Events September 2021

 BCF Events, September 2021  Comments Off on Events September 2021
Aug 232021
 
Events September 2021

By Meg Muckenhoupt The only constant in life is change, according to Heraclitus, the Greek philosopher who strolled through Ephesus in the late sixth century B.C.E. The Greek letter most commonly used to represent change is delta, which is also the title of the variant of the coronavirus that is more contagious than previous versions and has persuaded the town of Belmont to mandate indoor masking.  So, instead of posting a page of fall walks, fundraising galas, hands-on classes, film screenings, talks, and volunteer opportunities, the Belmont Citizens Forum Newsletter’s event listings once again offer the thin milk of online [READ MORE]

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Letter to the Editor: Belmont Cycling Safety

 Bicycles and bike paths, Newsletter, September 2021, Traffic  Comments Off on Letter to the Editor: Belmont Cycling Safety
Aug 232021
 
Letter to the Editor: Belmont Cycling Safety

To the Editor: I am a long-time Boston-area bicycling advocate, CyclingSavvy Instructor, and League Cycling Instructor, responding to the article by Jeff Roth in the July-August Belmont Citizens Forum Newsletter.  I am pleased to see progress on the Belmont Community Path and the Alexander Avenue underpass; also proposals for traffic calming and roundabouts. However, the article states:  “Protected bicycle lanes (PBLs) lower crash rates by a factor of two to 23 times . . . ‘Dooring’ crashes, which account for 20% of bike/car crashes, disappear almost completely with PBLs.” The term “protected bike lanes” wraps itself in its own conclusion. [READ MORE]

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Belmont Was Once a Town of Farms

 Historic Preservation, Newsletter, Open Space, Plants, September 2021  Comments Off on Belmont Was Once a Town of Farms
Aug 232021
 
Belmont Was Once a Town of Farms

By Jane Sherwin Until the mid-20th century, agriculture was a significant part of Belmont life and economy. Three hundred years ago, it would have been unusual to find a family in this area with no engagement at all in growing things. Even a shoemaker would most likely have a few chickens, or a milk cow, or a small garden for vegetables.  The settlements on the land that is now Belmont go back nearly four hundred years. In 1630, Sir Richard Saltonstall led a group of families inland from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, to the area we now call Watertown, to [READ MORE]

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Leaf Blowers Damage Belmont’s Environment

 Air Quality, Newsletter, September 2021  Comments Off on Leaf Blowers Damage Belmont’s Environment
Aug 232021
 
Leaf Blowers Damage Belmont’s Environment

By Barry N. Kaye and Brian Kopperl Have you ever been in your backyard on a beautiful day when the noise of the leaf blowers next door was so loud that you could not have a quiet conversation, you were dodging the flying debris, and the smell was enough to make you go indoors? Most of us agree that leaf blowers are annoying, but some of us may not know just how harmful they really are.    Gas-powered leaf blowers typically have noise levels of 80 decibels (dB) or higher, which the Centers for Disease Control states can damage hearing. [READ MORE]

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Belmont’s Invasive Plants: Norway Maple

 Newsletter, Plants, September 2021  Comments Off on Belmont’s Invasive Plants: Norway Maple
Aug 232021
 
Belmont’s Invasive Plants: Norway Maple

By Jeffrey North Invasive plant species are disrupting ecosystems from Belmont to Beijing, permanently altering the ecology of our forests, fields, and gardens and causing biodiversity loss and species extinction. This article is the fourth in a series on invasive plant species found in Belmont, the implications of their presence, spread, ecological damage potential, and hopes for their removal and remediation. Acer platanoides, commonly known as the Norway maple, is a species of maple native to eastern and central Europe and western Asia. It was brought to North America in the mid-1700s as a shade tree.  The Norway maple is [READ MORE]

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Belmont Tree Replanting Resumes

 Environment, Newsletter, September 2021  Comments Off on Belmont Tree Replanting Resumes
Aug 232021
 
Belmont Tree Replanting Resumes

By Jeffrey North Belmont has about 15,000 trees located in public rights-of-way, parks, schools, and public green spaces throughout town. In any given year, approximately 100 trees need to be removed due to damage or disease. The town has a program to replace them with even more new trees that refresh and assure continuity for our urban forest.   Thirty-three years ago Belmont was named a USA Tree City by the Arbor Day Foundation. Forestry and funding are vital components of this continuing honor. The value of trees on our properties goes beyond aesthetics to vital impacts on health, climate [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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It’s Time to Switch from Gas to Clean Energy

 Environment, Newsletter, September 2021  Comments Off on It’s Time to Switch from Gas to Clean Energy
Aug 232021
 
It’s Time to Switch from Gas to Clean Energy

By Debora Hoffman Think natural gas is a clean fuel? Think again. The fossil fuel, touted as a bridge fuel in the fight against CO2 emissions, is far deadlier to the planet—and our health—than is publicized. The issue? Leaks. Leaked gas is methane, a far more potent greenhouse gas than CO2 (see “Is it Time to Get Natural Gas Out of Belmont?” BCF Newsletter, November 2020). During its first 20 years in the atmosphere, methane is 86% more potent as a greenhouse gas than CO2.  So how much gas is leaking? A lot. Statewide, gas utilities reported that 5,753 metric [READ MORE]

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Natural Gas is Making Us Sick

 Newsletter, September 2021  Comments Off on Natural Gas is Making Us Sick
Aug 232021
 
Natural Gas is Making Us Sick

By Adrienne Allen  Your Sunday night supper may be making you sick. Most of us heat our homes and cook our food with natural gas. Natural gas has long been promoted as the “clean” bridge from coal and oil to green energy. This year, a Harvard study on climate and air quality found that fossil fuel-related air pollution, including pollution from natural gas, kills one in five people worldwide. In the United States, natural gas use has increased 400% since the 1950s, with unfortunate health and environmental outcomes.  We often think about air pollution as an outdoor threat—like the wildfire [READ MORE]

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