11-1SG Falmouth Climate Action Team
Grant Round:
2011 February
Grant Program:
Small Grants
Grant Type:
Other Grants
Grant amount requested:
2,500.00
Grant amount awarded:
$1,500.00
Attachments
Please provide a brief description of the project for which you seek funding.
FCAT was formed both to support the implementation of the 2005 Climate Protection Action Plan for Falmouth and to partner with the Town of Falmouth Energy and Solid Waste Committees, residents and members of private and nonprofit sectors to reduce the carbon footprint. Our overall objectives are to educate and expand participation in activities for the "Greening of Falmouth" through improving organic land care policy, optimizing resource management options and strategies to reduce waste volumes and disposal costs, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, stimulate business development and job creation, and improve environmental quality in Falmouth. To achieve this, FCAT has invited local business groups, environmental organizations, religious organizations, service providers, and elected officials to participate in public meetings, workshops and actions that include a Zero Waste campaign, Main Street Recycling, Green Schools, local food production, and extended use of bike paths throughout the town. We have also conducted public and decision-maker outreach via events, tours, and media, and identified best practices and implementation pathways for neighborhoods in the community, encompassing topics such Pay As You Throw, Bottle/Bag Fees, Cooperative Processing & Marketing Arrangements for waste to resource development, Composting & Anaerobic Digestion, and Reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental releases. Finally, we summarize findings and communicate recommendations to decision-makers, stakeholders, and the public. After assessing all of the contributing factors to climate change, we have identified waste reduction as critical in reaching our goals and realistic in terms of the influence our organization could have in Falmouth. This year, as the town faces critical decisions on solid waste (SEMASS contract renewal) and wastewater management (to reduce nitrogen loads in our estuaries), we are advocating for Zero Waste solutions. We plan to hold forums featuring innovative methods to generate a more healthy local economy and environmental sustainability in our town and the Cape Cod region. We respectfully request NEGEF support to help us offer Climate Change education more broadly and a Zero Waste campaign more specifically. Funds will be used for public education meetings, workshops, and actions that would include introduction to Zero Waste (Lynne Pledger), continuation of Main Street recycling, as well as education on solid waste and sewering alternatives. Our 2011 activities will include: 1. Sponsor and cosponsor forums to educate and advocate adoption and implementation of Zero Waste policy. Coordinate within our town as well as with CIRenew on a Cape-Wide effort. Engage citizens in discussions and demonstrations of ways to reduce, reuse, and repurpose materials to restore the land and protect our waters. (waterless toilet summit, household composting, organic agriculture, chemical-free lawns, etc.) 2. Expand Main Street Recycling 3. Arts Alive bottle sculptures: creation and installation -bottle bill signing. (please see attached summary of 2010 activities for examples of our actions)
Project Summary
FCAT received a grant in 2011 to educate and expand participation in activities for the "Greening of Falmouth" through improving organic land care policy, optimizing resource management options and strategies to reduce waste volumes and disposal costs, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, stimulate business development and job creation, and improve environmental quality in Falmouth. Funds were used to support community outreach efforts in the zero waste campaign.
Primary Issue Area:
Living Economies
Please break-down/categorize the program expenses:
| Proposed Item | Estimated $ Amount | Would grant funds be used for this item? |
|---|---|---|
| School Janitor | $200.00 | Yes |
| Refreshments ($50x4) | $200.00 | Yes |
| Poster reproduction | $200.00 | Yes |
| Honoraria (4@$200) | $800.00 | Yes |
| Publicity | $400.00 | Yes |
| Fact Sheets | $400.00 | Yes |
| Web/social media dev. | $500.00 | Yes |
| Mailing w/ magnet? | $0.00 |
Whom does your group need to make this project happen?
Please explain how your group will engage members from your community in this project.
Our overall strategy for engaging the community is to conduct public and decision-maker outreach via events, tours, and the media. We will flyer and put announcements in the paper before educational forums, tape events and run them on cable television, and work with the media to encourage articles in paper covering events and issues.
If your group receives a NEGEF Grow grant, how do you plan to pay for remaining expenses?
| $ Amount | Source |
|---|---|
| $2,500.00 | NEGEF Grant |
| $300.00 | Donations |
Please list these materials or services
| $ Amount | Item |
|---|---|
| $3,200.00 | Volunteer (160hrs@$20) |
Please describe what changes will occur in your community and its environment when your group's project is successful.
We envision Falmouth fully implementing the 2005 Climate Protection Action Plan. This includes a plan to move toward zero waste, with full residential and Main Street recycling program, a Solid Waste Plan including organics recycling, and residents actively participating in town-wide decisions about how we reduce our carbon footprint and waste. We envision FCAT bringing government, residents, business owners and non-profit sectors together and communicate with and educate one another and to create and implement our plans. Specifically, we will measure our success through the following: - Number of forums and actions: At least four per year - Number of organizations and individuals participating in events: At least 500 per year - Number of articles, forums, actions appearing in local media outlets: Newspaper, Falmouth Cable Television: At least twelve hits or mentions per year, at least two television appearances, - Number of recycling bins on Main Street: Expand from one to ten in the next 2-3 years, with funding - Number of bottles and cans collected: 10,000 in 2011, 50,000 in 2012, 100,000 in 2013 - No put or pay clause in SEMASS contract - Number of schools engaged in composting activities: 5 - Waterless toilets tested in town public space - Contributions to CIRenew Cape-wide zero waste study
Please list how many people in your community your group expects to actively engage in this project.
1 000
What relevant skills does the group need (but does not currently have access to) to help move the initiative forward?
Updated internet capacity to send group messages, flash messages, develop use of web, Facebook and Twitter skills.
What relevant skills do current members of the group have to help move the initiative forward?
Our group possesses a wide range of skills that will help us move our work forward. These include backgrounds and experience in environmental science, communications strategy, outreach and education, policy planning and implementation, renewable energy, event planning, art, and music. Most members of the group are long-time Falmouth residents with deep personal connections to the town and local environment and strategic connections to the decision-makers as well.