifreeze, motor and cooking oil and even mattresses. Recycling can be a powerful tool when used optimally. So on March 18th, please join all stewards and the city for a day dedicated to recognizing the value of recycling.
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Jessica is a Sustainability Assistant in the Newburyport's Sustainability Office who may be reached at JPierce@cityofnewburyport.

Youth Corps members recommend that you consider the positive impact of recycling all qualifying waste every day. You can subscribe to ACES' monthly newsletter by clicking on the "Subscribe to Updates" tab on this page. Please consider sending any ideas you have on recycling and its contribution to our planet’s climate and environment's health at acesnewburyport@gmail.com.

Warmer weather and longer days. For many of us, spring means lighter jackets, the welcome chance to take a late-afternoon walks, and eager anticipation for summer beach days ahead. For the more than 350 species of migratory birds in the Western hemisphere, it means just one thing: time to go.

Increasing day length cues long-distance migrants to depart wintering grounds in Central and South America, embarking on epic journeys to summer breeding grounds that span continents, cross oceans, and total many thousands of miles. And that’s just a one-way trip.     

One group stands out as the undisputed superstars of the migration world. Shorebirds hold the record for longest nonstop flight (an 11-day, 8,435-mile jaunt from Alaska to Tasmania by a Bar-tailed Godwit) and longest total migration of any animal (a pole-to-pole trek of 25,000 miles annually for the Arctic Tern).  

How do they do it, you might ask?  When it’s time to migrate, several adaptations kick in. They pack on fat to use as fuel, often doubling their bodyweight. They also bulk up the size of their flight muscles, heart, and lungs, while temporarily shrinking other organs, like the stomach.

Just as crucially, migrating shorebirds need something else: ‘stopover sites’, or places along their migratory route where they can stop to rest, feed, and build up the fuel reserves necessary to continue flying. That’s where Parker River National Wildlife Refuge comes into play.  

Parker River NWR was established to provide feeding, resting, and nesting habitat for migratory birds. The refuge protects 4,500 acres within the Great Marsh, a designated Site of Regional Importance of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network. Last year, a survey undertaken in the Great Marsh recorded 9,000 shorebirds of 22 different species.

Many people associate the refuge with its most well-known shorebird visitor, the piping plover. This sandy-colored bird ventures north from its Caribbean winter home to nest on beaches across the North Atlantic each summer. But the refuge is also a critical stopover site for many other shorebird species which breed much farther north in the Canadian Arctic. These birds rely on Parker River’s safe and bountiful habitat to give them refuge along their journey.

Of all the shorebirds who stop over at ParkerRiver, the most abundant is the semipalmated sandpiper. Weighing less than a slice of bread, they migrate thousands of miles between South America and the Arctic tundra. Preliminary studies suggest that in the fall, semipalmated sandpipers stop over at the refuge for 2-3 weeks before undertaking trans-oceanic flights of 2,500 miles to the northern coast of South America.

Without protected stopover sites like ParkerRiver, this millennia-old feat could come to an end, not just for sandpipers, but for hundreds of other species, too. Shorebird populations are declining, and many species have lost over 50% of their population in the last three decades.

The biggest threats these populations face are loss of stopover habitat and human disturbance which cause shorebirds to alter their normal behavior, preventing them from successfully migrating and raising their young. There’s a silver lining though. Part of what makes shorebirds vulnerable - their tendency to concentrate at just a few stopover sites along their route - might be the key to helping them. If we can safeguard these essential sites, shorebirds may have a chance.

We are just one stop on a shorebird’s incredible journey: a link in a chain that spreads across two continents. As local stewards of this important habitat, every one of us can make a difference for shorebirds by respecting closed beaches, taking care to walk around flocks of resting and feeding birds, and choosing to leave dogs at home or bring them to designated dog-friendly beaches.

Author Madelyn Kaplin is a member of Biology and Visitor Services teams at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge; she can be reached at madelyn_kaplin@fws.gov.

ACES Youth Corps members hope that you will appreciate the shorebirds you see and their contribution to the beauty of this area. Please share any reflective thoughts by writing to acesnewburyport@gmail.com.

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On March 3rd, the world will celebrate UN World Wildlife Day including many local organizations that make a difference in the lives of species that live here or migrate through the amazing Great Marsh.

Even though there are many species of plants and animals being diminished by climate change, deforestation, and habitat fragmentation, some good news is that others are afforded food and safety by local farms, parks, forests, and wetlands. And thanks to timely action, there are several important species that are also rebounding, like the Eagles now soaring over the Merrimack. 
 
Luckily, local and migratory wildlife are being supported by numerous stewardship organizations, including several ACES Allies. For instance, the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge and its Friends, Greenbelt, Audubon, and The Trustees all hold and preserve multiple different habitats for wildlife. Edible Avenue and Pollinator PowerWorks help create native plant gardens for butterflies, bees, and birds along with the native plant species themselves. Others include local city and town parks departments and Friends of Newburyport Trees (FONT) who advocate for and keep an eye on our trees. In Atkinson Common, there is a recently created multi-species tree infographics path designed by Newburyport HS students, supported by HS staff and ACES’s tree walk program. 
 
Thanks to the Clean Water Act of 1972 and programs of conservation groups like the Ipswich River Watershed Association, The Parker River Clean Water Association and others, the water so vital to many of our local species has strong advocates. The Merrimack River Watershed Council is now working in MA and NH to improve the health of the river. Atlantic sturgeon, a fish once close to local extinction, had dwindled to small numbers of juveniles on the gravel beds near Haverhill but are now on the increase.
 
The rebound of wild turkeys is also evident throughout the region. Just last week, urban Brookline adopted the wild turkey as its town mascot. It took a long time but now turkeys are back following their near total eradication in Massachusetts throughout in the 1800’s. Starting in 1972, the MA Division of Fisheries and Wildlife working with the University of Massachusetts received permission to capture wild turkeys in New York state and release them into Massachusetts. A total of 37 birds were released in 1972-1973 and look what we have now. 

Historically, wherever the early settlers found squirrels, wolves, deer, or turkeys, they hunted them for food or for sport. Along with clearcutting for farmland and timber, many wildlife habitats were often eliminated. According to the Atlantic Magazine, the squirrels were the first to return in the mid-19th century, when Boston, New Haven, and Philadelphia released small numbers of squirrels on to their commons.
 
The world’s wildlife is not just defined by panda cubs in China or elephants in Africa. Wildlife can literally be found in your backyard. New England even has its own named whale species offshore in the Gulf of Maine, the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), whose name means big winged New Englander. So, on March 3rd, why not think a bit about wildlife both the animals and plants in our own back yards, parks and nearby beaches and ocean. Maybe take your camera along one of the Coastal Trails Coalition’s trails or into Maudslay State Park and take some pictures. Or maybe take a pencil and note book to write about or sketch what you see. Our wildlife are a great gift to all humans and they are worth celebrating and protecting.
 
