Climate Change Matters     

What have we learned from Comprehensive Plan and CItizens Forums in the past six months? Our changing climate matters to many residents. 

What matters most (about Orleans) for residents completing the survey? Access to water (both freshwater and saltwater), natural environment and open space. How important is the Town’s response to climate change?  57.17% of survey respondents emphasized climate change response – solar energy, electric vehicle charging stations, etc. as high need.

Recommended: An Orleans Climate Action Plan 

As work on the Town Comprehensive Plan continues in 2024, is an Orleans Climate Action Plan needed? 

Climate change will impact each of our community's core concerns: access to the environment,  water, open space, housing affordability, diversity, recreation programming, and Main St.

A climate action plan assessing community strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats associated with accelerating climate change could be the thread that connects the dots for Orleans now and in the future. What do you think? 

Send your comments to info.orleansclimateaction@gmail.com.

What's in a Climate Action Plan?

In 2020, Orleans joined 13 of the Cape’s 15 towns and many off-Cape communities in adopting a Climate Emergencies Declaration and committing to creating a climate action plan. 

In 2024, with the funding of a Sustainability Coordinator and a twelve-month effort to create a 20-year Comprehensive Plan, the Town is positioned to move ahead with the creation of an Orleans Climate Action Plan. 

Here’s what we learned from a close reading of action plans from a dozen Massachusetts communities where the 2020 Climate Emergencies Declaration sparked Town leaders to get to work on plans that are making a difference:

• Whole community engagement in conversations, reflection, and analysis

• Focus on social, environmental, and economic resilience

• Town government and staff, and all civic groups, businesses, and residents committed to mobilization of resources

• Specifics re opportunities for achieving Town emissions reduction goals with the available tools and resources we have today

• Detailed strategies and actions that will address climate change rapidly

• A dashboard: observable indicators that will help residents know if the plan is working – analytical tools for progress monitoring-at-a-glance

• Telling the story together – what’s causing climate change in our town, why should I care, what can we do to make a positive difference? And…how’s that working out for us?

• Fresh mindset – everyone has a voice in the planning and everyone plays a role in the success  

• Ongoing, no-cost coaching for residents and businesses in making energy decisions - from “I’ll think about it” to “I can do this…Done!”

Customized and grounded in knowledge of the community, Climate Action Plans (CAPs) are informed by historical knowledge, proven technology, and current climate science. Everyone in town has ownership.

CAPs take into account current state policy and funding initiatives, as well as barriers to action at the town, state and Federal level. Some plans list advocacy-oriented actions to address these barriers, e.g., increased incentives, more effective financing tools to support electrification retrofits and elimination of fossil fuel use, especially for low- and moderate-income households.

Interested in looking at sample plans from Massachusetts towns?  

The links below may be of interest.

https://www.acton-ma.gov/732/Climate-Action-Plan (Acton)

https://gloucester-ma.gov/1182/Climate-Action-and-Resilience-Plan-CARP

https://www.thevineyardway.org/detailed-action-plan (Martha’s Vineyard)

https://www.cityofmelrose.org/sites/g/files/vyhlif3451/f/uploads/melrose_net_zero_action_plan_v4.pdf (Melrose)

https://resilient.watertown-ma.gov/ (Watertown)

https://wellesleyma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/27281/Climate-Action-Plan (Wellesley)

https://plymouth-ma.gov/1205/Priority-Plymouth--Climate-Action-and-Ad (Plymouth)

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/http://www.mapc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Scituate.CCVA_.ExecutiveSummary.MAPC_.3.2018.pdf (Scituate)

https://www.brooklinema.gov/702/Climate-Action-Plan (Brookline)

You also may want to take a look at the Cape Cod Commission Climate Action Plan. The Cape Cod Commission supports towns with policy development, planning, and data analysis. The Commission's regional plan informs town-specific plans across the Cape.

See https://www.capecodcommission.org/our-work/climate-action-plan/

And... for a closer look at the Cape Cod Commission's study of climate change impacts on Orleans, check out this snapshot of high priority road segments in Orleans, part of the Low-Lying Roads Project described in the column below and discussed in the final article on this webpage..

