Newsletter Volume 3 • Number 10
Greenwich is behind in harnessing renewable solutions to address climate and financial risks
Part 3 of a three part series on how global warming is hurting our town
Solar energy and heat pumps are renewable energy technologies that produce little to no greenhouse gas emissions, reduce air pollution, and save on energy costs over time. But our town has not seen the light when it comes to taking advantage of them.
None of our municipal buildings are equipped with renewable energy. A solar array planned for the Cohen Eastern Civic Center would become the first, if it’s installed. But opportunities abound, such as the new ice skating rink, if we’d only evaluate solar and geothermal solutions seriously.
Greenwich Public Schools deserve credit for installing solar at New Lebanon, Parkway and Greenwich High School, but they haven’t been maintained, nor has the geothermal system at Hamilton Avenue. Good news though: there are plans to install solar panels at the new Central Middle School.
Public buildings present enormous opportunities for win-win, sustainable solutions. Budgets are tight, and energy costs are the second largest expense after teacher salaries. What’s more, lease-purchase programs, and federal incentives like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law shift the economics in favor of clean energy.
Morgan Stanley solar canopy parking lot, Westchester, NY
Private and public sectors elsewhere see the light
- GE has invested in solar energy in its CT facilities, Pitney Bowes installed solar panels at its headquarters in Stamford, and Morgan Stanley has a new solar canopy at its parking lot in Westchester.
- Over 300 CT public schools, including Bristol, Meriden, and Fairfield, have invested in solar tech, while over 20 CT schools, including Waterford, West Hartford and Manchester, enjoy the significant energy savings associated with geothermal heating and cooling.
- Municipalities such as West Hartford, New Haven and Stamford all use solar power. In Branford, solar powers the police station, wastewater treatment plant, animal shelter, and 8 other municipal buildings.
Why aren’t we further along?
Blame a mix of inertia, tight-fisted, short-sighted financial planning, misguided suspicion of engineering experts, and a reticence to take federal and state funding.
But last session the Representative Town Meeting passed a Sense of the Meeting Resolution requiring the BOE, BET and RTM to consider highly efficient, electrified HVAC systems when economic feasibility can be demonstrated.
When the weight of scientific consensus is telling us we must switch to renewable energy, Greenwich must not ignore the alarm.
What you can do
Look into incentive programs for installing solar panels on your home’s roof, and replacing old heating and cooling systems with heat pumps. And vote for Democrats! Instead of pursuing weird ideas, or voting “no” like state Senator Ryan Fazio on bills supporting renewable energy and mitigating climate change, we’ve spearheaded legislation that helps real people, and improves your quality of life.
See Part 1 of this series, “It’s 96 degrees in the shade, again,” about Greenwich’s air quality and Part 2 about how storm frequency is driving beach closures.
Senator Blumenthal scores big to protect kids and hold big tech accountable
In a major win for our children, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal celebrated the passage of the Kids Online Safety Act, a bipartisan bill he sponsored that passed the Senate last week. Highly addictive algorithms and weak privacy protections expose children to bullying, sexual exploitation, addiction, self-harm and suicide. The new law would protect children and teens from these algorithms and enable the strongest privacy settings by default.
The bill now heads to the House where it will be up to Republican speaker Mike Johnson to move it forward. If the House takes action, “it will be the first internet safety reform in nearly three decades, said Blumenthal, “a resounding bipartisan achievement showing democracy still works.”
Why are you voting for Democrats this November?
Greenwich neighbors weigh in
“I was a Republican all my life until the party left me, so I joined the Democrats, who better represent my moderate views.”
Louisa Stone, Greenwich CT
Democratic Action Calendar
Volunteer.
Sign up to volunteer with the Greenwich Democrats this election season.
August 9. Call.
Nick Simmons virtual phone bank:
Friday, August 9: 5:30-7:30 p.m., Join Zoom here.
August 10, 11. Canvass.
Join the Nick Simmons campaign canvass this Saturday or Sunday. RSVP here for details.
August 9, 12 & 14. Canvass.
Join the Rachel Khanna campaign canvass this Friday or next Monday and Wednesday, 1:00 p.m. RSVP here for details.
August 13. Call.
Rachel Khanna virtual phone banks, 4:00. Signup here.
August 15. Beach.
Rain date for Wine and Cheese at Greenwich Point/Tod’s Point (picnic area just past 2nd snack stand), 5:30 p.m. – sunset. If you previously RSVPd, no need to do so again. However, if you couldn’t attend the original date but would like to join us on the new date, please RSVP.
September 8. Picnic.
It’s time to officially kick off Election 2024! Join us at our annual GDTC Picnic and meet our candidates and elected Democratic officials. This election couldn’t be more critical, so please donate as generously as you can. We look forward to seeing you September 8! Click here to Register
| Volume 3, Number 10 • August 8, 2024 |
| Paid for by the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee. |
| Greenwich Democratic Town Committee P.O. Box 126 Greenwich, CT 06836 |