Our Youth Corps team members ask that if you’d like to do more to preserve and protect wildlife, drop us a note at aces-alliance@gmail.com and we’ll see if we can help you get involved with one of our alliance programs. And sign up for our newsletter to stay in the know about our local environment and opportunities to care and help by clicking on the Subscribe to Updates tab found on this page.

One of the joys of working in education is that each year has predictable touchstones. At my school, The Governor’s Academy in Byfield, summer brings the close of another academic year, and fall brings the opportunity for a fresh start. I’ve never felt that “fall energy” more keenly than this past September, when I stood at the doors at the new Bill ’67 and Peter ’71 Alfond Coastal Research Center and welcomed students. It wasn’t just the first day of school; it was a new beginning for the academic program.

The Governor’s Academy is the oldest boarding school in New England, with centuries of tradition. When I was hired in 2018 as a science teacher, I was worried that the school’s pedagogies might be more in-line with the 19th century than the 21st. I’m glad to say I couldn’t have been more wrong.

When I arrived, the school was planning a new facility on the banks of the Parker River, with a focus on the Great Marsh. Having grown up in this ecosystem, I started sketching out projects that would give my biology classes reasons to use the new research center. Only a few years later, when the Alfond Center became a reality, I was asked to take on the role of the Inaugural Director of the Bass Institute. As the intellectual center of experiential teaching and research initiatives at Governor’s, the Bass Institute is at the forefront of an educational philosophy I am deeply invested in: place-based learning.

Our student body is from near and far–from Byfield to Beijing. No matter their background, students will use a certain location – in this case, the Great Marsh and the communities around it – to generate questions, create partnerships, and ultimately dig deeply into ideas that have implications far beyond our little corner of the world.

What does this look like in practice? In the six months since we opened the Alfond Center, we’ve been busy trying to answer that question. We’ve partnered with ACES, the Alliance of Climate and Environmental Stewards, to help bring their message of “Every Day is Earth Day” to our students. Our students were able to host a meeting with the ACES board, sharing their vision of youth environmental leadership. We’ve partnered with the Museum of Ould Newbury to host a day-long open conference, “History and Cultures of the Great Marsh.” Just today, I met with a group of students about creating a nature walk on campus, sent emails about a potential Parker River Action Day, and oversaw an evening boat-building class with the owner of Lowell’s Boat Shop.

Why do I believe in place-based learning? During their Ecology Unit, our ninth grade biology students caught mummichogs, identified plants, and reviewed data on invasive species with scientists from Mass Audubon. Afterward, one of my local students told me that although she initially had never noticed the invasive plant Phragmites, now she was seeing it everywhere. “My dad didn’t even know what it was, but I told him all about it!” she said triumphantly. She had moved from passively learning about something abstract - invasive species - to figuring out how they were affecting her hometown.

This interaction is a perfect example of how digging more deeply into a place can empower students to start conversations, educate others, and sharpen their observations of the world around them. To paraphrase Professor David Sobel, an advocate of place-based education, we must teach students to care about a place before we ask them to protect it.

The students and the adults in our community still have a lot of learning and experimentation ahead of us. I am excited to continue digging deeply into this place that we all call home. Erika Mitkus is the Director of the Bass Institute at Governor’s Academy and can be reached at emitkus@govsacademy.org
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ACES Youth Corps members hope that you will share any ideas about how we can help more people understand the importance of place and write to acesnewburyport@gmail.com

The newly appointed members bring a wealth of experience and expertise to their respective roles, further strengthening ACES’ commitment to fostering community engagement and sustainability initiatives, according to officials with the organization.

The newly appointed board members are:

Ian Hickok joins ACES as vice president with a background in community via renewable energy adoption. His passion for fostering inclusive communities and his dedication to social justice will play a pivotal role in advancing ACES’ mission and objectives by advocating for clean energy deployment, according to ACES officials.

Treasurer Ben Iacono brings extensive nonprofit leadership experience to ACES, having served in various volunteer fundraising capacities for more than a decade. His strategic insight and commitment to the mission and to fiscal responsibility will guide ACES’ financial operations toward long-term sustainability and growth, according to ACES officials.

Clerk Deborah Baker brings a wealth of administrative and cultural organization experience. Her attention to detail and commitment to transparent governance will ensure that ACES operates efficiently and effectively in pursuit of its goals, the organization said.

Christopher Rains will lead ACES’ communication efforts by bringing extensive experience in communication strategies and tactics from the health care industry. Rains’ approach to communication strategies will enhance ACES’ outreach efforts and amplify its impact in the community.

“We are thrilled to welcome Ben, Ian, Deb and Chris to the ACES team,” ACES President Art Currier said. “Their diverse backgrounds and collective expertise will be instrumental in advancing our mission of promoting community engagement and sustainability, while at the same time they add youth and diversity to our board. We look forward to their contributions as we work together to create positive momentum to environmental and climate action in Greater Newburyport.”

ACES is a nonprofit organization in the Greater Newburyport area. In addition to writing a weekly column for The Daily News, it works with communities of stewards to create a more sustainable planet by connecting and amplifying local organizations and people. For more information: aces-alliance.org/ or mail P.O. Box 281, Newburyport, MA 01950.

"Whooooosh!" a massive white column of air and water droplets rose from the ocean. Soon, a dark, shiny back appeared, followed by the graceful lift of an enormous tail. "Pinball!" our Director of Research shouted. It was early May 2023. We were the first to witness the return of this well-known humpback whale to our waters, accompanied by her new calf. Humpback whales are one of several species that visit our local waters, and they are vital to keeping this ecosystem healthy. We have
studied Pinball since we started our research in the late 1990s. Seeing her with this new member of the population was especially exciting. They had migrated from the warm waters of the Turks and Caicos, where the calf was born.
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As Pinball and her calf swam up the coast, they navigated around ships and fishing gear, maneuvering through noisy zones that could disrupt their communication and navigation. Once in the Gulf of Maine, they still had to contend with pollution, fishing gear, and commercial and recreational vessels, all while looking for prey. The calf could still depend on her mother for milk, but Pinball had to eat several tons of fish per day.
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Whales play a crucial role in ocean health. They feed on fish underwater but release waste at the surface. That waste contains nutrients that fuel the rest of the ocean food web in a cycle called "the whale pump." The nutrients fuel the growth of phytoplankton, the base of the ocean food web. Healthy
whale populations lead to an increase in ocean health.
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The Gulf of Maine is one of the world's fastest-warming water bodies. Changing temperatures impact the distribution of whales and other marine life. But whales themselves can combat these changes. Whales store carbon in their bodies. When they die, they sink to the ocean bottom, taking the carbon with them—more whales = less carbon in the atmosphere. Protecting whales can lead to a healthier planet for all of us.
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World Whale Day on February 18 is a timely reminder of the whales that visit our local waters, and the need to protect them. Humpback whales are spending more time here in recent years, and they are coming closer to shore. Another visitor is the fin whale. They are the second-largest species in the world, and incredibly graceful given their length of 60-70 feet. The minke whale, a smaller species at 20-30 feet, is another common visitor. Atlantic white-sided dolphins, common dolphins, and porpoises are also seen. Occasionally, we are lucky to see rarer species like the North Atlantic right whale.
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The Save the Whales movement in the 1970s helped, but they are not saved yet. Whales still face threats from human actions. The North Atlantic right whale, with a population numbering around 360 animals, has felt the brunt of these actions despite concerted efforts to help them. We all must work together to find ways for humans and whales to coexist in the ocean. When this happens, we all benefit.
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How to Help Whales:
 When boating in the ocean, travel slowly and watch for whales. Reel in fishing lines when whales are nearby.

