GCC forum explores changing energy use

[ Originally published on: Friday, May 02, 2008 ]

GREENFIELD -- Nancy Hazard, the co-chair of the Greening Greenfield campaign, asked the crowd of about 50 people, ''Will we have gas-powered cars in 50 years?''

Only two people raised their hands.

There is a movement at the national and international level to reduce dependency on fossil fuels and to create a more sustainable world, Greenfield Mayor Christine Forgey told those who had gathered at Greenfield Community College's Downtown Center.

''I can't help but think that it starts with communities like Greenfield,'' she said.

The Pioneer Valley Institute hosted the ''Building Sustainable Communities: Getting Around Without Gasoline'' forum Thursday night for people looking to make fossil fuels extinct.

''More and more, there's going to be a demand for people with specific training,'' said 50-year-old Carlos Cooper, a GCC student from Amherst.

Cooper, who moved to the valley from New York City, said while living in apartments he hadn't dealt with or thought about the kinds of things that come with owning your own home, like renovating it to make it more energy efficient.

In the course of his exploration, Cooper decided to take classes at GCC and has become so interested in sustainability that he's planning to leave the publishing field to become professionally certified in Renewable Energy/Energy Efficiency.

''We have to turn people away (from the program),'' GCC Sustainable Energy Program Coordinator Teresa Jones said. ''We just can't meet all the demand.''

Jones said that there are now 130 participants and GCC is making plans to offer an associate's degree program. GCC is also hearing from businesses that say they're experiencing a big increase in inquiries about green building.

Along with everyday wallet savings, getting away from fossil fuels has its political pluses, Hazard said.

Many consider the reliance on oil to be the cause of a variety of problems like global warming, air pollution, natural resource destruction, a trade deficit and military conflict.

Hazard said that two-thirds of the oil used in the United States is used for transportation.

But things are happening to shrink Franklin County's carbon footprint.

For instance, $1.8 million has just been spent to acquire the Toyota of Greenfield site off Olive Street to locate a two-story, 24,000-square-foot transportation center to house the Franklin Regional Transit Authority and the Franklin Regional Council of Governments.

The facility is intended to be a near zero-net energy consumption center, FRTA Administrator Tina Cote said, who added that the federal government may use it as a model for future projects.

Although you still see sparsely seated FRTA buses, there was an 8 to 9 percent increase in ridership on all fixed routes in the 2008 budget year, Cote said.

Some at the meeting offered their hopes for the transportation center, suggesting that it have power outlets to charge electric vehicles and an area offering long-term parking accompany it.

Cote said that plans to expand West County bus service have temporarily stalled because she has not gotten assurances of town contributions or identified long-term grant sources and fears that expanded service would end just as it would start to get going.

Meanwhile, the Council of Governments is working to get passenger rail back to Greenfield and later this month is expecting to have a formal opening for a new bicycle path in Turners Falls.

 

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