Rapid Response to Copenhagen

Trying to find out as much as you can about Copenhagen negotiations, but can’t keep up? Want to find some way to organize collectively to push the US delegation toward a more just and effective treaty? Join a rapid response team lead by students in Copenhagen.

And see you at the Vigil for Climate Survival (see last post)!

Friday: Vigil for Climate Survival

Join BostonCAN this Friday at 6pm outside Senator Kerry’s Cambridge St. office for a candlelight vigil in solidarity with those at home and internationally who are already bearing the brunt of the last century of treating the sky as an open sewer.

The vigil will be the largest Boston-area event to call attention to the Copenhagen climate summit. We need to continue to push Senator Kerry for effective and equitable climate legislation at home and treaties internationally.

Here’s a roundup of some good reading on Copenhagen, but first I want to recommend Mike Tidwell’s great op-ed in the Washington Post. Mike calls us to do more strategic organizing focused on the scale of change we need. While I don’t think it’s useful to undermine people’s personal efforts to cut their own carbon emissions, I agree that climate activists need to always push their constituencies to do as much on the political level as they do on the personal level. And while there is danger is comparing any movement to another, Mike employs the precedent of the Civil Rights Movement well in this context.

“…in the 1960s, civil rights activists didn’t ask bigoted Southern governors and sheriffs to consider ‘10 Ways to Go Integrated’ at their convenience. …For eight years, George W. Bush promoted voluntary action as the nation’s primary response to global warming…. One can almost imagine the big energy companies secretly applauding each time we distract ourselves from the big picture with a hectoring list of ‘5 Easy Ways to Green Your Office.’ …And now, with treaty talks underway internationally and Congress stalled at home, we need to act accordingly. …[P]ick up a phone, open a laptop, or travel to a U.S. Senate office near you and turn the tables: ‘What are the 10 green statutes you’re working on to save the planet, Senator?’ ”

Another nudge to join the vigil outside Senator Kerry’s office this Friday!

Another great editorial, written by Guardian editors, was published today in 56 prominent newspapers around the world. Many, like the Guardian, put it on their front page. We need something like this from the Globe instead of the infuriating “balanced” offering they printed today. Their coverage of Copenhagen was admirably spread from world news, to local and business.

And finally, for organized labor’s advocacy at Copenhagen and for action on climate change more generally, I recommend reading “a “just transition” to a low-carbon economy” and “Global Warming and Global Labor.”

We won’t win the climate battle without all hands on deck. The movement has to be strong in middle-class neighborhoods and it also has to be strong in poorer communities too. Given that poorer people, and people of color in particular, have gotten the short end of the stick over the last century of high carbon exploitation, the climate movement should be doing everything it can to tap our passion for justice to kick this fight into high gear.

See you on Friday!
~Loie, for BostonCAN

Coming Up: a Global Warming Cafe!

You can make smart choices about your energy use, save money and lower your “carbon footprint.” And guess what…it’s easier when we do it together!

Join us for a Global Warming Café on Saturday, December 5, at 2:30 pm at Central Congregational Church, 85 Seaverns Ave., Jamaica Plain.

A Global Warming Café is a combination of engaging discussion groups and community-building with tasty snacks and mingling time! You will leave the event motivated and equipped with the tools you need to take action.

This is a carbon-neutral event, courtesy of Mass Energy.

Free and open to the public. Wheelchair accessible. For more info or to reserve childcare, call 617-278-1885 or bostonclimateaction@gmail.com.

Co-sponsored by Central Congregational Church, Hope Church, and JP Forum.

Click here for a Global Warming Cafe flyer

350 International Day of Climate Action

We celebrated October 25, the 350 International Day of Climate Action, with an energy fair, climate justice rally, and bike ride to the Boston Underwater Festival. Many thanks to our co-sponsor, Massachusetts ACORN and to the tablers included ABCD, Boston Area Solar Energy Assoc., Boston Building Materials Coop, Boston Water and Sewer, City of Boston – Dept. of Neighborhood Development, City of Boston – Environmental Energy Services, City of Boston – Home Center, City of Boston – Recycling, Dorchester People for Peace, Foundation for a Green Future, Mass Energy Consumers Alliance, Mission Main Concerned Residents, Progressive Asset Management, & Sunlight Solar Energy, and to Mission Hill School for hosting us and to HonestTea for its donation of drinks. Here are some snapshots taken from Trevor Harrigan. You can see additional photos of the ride and Under Water Festival by Doug Mink on his site.

Energy & Equity Rally

Come join Boston Climate Action Network and the Green Justice Coalition as we speak out for broader and deeper energy efficiency efforts this Tuesday, Oct. 6!

We will meet between 4 pm and 4:45pm in front of the state’s Saltonstall building at 100 Cambridge Street, near Government Center T-station. Then we’ll proceed to a hearing of the Massachusetts Energy Efficiency Advisory Council (EEAC) to support Coalition members who will be speaking about why we need a new community-based approach to energy efficiency and more ambitious goals for carbon reductions in our neighborhoods.