  Advocating for More Energy Efficient and Affordable Housing on Cape Cod 

At a July 19, 2023 State House briefing highlighting ways to improve housing affordability and reduce the state's carbon emissions, researchers from MIT and Wentworth Institute introduced findings from their most current study, entitled Public Policy for Net Zero Homes and Affordability. 

Their findings confirm the affordability of building all-electric homes with the 2023 Stretch and Opt-In Specialized Codes in Massachusetts. In fact, all-electric homes are currently less expensive to build than those built with gas or as mixed-fuel (gas and electric) homes. Estimates of the cost of construction identify ductless, all-electric homes as the least expensive to build premiums compared to the 2022 Stretch Code can be fully offset by the MassSave all-electric incentive.  

Initial cost estimates for construction under the 2022 Stretch Code requirements found that single family construction  costs increased 1.8-3.0 percent, while multi-family Passive House construction was associated with a 2.8% overall increase. However, several large nonprofit builders of Passive House single-family and multi-family affordable housing note that as developers, engineers, and subcontractors become more familiar with Passive House construction requirements and techniques, incremental costs have declined and are expected to continue to decline.

Moreover, operational costs demonstrate a greater than 20% reduction in operational costs for single-family all-electric homes. Modeling energy savings for more energy efficient Passive House multi-family homes finds reductions in energy use of 40-60% or higher. However, increases in incremental costs for construction (dependent on local market supply and demand conditions) may impact the benefit of energy cost savings.

"Adoption of the opt-in specialized code is essential to helping Massachusetts achieve statutory emissions reductions by requiring prewiring of new mixed-fuel home and avoiding higher cost future electrification retrofits," says Justin Steil, one of the authors of the study. The opt-in specialized code requirement that new multifamily housing achieve Passive House standards will significantly reduce carbon emissions in those buildings, in addition to delivering health benefits to residents. Photo credit Marilyn Brodwick

For additional information, please see 

http://cre.mit.edu/news-insights/advocating-for-more-energy-efficient-and-affordable-housing-in-ma/ or contact info.orleansclimateaction@gmail.com.

Water and Climate Change On Cape Cod - What You Should Know 

Thank you to all participants in the Water and Climate Change on Cape Cod - What You Should Know program on June 14th at the Snow Library and via Zoom.  We appreciate our terrific speakers, Rich Delaney and Katie Castagno (Center for Coastal Studies), Mark Riel (Town of Orleans) and moderator Shelly McComb (WHOI Sea Grant), who provided great information that should inspire us all to make a difference.  We had over 80 attendees either in person or via Zoom, which is an amazing turnout for a beautiful summer Friday.  This event was part of a series of events that happened across Cape Cod as part of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Sea Grant Program Climate Resilience Week 

Thank you to all program sponsors and to the Friends of Snow Library for technical support. 

Zoom link to the program:  

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/NLndQOwT8Y-NClYSQEw7pURUWv00eVeL_O4bstvmVJnt3TPx-Z0XPGsCyH3JtqK0.OZTyh-cwowllB3dk

Town of Orleans Sponsors of the Program: 

Orleans Marine and Fresh Water Quality Committee: Volunteer to be a local water quality sampler by speaking with any of our committee members!  https://www.town.orleans.ma.us/630/Marine-Fresh-Water-Quality-Committee

Orleans Energy and Climate Action Committee:  https://www.town.orleans.ma.us/703/Energy-Climate-Action-Committee

Orleans Shellfish & Waterways Improvement Advisory Committee: https://www.town.orleans.ma.us/764/Shellfish-Waterways-Improvement-Advisory

Nonprofit Sponsors of the Program or Affiliated With the Speakers

Center for Coastal Studies: https://coastalstudies.org/

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Sea Grant Program climate resilience resources:  https://seagrant.whoi.edu/cccrw-2024/

Orleans Climate Action Network: https://www.orleansclimateaction.org/. affiliated with the Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative: https://capecodclimate.org/

Orleans Pond Coalition: https://www.orleanspondcoalition.org/

Orleans Conservation Trust: https://orleansconservationtrust.org/

At Home With Nature:  https://orleansconservationtrust.org/at-home-with-nature/

Planning for Climate Resiliency?  