 Do not litter. Reduce your use of plastic where possible.

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 Buy local.
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 Ask your representatives to support more robust protections for whales. These include supporting research, funding for the fishing industry to develop and test new gear technologies, and supporting and enforcing vessel speed limits in areas where whales congregate.
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 Volunteer for conservation organizations.
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Jennifer Kennedy is the Executive Director of the Blue Ocean Society and can be reached at jen@blueoceansociety.org.
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Youth Corps members recommend that you stay informed about such important stewardship issues as the vital role of whales in our ecosphere via ACES months newsletter at https://www.aces-alliance.org/ Please consider joining our community of environmentally minded neighbors and let us know your thoughts on your ideas to help our planet’s climate and environments health at acesnewburyport@gmail.com

In the heart of the greater Newburyport area, a poignant analogy unfolds this Valentine's Day, prompting us to contemplate the condition of the Earth we're leaving for the generations yet to come. Imagine, if you will, inheriting not just any house, but your dream home—the embodiment of your deepest desires. The moment the deed and keys are in your possession, a rush of emotions floods over you. However, as you arrive at your dream home, the reality is starkly different; it's dilapidated, falling apart, and the yard is in shambles. Is this truly a gift or an unexpected curse? Did the previous owner genuinely care about your happiness? Now, reverse the scenario in your mind's eye. Envision arriving at your dream home, and to your delight, it's exactly as you envisioned—pristine, meticulously maintained, and a true reflection of your desires.

The stark contrast in these scenarios serves as a metaphor for the Earth we are bequeathing to the next generations.

This Valentine’s Day let's extend our thoughts beyond the traditional expressions of love. Instead, let's consider the planet we call home. Are we, as custodians of this Earth, maintaining it with the same care we would bestow upon our dream home? Are we doing everything within our power to ensure that when the next generation receives the metaphorical keys to our planet, it's a beautiful, manicured, and well-cared-for environment? Chocolates and roses may be delightful for a day, but the Earth is here to stay. The gift weprovide to future generations is not merely a tangible possession but the very environment that sustains life. Just as a neglected house may evoke feelings of disappointment and neglect, an Earth left in disarray could leave an indelible mark on the well-being of those who inherit it. It's crucial to recognize that the actions we take today reverberate into the future, our children’s future. Our ecological footprint, the choices we make in resource consumption, and the policies for which we advocate, all play a role in shaping the Earth that our children and grandchildren will inherit. This Valentine's Day, let's pledge to be better stewards of our planet, showing it the love and care it deserves.

The greater Newburyport area, with its natural beauty and coastal charm, serves as a microcosm of the larger global community facing environmental challenges. Local initiatives promoting sustainability, conservation, and eco-friendly practices are essential steps toward ensuring that our region remains a beacon of responsible living for generations to come.

As we exchange tokens of affection on this Valentine's Day, let's also reflect on the gift we are leaving for our descendants. The Earth is the ultimate inheritance, and our actions today determine whether it becomes a cherished legacy or a burdensome challenge. Beyond the transient pleasures of chocolates, let our love extend to the very ground we walk on, ensuring that it remains a sanctuary for all who call it home.

This insight on “The Gift of Earth for Future Generations” was written by ACES BOD Member and vice president Ian Hickock. He can be reached at ianhickok.aces@gmail.com Our Youth Corps members hope that you will share any ideas about how we can help more people demonstrate their love for the earth and fight for a better environment at acesnewburyport@gmail.com

ACES and our Allies are always looking for ways to inform ourselves and the broader community about climate and environmental issues. How exactly to do that is an ongoing effort. First, collectively, we all have an interest in specific topics in such a wide ecosystem of issues. And we individually and as groups follow those interests and try to communicate key take aways.
 
For instance C10, our regional nuclear power watch dog, pays careful attention to evolving governmental regulations, utility filings, and maybe most importantly radiation levels in our ‘evacuation zone’ as neighbors of Seabrook Nuclear plant. Meanwhile ACES’ Ally, the Merrimack River Watershed Council follows sewer overflow reports and participates in regional planning and advocacy effort.
 
As individuals in the community at large, you can help learn about and focus on specific areas that most interest you. You can start by reading our local and national newspapers and magazines, books and blogs about the environment. You can listen to podcast and follow ones you find helpful.
 
If you live out of the area or travel frequently but want to stay locally connected to climate issues, you can subscribe online to follow our columns in the Newburyport Daily News and other environmental news, sign up for our newsletters like ACES and Bill Sargent’s excellent daily news and noteworthy environmental items in his Substack publication “Notes From and Environmentalist” at williamsargent.substack.com “He's always informative and interesting as the following  excerpt displays:
 
“Let me be perfectly clear. I think removing the Ipswich dam will be a good; good for the river, good for alewives and good for the millions of fresh water fish and invertebrates that perish every day when they plunge over the dam into salt water. But the recent floods have shown us that removing the dam is not risk free. Just as the proponents of removing the dam can’t prove that it won’t damage the Choate Bridge, opponents can’t prove that it will. This is simply one of the limitations of science, that you can’t prove a negative. “
 
Nationally and internationally you might want to check out Yale Climate Connections a valuable online source with context and commentary https://yaleclimateconnections.org/ . And if you if you are desiring a more comprehensive list, here are 54 of the best sources from George Washington University https://onlinepublichealth.gwu.edu/resources/sources-for- climate-news/
 

Meanwhile you can take action in simple ways such as this tip from IFAW an international animal preservation non-profit.
 
“What you can do about eliminating plastic for our lives: 
 
1.Choose a day to track all of the disposable plastic that you use from morning to night.

2.After you’ve written a list, research and choose sustainable alternatives made out of material like wood, glass, or natural fibers. 

3.Replacement items could include reusable produce bags for bulk shopping, travel utensils to keep in your car, or reusable snack baggies - the list is endless. 

4.For times when you do purchase plastic, always recycle and do it correctly. Make sure you wash containers before throwing them in the bin and familiarize yourself with local recycling protocols.
 