Last week we celebrated the fact that we exceeded our goal and delivered more than 2000 campaign cards to the utility companies and the EEAC. We are winning allies on the Council, and many EEAC members are getting annoyed at the utility companies and are talking about rejecting their inadequate plans.

We need a big turnout on Tuesday. We will be talking directly to the EEAC and the utilities. We need 150 people to back up the testifiers. Please bring a photo ID so that security will admit you to the hearing.

If you haven’t yet signed a campaign postcard, you can now do that electronically here.

Do you know where your utility fees are going?

If you’re a Massachusetts resident, your monthly utility bills include charges that fund energy efficiency work in your community. This summer and fall, the Massachusetts Energy Efficiency Advisory Council (EEAC), established by the passage of the Green Communities Act last year, has been tasked with approving these utility-administered energy efficiency programs covering the next three years. And since you’re paying into the fund, wouldn’t you like a voice in how the money’s being spent?

At the EEAC planning meeting on July 14th, BostonCAN combined forces with other members of the Green Justice Coalition, including labor, social justice, and environmental organizations, to fight for equitable use of these energy efficiency funds. The funds will total more than $200,000 dollars of ratepayer money this year and grow substantially in the future.

As the state pushes utilities to triple their energy efficiency gains, and to spend money on conservation projects before building any new power generation capacity, the Green Justice Coalition is organizing member groups to turn out at EEAC hearings and other events to advocate for energy efficiency programs that will benefit all Massachusetts residents, including low-income communities and communities of color.

The EEAC is ruling July 28th on the next phase of the utility companies’ plans for spending your money on energy conservation. Here’s how you can get involved:

Check out Open Media Boston for a full report on the July 14th proceedings

Visit Community Labor United’s web site for a briefing on the utility energy efficiency plans

Come to the EEAC hearing on at 1:30 pm on July 28 at 100 Cambridge St. or call Mike at 617-282-3783 to get involved with BostonCAN’s green justice committee.

Summer & Low Carbon Living is Easy!

Low Carbon Living groups are free, fun and happening in Fields Corner, Mattapan and Roxbury this summer.

People who have joined Low Carbon Living groups in the past are now saving between 5 and 25 percent on their utility bills. You can too! People who join the groups get a free copy of an energy saving workbook called The Low Carbon Diet. The leaders of the groups are folks from the neighborhood who have already gone through the workbook and made changes in how their household uses energy. Bring your utility bills and see how your home compares to others in the neighborhood! Come check us out:

Monday evenings in Fields Corner, Dorchester — 7/13, 7/27, 8/10 & 8/24 @ 6:30 pm
at Cleveland Community Center, 11 Charles St., Fields Corner

Saturday mornings in Roxbury – 7/18, 8/1, 8/15 & 8/29 @ 10:30 am
at Twelfth Baptist Church, 160 Warren Street, Roxbury

Thursday evenings in Mattapan – 8/6, 8/13, 8/20 & 8/27 @ 6:30 pm
at Church of the Holy Spirit, 525 River St., Mattapan Square

The meetings go till 8pm. Light snacks are served. Everyone is welcome to participate.

For more information, you can call Owen at 617 427-6293.
Co-sponsored by ACORN and BostonCAN

How Climate Change Will Affect Massachusetts…And How Our State is Stepping Up to the Challenge

The United States Global Change Research Program, a collaborative effort between the White House and federal agencies, just released its report on the current and future effects of climate change in the United States. While the results shouldn’t be surprising to those of us paying close attention to this issue, the “great unknown” of just how severe the future shocks of climate change will be should give us all pause. The report underscores the fact that the health of our planet depends on what do today to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate global warming and climate change.

To learn more about rising sea levels in New England, check out the recent Washington Post article warning that “sea levels could rise faster along the U.S. East Coast than in any other densely populated part of the world”. Of course, curbing our carbon emissions now can keep the glaciers from melting, and keep Bay State residents on dry land.

To meet the challenges of global warming on the Bay State, Massachusetts’ Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) is thinking proactively and studying the likely effects of climate change on the state’s natural environment and economic viability, including rising sea levels and increased incidence of floods and droughts. The Climate Change Adaptation Advisory Committee expects to issue a report to the state legislature by December of this year outlining strategies for adapting to the expected climate change effects.

How You Can Help

The Advisory Committee, comprised of representatives from the business, academic and non-profit sectors, invites the public to attend its meetings. The next event is scheduled for Thursday, July 30th at 100 Cambridge Street in Boston, with details and the full schedule of meetings available on the Advisory Committee’s web site.

You can also get involved with the City of Boston’s year-long Community Advisory Committee as part of the Renew Boston Climate Action planning process. You don’t have to be a climate change expert to be on the committee, but you do need to be a Boston resident who cares about taking action to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Anyone can nominate themselves before the deadline this Friday, June 26th. A Spanish-language version of the nomination form is available.

