7 Jobs that Make the World a Better Place

Want to make a real difference in the world? Consider one of these seven "green" careers that help protect -- and improve -- our planet. Provided by AOL.

  The following story was provided by AOL.com  By Debra Auerbach for CareerBuiler Have you ever had an itch to quit your job and instead do work that makes a real difference in the world? In honor of Earth Day on April 22, we've compiled a list of seven jobs that help people live a better life – from the buildings they work and live in, to the energy that fuels their homes, to the air they breathe.  1. Conservation scientist: Conservation scientists are hired to help preserve and protect natural habitats. They usually work with landowners and federal, state and local governments to find the best ways to use and improve the land while conserving the environment.* If you’re looking for a green job in Lexington, check out our jobs page at …

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How Can We Make Every Day Earth Day? (Sponsored)

Here are some family activities you can do to foster environmentalism. Sponsored by Sony.

Very few events are celebrated around the globe, but Earth Day is. This year, it’s come and gone. But we’re here to ask: What can we do to show our love of the earth on that day, and every day? On May 31, Sony will release After Earth, an action-packed movie that takes place 1,000 years after cataclysmic events forced humanity to leave. It’s the kind of scenario that makes you want to donate to Greenpeace, recycle everything, and start biking every where, immediately. So, in honor of Earth Day, Patch has teamed up with Sony to present these ideas for making every day Earth Day. How can we make every day Earth Day? Begin with little things. Easy things. Obvious things. Things we take for granted each day, and use and/or abuse because of …

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Composting: How and Where to Get Started in Lexington

All the tools you need to start composting in Lexington, plus where to get free or low-cost compost for your garden.

If composting is an activity on your list of ways to live greener, here's a how to get started in Lexington. Emily Bishton, a designer of sustainable landscapes and an environmental educator for children and adults, says, "Home composting is a fun and easy way to make fabulous and free soil amendments to make all the plants in your garden healthier. "It also eliminates the carbon emissions that are needed to truck your food and yard waste to composting facilities, truck the finished compost back to a retail outlet, and then to your home,” says Bishton. Collecting Kitchen Compost Composting starts in the kitchen. First, you'll want to set up a system for catching compostable materials during your meal and snack clean up process. These …

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Reverend E. Raleigh Pimperton III

8:41 pm on Saturday, April 27, 2013

How do you compost a Prius? Do you have to remove the Obama bumper sticker first? Reverend E. Raleigh Pimperton III   more ›

Every Day is Earth Day: Plant the Seeds, Inspire Children

Encourage children to love the earth and all will bloom naturally. Here are some family activities you can do to foster environmentalism in Lexington.

Earth Day was earlier this week and celebrated across the entire world. But we can easily show our love of the earth on that day, and every day.  Love begins in the home and so does the love for our earth. If you teach your children to respect the earth on every level, they will continue to realize the global impact of environmentalism when they become adults. This is important for the sustainability of life as we know it.   Perhaps we can set off that spark in a child, making them want to learn more about the process and do more to help. If we've done our part, they might strive to become an environmentalist—professionally or at heart. Inspire children, plant the seeds early on, and they will flourish.  We all strive to do "acts of …

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How Green Is Lexington?

Does Lexington make it easy for you to live an earth-friendly lifestyle? What do you wish was different?

Towns across the country are getting new recycling centers, giving away rain barrels and installing parking meters with solar panels. Here at Patch, we want to know: What makes Lexington "green?" You know, other than the Green. Is it the Sustainable Lexington initiatives or electric vehicle charging stations? The votes at Town Meeting last week to approve a climate change resolution and bylaw amendments to make municipal solar installations more feasible? Also, Bill McKibben's from here. Just sayin'. TELL US: What does Concord do to help you go green? Do you use any resources from the town to stay green? Share in the comments below. 

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Will You Recognize Earth Hour Tonight?

Element Hotel will be participating in Earth Hour, which takes place Saturday, March 23 at 8:30 p.m.