Respecting that “Every Day is Earth Day”, reflective thought followed by action is truly needed as inaction leads to nothing improving. These issues are too important to ignore. Inform yourself and act in your own way and in your own families to help the Earth. You can also stay informed via ACES' months newsletter at https://www.aces-alliance.org/ Please consider joining our community of environmentally minded neighbors and let us know your thoughts on your ideas to help make this a reality at acesnewburyport@gmail.com

Given the evidence of wildfires in Hawaii and California, hurricanes in Florida, and recent storm surge right here in Hampton, NH, it’s easy to be fatalistic about the state of our planet. Yet as we pivot from 2023 into 2024, environmentalists’ overall assessment about climate and th environment may be shifting in a more positive direction.
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Globally, COP28 marked the first time almost every nation committed to phasing our fossil fuel use, the primary driver of global warming and climate change. According to the Yale University “Climate Connections,” 2023 represented something of a turning point in CO2 emissions with Europe and the US emitting less than before. China emitted a bit more, but showed some improvement. Every region of the world is seeing more solar, wind and hydropower along with less coal and oil usage.
 
American farmers are looking forward to Inflation Reduction Act incentives to help them move towards climate friendly agriculture. “Regenerative agriculture” reduces fertilizer use and stores carbon in farmland while replenishing its fertility. These new farming techniques and tools can save money, save water, and save soils while feeding the world.
  
In New England new transmission lines for clean hydroelectric power from Quebec were approved to flow through NH to a new Londonderry substation, providing much needed new grid capacity for New England. That added capacity will allow more EV chargers to be installed along main travel routes throughout our region and beyond.
 
At the state level Melissa Hoffer was appointed to a new cabinet level position by Governor Healey.  While in the Attorney General’s office, Ms. Hoffer led the successful Massachusetts law suit against Exxon Mobile, truly a David vs Goliath endeavor. In the spirit of a true environmentalist, Hoffer spends her spare time raising a small herd of Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats at her farm.
 
In our corner of the state, Salem will see the building of an offshore wind power ‘port,’ hosting facilities to build our clean energy future. And our state and federal legislators, like Congresswoman Lori Trahan and State Senator Bruce Tarr, have individually focused on cleaning up Merrimack River CSOs and helping forestall beach erosion. ACES is grateful for their efforts.
 
Walking around locally, one can see new solar roofs, heat pumps, and new EVs. Even PBS “This Old House” featured a Newburyport residence, which included a driveway EV charging station for the homeowners. And MassSave, which is especially active in Newburyport, continues to offer incentives to insulate houses and install heat pumps.
 

There is still lots to be done. We need to reduce single use plastics from polluting our roadside, beaches and waterways. Hopefully, the upcoming review of the bottle deposit laws by the Massachusetts Legislature will change to deal with plastic juice bottles and nips, that proliferate everywhere. An expansive coalition of environmental groups from all over the state, Plastic Free
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Mass, of which ACES is an active member, was at the State House this past Monday meeting with legislators to emphasize our need to phase out single use plastics especially in bottles. It’s now well studied that plastic micro fragments are being ingested by all of us in our bottled water. We need to ween ourselves from the deceptive but harmful convenience of single use plastic bottles.
 
Overall, 2023 represented a year for positive climate actions around the world and it’s starting to make a difference. Let’s hope 2024 is the pivot year that upcoming generations will note in their history books. Meanwhile, think about making a small donation to ACES to continue the good fight for a better environment on our website www.aces-alliance.org and drop us a note and tell us how you might like to help at acesnewburyport@gmail.com

I follow the news on climate from many different sources because so much is going on which either affects the climate or is affected by the climate and there is a lot to think about. So please consider the following eight topics as a kind of ‘cliff notes’ version of important ideas for 2024. 
 
Let’s start with recycling and the fact only 23% of disposable plastic bottles are being recycled nationwide. Americans use 2,500,000 plastic bottles every hour. That’s enough to circle around the Earth 4 times! We’ve got to reduce plastics waste and improve our recycling, including modernizing the bottle return laws in Massachusetts and including other beverage bottles like juice and nips would help.
 
As a farmer who appreciates the outdoors, maybe consider your next celebratory event in a more environmentally sustainable way. Research shows the average American wedding emits 125,660 pounds of CO2. Plan a backyard or park setting for your wedding and make it sustainable with reusable cups and plates and the composting of unused leftovers. And if you want to plan an environmentally friendly wedding here are some possible ideas from a wedding planning site The Knot, https://www.theknot.com/content/eco-friendly-wedding-guide
 
Also, for a farmer crop loss and resulting financial pressures due to climate induced drought and storms are a factor in the disturbing amount of mental health concerns among agricultural communities. No shame in seeking help when needed, including for farmers and other rural folk.
 
And in the suburbs, we should reconsider lawns and the landscape equipment being used. Lawn care emits nearly 27 million tons of pollutants a year, according to estimates. Just one gas powered leaf blower used for just one hour generates the same volume of emissions as a gasoline powered car driving 1,100 miles. Yikes ! Why are we still using them when there are other options? 
 
We live on the coast so, especially this month, we know coastal flooding and sea levels have risen along due to 90% of the heat unleashed by burning fossil fuels, deforestations and other human activities being absorbed by the oceans. That heat is the engine that spins up hurricanes and storms bigger and faster developing than ever during the human era.
 

My plants on Maple Crest Farm love bees. There are more than 20,000 species of wild bees in the world. They don’t all produce honey, but they are indispensable pollinators of plants, flowers, and crops. We need to support bees with pollinator friendly planting around our homes. An ACES Ally, Pollinator PowerWorks, supports gardens in the Newburyport area so are definitely helping our bees and other pollinators.
 
We all know that wildfires from Hawaii to California have been bad. But we can’t think of them as ‘way out west’ as scientists in Australia found that each year between 2010 and 2019, every person worldwide on average was exposed to almost ten days of wildfire smoke.
 
Not wanting to leave our readers with just the bad news, it’s important to note that there are solutions being actively worked on. For instance, more bees are being supported by ACES' Pollinator PowerWorks gardens in Newburyport, by all those folks in our region who have or are switching to hybrid or all electric cars, or putting solar power on their roofs, or opting into green energy sources, and by efforts in the Massachusetts legislature to improve our bottle return laws. John Elwell is a Retired High School Principal, Maple Crest Farmer, and ACES Board Member who may be reached at johnelwell@verizon.net .
 
