video of survey results

FALL 2020

SURVEY #1 RESULTS

The survey was conducted through Survey Monkey. We publicized the survey in the Hometown 

Weekly, The Press, on Patch, via Facebook, and in the Medfield Insider.

DEMOGRAPHICS

· 504 Surveys Completed

o Really great response!

o Diverse respondents

o 75% of the respondents have lived in Medfield more than 10 years.

o 70% of the respondents are women 

o 63% of the respondents are 45 or older

SURVEY RESULTS

We asked “Should the Town of Medfield build buildings that have high energy efficiency performance and prefer builders/developers who would do the same? This would lead the town to build a highly efficient “net zero” elementary school and encourage builders/developers to build using “passive house” standards for new construction and high energy efficiency for renovations, in projects such as State Hospital Development.” (Q5). See graphic at end. 

95% responded favorably.

· 41% of respondents chose “Yes, in all circumstances because not adding greenhouse gases to our environment is critical at this time.”

· 54% of respondents chose “Yes, if the costs are not prohibitive and a reasonable payback of any additional investment can be achieved over the life of the building.”

We asked “The State of Massachusetts has committed to a goal of Net Zero Emissions by 2050, which will help Massachusetts address the climate crisis by reducing carbon emissions. This will require changes in our local community. Which of the following best describes your position towards Medfield adopting its own goals and committing to develop a plan by November 2021 to proactively meet the state’s 2050 goal? (Q4)

· 72% - “I support Medfield adopting climate goals and developing a plan (just as Acton, Arlington, Ashland, Cambridge, Lexington and many other MA towns have already done.)

· 17% - “I am supportive of working to address the climate crisis, but I need more information about why it is important for Medfield to adopt a goal and a plan now.

We asked for agreement with the following statements. (Q3)

a) The climate crisis poses a serious threat for people around the world.

· 79% completely agree

· 14% somewhat agree

b) The climate crisis is something that will affect my family in Medfield.

· 52% completely agree

· 32% somewhat agree

c) I am ready to take steps at home to tackle the climate crisis.

· 60% completely agree

· 28% somewhat agree

d) I will support and encourage my local government in making policies that address the climate crisis.

· 71% completely agree

· 19% somewhat agree

We asked “Climate crisis is a term describing global warming and climate change, and their consequences. Globally, 19 of the 20 warmest years on record have occurred since 2001 (Sources: NASA.gov and IPCC). Increased flooding, wildfires, and severe storms are just some of the direct results of a warming Earth. Do you believe we are facing a Climate Crisis? (Q2)

· 43% - Yes, due to human activities

· 51% - Yes, due to both human activities AND natural cycles and causes

We asked “Just talking to others about climate crisis is a highly effective way to help. How likely are you to discuss with a friend or colleague actions that can be taken to promote a cleaner, greener lifestyle and reduce the climate crisis?” (Q6)

• 38% - 100% likely, I am already doing this
• 30% - Very likely, I will start talking about it
• 21% - If I knew more, I would be willing to have these conversations
• 11% - I would NOT be comfortable having a conversation
• 
  

Our community was very interested in staying informed of upcoming programs and issues in Medfield. We added 253 new emails (51% of survey takers) to our newsletter list. (Q8)

We asked “Please share your thoughts, concerns, or ideas regarding the urgency of preserving our environment. Please share any other questions or comments regarding climate crisis initiatives in Medfield.” (Q7 +Q3)

Here are some comments that show the opinions of Medfielders supporting green efforts:

• “New buildings need to be as close to net neutral as possible especially since they think they are going to last for 70 years. Also need to move the fleet of vehicles to hybrid and electric vehicles. Town (includes schools) employee commutes should be considered in the numbers and programmed developed to help them reduce emission.”
• “I think that the environment needs to become a mark larger priority in government policies. Although there are many other things to factor in these decisions, the environment is something that should be at the top of all our concerns.”
• “I think we are fortunate in Medfield to have resources that we could put towards climate crisis initiatives, specifically in the school to teach young people habits that will preserve the environment. If we reworked the budget and gave every school extra money specifically for green initiatives, I think that would send a message to the whole town that this is important.”
• “Repairing the climate is an integral part of every agenda the government wants to improve - environment, economy, food supply, clean water, air and soil, etc. Climate is at the root of all improvements and needs for a healthier planet and its people.”

Our town had some questions that we look forward to answering, including:

• “Let’s adopt a plan! Curious what has worked in other towns in MA?”
• “What can each individual family do to help out with climate change in Medfield?”
• “I imagine Medfield is better positioned than many as an affluent and highly educated community with an abundance of natural/open space BUT I also see hesitancy from our leadership and fear of costs like with Dale St. School discussions (which never seem to be weighted against the cost of inaction). We are in a moment of awareness though about the urgency, how do we leverage that?”
• “...this is an existential crisis that everyone must take seriously and we should think globally and act locally and set a good example for our residents and other communities.”