BNN News interviewed members of BostonCAN as part of a larger piece on climate readiness in Boston in the wake of two recent “Once in a Generation” storms that caused so much flooding.
Storm Prompts Call for Climate Action from Chris Lovett on Vimeo.
BNN interviewed Boston University professor Nathan Phillips, who discussed the need for Community Choice Energy to be acted on more urgently as a critical part of the climate plan for the City of Boston.
BCAN’s Rising Seas Rally made a splash.
We got picked up by multiple news outlets. The Boston Globe interviewed our campaign coordinator Andy Bean:
Bean said he hopes the city this year implements the Community Choice Energy plan that Boston’s City Council approved in October 2017, which would increase the amount of renewable energy residents and businesses use without raising costs.
…
The city has a Climate Action Plan, which aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2020 and be carbon neutral by 2050, but Bean said it is overdue for an update.
We were also in the North End Waterfront neighborhood news and Universal Hub. Attendees were also interviewed by Boston Neighborhood Network News.
Boston City Councilors Michelle Wu and Matt O’Malley recently filed a new order to monitor the progress of the implementation of CCE for the City of Boston. The direct result of the order will be a new hearing:
THEREFORE BE IT ORDERED:
That the appropriate committee of the Boston City Council hold a hearing to discuss the implementation of Community Choice Energy in Boston, and representatives from the Office of Environment, Energy and Open Space and other interested parties and members of the public be invited to testify.
We don’t know when the hearing will take place, but BostonCAN and its allies will need to show up in full force again to let our officials know that we expect them to take quick and resolute action to implement this energy policy as part of their climate mitigation plans.
We’ll keep you posted on when the hearing happens, so check back here in the coming days.
Learn about our Guiding Principles for strong community organizing that increases your impact and revenue. Julia will be joined by Program Director, Nakia Navarro and Program Manager, Ally Philip, who will share available opportunities for support from the Grassroots Fund, from grants to stipends to sponsorship.What will you learn from this webinar?
- What we define as fundable community projects
- How the Grassroots Fund supports grassroots trainers and community events
- How to receive a grant from the Grassroots Fund
- How the Grassroots Fund can serve as your fiscal sponsor
- How the Grassroots Fund can help you market your upcoming even
Boston began to feel the toll of sea level rise during last week’s winter storm. The waters came up all over city – in the Seaport, Atlantic Avenue, the South Shore, Neponset, and the North End.
The pictures are pretty astounding.
We’re starting to see these “once in a generation” events several times a year now. Hurricane Harvey in Texas, the devastation in Puerto Rico, endless wildfires across the west.
In recent interviews with Mayor Walsh and EEOS Chief Blackmon, both officials discussed the storm floods last week, and emphasized the importance of building infrastructure to be able to withstand increased sea levels during winter events. But neither mention Boston’s role in cutting emissions to help prevent sea level in the first place.
The City will clearly need to prepare for the new reality of higher sea levels – that reality is already here now. But it will get much worse – too much to handle with bigger sea walls – if we do not act to curb our emissions.
Mayor Walsh and Chief Blackmon must implement Community Choice Energy, as the quickest way to cut greenhouse gases and help stop sea levels from rising past the point of no return.
Joel Wool of Clean Water Action says:
Remember to call, email, vote, tweet, stand up, protest, obstruct, whatever else you can, to keep up the political urgency to fight climate change, to adapt to it. It’s going to take continued action and massive investment. Without your active involvement, the investment that happens is going to protect the 1%. Seriously – be the squeaky wheel. Tell other people to speak up, too.
It was a long year full of victories and defeats. This past month, members of BCAN got together to mark the end of the year, sing songs, and get ourselves ready for 2018. This is us singing Woody Guthrie’s This Land is Your Land together.
We hope your holidays have been bright, and are ready to re-commit with us to fighting for the environment in 2018!
Our next big gathering is a celebration of getting CCE signed. Join us to help keep the pressure on the City to implement it before the Mayor’s Climate Summit this summer.