It’s a lot to take in but if we all work together, we can begin to push back on climate change. So please consider signing up for ACES' months newsletter at https://www.aces-alliance.org/ and please consider joining our community of environmentally minded neighbors. Let's make next year’s list a little bit more benign and let us know your thoughts on your ideas to make this a reality at acesnewburyport@gmail.com

Even though my children no longer play with toys, I’ve held onto a set of plastic stacking cups I played with as a child. Understandably, my teenage children have no interest in inheriting them. But an even bigger issue concerns me. Whether I save it for my family, donate it, or put it in the bin, my precious plastic toy will never go away – and that’s not a good thing.
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Regardless of how we dispose of it, plastic will not biodegrade. Most plastics can and will break down into smaller pieces. Even without human intervention, wind currents, sunlight, and other natural processes will slowly wear plastic down over hundreds or thousands of years. As plastic breaks down, it releases toxic chemicals and carcinogens into the environment. 
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My stacking cups will eventually break into tiny plastic particles called microplastics. Trillions of these tiny polluting particles – weighing over 2 million tons – float on the surface of the world’s oceans. And these microplastics can actually break down even further. Due to their size, nano plastics can easily infiltrate our bodies through our skin, food, and even the air we breathe.  
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This problem isn’t going away. In the U.S. alone, we produce about 40 million metric tons of plastic annually. And 85% of this plastic will end up as waste in a landfill.  The average person in the U.S. goes through about 156 plastic bottles and 365 disposable bags every year.  Single-use plastic packaging makes up about 40% of all plastic produced. This includes bottles, bags, and containers that, at best, will get used for a few hours before becoming trash.  Simply tossing plastic into the landfill doesn’t solve the problem. Eventually, all landfills leak and leach toxic chemicals into our soil, air, and waterways. Because plastic is not biodegradable, it exacerbates this problem. 
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Incineration is no better. When burned, plastic spews pollutants into the air – causing irreparable harm to the health of our communities. And the remaining ash from incineration ends up in a landfill anyway.  
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Big Beverage companies like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestlé have driven the global plastic pollution crisis for decades, thanks to the single-use bottles they sell their drinks in. Among its strategies to avoid responsibility, Big Beverage has invested millions of dollars to champion inadequate solutions like curbside recycling programs. Despite people’s best efforts, barely 6 % of plastic waste gets recycled annually.  

We have solutions like bottle return programs that help us recycle plastic and other materials effectively and tackle this problem at the root. While recycling can keep some litter out of landfills and incinerators, not everything can be recycled. Plus, the process of recycling bottles and other containers also creates microplastics. These particles expose workers to toxic chemicals and infiltrate our environment through wastewater used to sanitize plastics.  We still have time to switch to more sustainable options, such as refillable containers and reusable packaging. From banning plastic bags in retail to passing bottle deposit bills, these solutions can help us move toward a cleaner future. Let’s reserve plastic for essential purposes – like medical equipment – and work to ditch single-use plastics for good.  It’s time to take action to create the legacy our children and grandchildren deserve to inherit: a clean ocean, communities free from toxic pollution, and a healthy environment where they can achieve their full potential. 
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Mara Shulman is a Senior Attorney for the Conservation Law Foundation’s Zero Waste Project. In this role, she works to advance CLF’s Zero Waste advocacy, litigation, and legislative work in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
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Please join ACES and other environmental groups in sending this message to your legislators soon. Let us know your thoughts on gaining more participation in this important campaign at acesnewburyport@gmail.com and stay up to date by subscribing to our monthly newsletter at https://www.aces-alliance.org/

All those plastic bottles on the road side, in the water and on the beaches are trashy and wasteful and use too much fossil fuel to make. We need to rapidly phase out of plastic bottles for beverages. We need to send a strong message to our law makers, packaging design engineers and major beverage company CEO’s that they must take steps to rapidly phase out the use of plastic beverage bottles.
 
Massachusetts should start with those alcoholic nip bottles that are easily thrown out of car windows and blown out of truck beds everywhere locally. Do they have return deposit on them? Are they heavily recycled? No ! Just the day after Christmas Hartford Currant published that a resident they named has been walking regularly in Bristol for about 18 months, bagging trash along the way, and in that time has picked up more than 60,000 nip bottles. One day she collected 285 of the bottles in four hours. “I thought, ‘Am I the only one picking these up?” she said. “Environmentally this is a major issue.” Yes Cynthia, nips are a major issue and so are single use plastic water bottles.
 
And we are not doing a very good job at recycling those either with only 23% of disposable plastic bottles being recycled nationwide. Americans use 2,500,000 plastic bottles every hour. That’s the equivalent of about 35 billion plastic bottles trashed every year. And the amount of plastic thrown away each year can circle the earth four times.
 
Clearly we need to work harder and prioritize the elimination of single use plastics. They need to be phased out by a combination of return to glass bottles where appropriate, design changes, maybe based on new green chemistry research that makes them compostable somehow, raising the bottle return deposit to 10 cents or more, and enforcing the responsibility of beverage retailers to conveniently accept bottles for recycling. Maybe fresh carrots and stronger sticks are needed. They do work well where implemented. They are effective as shown by NY state. After that state passed its new, stronger, 10 cent bottle deposit law in 2020, NYPIRG [ New York Public Interest Research Group ] estimated road side litter dropped by 70%. We can and should at least as well in Massachusetts.
 
That’s why ACES is strongly supportive of the Plastic Free Mass coalition of numerous environmental groups and public officials, Rep Dawn Shand included, to bring momentum to the passage of an up to date bottle redemption law.  Some of our ACES members will be attending a State House rally in support of a strong bottle law update on January 22nd. Please consider joining the fun. We'll take a train to North Station then walk up to the State House.

 
And ACES urges the public to speak up in support of reducing plastic bottle waste in Massachusetts. And while it won’t completely remedy the plastics waste problem it’s a really good place to start. So consider writing a letter or two and making a phone call to your state Senator and Representative and ask them to help lead the charge to reduce plastic bottle pollution. You can get some ideas of what to say in this example https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LlToxM3umba w9vHNaB_xIfvXSZXwoayNcZZoM5Y-q0/edit
 
There are messages in all those bottles on the roads, in the water, and on our beaches. They all say we are being negligent by letting it continue. And as Taylor Swift wrote and sings on her 2021 Red album, that “Could be the reason you can't sleep at night A message in a bottle is all I can do. Standin' here, hopin' it gets to you.”

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So, join with ACES and other environmental groups in sending this message to your legislators soon. Let us know your thoughts on gaining more participation in this important campaign at acesnewburyport@gmail.com and stay up to date by subscribing to our monthly newsletter at https://www.aces-alliance.org/. Maybe even take a train to Boston for some fun at the State House on Jan 22nd.

The NY Times recently had an article listing their 72 favorite facts for 2023! I enjoyed reading it because with so much going on either effects our climate or is affected by our climate and 8 of their facts give me perspective on the range and overall complexity and connectivity of these climate and environmental issues. The more I thought about it the more I focused on eight of the items on their list. So please consider the following as a kind of ‘cliff notes’ version of their perspective. With the NYTimes number indicated here are my curated eight:
 
3. The world produces about 400 metric tons of plastics waste each year, according to the UN. About half of it is thrown away after a single use. So, let's stop using as much throw away plastics!
 
14. According to a 2020 study by the sustainability consultancy Edge Impact, the average American wedding emits 57,152 kilograms or 125,660 pounds of CO2! You would need to plant 2,722 trees to offset that amount. 
 
23. The rate of suicide amount farmers is three and a half times larger than among the general population according to the National Rural Health Association. Are crop losses and resulting financial pressures due to climate induced drought and storms a factor in the disturbing statistic?
 
