SSNE HISTORY

In addition to the projects listed under Case Studies, some highlights of our work include:

• Our latest Progressive Business/Government Roundtable Dialogue, co-convened with the City of Boston, “exceeded all the participants’ expectations,” and is contributing to major changes to the City’s business programs, including the hiring of a full time “Green Tech Business Manager.” 
  
  
• Our Sustainability 101, and 202 Seminar Series helped dozens of government agencies move toward and implement green initiatives, including green building, energy efficiency, and internal staff training.
  
  
• Working with Health Care Without Harm (HCWH), we’re greening billions of dollars of hospitals, clinics, and medical office building in greater Boston and the region.  A Clean Energy Exchange and Energy Impact Calculator we developed for HCWH are helping facilities buy many millions of kWh of clean power, and to understand the health impacts of their conventional energy use. Our draft of an environmental guideline for all construction and renovation in health care in MA is moving toward approval this summer; this will be a “first-in-the-nation.”
  
  
• Educated over 1000 people from corporations, small businesses, government agencies, and other organizations in-depth public workshops around the region.
  
  
• Convened and facilitated a dialogue on barriers and opportunities for siting wind and biomass electric power generation facilities among 27 of the region's leading environmental organizations, and developed research areas to be addressed and strategies for NGO and public education on this issue (see project report - PDF - 64KB).
  

• Organized and presented two business conferences entitled "The Next Industrial Revolution" featuring Ray Anderson, CEO of Interface, Inc. drawing 300 people from business and government, and 250,000 media impressions, including a state-wide television broadcast of the Connecticut event, which was held in the Legislative Office Building.

• Started over 120 study circles of 6-12 people in workplaces, places of worship, and neighborhoods in ME, MA, VT, CT and NH on topics such as "Voluntary Simplicity" and "Choices for Sustainable Living" and "Discovering a Sense of Place," as part of the Northwest Earth Institute's national outreach program.