E&E students head to City Hall

On December 12th students in Research for Environmental Agencies & Organizations (GE 532, taught by Rick Reibstein), presented to officials of the city of Boston and the Boston Public Health Commission on actions that can develop green economies and improve public health in areas currently suffering the impact of high levels of pollution and neglect. The students discussed tree retention, urban gardening, electric buses, green roofs, farmers markets, tax credits that can be used for funding green businesses, programs for training a local workforce for green commerce, developing brownfields, new climate change mitigation funds, new air quality monitoring technologies, improvements in programs for residential building energy efficiency and more, including an idea for a new workforce development program that the students originated themselves, and ways to mitigate the effects of “eco-gentrification” (the reduction in affordable housing that can follow neighborhood improvement). The BPHC has requested future students of the class continue the work, especially concentrating on the issue of repairs necessary before weatherization, green roofs and for healthy homes; and the eco-gentrification problem.