37. Landscape equipment emits nearly 27 million tons of pollutants a year, according to estimates, Just one gas powered leaf blower used for just one hour generates the same amount of emissions as a gasoline powered car driving 1,100 miles. Yikes! Why are we still using them when there are other options? 
 
44. The ocean which covers about 70% of the earth has absorbed 90% of the heat unleashed by burning fossil fuels, deforestation and other human activities. That heat is the engine that spins up hurricanes and storms bigger and faster developing than ever during the human era.
 
48. There are more than 20,000 species of wild bees in the world. They don’t all produce honey, but they are indispensable pollinators of plants, flowers, and crops. 
 
53. A study led by scientists at Monash University in Australia found that each year between 2010 and 2019, every person worldwide on average was exposed to almost ten days of wildfire smoke exposure.

60. According to the World Resource institute, the top three GHG emitters — China, the United States and India — contribute 42.6% total emissions, with China alone accounting for 33%. The bottom 100 countries only account for 2.9%. 
 
Not wanting to leave our readers with just the bad news, it’s important to note that there are solutions being actively worked on to help remedy the problems.
 
For instance, creating habitats to support more bees is being championed by ACES Pollinator PowerWorks gardens in the greater Newburyport area. And let’s not forget all those folks in our region who have or are switching to hybrid and all electric cars, or putting solar power on their roofs, or opting for green energy sources. And what about our champions in the Massachusetts legislature who are working to improve our bottle return laws.
 
It’s a lot to take in but if we all work together, we can begin to push back on climate change and the long journey toward healing the earth.

John Elwell is a Retired High School Principal, Maple Crest Farmer, and ACES Board Member who may be reached at johnelwell@verizon.net . So please consider signing up for ACES; months newsletter at https://www.aces-alliance.org/ and join our community of environmentally minded neighbors. Let's make next year’s list a little bit more benign. Please share any sustainability -oriented ideas you would like to have ACES promote in 2024 by writing to acesnewburyport@gmail.com.

It’s that time of year when the new year is ringing in and the big ball in Time Square is about to drop. And we traditionally make resolutions. 
 
This year ACES suggests trying something different. After all, most resolutions don’t even reach the end of January. Instead, let’s plan some fresh fun for 2024. And maybe in a boating area like ours, the term “Trim Tab” will resonate.
 
Trim tabs are small devices connected to the trailing edge of a larger rudder on a boat [or aircraft]. They help steer by using the force of water to turn boats in a given direction. Applying that concept to our environment, here are a few analogous trim tabs - small efforts that make larger changes easier.
  
1. Eat buffalo chicken fingers more often than hamburgers. Raising beef has a high carbon footprint, much worse than chicken. In general, try to eat more food items this year that are not beef. Enjoy more turkey, arancini (tasty Italian rice balls), falafel, and veggie burgers. Even peanut butter is a great source of protein.

2. Daydream of spring. On the first bad weather day of January, go online and explore what you might like to plant in your garden this spring. Make them pollinator friendly plants. After all, who doesn’t want more flowers and butterflies in their life ? Check out ACES Pollinator PowerWorks project if you're up to do more. https://www.aces-alliance.org/post/the-pollinator-powerworks-planting-bee-friendly-gardens

3. Go shopping. That’s right, go shopping for something vintage for your wardrobe or your home at a nearby consignment or thrift store. It might even make you richer, like that woman in the news last week who paid $4.00 for a glass vase in a thrift store only to discover it was a valuable art piece form Italy worth over $100,000 ! She and her partner are going to use the money to renovate an old farmhouse they just bought.
 
4. Renovate a property worth saving like the lady with the Murano glass vase. Well, maybe it’s best to start smaller by fixing what you’ve been meaning to fix. Stitch that button back on or bring that broken rocking chair to a ‘Repair Cafe’ or refinish your Auntie’s old side table to put your tea on as you read a classic book. 

5. Borrow and swap books. Stop by occasionally at one of those “Little Libraries” that are all around our area and put in a few books you’ve already read and pick up a couple of others to try. Perhaps expand your world by picking some books on topics you don’t normally read. If they look good on that like-new side table you’ve refinished, use them as decorative items. 
 
6. Cook something simple in a crockpot, such as barbeque chicken. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Sgf-RZayss. You’ll double dip on the brownie points. First, your household will love your initiative to make dinner, and second, you won’t be using a gas stove!  Gas stoves use fossil fuel, primarily methane in addition to other gases like carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. These harmful greenhouse gasses make Earth heat up.
 
So, with a nod to our nautical culture and to ring in a new year, ACES invites you to adopt some little changes - trim tabs - of your own to help the environment. Let’s have some fun doing some interesting and maybe new things to help Mother Earth this year that will ensure a Happy New Year 2024 for all. Our Youth Corps team members ask that you send any of your “trim tab” ideas to us at acesnewburyport@gmail.com. To learn more about ACES and its Initiatives, visit https://www.aces-alliance.org

Although a historic COP28 deal agreed mid-December to ‘transition away’ from fossil fuels, it may be a bit too early and a bit too optimistic to talk about re-purposing gas stations. Yet the scale of the transition and the opportunities it engenders deserve serious consideration.
 
According to information from the 24/7WallSt.com website, most experts estimate that there are about 111,000 gas stations in the United States. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that they employ 908,000 people.
 
That’s what is being scheduled for big changes at COP28. “Humanity has finally done what is long, long, long overdue,” said the European Union’s climate commissioner, Wopke Hoekstra. “Thirty years we’ve spent to arrive at the beginning of the end of fossil fuels.” Delegates at the UN conference agree to a ‘historic package’ of climate measures, although the specific phrase ‘phase out’ was omitted.
 
Earlier on a Wednesday, the latest draft of the document calling on the world to wean itself off planet-warming fossil fuels was discussed by delegates after an outcry over a previous proposal forced the summit, which was meant to end on Tuesday, to be extended.
 
Finally, on that Wednesday almost 200 governments at the United Nations climate conference approved an agreement calling for the world to transition away from fossil fuels, sending an unprecedented signal to the global economy that governments are intent on cutting back on coal, oil, and natural gas in the fight against global warming.
 
But like all change, this one will bring new challenges and opportunities. One quirky one to think about creatively is gas stations. They will need to be recycled into something else, like bike shops, corner parks, homes, and neighborhood cafes, all providing EV charging services. 
 
It will be a lumpy and fraught transition, but a necessary one for the planet. And it’s a transition that is going to affect greater Newburyport and require planning and civic leadership on our agenda. 
 
Moving away from fossil fuels can present a complicated transition from a zoning perspective. For example, witness the plan to build four residential units at the former State Street Mobil station that could be headed for City Council approval early 2024. The 49-year-old gas station closed in May 2018. In a city like Newburyport with a dire shortage of housing of all kinds, this seems like a logical choice, especially for this prominent site on High St. 

