Learning about your carbon footprint is a helpful step for planning actions to take to reduce your emissions. Working together we can decarbonize Medfield and reach net zero.
Read more about Medfield’s Net Zero Goal and the development of the Town of Medfield Climate Action Plan (TOMCAP) under the Deep Dive tab.
We suggest starting simple. View the clip from MEA’s Medfield Decarbonizers webinar from November 2020 to learn more about the EPA’s carbon calculator and tips for using it. Learn where your household is starting from based on home energy and transportation. From there you can plan how you can shrink down that footprint.
One of the most trustworthy and used calculators around is the so-called “Berkeley Calculator” created by CoolClimate. Click here for the household calculator and here for the business calculator. Households and businesses can enter their consumption of electricity, oil, foods, etc. and the calculator shows you how many tons of CO2 that represents, and how you stack up against similar households or businesses. At the end you can pledge to do other actions and the calculator will show you what that would mean for your footprint.
We’ve used quite a few of the Berkeley Calculator’s principles and estimates in our own carbon calculator. Where is that? When you sign up with Sustainable Medfield, you will find the calculator in your profile. As you add To-do’s to your list and completed actions to your Completed list, our calculator will show you the impacts of your activities. And that’s a lot!
Let us know how it went by leaving a Testimonial under the tab above!
Net Zero
“Net Zero” means that we reduce most greenhouse gas emissions and offset the rest. Most reductions will be achieved through personal actions that are voluntary and make economic sense.
– Massachusetts has committed to a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and Net Zero emissions by 2050.
– At Town Meeting in May 2021, Medfield voted to support a Net Zero 2050 Goal and to develop a Climate Action Plan to reach that goal.
The Town of Medfield Climate Action Plan
The Town of Medfield Climate Action Plan (TOMCAP) in collaboration with the Medfield Energy Committee made its first presentation Monday, January 31st via zoom. Thank you to all who attended. If you missed it, you can watch it here. Below is a summary:
The climate crisis is indeed an emergency, but rather than being scared, we have an opportunity to plan for and take action toward a brighter future. Everyone can choose a piece that they are comfortable with and together we can make meaningful change in the trajectory of global warming. The goal of TOMCAP is to make a plan for Medfield to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The focus is to provide education and guidance to residents on how to take action.
The two biggest areas of greenhouse gas emissions in Medfield are passenger vehicles (42%) and residential homes (39%). Therefore, town residents will be strongly encouraged to increase their home’s efficiency as much as possible, starting with having a MassSave audit, to consider Electric Vehicles when it’s time to purchase a new car, or to consider Heat Pumps (which are electric) for homes when replacing oil or gas furnaces. Helping residents to install solar arrays on all suitable roofs will be a goal for Medfield as well. TOMCAP is collaborating with Sustainable Medfield to provide information on actions, and available grants, incentives and rebates to assist residents and provide a platform for the sharing of ideas.
TOMCAP will publish a written draft of the plan followed by a public listening session and a public comment period. If you wish to stay informed you are invited to make a profile on this site and to give your email to TOMCAP@medfield.net. All residents are encouraged to reach out with their questions, concerns and ideas.