The City of Cambridge has signed a 36-month electricity supply contract with Direct Energy for its Cambridge Community Electricity Program, begun in July 2017 to use group buying power to negotiate lower prices and increase the amount of renewable energy. 

Cambridge wrapped up its annual participatory budgeting process Wednesday, awarding seven winning projects totaling $525,000. As in years past, the top proposals were about the environment; this year residents voted to bring “urban micro-forests” and “rain gardens” to the city.

The development company that bought more than 26 acres from the former W.R. Grace in July – including the polluted Jerry’s Pond and more than 10 acres of surrounding natural areas – plans a virtual community meeting Jan. 21 to share its plans for the land.

Public meetings this week look at why the city can’t grant direct Covid-19 aid, affordable housing work citywide under Covid-19, public schools’ approach to remote learning and in-person classes, development at large hazardous waste site and much more.

“R.O.O.T. (Recognizing Our Oldest Trees)” takes on worries around tree loss explicitly as well as artistically.

Public meetings this week look at securing more money to get businesses, households and the homeless through the coronavirus; a 46-unit project for Central Square; asking what IQHQ will do about its polluted Jerry’s Pond; how the green line extension is going; and much more.

The presence of a green roofs section in our zoning code has led to not one green roof being created in Cambridge. A revision to actually make them happen is long overdue.

Green Cambridge and the Cambridge Residents Alliance plan a Zoom community discussion of options for a Tree Protection Ordinance at 7 p.m. Tuesday and invite participants to a focused discussion on options for a new law. 

The Crab Apple Gardenerz got Karened, but they didn’t let it stop them. Instead, they’ve distributed small food crops grown in Cambridge community plots, and celebrated with a Poets In The Garden event.

The city is reopening its search for an artist to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave U.S. women the right to vote, because there wasn’t enough diversity among the artists considered in the first, 23-month, search process.