Element Hotel in Lexington will shine a little less bright tonight. As part of the World Wildlife Fund's Earth Hour, Element Hotel lobbies will transition to candlelight from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. And hotel guests "will be invited to toast Mother Earth during a celebratory Happy Earth Hour, with drink sales from the brands newly launched Salon Bars benefiting the World Wildlife Fund," according to the WWF's website. The WWF's Earth Hour encourages individuals, businesses and muncipalities around the globe to shut off their lights for one hour on March 23 at 8:30 p.m. "to focus on the one thing that unites us all—our planet." The movement aims to raise awareness about various environmental issues affecting the planet including energy …

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TELL US: What are Your Best Tips for Saving Electricity?

Hey neighbors: It's always a good time to save energy. We've got five easy things you can do to conserve and save money on your electric bill, but we need your ideas too. Please share your best tips in the comments.

Allyson Schmutter, spokesperson for the national nonprofit Alliance to Save Energy, offers these five tips for saving energy and money:  1. Unplug All Those Devices: Believe it or not, many devices still consume energy even when turned off. The typical culprits are televisions and cable boxes, or anything that stays lit with an LED or standby light even when turned off. Schmutter says those devices can suck a month’s worth of electricity from your home each year.  2. Change Your Bulbs: If you haven't already switched your incandescent bulbs out for more energy-efficient options, now's the time to do it. You'll save 75 percent by switching to CFL bulbs. Not sold on CFLs? Take a look at this light bulb checklist for more ideas.  3. Cook Up …

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Ch-ch-Changes: All 'Ayes' on Climate Change, Solar, Electronic Voting

In its second session Lexington’s annual Town Meeting on Wednesday voted to adopt a climate change resolution, allow for municipal solar installations, update a bylaw and introduce electronic voting as an option.

For a town well known for its rich history, Lexington’s annual Town Meeting was fairly forward thinking Wednesday night, approving a handful of articles that could impact the town and its government for years to come. In four separate votes, Town Meeting approved warrant articles 33, 29, 34 and 32, which deal with climate change, solar energy, zoning and electronic voting, respectively. ARTICLE 33: Climate Change Resolution Sustainable Lexington’s Mark Sandeen asked, How many 100-year storms will Lexington have over 18 months? The question was rhetorical, of course, and Sandeen went on to click through slides showing damage from Hurricane Irene, Snowtober, Superstorm Sandy and the Winter Storm Sometimes Known as Nemo. And then, for good …

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What’s On Tap Tonight at Town Meeting?

Lexington’s 2013 annual Town Meeting resumes at 7:30 p.m. tonight, March 20, at Cary Hall. Climate change, solar energy, zoning and, if there’s time, electronic voting are on the agenda.

  If opening night was special, then the second session of annual Town Meeting might just be thoroughly modern. Articles on the agenda for tonight deal with a climate change resolution, solar energy purchasing, updating a zoning article and, if they get to it, electronic voting. That’s according to Town Moderator Deb Brown, who set the second session’s agenda before adjourning the opening meeting on Monday. Tonight's meeting, set to begin at 7:30 p.m. at Cary Hall, will open with the report from Town Manager Carl Valente, per Brown's plan. Climate change and energy are next up on the agenda, in the form of Article 33, which asks the town to consider climate change in all of its decisions and planning processes, and Article 29, which seeks …

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Where is Lexington's Closest Electric Car Charging Station?

NSTAR and crowd-sourced websites offer tips and locations for charging electric cars.

Drivers who are considering a switch to electric vehicles or current vehicle owners looking for a place nearby to charge their rides have a couple of places to find their outlet. In Lexington, the closest charging stations are right here in town -- the year-old stations in the lot at 4 Grant St. -- and beyond that there are a few in Waltham and Cambridge, according to crowd-sourced website carstations.com. Carstations allows users to upload new car charging locations to a Google map and (when applicable) provides details on the station. According to the site's About section, "this website is designed to encourage participation and welcomes user interaction in the form of comments, updates and user generated content." There are also more …

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