Teens and Teachers for climate literacy

Bill Moomaw will deliver the keynote address at the third annual Youth Climate Action Network Global Climate Change Summit on Saturday, May 9th at MIT.

Students in grades 7-12 as well as to the educators of students in grades 7-12 are invited to attend the Summit for free. The Summit is organized and hosted by the Boston Latin School Youth CAN in partnership with the Technology and Culture Forum at MIT.

The Summit provides a full day of workshops, speakers, and activites focused on global climate change and sustainable living. All students who register (online) will be entered into a drawing for great door prizes such as iPods, gift certificates, and more. Breakfast and Lunch are also provided free.

When/Where: Saturday, May 9th at MIT in the Stata Center (32 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA – Kendall Square T stop on the Red Line) Summit runs from 8:30am – 4:30pm.

Space at the 2009 Summit is limited, so register online early, and make sure to sign up soon for the particular workshops that you hope to attend!

The exceptional list of presenters includes City Councillor John Connolly, Boston Latin School Headmaster Lynne Mooney-Teta, Patricia Weinmann of the Technology and Culture Forum at MIT, Andrew Schuyler of Northeast Biofuels Collaborative, Jen Filiault of Clean Power Now, Liz Soper of the National Wildlife Federation, Lilah Glick of Cambridge Energy Alliance, Mary Essary of the Foresight Project, Liz Duff of Mass Audubon, Paul Shoemaker of the Boston Public Health Commission, and many more. Workshops include topics such as Green Jobs, Green Design, Climate Change and the Food We Eat, The Science of Climate Change, Sustainability in Our Everyday Lives, Filming a Climate Change PSA and many more. The summit will also offer workshops specifically aimed at educators who want to teach about climate change in their classroom.

Enjoy activities such as: street theater, film screenings, decorating climate T-shirts, making climate art with a local artist, sculpting with sudsy putty, making an event mural, filming participant pledges at the You Tube booth, and participating in the 2009 Summit 350 action!

“Weatherization Party” Cuts Carbon and Shares Skills

Celebrating 15% cut in air leakage

On Saturday, March 28, at 9am, a dedicated group of 15 experienced weatherizers and 40 people eager to learn new money-saving skills swarmed the Jamaica Plain home of Judy Kolligian for a “Neighborhood Weatherization Party” sponsored by Boston Climate Action Network (BostonCAN). By the end of the morning they had weatherized her mansard-roofed home, connecting the dots between global climate change and local action to save energy and dollars. An air infiltration test at 8am and a second one at 12:30 proved the effectiveness of the morning’s work. Paul Eldrenkamp, the contractor who provided the blower-door tests, declared, “The team was able to reduce the air leakage in the house by about 15 percent – from 7700 cfm to 6600 cfm – which is a terrific accomplishment for a group of volunteers giving up a beautiful Saturday morning for the effort.”

Volunteer Ninya Loeppky talked about the importance of having a practical way to do something about climate change, “Instead of laying in bed at night worrying about polar bears and melting ice caps, I got out of the house and did something practical to solve the problem, and I met a bunch of great people while doing it. And it’s great knowing that we cut Judy’s energy use by about 5 percent.”

Neighbors helping neighbors cut carbon

Like a barn-raising in pioneer days, a “weatherization party” is a time for neighbors to step out of their usual routines and come together for hands-on, meaningful work. Energy conservation is job number one in ending our dependence of foreign energy and a big part of President Obama’s “green collar” jobs program. Stopping energy waste is also key to stopping global warming but residents often don’t know what actions will make a difference. A weatherization party is an opportunity to learn money-saving strategies from energy experts like Paul Marquis, the Green House Doctor at Boston’s Green Roundtable. Marquis noted that, “Considering the real change that’s needed to stop global climate change and prepare for the changes we can’t avoid, it’s both necessary and exciting to arm the average person with the knowledge about how to improve their home’s comfort and affordability. Events like this help to ‘advance the cause’ by altering the general mindset and making energy and resource efficiency principles part of the common vernacular.”

Tim, Becky, and Veronica glaze a new pane of glass

Many of the weatherization party organizers are excited about the inclusion of green jobs in the recently passed stimulus bill. Two students in Roxbury Community College’s Green Technology program, were among the volunteers getting hands-on experience during the weatherization party. Loie Hayes, coordinator of BostonCAN told the volunteers, “The green-collar job trainings funded through the stimulus plan will make it a lot easier to find qualified people to do the energy conservation renovations that we need in so many of our older homes in Boston. We hope this party gives some of you the confidence to consider becoming a professional weatherizer and others the experience you need to do simple things for yourselves.”
We’d like to extend a special thanks to HEET, Home Energy Efficiency Team, for all their help and their leadership in creating the “barnraising” model for this weatherization party.
See more photos at informmotion.