We now have three electric bikes which help with Harvard's hills.   Instead of using the car, I visit the pond, library, general store, etc. with my bike weather permitting.

The recumbent is from the Czech Republic and uses a Samsung electric system which is pretty nice.  I have a Specialized Vado 5 which has all the bells and whistles and is exceptionally smooth operating. The Evelo Omega is similar to the Specialized for a lot less but is a little less smooth but still an exceptional ride.  All three are outfitted with Enviolo automatic shifting hubs which I think helps optimize the electricity usage.  Each can go about 50 miles on a charge depending on how much assist you use.

We are excited to share several steps we've taken consistent with the Harvard Climate Initiative!:

1. Converting our hand push lawn mower, weed wacker, snow blower fromn a gas to rechargeable electic, 

2. Purchasing a used plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt with a max charge of about 60 miles,

3. Installing rooftop solar to power hot water and electricity, and

4. Composting in our backyard.

Jenny and Tom Gormley

Early in 2023 we attended a meeting at the General Store about heat pumps. We decided to follow through with the help of MassSave and a Harvard energy coach from the Energize Initiative. But first, we needed to do a free energy audit which determined that we needed to add "a lot" of additional insulation in our attic. Rogers Insulation also did quite a bit of air sealing, insulated the door between the attic and the house and put insulation strips around our front door and the door between the garage and the house. We wanted to keep some flooring in the attic for storage and Rogers was very accomodating with making that happen. Most of the cost of the insulation was covered by MassSave. We were very happy with Rogers Insulation and highly recommend them.

P.S. We had nearly 40 years of stuff in our large attic - this project was just the thing we needed to motivate us to get rid of most of it!

Co-president of the Green Team at TBS. Leading a projects on EV charging stations, compositing bins, and more.

We have had an EV for a couple years. It took awhile to realize we could plug it into a home outlet without some special home charging station. The cost savings is obvious. The electrical cost is minimal, much less than the cost of gas for a similar car. 

We have recently started shopping at Springdell Farm in Littleton. It sells the most beautiful variety of produce, including (but not limited to!) blueberries, strawberries, tomatoes, sugar snap peas, green beans, etc, and many items are picked fresh daily. Springdell is also women-owned, and based right in our community. In addition to produce, Springdell sells a variety of meat which is also produced on the farm. Given how harmful the factory farming industry is, it is especially important to be mindful about where we buy our meat. Springdell's is local, fresh, and produced using practices that are kind to the planet and the animals. If you've been looking for a way to shop for good, local food, this is the place!

https://www.springdellfarms.com/