How to Reduce Your Risk from PFAS

 Environment, Newsletter, November 2022  Comments Off on How to Reduce Your Risk from PFAS
Oct 312022
 
How to Reduce Your Risk from PFAS

By Adrienne S. Allen, MD PFAS (perfluoroalkyl substances) seem to be all around us. In August, the city of Cambridge switched its water supply, which flows from the Stony Brook Watershed into a reservoir at Fresh Pond, to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) due to high levels of PFAS in the water. This switch is costing the city $2 million per month.  In July, local news reported on PFAS contamination near the Wachusett Reservoir, likely from compost made from sewage sludge. Firefighting foam used on military bases on Cape Cod has exposed residents to PFAS toxicity. Boston Mayor Michelle [READ MORE]

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Healthy Lawns Works to Limit Leaf Blowers

 Air Quality, Environment, March/April 2022, Newsletter  Comments Off on Healthy Lawns Works to Limit Leaf Blowers
Mar 032022
 
Healthy Lawns Works to Limit Leaf Blowers

By Barry Kaye, Dean Hickman, Ruth Smullin, and Thomas Nehrkorn Gasoline-powered leaf blowers are not only a nuisance to anyone trying to enjoy a peaceful time in their backyard or a neighborhood walk, but they also present real risks to human health, most significantly to the operators. These are detailed in previous BCF articles published on this subject (See “Leaf Blowers Damage Belmont’s Environment,” Belmont Citizens Forum Newsletter, September/October 2021.) The town is trying to address this issue.  Healthy Lawns Initiative Sustainable Belmont recently started hosting a Healthy Lawns Initiative to promote more environmentally sustainable lawn care practices. Currently, we [READ MORE]

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Think Twice About Single-Use Plastics

 Environment, Newsletter, November-December 2021, Recycling, Water Quality  Comments Off on Think Twice About Single-Use Plastics
Nov 012021
 
Think Twice About Single-Use Plastics

By Lindsay Levine and Dean Hickman Envision the life-cycle of a single-use plastic item. Oil or natural gas is extracted from the ground, transported, chemically transformed into plastic which is then manufactured, transported to the point of sale, briefly used, and then tossed into the garbage. But it does not end there. Because of their durability, plastics last for hundreds of years and do not degrade meaningfully over your entire lifetime, except perhaps break into smaller pieces.  Now imagine that same process repeated for many of the items we use daily. Have you ever counted the number of single-use plastic [READ MORE]

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Help Belmont Students Breathe Easier

 Air Quality, Newsletter, September 2021  Comments Off on Help Belmont Students Breathe Easier
Aug 232021
 
Help Belmont Students Breathe Easier

By Erika Roberts So many of us are delighted the kids are in school full-time this fall. I for one will be skipping them hand-in-hand down the sidewalk on their first day back, even if my first and fourth graders are dying of embarrassment. The only part of the academic year that I dread happens daily during arrival and dismissal: dozens upon dozens of vehicles running their engines while parked as the drivers wait to pick up or drop off students.  With everything we have done to keep our children protected during a global pandemic, from remote learning to wearing [READ MORE]

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Leaf Blowers Damage Environment and Health

 Air Quality, Environment, July-August 2020, Newsletter, Plants  Comments Off on Leaf Blowers Damage Environment and Health
Jun 302020
 
Leaf Blowers Damage Environment and Health

By Ian L. Todreas Each spring and fall, dozens of landscaping companies dispatch teams to yards throughout Belmont to cut, trim, mow, rake, and blow hedges, bushes, lawns, and beds into coffee-table-magazine standard perfection. But at what cost? These services are not inexpensive. Moreover, their hidden costs are significant. Gasoline-powered lawn equipment, such as leaf blowers, lawnmowers, weed whackers, and hedge trimmers, are notorious for emitting proportionally vast amounts of pollution—and making a heck of a lot of noise. Leaf blowers, in particular, deserve a close look. Unlike many other gasoline-powered lawn tools, for the amount of time they are [READ MORE]

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