On January 24, City Council President Michelle Wu and Councilor Matt O’Malley introduced an order for a hearing on Community Choice Energy, which would make renewable electricity available to all Bostonians. Here is Wu’s statement.
At today’s 12PM Boston City Council meeting, we’ll be taking up a hearing order that I’m filing in partnership with Councilor Matt O’Malley on Community Choice Energy. Also called “community choice aggregation” or “municipal aggregation,” this refers to a state law that gives MA cities and towns the ability to determine our own energy future. The law lays out a process for the City of Boston to choose to power our city as a whole with renewable energy resources such as solar and wind. Community choice energy is the fastest way that Boston can get on the path to being a 100% renewable energy city. Read more about the process here: http://www.massclimateaction.org/community_aggregation.
Just last week, we saw the swearing in of a new President who denies climate change and plans to install climate change deniers to lead our federal environmental agencies. Yesterday, he issued executive orders attempting to move forward with the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines, which threaten water supplies, indigenous communities, and our environment. 2017 also could very well turn out to be the FOURTH consecutive year with record high average global temperatures (https://www.nytimes.com/…/earth-highest-temperature-record.…). It will take swift and bold action on the local level, trying our hardest to prevent global temperatures from reaching a catastrophic tipping point. Cities across the Commonwealth, nation, and globe have been leading by getting on the path to 100% renewable energy. It is time for Boston to get on board. Please follow our progress and JOIN US as the Council works on this legislation. Attend our future hearings to testify, or watch online and email in testimony. Give feedback directly to your City Councilors. Attend future working group meetings. As we’ve seen in recent weeks, changing the energy market won’t happen with a top-down approach; it will only happen with your support and action.
Fighting climate change and protecting our environment is about equity and social justice, standing together to prevent disastrous impacts that will fall disproportionately on vulnerable communities. There are many other opportunities in Boston and Massachusetts to get involved! Just a few that I’ve encountered (feel free to suggest others in the comments section and I’ll update):
–Join your local chapter of 350 Mass. Here is the link: http://350mass.betterfutureproject.org. Their advocacy training for this Saturday is full, but sign up and express your interest for a future training.
–Follow these pages on Facebook & show up to their meetings: West Roxbury Saves Energy Mothers Out Front – Mobilizing for a Livable Climate, Roslindale Affinity Group, Boston Climate Action Network, Stop the West Roxbury Lateral Pipeline, Mass Sierra Club, Clean Water Action Massachusetts, Boston Node of 350 Mass, Mass Power Forward, Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM), Mass Energy Consumers Alliance.
–Buy 100% New England Wind to power your home. Learn how this works: https://www.massenergy.org/renewable-energy/whatistheswitch. My family switched over to this in 2016.
–Support Boston’s proposed plastic bag reduction ordinance (http://meetingrecords.cityofboston.gov/sirepub/view.aspx…) by reaching out to your Councilors and asking them to vote yes. Until then, use fewer bags. Even one fewer bag in landfills or littering the streets of Boston makes a difference.
–Tell your local elected officials that you support more investment in lower emissions transportation infrastructure, such as bicycles, buses, and trains. Come to our City Council transportation briefings, Feb 2nd on Transit Signal Priority and March 2nd on Parking Management.
–If you are purchasing a new car, consider your Drive Green options. Some helpful research: https://www.massenergy.org/drivegreen
–There are lots of rivers in greater Boston – the Charles, the Neponset, the Mystic. Join your local riverwatershed non-profit mailing lists and join annual river cleanups, fundraising events, etc. Charles River Watershed Association The Charles River Conservancy Mystic River Watershed Association Neponset River Watershed Association
–Look for ways to support efforts against the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipeline. Groups will be organizing drives for supplies to be sent to protestors who will camp
–Stand with local college student groups demanding that colleges divest their endowments away from fossil fuels.
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