Brookline’s Climate Week seeks to educate community

Along with having a Climate Action Committee and Climate Action Plan, the town of Brookline dedicates a week in early February to educating the public about climate change.

The fifth annual Climate Week, which ran from Feb. 2 through 10, focused on sharing ideas and best practices to promote a renewable energy future rather than fossil fuel reliance.

Fifteen free events, including forums, clothing drives, and art installations, were held at locations such as Town Hall, Newbury College, and the library. Forum topics ranged from sustainable business strategies to opportunities to grow and share solar gardens.

Climate Week is a collaboration of Climate Action Brookline, a group of volunteer activists, and a range of community partners, town departments, organizers and volunteers, said Mary Dewart, a board member of Climate Action Brookline. She said the initiative has grown significantly since 2011 and now has more than 100 community partners, with some events drawing more than 100 people this year. Local restaurants took part by offering sustainable foods on their menus, Dewart said.

One highlight this year was a TinySol home: a solar powered 128-square-foot house that can sit atop a pontoon boat or on a trailer.

There was also a showing of “On the Move: Innovative Ideas for Local Transportation,” a documentary about a human-powered, Boston-based delivery business.