 
As some in the city engage in re-visioning Storey Avenue as a potential mixed use ‘village’, there are several gas stations which are ideally located to be involved in such a transition when the time comes. Some of them have a large enough footprint to replace with a small apartment or condominium building. Some of them may be ideal rapid recharge stations for EVs coming off Rt 95. And why not a casual dining/pub like we see at the Park Lunch, to which the folks of that neighborhood can walk?
 
Whatever unfolds in greater Newburyport with the transition away from fossil fuels and towards EV’s, it will present a lot of interesting and potentially fun or contentious choices for our civic dialog.
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ACES Youth Corps team members urge you to add such ideas to your repertoire of conversational topics with friends and offer any ideas pro or con to this conversation to ACES at: acesnewburyport@gmail.com To learn more about ACES as an alliance and its Initiatives, visit https://www.aces-alliance.org.

In mid-November the Boston Globe ran an article about something we in the lower Merrimack River valley are all too aware of. 

 
Quoting John Macone, a policy expert with the Merrimack River Watershed Alliance the article talked of record rainfalls and record amounts of sewerage overflows into our riverine region. In fact, the amount was 1.5 billion gallons so far this year. Part of that sewage overflow was driven by the amount of rain itself, the largest since 2011. Part of that number reflected both growth of population and land clearing, mostly in NH as well as the aging infrastructure of treatment plants and storm water management systems.
 
And on December 11th MRWC noted in a CSO Alert that: The rainstorms that passed through the region Sunday night and early Monday morning triggered discharges of partly treated and untreated sewage into the Merrimack River in Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, and Manchester. The discharges came from overburdened sewer systems in Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell and Manchester that are not able to handle the amount of effluent that flows into combined sewer/street drain pipes during heavy rainstorms.
 
With climate scientists speaking of more frequent and larger rain events in our future, how can the cities and towns of the Merrimack valley prepare for inevitable, predictable flooding when arrives at our doorstep ? 
 
Maybe our title reference to Noah might be able to help us figure that out. The Genesis flood story is among the best-known stories of the Bible. In this account, Noah was inspired and labored faithfully to build an Ark, ultimately saving not only his own family, but mankind itself and all land animals, from extinction when the flood came. In other words Noah came to understand a flood was coming and built an Ark, a really big boat, to save mankind and all its animals. Expressed in modern terms he understood the threat and he responded by building the technology needed for human survival. And he included all the animals in his planning. 
 
In the Merrimack valley we are slowly realizing the threat of more frequent flooding and leaders from both states are trying to figure out long and short term responses. At the Federal level with 4 US senators and 5 Congressional Representatives serving communities in the Merrimack valley there is an emerging recognition of the long term threats and money is beginning to be allocated for rebuilding sewer systems for example in Manchester NH. 
 
State politicians have been aware of the problems and have been leading the work for a number of years. For example in 2019 then State Senator, now MA Auditor Dianna DiZoglio and NECC President Lane Glenn and State Reps from along the river kayaked and camped from the start of the river in New Hampshire to its end at Plum Island to draw attention to environmental conservation of and recreational access to the Merrimack. 
 
Locally Newburyport Mayor Reardon and Senator Tarr have been participating in meetings with The Merrimack Valley District Commission along with ACES Board member and river expert Lon Hachmeister. They are developing concepts that can be funded to get going on the evermore urgent task of preventing river flooding and sewer overflows.
 
Its big complex of ecosystems with many tributary rivers and streams like the Pow Wow and Shawsheen it will take holistic planning to prevent loss of life and property from climate induced flooding. The Merrimack River watershed covers 5,010 square miles across 200 communities, with almost 2.6 million people. It’s big and needs big bold ideas to protect it.
 
So how do we build our equivalent of an Ark? First, we need planning boards to slow down development occurring close to the river along with setting aside more conservation land. Second, we should consider expanding natural water storage systems. Maybe by subsiding farmers and other landowners to dig or expand farm ponds and wetlands. Of course, longer-term we have to fix our aging municipal water and sewer systems. 
 
The biblical flood story is one of several similar flood stories passed down from fertile crescent cultures. Maybe ancient stories last so long because they have kernels of insight that people refer back to for guidance. So it may be old advice, but the Merrimack valley needs to start plan and building its equivalent Ark. And sooner rather than later. Our Youth Corps team member ask that you share any other observations with us about ways to help rescue the river and send us a note at acesnewburyport@gmail.com. To learn more about ACES and its Initiatives, visit https://www.aces-alliance.org.

NEWBURYPORT — The Recycling, Energy and Sustainability Department got an up-close-and-personal look at the concept of the circular economy when Mind the Chain CEO and founder Peyton Laine spent some time in the city this week.

Mind the Chain is a software company currently working to develop a supply chain and material assessment software platform that applies circular economy methodologies to product and reuse development.

“It’s a more-holistic approach,” Laine said.

Laine lives in Germany and her visit to City Hall was coordinated by the Alliance of Climate and Environmental Stewards, (or ACES), which is a local network of organizations and individuals dedicated to the planet’s climate and environmental health.

The circular economy, according to Laine, focuses on including businesses and the materials they produce in sustainability models, where it is not a separate entity but integrated into companies’ and communities’ economics.

“We’re looking at products and systems from a design phase and having a better view on the next life for the materials,” she said. “We’re also looking for new business opportunities to use what we have, maximize its life and then circulate and regenerate both products and business.”

Laine pointed to plastic water bottles as one product that can benefit from being engaged with more responsibly by both the companies that produce them, as well as their consumers.

“Although the city of Newburyport doesn’t engage with this directly, the water bottles that are in the city, like Nestle and Aquafina, could benefit from understanding what their recycling options are and what the repercussions are, so that materials can be optimized,” she said.

“Brands have a responsibility to the consumer and the consumer only has so much that they can do. The circular economy also encourages consumers to recycle and doesn’t force them to do it.”

Laine met this week with the city’s Recycling and Energy Manager Molly Ettenborough in an effort to potentially help envision fresh ways to mitigate waste generation and promote a more sustainable future.

“In this work, energy is interconnected with materials, water and social causes,” Laine said. “You have to be a generalist to some degree and also be a specialist.”

Ettenborough said her meeting with Laine was enlightening.

“We were introduced to Peyton by Cristin Walth, who is our local waste-zero expert,” she said.

“We all know the old adage, ‘reduce, reuse and recycle,’ and there’s many things that can be done,” she added. “But some of the things that are happening in the recycling or waste world are that companies are taking more ownership over their products.”

Ettenborough added there’s a lot of pressure on companies now to look into how their products can truly be recyclable.

“Recycling is not the answer to this, it’s ‘reduce, reuse and recycle,’” she said. “But the big thing right now is plastics. There are so many types of plastics and we know that Plastics 1, 2 and 5 are recyclable all of the time. They have high value and are able to be sold.”

She continued, “The other plastics, it depends on the market. If the oil market is high, then they have great markets for that plastic. If the oil markets are low, then there is no market for them and they get used as biofuel.”

