“When you’re up to your a** in alligators, it’s hard to remember that your objective was to drain the swamp.”
This saying really sums things up for climate activists these days! Fighting one global emergency is hard enough, and now another one threatens to distract us from our mission.
How do you remember your purpose in the midst of hard times? Annual events can help. The first event was wildly successful, drawing thousands to live rallies in many major cities and calling widespread attention to the issue. This year, the coronavirus pandemic has failed to interrupt the 50th Earth Day celebration, whose official calendar lists over 1,300 online events worldwide.
For us at Boston Climate Action Network, Earth Day reinvigorates our dedication to our “Green Buildings, Not Greenhouse Gases” campaign. BCAN decided in 2019 that, of many possible climate mitigation strategies, we would advocate for deep energy retrofits of Boston’s largest, most carbon-polluting buildings. Retrofits are also a priority for the City’s Office of Energy, Environment, and Open Space, which is planning to update current law with an emissions performance standard for large existing buildings. However, government plans can lose steam without support and demand from citizens. We need Bostonians to insist that the standard be set high, that enforcement be strict, and that the City allocate enough resources for implementation.
To that end, we are issuing an Earth Day challenge! We have written a petition to the Mayor and the City Council, and we aim to collect 500 signatures by 100 days after Earth Day, July 31. Please sign the petition yourself, and ask friends to do the same. Yes, let’s still drain the swamp, regardless of the alligators!
Green Buildings not Greenhouse Gases Petition
You must log in to post a comment.