Intermediate

There are many reasons to buy local food, including reducing energy use, reducing sprawl and increasing connection to the environment as well as fresh food just plain tastes better.

Concord residents have many ways to participate and support the local food movement, including:

"KeySpan offers rebates to its residential, commercial, industrial, and multifamily customers for the installation of solar thermal technologies. KeySpan first conducts a free energy audit to interested participants to identify appropriate solar thermal technologies as well as estimated natural gas savings. Recommended solar thermal applications may include solar hot water heating, solar space heating, solar pool heating, and/or high temperature process applications." -DSIRE site

"This statute, enacted in 1979, provides a 15% credit against the state income tax for the cost of a renewable-energy system (including installation) installed on an individual’s primary residence." -DSIRE site

Click Personal Tax Creditfor more information.

Install a water purification system instead of purchasing bottled water. Learn more about why treating tap water is better than bottled: http://www.ucsusa.org/publications/greentips/is-bottled-water-better.htm... and comparisons of water filtering systems http://www.waterfiltercomparisons.net/WaterFilter_Comparison.cfm

Buy environmentally conscious clothes. See a list of some of the most forward thinking designers at
http://www.grist.org/news/maindish/2007/08/09/fashionistas/index.html?so...

Concord has two community gardens; one is located in West Concord and the other near Concord Center. Town residents are eligible to rent 25 x 30 plots on an annual basis. Contact Community Garden Coordinators Pamela Hathaway (plhathaway@comcast.net) or Jim Catterton (jim.catterton@verizon.net) for more information.

Fax and laser cartridge recycling places in Massachusetts.

There is one in Roxbury as well as others.

Chiswick Trading, Inc. (office supplies)
33 Union Avenue - Sudbury, MA 01776-2267
phone: (800) 225-8708 - fax: (800) 638-9899

Staples, Inc. (office supplies)
8 Technology Drive - P.O. Box 5173 - Westborough, MA 01581
phone: (800) 333-3330 - fax: (800) 333-3199

Instead of purchasing a new trade show booth try a re-usable trade show production service from companies such as SecondLife Exhibits http://www.secondlifeexhibits.com/

There are dozens of printers that are now certified by The Forest Stewardship Council as sustainable. Click here to see a list of printers by state [PDF]http://www.fscus.org/images/documents/FSC_certified_printers.pdf

Review these tips on choosing an environmentally friendly printer http://www.greenbiz.com/resources/printing/tools.cfm?LINKADVID=65975

Or use a company like Greener Printer http://www.greenerprinter.com/ for both printing and mail fulfillment.

Stay up to date with environmental news, education and commentary from these renowned organizations:

Grist
World Changing
Treehugger
Sustainable Metropolis