Our wide world is warming, respected scientists say, so what
can an Arlington resident do?

Meet Ryan Katofsky, an environmentally savvy town resident who earns his living providing advice about renewable energy.

Then open your door a bit wider and welcome members of Sustainable Arlington, the group that encourages clean and green projects right here. Ryan helped found it.

If you like, get connected to A-HEET. Take these small steps and begin connecting local environmental consciousness to the larger world.

In December, Katofsky made that kind of connection real as he took his 16 years of consulting experience to the summit on climate change in Copenhagen.

There, he participated, at the invitation of a client and on two panels focused on his area of expertise, renewable energy.

Mainstream press accounts showed that Copenhagen initiatives fell far short of its goals, even after expectations were scaled back in the weeks leading up to the conference. Katofsky has another take: "Those involved are not necessarily waiting for world leaders before deciding to act."

He cited a Dec. 17 column by Richard Branson. The headline spells out its message: "Leaders, Follow Us."

Here in town, spurred by Sustainable Arlington, that trend has been continuing since 1999.

Town gets photovoltaic grant for Ottoson

In its latest example, the group helped the town seek a $20,500 matching grant from Mass. Renewable Energy Trust (MRET) for a solar photovoltaic (PV) project to be installed on the roof of the Ottoson. The group heard last week that the town has received the grant. While small (3 to 4 kilowatts), the project aims to reduce middle-school electric bills, raise awareness, and incorporate PV into the curriculum.

In addition, the matching aspect of this is as follows: The MRET had a program whereby it would match, dollar for dollar, green-power purchases made by town residents. That is, for every dollar in green-power purchases made by town residents, the MRET gives the town 1 dollar to spend on renewable energy projects. A description of the project is here >>

"It's a start," Katofsky said, should the grant come through. There would be no cost to the town, and the solar panels would take just a day or two to install.

The all-volunteer group, part of Vision 2020, has also contributed in these ways:

    ● STREETLIGHTS: The project with the most impact on energy efficiency was its role in urging the town to change from the roughly 3,000 mercury vapor streetlights to high-pressure sodium -- at a saving of about $150,000 a year. NStar rebates paid for much of the cost.

    ● LED TRAFFIC LIGHTS: Early in decade, encouraged by the group, the town replaced all traffic lights with those based on light-emitting diodes. Such fixtures consume about 80 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs, Katofsky said, as well as save on maintenance. The town has since replaced all crosswalk signals as well.

    ● BUILDING-ENERGY EFFICIENCY: Sustainable Arlington has encouraged the town to implement numerous energy efficiency projects, such as lighting retrofits and the installation of high-efficiency boilers. As with the street lighting and traffic signals, utility rebates cover much of the cost, resulting in rapid paybacks

    ● BYLAW CHANGES that call for the purchase of town vehicles that are more energy efficient and require consideration of green-building standards for major renovation or construction projects for town buildings.

    ● ENERGY SMACKDOWN: The yearlong contest involved Arlington, Medford and Cambridge households in a variety of energy-saving competitions, and challenged each participating household to reduce its own energy use as much as possible, while at the same time spreading the word about efficiency.

    ● THE GREEN COMMUNITIES ACT: Arlington wants to be designated as a Green Community under a state act that would provide access to state funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives. A planning grant involving Lexington and Lincoln is helping with the application process.

    ● COMPOSTING: Sustainable Arlington is seeking to encourage composting of waste from schools, supermarkets and restaurants.

Transition in thinking underway

In reflecting on the cost savings from the various energy-efficiency projects, Katofsky asked rhetorically, "How many teachers' salaries were saved?"

More broadly, he said these efforts illustrate a transition in thinking, which he said is going on here and was evident at the Copenhagen summit.

Participating in a panel attended by 200, Katofsky helped preach this message to the converted: "Tackling climate change saves money."

In the long run, he said, changes we have to make to have a significant impact on the carbon dioxide emission that contribute to climate change will require significant effort. Yet, he said, "It's a bargain."

"We're better off by attacking the issues than ignoring them," he said. "We can’t sit and wait."

If you want to become part of Sustainable Arlington, the group meets once a month (on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday) at 7:30 p.m. in the Town Hall Annex or on the fourth floor of the Robbins Library. To contact the group go to www.sustainablearlington.org/sa15/contact-us