Since plastic is not biodegradable, Ettenborough said consumers want change.

“It ends up on the beaches, in the waterways and on the side of the road,” she said. “Because of that, people are demanding corporations be more responsible.”

Mayor Sean Reardon also expressed enthusiasm for Laine’s visit, saying in a press release that her insights and proven track record in waste reduction through circular economy frameworks align perfectly with the city’s commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship.

The Boston Globe ran an important series of articles during the week of Thanksgiving focused on the theme of ‘fast fashion’. Written by Kimberly Atkins Stohr, it explored both the climate and the social impacts of the clothing and retail industry. The issue caught the attention of many local environmentalists and is now being highlighted as a way to help the environment.

So, what is fast fashion?

Fast fashion is a design, manufacturing, and marketing method focused on rapidly producing high volumes of clothing. (The Good Trade: https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/what-isfast-fashion/). If you are unaware of the term, you may be surprised to learn more. By producing low quality, knock-off versions of runway designs, the fast fashion industry exploits workers in low wage countries, often leaving environmental degradation in its wake with dyes spilling into waterways. One startling data point shared in the Globe series was the fact that over one hundred years of clothing fiber can be found in landfills and even in our closets. Used clothing is one of the principal sources of waste worldwide. And as the story goes, we can do better. These cheaply made, trendy pieces have resulted in an industry business model dependent on huge amounts of consumption driven by heavy advertising. The harmful impacts of this practice affect the environment, garment workers, animals, and ultimately, consumers’ wallets.

Here’s one statistic that might surprise you: the carbon footprint of one new cotton t-shirt is about 15 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. This includes growing cotton using fossil fuels, shipping it to be spun into fibers, then shipping to another factory, likely in another country, to be woven into cloth. The cloth is then shipped to be made into shirts, then dyed, then shipped again over the Pacific Ocean to the West Coast where it is offloaded and shipped one last time via diesel power trucks to local the local East Coast.

If you want to be stylish without harming the environment, here are three tactics to consider: First, ‘shop your closet’. You know there is a lot in there you probably haven’t worn for a while, so why not dig it out, try it on, and if it still fits, get creative to up-style it? Maybe mix and match with other items you already have or buy something new to create a fresh new look to what you already own.

Second, swap with friends and neighbors by offering clothes you won’t be wearing and ask if they might have anything that can help you refresh your style without buying something new. And third, go ‘thrifting’ with friends. According to the fashion blog, "Minimize My Mess" (https://www.minimizemymess.com) “Thrifting generally means buying affordable and unique secondhand items that have been donated to thrift stores. However, thrifting is also sometimes used as a blanket term for buying preowned items - whether from thrift stores, online, at consignment stores, flea markets, vintages stores, garage sales, estate sales, etc. It is a popular way to reduce waste and promote sustainability by giving new life to pre-owned items, as an alternative to them ending up in the landfill.”
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How can you start? Check out your local thrift, consignment, and secondhand stores in our area. Bring a friend along. It’s not about being cheap, even though it does save you money. It’s about being a fashionable yet environmentally attuned human. If you’d like, send ACES a picture of your new finds at acesnewburyport@gmail.com and they may even publish it in their newsletter! And if you’d like to participate in the City’s or ACES’ waste reduction efforts, we’re always here to listen and help!
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Molly Ettenborough is the manager of Newburyport’s Recycling, Energy and Sustainability Office and can be reached at mettenborough@cityofnewburyport.com Our Youth Corps asks that if you care about issues like these and would like to learn more and possibly do a bit more or have any questions, please send an email to acesnewburyport@gmail.com. To learn more about ACES and its Initiatives, visit https://www.aces-alliance.org.

On October 23, 2023, around two hundred people gathered at The Governor’s Academy for the History and Cultures of the Great Marsh Conference, a partnership between the Museum of Old Newbury and The Governor’s Academy. The construction of the Alfond Coastal Research Center at the Academy, dedicated to research in the marsh ecosystem, provided the initial impetus to gather, but the human relationship to the Great Marsh, past and present, was, and is, our particular focus.

The Great Marsh is key to understanding the human experience in this area. Marsh land provided crucial animal forage. The ditches that wind through the marshland to this day were cut to maximize the production and transport of hay. Marsh land was a valuable commodity to be bartered and bought. In at least one case, land was traded for an enslaved woman. Dr. Tricia Peone spoke about the history of enslaved labor in the Great Marsh, while Gordon Harris led the group through a detailed history of the transition from common to private land ownership. The Museum of Old Newbury contains images, art, and artifacts related to life in Old Newbury. Since the Great Marsh was so integral to life in this community, it is well-represented in our collections, from bog shoes – wooden discs strapped to the feet of horses and oxen to help them walk on the spongy ground –to photographs and paintings. American art expert Monica Reuss highlighted art inspired by the marsh, sharing breathtaking images that speak to the relationship humans have with this unique landscape. Of course, the experience of Indigenous people in the area is foundational to any discussion of the history of the Great Marsh, and Dr. Christoph Stroebel opened the day with information about tradition, trade, and language over time, including an acknowledgement of how much Indigenous culture has been lost through colonization.

If the purpose of history is to educate and contextualize, the afternoon sessions of the conference were about action. Rich Clyborne of The Gundalow Company joined Russ Hopping from the Trustees of Reservations and Geoffrey Walker, sportsman and wildlife activist, for a discussion of how the Great Marsh is used today, and how the human intervention in the marsh continues. From climate change to invasive species, destructive agricultural practices, pollution, and marine litter, the Great Marsh has suffered at human hands. The rallying cry of the day came from Peter Phippen, representing the Great Marsh Partnership. The initiatives led by the Great Marsh Partnership are addressing the greatest threats to the marsh. As sea levels rise, the Great Marsh will perform an increasingly vital role in storm protection, as it provides a natural carbon sink and flood mitigation system. Russ Hopping demonstrated how one organization, The Trustees of Reservations, is doing vitally important work to revitalize and restore the part of the Great Marsh entrusted to their stewardship.

The History and Cultures of the Great Marsh Conference provided a place to learn how we have lived with the marsh and address the best path forward. We encourage anyone who is interested in becoming involved in healing the Great Marsh to reach out to Peter Phippen at peterdphippen@gmail.com.

On a personal note, I am grateful to all the speakers and attendees at the conference for their questions and their passion. I understand everything through the lens of history – it is my natural processing speed. To love the Great Marsh, for me, is to understand all the lives it has lived. This is one way that the Museum of Old Newbury serves this community. If you have any historical artifacts that could amplify this connection, please contact me at: bethany@newburyhistory.org

ACES Youth Corps team members encourage you to contribute to a future history for the Great Marsh that increases its sustainability. Please share any thoughts about other opportunities to benefit the health of our planet and send us a note at acesnewburyport@gmail.com. To learn more about ACES and its Initiatives, visit https://www.aces-alliance.org.