Neighbor to Neighbor – Garland Road residents share their experiences going green

3Jun Update — “Sustainable Streets Tour @ Garland Rd is still ON for tomorrow, Sunday June 4 from 12-4 p.m. in spite of the anticipated light rain. “

Garland Road’s Sustainable Street Tour is just a week away. From noon until 4:00 PM on June 4th, friends and neighbors will have an opportunity to learn some great tips on going green by making adjustments to their homes and lifestyles.

Residents on Garland Road, in partnership with the 4OurFuture Campaign, are hosting a self-guided tour to learn from their neighbors, some of the climate actions they have taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help Newton meet its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

“It’s really about neighbors talking to each other,” said Garland Road resident and event co-organizer, Jon Slote. “Our hosts will be sitting outside their homes, and we’ll have a bunch of signage up to help steer people around.” Garland Road residents will share their experiences and successes. Many have upgraded their insulation, replaced heating and cooling systems, converted from gas to electric or induction stoves, and installed solar roof systems. Some have also realized savings by lowering their fuel and maintenance costs just by trading out their fossil fuel vehicles for electric.

Slote said the event “won’t be commercial.” He said they want people to have an opportunity to talk to each other and look at the different ways or things people have done – from solar panels to electrical boxes. He added, “it is up to the individual hosts on whether to allow someone inside their homes to see something specific.”

Tents will be set up with expert energy coaches and volunteers on hand to answer questions and provide professional advice. QR codes will also be provided for people to schedule future appointments with energy coaches as well.

According to Slote, the conversation may wander more broadly– and that’s a good thing. He said that the emphasis here is giving neighbors a chance to talk with one another and explore new options. While specific expert recommendations will certainly play a part in the gathering, the main focus is having a nice, inter-neighborhood chat. 

After all, said fellow Garland Road resident and co-organizer Sunwoo Kanhg, “sometimes the most trustable people are your neighbors. Whenever I need a plumber, I’m always asking a friend or a neighbor, and those are the opinions that I trust. So we thought instead of having a company, or having many experts, we thought maybe we’ll try a neighbor-to-neighbor approach where people can just come and talk to people who have done the work.”

Kahng, an environmentalist, is a board member of Green Newton, and currently serves as Chair of Newton’s Sustainable Materials Management Commission. She said that in many ways, efficient, climate-friendly home adjustments can benefit people, their wallets, and the planet.

“We’re thinking about this as money you can save while making your home cleaner and safer.” Pointing to induction stoves as an example, Kahng said,”… it’s been proven that cooking with gas produces noxious fumes in your house. So unless you have extremely good ventilation, you’re breathing in those noxious fumes. Induction cooking gets rid of that.” She added, “…it’s a very good and, I guess I want to say, chef-like way of cooking because you have a high degree of control when you’re cooking.”

Slote hopes that people will see that anybody can make adjustments to their homes and become more sustainable. “Lots of people are buying electric vehicles and putting on solar systems. It’s not just for the very few,” he said.