Look Ahead to Electric School Buses

Last year, the Nauset Regional Schools submitted a proposal for electric school bus funding under the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Bus Program, a new Federal program that provides funds to replace existing school buses with zero-emission and low-emission models, as well as infrastructure to support bus use. Five Massachusetts districts, including our neighbors at Upper Cape Regional Technical High School, were funded for 2023. Nauset was placed on a wait list for 2023 and has submitted a proposal for 2024.

Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the EPA's Clean School Bus (CSB) Program for electric school buses will provide 45 billion dollars in funding over five years, FY22-FY26,  to replace existing school buses with zero-emission and low-emission models. The Program's multiple grant and rebate funding opportunities already have awarded almost $2 billion to fund approximately 5,000 school bus replacements (including infrastructure) at over 600 schools.

Why Electric School Buses? 

• Cleaner air:  Electric-powered vehicles are zero-emission. Gasoline-powered buses contribute heavily to greenhouse gas emissions, feeding climate change. Propane-powered buses, currently in use in many Cape towns, demonstrate a lower, but still significant  emission level. 

• Resiliency: Vehicle-to-Grid capable buses can provide power to the grid to Orleans buildings during power shutdowns. When the vehicles are not in use transporting students, they are plugged in, giving back to the town.

• Cost-savings: Reduced maintenance and fuel costs

• Reduced health risks, particularly impactful for children, whose lungs are developing, and seniors 

• Cleaner air: reduction or elimination of school bus exhaust, associated with high rates of asthma

What's your climate action focus?

Explore the Orleans Conservation Trust 'At Home with Nature' initiative, a resource-rich source of information and tools to practice nature-friendly landscaping. You’ll learn about native plants—a vital component of healthy home landscapes that provide food and nesting habitats for our beautiful local birds and critters. By cultivating native trees, shrubs, and perennials, and removing invasive, non-native species, we can avoid using pesticides and thus help pollinators thrive. Smaller lawns that can be mowed and watered less often are part of the solution, and ideally homeowners will come to appreciate the benefits of a true Cape Cod lawn. All these practices will help you save time and money and reduce the use of water—our most precious shared resource.”  Learn more here: https://orleansconservationtrust.org/at-home-with-nature/

Check out these Town of Orleans Conservation Commission resources: 

• Plants Native to Orleans.  https://www.town.orleans.ma.us/215/List-of-Native-Plants 

• A Guide to Orleans Wetlands Bylaw and Regulations, accessible on the Town of Orleans website, https://www.town.orleans.ma.us/614/Conservation-Commission. Freshwater wetlands serve many beneficial functions to the community. By channeling runoff away from nearby roads and buildings, wetlands protect structures from flood damage. Wetlands provide temporary storage for floodwaters, allowing the water to slowly recede and recharge the groundwater aquifer. And the wetland may help purify the water it receives. Saltwater beaches, dunes, coastal banks, and salt marshes are dynamic systems. Construction and maintenance activities must be planned carefully in these areas to allow natural shifting to occur. Wetlands Bylaw and Regulations provide critical guidance for individual action that will sustain beaches, bays, dunes, marshes, ponds, and bogs, minimizing the need for engineered seawalls and providing wildlife with important food, shelter, breeding areas and sources of fresh water. 

Mark Your Calendar:  Climate Actions You Can Take!

Orleans Dehumidifier Turn-In, August 3 

Do you have an old, working dehumidifier that you’d like to upgrade or clean out? Recycle it with the Cape Light Compact and you can receive a $30 rebate!

Here’s how it works.

1. Bring an old, working dehumidifier to the event.

2. Drop off your dehumidifier and receive a rebate form from the event staff.

3. Complete the rebate form and submit it through one of the following methods:

   1. Complete the rebate form at the event and leave it with the event staff.

   2. Fill out the rebate form at home and send it in through mail to the address listed on the rebate form.

4. Receive your $30 recycling rebate by mail 6 – 8 weeks after the form is submitted.

The following restrictions apply to this limited-time offer:

• Limit two dehumidifier turn-in rebates per Mass Save Sponsor residential electric account per calendar year (commercial accounts are not eligible).

• Eligible dehumidifiers must be sized appropriately for residential applications (20 to 70 pints).

• Eligible dehumidifiers must be in working condition

When?  August 3, 10-2

Where? Crane Appliance, 136 Route 6A, Orleans