Public/Private Partnerships

Jan,

Such a partnership exists in your home state of Massachusetts - promoting water conservation practices during summer peak demand to area residents and the services from affiliated businesses for water conservation landscaping and irrigation practices, to name a few. It's called the Greenscapes Program. This relatively new and expanding program is guided by a diverse group of organizations that collectively form the Greenscapes Coalition. Coalition members implement customized Greenscapes programs in their regions by collaborating with many other organizations, communities, funders, and other local entities. Greencapes is administered and coordinated by the Massachusetts Bays Estuaries Association in Hingham. Yes, it has the same name as the USEPA GreenScapes but that is the only connection. The 2007 Greenscapes multi-partner outreach effort includes programs in the North and South Shore. The North Shore program involves the following partners: Salem Sound Coastwatch , the Ipswich River Watershed Association , the Eight Towns and the Bay Committee , the Massachusetts Bays Estuary Association , and the communities of Andover, Beverly, Boxford, Danvers, Essex, Georgetown, Gloucester, Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Middleton, Newbury, Newburyport, Peabody, Salem, Salisbury, Topsfield, and Wenham. The South Shore program partnership: North and South Rivers Watershed Association , the Massachusetts Bays Program , Massachusetts Bays Estuary Association , Aquarion Water Co. (Hingham, Hull), Pinehills Water Company, and the Towns of Cohasset, Duxbury, Hanover, Kingston, Marshfield, Norwell, Pembroke, Plymouth, Scituate and Weymouth. For more of the details, go to their website: http://www.greenscapes.org/Page-111.html

Best wishes,
George A. Zoto, Ph.D.

Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
Bureau of Resource Protection
One Winter Street
Boston, MA 02108
T 617.292-5599
F 617.292.5696

Hi Jan,

Have a look at our web site. We have an Energy Task Force that is a partnership between Sustainability Victoria, the Department of Human Services and community sector organisations. The project assists low income Victorians in the following ways:
*Lowering energy bills
*Improving the comfort and quality of their homes
*Improving water efficiency
*Reducing waste
*Providing job training opportunities.

You can obtain more details from the web site at: http://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/www/html/1464-energy-task-force.asp ?intSiteID=4
We also have partnership programs with industry whereby we make grants available to assist with the installation of solar water heaters, high efficiency gas water heaters and ceiling insulation and are in the process of establishing project to supply compact fluorescent lamps to houses across Victoria.

Regards
John

John Osborne
Renewables, Sustainability Victoria
T: 03 8626 8783
F: 03 9663 1007
Level 28, Urban Workshop,
50 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne 3000
www.sustainability.vic.gov.au

Hello All,

In reply to both Jans request, for examples of municipal- private sector partnerships, and Johns, on examples of green single family residential construction curriculum for builders, you may want to look also at the Green Building program of the city of Austin, Texas: http://www.austinenergy.com/Energy%20Efficiency/Programs/Green%20Building/index.htm Part of their program includes certification of Green businesses, especially those related to building, and their Sustainable Sourcebook lists businesses that provide products and services in a wide range of environmental areas, including energy, water, materials, recycling, environmental health, etc. They also run Green Building and other workshops and have other educational resources for both building professionals and consumers.

Regards,
Mary Finn
Chicago, Illinois
www.mefinn.com

John,

Thanks very much for your response. I'm looking forward to having a look at your website. I may email you with some follow up questions if you don't mind.

Regards,
Jan