Contact your District City Councilor, the At-Large Councilors, and Mayor Walsh BY WEDNESDAY MORNING: Tell them to support the plastic bag ban! It is time for Boston to do this—60 other towns and cities in Massachusetts have already passed bans.District City CouncilorsFrank Baker: 617-635-3455; Frank.Baker@boston.govAndrea Campbell: 617-635-3131; Andrea.Campbell@boston.govMark Ciommo: 617-635-3113; Mark.Ciommo@boston.govTito Jackson: 617-635-3510; tito.jackson@boston.govSalvatore LaMattina: 617-635-3200; Salvatore.LaMattina@boston.govTimothy McCarthy: 617-635-4210; Timothy.McCarthy@boston.govMatt O’Malley: 617-635-4220; matthew.omalley@boston.govJosh Zakim: 617-635-4225; Josh.Zakim@boston.govAt-Large City CouncilorsAnnissa Essaibi George: 617-635-4376; A.E.George@boston.govMichael Flaherty: 617-635-4205; Michael.F.Flaherty@boston.govAyanna Pressley: 617-635-4217; Ayanna.Pressley@boston.govMichelle Wu: 617-635-3115; Michelle.Wu@boston.govMayor Marty Walsh: Call 311 and/or email: mayor@boston.gov and pls copy his chief of staff on your email: david.sweeney@boston.govBoston should be leading the way, not trailing behind the 60 Massachusetts towns that have already banned plastic bags.Tell the City Councilors they should vote in favor of the plastic bag ban ordinance (#17-19)!Here are some reasons why we need to ban plastic bags; they are:—made from fossil fuels so contribute to our dependence on petroleum.—a major litter problem, thanks especially to their aerodynamic qualities.—used for an average of 12 minutes and then live nearly forever in our landfills.—breaking the recycling equipment, costing the City money and time to repair.—almost never recycled and nearly impossible to recycle properly anyway.—not free from stores! The cost paid by stores for bags is passed along to shoppers.—dangerous to both domestic and wild animals, who eat them and die.Tell Mayor Walsh he should support the plastic bag ban ordinance because:—Boston has repeatedly been voted the “greenest city in the U.S.”; why haven’t we bannedplastic bags already?—Plastic bags didn’t exist until the 1970s; we all managed just fine without them.—Plastic bags are banned all over the world, including Ireland in 2002. What is wrong with Boston?—As part of the ordinance outreach, free reusable bags will be distributed in low-income areas andto seniors; as Councilor Pressley points out: low-income communities suffer the most from trash due to single-use bags and should’t be used as an excuse not to ban plastic bags.
Earlier this month, members of the Boston Climate Action Network performed their Cantastoria at the Massachusetts College of Art. This production contains an update reflecting the City Council’s unanimous vote authorizing CCE!
The Cantastoria was one of many ways that BCAN got the word out about CCE and engaged with the community. We gave presentations at civic associations throughout Boston, tabled at farmers markets and innovation events, joined marches, passed out leaflets, and worked hard to increase public awareness of climate change.
The Climate Ready Boston Coordinator will be a key player in helping the City build resilient solutions to prepare Boston for the impacts of climate change.
Part of the workload will include supporting neighborhood climate resilience planning, developing specific plans to address risks from longer and more frequent heat waves, and leading innovative community outreach pilots. They will work in the City’s Environment Department alongside the Director of Climate and Environmental Planning and Climate Ready Boston Program Manager.
The position will support our City’s mission to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, prepare for the effects of climate change, and make Boston’s communities greener, healthier, and more resilient.
Learn more about the position here.
Applications are due by Friday, November 17, 2017.
The Boston Globe released an editorial on Community Choice Energy in its October 8th print edition.
There are lots of reasons for Boston to lead the way with this sort of program. One, of course, is that the city sits on the water and is sure to feel the effects of climate change for years to come. But that’s not all.
Boston is an important city. It’s the largest in New England. It’s filled with top-notch scientists and big thinkers, and its citizens increasingly feel like citizens of the world. Boston needs to do something. This is something. Let’s do it.
Read the whole editorial here.
It’s powerful to see the momentum building on this campaign as group after group comes out in support of CCE. Now is the time to keep the pressure on! Call Boston 311 to tell the Mayor’s office that you support CCE and want it to be a priority.
You must be logged in to post a comment.