Blog Posts

Electric Lawn Care Brigade - - Cont.

7/27/2018

Who knew we'd have so much fun at a 4th of July Lawn Mower Brigade? And who knew we'd end up winning the 'float' competition? Here we are on Main Street in Hanover and on the Dartmouth Green with the prize sponsors from White River Toyota. We are proud to contribute the $500 prize to Hanover's Ready for 100% Clean Energy efforts.

We especially enjoyed sharing our enthusiasm with members of the community with a Lawn Care Jeopardy game, a raffle to inspire participation, and hands-on experiences with the various machines on display that had been in the parade.

The best part, is that electric lawn care is here to stay. You can purchase a Fiskars Reel Mowers at Dan & Whit's and electric weed whackers at Hanover Hardware. You can also purchase Consumer Reports rated push mowers from Lowe's and Home Depot, among other options.

If you are really curious about how electronic innovations can help you save time, money and energy on your lawn, check out the new robotic mowers! Once installed, they automatically mow your lawn. To explore those options, get in touch with the two dealers in our region: D & B Outdoor Power Equipment, LLC in Lebanon, NH sells the Husqvarna robotic mower and Green-E-Mowers in Bradford, VT is an authorized dealer of the Robomow robotic mower (e-mail Nancy Rae Mallery).

Finally, there is the Mean Green NXR-48/52 (Nemesis) zero-turn mower which is designed specifically for the residential market. Because it can mow between 1.25 and 2.50 hours (or 2.5 to 5 acres) on one charge and costs $9,000 to $10,000 depending on deck side and battery size, it’s best suited for homeowners with large lawns (2 to 5+ acres). Because it’s designed to hold only one battery, it’s a bit smaller and about half the price of their commercial/professional CXR-52/60 zero-turn riding mower (Pictured here). To learn more about this option, e-mail Steven Wisbaum from Eco-Equipment Supply.

Like I said, who knew an electric and people-powered lawn care brigade could be such fun?

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Electric Lawn Care Brigade!

6/29/2018

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Who knew our lawn care equipment could be so interesting and, in its own way, so powerful? Did you know, for example, that for every hour of use, a gasoline mower is equal to driving 300 miles in terms of emissions?

Please join the Hanover Neighborhood Action Group and the Sustainable Hanover Energy Committee on Wednesday, July 4th and march in our inaugural Electric Lawn Care Brigade. Bring your electric, battery or people powered weed whackers, leaf blowers, hedge trimmers or mowers. Bring your neighbors and friends. And be sure to wear Red, White, Blue and a bit of green. We will gather on Hovey Lane, by the Hanover High School, at 9:40 am. The parade starts at 10. We will assemble on the Hanover Green afterward.

There are many ways to use less energy on our lawns. We can reduce their size by adding pollinator gardens or planting shrubs and trees. We can also let our grass grow a bit longer and not cut it quite so short. Our goal is to introduce these new technologies so that when your current equipment reaches the end of its lifespan, you have information about all the options when you go to purchase a new piece of equipment. 2050 is only 30 years away. The more we can do to increase the quality of our air, the better for all.

The thing that I love the most about the new electric lawn care equipment is that the designs are so elegant. There are fewer parts and they don't involve breathing fumes or spilling gas every time you refuel them. I just learned, for example, that about 17 million gallons of gas is spilled as equipment is refueled each year, polluting our drinking water in the process. These images are from a recent demonstration of the Mean Green Mower in Hanover. Dartmouth College will be in the parade brigade demonstrating their new Mean Green Mower - - How cool is that? We hope to see you on the 4th!

To learn more about limiting air emissions, download this PDF file from the State of New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. To learn more about the parade, you can listen to my recent interview with Keith Hanson on WNTK radio. You can also click here to link to the Valley News LTE about the parade.

Resources from the NH DES

fact_sheet_final_6.18.18.pdf
File Size:	569 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

gas_lawn_mower_vs_electric_lawn_mower_table.pdf
File Size:	400 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

Audio Interview on WNTK

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Going out of our Comfort Zones

4/28/2018

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Rip Road Neighbors Gather on Earth Day

It felt really great to invite neighbors to our house, to have people actually show up, and to have thoughtful conversations about issues in our neighborhood and town. April Salas, a member of Hanover's Planning Board and a member of Sustainable Hanover, joined us with her daughter. My father, an octogenarian and lifelong student, was thrilled to get a chance to talk with her. It was a wonderfully multi-generational gathering!

