Environmental and Energy Organizations

The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association

Web Address: www.nesea.org

In addition to curriculum materials for K - 12 teachers, NESEA also provides:

  • The Clean Energy Program: This program provides information to NESEA members, presents workshops and conferences, provides posters, and conducts open house at facilities utilizing renewable energy technologies.
  • The Green Building Program: This program provides a Green Schools Resource List. It also presents conferences, workshops, open houses, and selects award winners.
  • The Northeast Sun Magazine: This quarterly magazine is for sale and provided to NESEA members.
  • Member Chapters in Easter and Western Massachusetts.
  • Resource Library: the NESEA has an extensive resource library that can be visited by educators. It is not a lending library.
  • The Tour de Sol Competition: The annual competition is open to vehicle manufacturers, students, and independent teams.

The Hitchcock Center for the Environment

Web Address: www.hitchcockcenter.org

525 South Pleasant Street
Amherst, MA  01002
(413) 256-6006

  • Professional Development Opportunities for Teachers: weekend and summer institutes for teachers in Grades K - 8
  • Winter Community Programs:  describes Sunday sessions that include "The Heat is On" on April 4th and Sustainable Sunday sessions on the second Sunday of every month. The Sustainable Sunday sessions are attended by representatives from Alliance Energy, Renewable Energy Cooperatives, Western Massachusetts Electric Company, Massachusetts Electric Company, and a heating oil co-op.
  • The Lending Library: The Hitchcock has a lending library with environmental education resources and is a member of the Western Massachusetts regional Library System.
  • School Programs: The Hitchcock Center provides classroom presentations and school field trips.
  • The EcoBus Program: The program serves 2,500 students each year and provides information about the conservation of local natural resources.
  • The Science League Program: This program targets underserved students and provides experiences in habitat protection.
  • Summer and School Vacation Camps: These camps are designed for children from ages 6 to 11.

Massachusetts Climate Action Network (MCAN)

Topic:  Social/political aspect of efficient energy use

Source:  Massachusetts Climate Action Network, composed of local and statewide groups

Web Address:  www.massclimateaction.org

Grade Level:  Suitable for HS

Learning Strategies:  NA

Frameworks Connections

History & Social Science theme - "the development of scientific reasoning, technology, and formal education over time, and their effect on people's health, standards of living, economic growth, government, religious beliefs, communal life, and the environment.

Cost:  Free

"MCAN is dedicated to halting the threat of global climate change.  We are striving to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, principally carbon dioxide (CO2), in our communities and the state."

This network is devoted to public education about greenhouse gases and influencing local and state legislation and planning efforts regarding energy efficiency, renewable energy, and transportation.  The site contains current MCAN projects, how to get involved, sample and actual climate action plans, suggestions for developing action plans and energy efficiency outreach strategies, results of current community action plans, and related links.

The main idea of the site is "how to get your community involved in climate action plans or join Communities for Climate Protection."  Documents cover organizational aspects as well as energy efficiency recommendations and ways to implement these measures.

International Council for Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI)

Web Address: www.iclei.org

Many communities in Massachusetts are participating in ICLEI's  Cities for Climate Protection Campaign. Each community adopts a five-step Climate Action Plan that includes a greenhouse gas inventory, a target reduction goal, a climate action plan, the implementation of the plan, and the monitoring of the plan. School can participate in the educational component of the Campaign.

The Sierra Club

Web Address: www.sierraclub.org

The Sierra Club's website provides a search engine that accesses the activities of the Sierra Club associated with global warming and a variety of other environmental issues.

Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC)

Web Address: www.nrdc.org

The NRDC website provides scientific and technical information about renewable energy technologies and global warming as well as the political activities associated with the passage of legislation at the national level.

The global warming home page at the NRDC web site includes the Keep Winter Cool web page that describes the joint effort of the National Ski Areas Association and the NRDC.

The American Wind Energy Association  (AWEA)

Web Address: www.awea.org

The AWEA Resource Library provides documents, reports, fact sheets, audio/visual materials, an archive of news articles, tutorials, wind energy use projections, and links to other renewable energy and global warming organizations.

The Green Center

Web Address: www.fuzzylu.com/greencenter/

This website provides information on the use of passive solar technology as it applies to agriculture and aquaculture.

The Massachusetts Audubon Society

Web Address: www.massaudubon.org

The Mass Audubon search engine provides information about the Audubon' Society's use of renewable energy technologies and its involvement with involvement renewable energy resource issues.