Field Note: Nine Things You Can Do to Help in a Changing Climate

To: Bluedot Living

From: From the folks at IGI and the Island Climate Action Network

Subject: Climate Change — The Top Nine Things You Can Do to Help

1. Compost! If you don’t compost at home, bring your food scraps (including meat, bones, dairy, lobster shells, any food scraps) to your local town transfer station. Bruno’s will pick it up and bring it to the Island Grown Farm to be turned into compost, or you can bring it to the IGI farm yourself at 80 Stoney Hill Road, down the drive from Island Alpaca. More information can be found on the IGI website.
2. Support local farmers by buying local food. Head to the West Tisbury Farmers Market on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, or visit one of the Island’s many farm stands. Check out the Island Farm Map.
3. Grow food at home. This can be in a sunny window, in pots on a porch, in a vegetable garden, or via fruit trees in your yard. See regenerative backyard gardening resources on the IGI website.
4. Reduce your lawn footprint, and plant edibles and/or native plants instead. This can reduce usage of water, fertilizers, and fossil fuels required for mowing. Check out Biodiversity Works’ Natural Neighbors program, and/or the lawn footprint reduction tips from Garden Wisdom’s Roxanne Kapitan on the IGI website.
5. Get a free home energy audit through Cape Light Compact to find ways to save money and energy in your home.
6. Reach out to an energy coach at Vineyard Power if you need (free!) advice on improving energy efficiency in your home, getting a heat pump, buying or leasing an electric vehicle, installing solar panels, and more. 
7. Get an energy-efficient heat pump for heating and cooling! Check out rebates, incentives, and loans available through the MassSave program and Cape Light Compact.
8. Adjust your thermostat (up in the summer and down in the winter) to use as little energy as possible for heating and cooling your home, especially if you’re going to be away from home for a period of time.
9. Become a member of Island Eats to access reusable stainless steel takeout containers at many local restaurants, rather than using single-use packaging.