Our neighbor Len Cadwallader, a lifelong activist and former head of Vital Communities, invited us to help him maintain trails on Balch Hill, a local landmark and treasure. I was so caught up in the energy, I forgot to take pictures of neighborhood kids playing in the treehouse!

Although we have had many neighborhood parties over the past decade, this one felt different. In addition to being part of our new Hanover Neighborhood Action Group, this gathering was also part of my own 'coming out' as a community leader. It's been five years since I've risked being in the public eye - - After trying various avenues for involvement (schools, non-profits, etc.), I've found where I'm meant to be - - Not just at home doing my photography, but with my neighbors, truly trying to figure out what it takes to walk this walk we are on.

Five years ago, a contemporary at my 25th Harvard Reunion suggested that what rich people in New Hampshire do doesn't matter. What really matters is what's happening in China. At that same reunion, I spoke with my classmate Melissa Lane, a philosophy professor at Princeton, who had recently published a book called EcoRepublic: What Can the Ancients Teach us about Ethics, Virtue and Sustainable Living in which she states:

Every single emission contributes to the composite problem, which is made of trillions of tiny emissions. Thus there is no threshold for making a literal difference to the problem: every single atom of greenhouse gas emissions saved is a literal improvement.

Lane's ultimate argument is that republics necessitate participation. Thus, if we believe in the idea of our democracy, then we have to have confidence in the power of our individual actions.
Just as every emission matters, so too does every choice we make. For me, that choice is about building community in my neighborhood to see what living in a democratic society feels like at the most local level. I mean, if we can't do it, who can? So I transcended my fears of conflict and rejection and had a party. Last Sunday's gathering was a great place to begin and I look forward to more. Thank you to all those neighbors and friends who celebrated Earth Day with me.

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Ready for 100%: A Year Later

4/7/2018

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March 28, 2018 Town of Hanover, NH Energy Forum

It's been a year since Hanover became the first community in the country to vote to adopt the Sierra Club's Ready for 100% Renewables goals of 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and 100% renewable heating and transportation by 2050. What's happened since we made this commitment in May 2017?

We were honored to support the Energy Sub-committee of Hanover's Sustainability Committee at the March 2018 Achieving 100% Renewables Forum at the Richard Black Center. The evening began with an inspiring presentation by Dan Kalafatas, Chairman and Co-Founder of 3Degrees, a California-based business that offers comprehensive clean energy services that enable organizations, utilities and individuals to transition towards a low-carbon economy. A Dartmouth Alum, Mr. Kalafatas has been hired by Hanover to help the town's leadership make good and efficient decisions as we proceed.

Our Town Manager, Julia Griffin, followed with a review of all that the town has done to weatherize its buildings, improve energy efficiency, and install renewables. Check out this impressive visual summary!

Yolanda Baumgartner, Co-Chair of the Sustainable Hanover Committee, gave additional details about Sustainable Hanover's Energy-Subcommittee. We are inspired by the clarity of their vision and the specificity of what each sector can do. As a Neighborhood Action group, we are particular excited to help residents at the ground level as they explore community solar, solar at their homes, and other ways to shift away from fossil fuel dependence.

The evening concluded with a panel discussion and Q & A. There was interest in getting additional support for residents as they weigh different decisions and try to make informed and financially viable choices for transitioning to renewables. The big message: Weatherize and work on efficiency first, then purchase the systems you need when what you have is ready to be replaced.

As neighborhood leaders, were were inspired by the data the town has gathered on our current solar penetration. The Dogford/Hanover Center community has 17 solar installations and The Carriage Lane/Lindy/Orchard neighborhood has 7 installations generating a combined total of 158.16Kwh of power per year. Etna Village, Greensboro Road and North Hanover with a combined total of 26 installations generating 183.89Kwh. In town, the Mink Brook, South Street and Hovey Lane neighborhood has 11 solar installations generating 67.65 Kwh of power. What can we achieve between now and next year?

We know there are numerous constraints that limit homeowners in their options for renewable power. We hope that through ongoing neighborhood level conversations we can brainstorm strategies for getting to 100% Renewable Electricity by 2030.

If Hanover can't do it, who can?