ECA Mass January 2023 Newsletter

January 2023 Newsletter

In this Issue

Save the Date!
Virtual Statewide Climate Rally, Wed. Jan. 11, 12-1:00 PM
Legislative Team Prepares to Hit the Ground Running
MA Wind Power Faces Headwinds
Do You Know the Best Ways to Shrink Your Carbon Footprint?
MA Youth Climate Coalition Seeks Mentors
Third Act's Banking on Our Future Campaign
What We're Watching: Bill McKibben - "Brief but SPECTACULAR"

TUESDAY, JAN 10, Noon-2 PM ET, Zoom

ECA Massachusetts Monthly Chapter Meeting

(join at 11:45 if you want to spend some time socializing!) https://us02web.zoom.us/j/735454252?pwd=QkZMcnA4YVVkcGRDM29PcEN4VnhIUT09

This month we hear from Anne Wright and Cora Weissbourd, who represent the Massachusetts Building Electrification Accelerator (BEA), a growing community of municipal leaders and advocates. The BEA's mission is to accelerate equitable building decarbonization in Massachusetts via municipal action. Their work began in 2020 around fossil fuel prohibition warrant articles in Brookline and Arlington, and the BEA's efforts have expanded to prioritize retrofitting low-income housing, with a focus on environmental justice communities.

During the second hour Arnie Epstein will tell us about efforts to convince the town of Stow to adopt the new specialized stretch building code.

MONDAY, JAN 23, 4-5:30 PM ET, Zoom

Deep Dialogue, ECA Mass Conversation Series

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83538742353?pwd=YUU5QU16VVlDMExOMmlPSWVwTG9xUT09

Come to our January Deep Dialogue on the Miyawaki Method of rapidly growing forests, with Hannah Lewis, author of Mini-Forest Revolution: Using the Miyawaki Method to Rapidly Rewild the World. Learn about the first Miyawaki Forest in our area, at Danehy Park in North Cambridge, and plans for mini-forests in Brookline and Somerville. You may be inspired to plant a Miyawaki mini-forest in your own backyard! (See a review of Hannah’s book in our December 2022 ECA Mass newsletter.)

WEDNESDAYS, FEB 1, 8, 15 & 22, 7-8:30 PM ET, Zoom

Interested in learning more about the causes and solutions to the climate crisis? "Can We Stop Climate Change?" is a four-part webinar created by members of ECA Massachusetts. With two facilitators and a maximum of 15 attendees to allow for group participation, the webinar is designed for people who want to learn more about climate change, become more effective in communicating with others, and actively mitigate the impact on our planet and on ourselves. Sign up at https://canwestopcc.org/, and pass the word along to family and friends!

FIRST THURSDAYS of each month: "What Can I Do?"

starting FEB 2, 7-8:30 PM ET, Zoom

A New ECA Mass Education Team initiative!

As the climate crisis worsens, "What can I do?" is a question many people are asking themselves. We know that urgent action is needed, but the problem seems overwhelming. Excuses for not acting are growing weaker, however, as in 2022, Federal and State legislation has created hefty financial incentives for people to "do the right thing" and take action to lower their personal carbon emissions.

Where to begin? Try attending one -- or all! -- of the monthly "What can I do?" webinars. The subjects for the Feb - April series will be finalized soon, but will include: Electric Vehicles, Heat Pumps, Rooftop Solar, and Diets for a Warming Planet; further subjects will follow in subsequent months. Stay tuned for Zoom details!

Climate Inaugural Rally

Help Massachusetts Inaugurate a New Dawn for Climate Action

and Climate Justice at a Virtual Statewide Rally

Wed, Jan. 11, 12-1:00 PM

ECA Mass and many of our advocacy partners are calling on all climate activists, legislators, and Gov. Healey and her climate team to join together to…

● Congratulate Governor Healey on her historic election, her ambitious climate action agenda, and the appointment of her new climate team

● Acknowledge the hard work of all who contributed to the passage of two major climate bills in the last legislative session

● Reinforce the need for the rapid implementation of the major climate agenda set forth in the bills and the state’s Clean Energy and Climate Plans

● Emphasize the need for further climate legislation this session to ensure timely and effective implementation of our climate plan

● Hear from key legislators and possibly members of the Healey administration about the opportunities and challenges ahead

● Shine a light on the continuing need for robust climate action in Massachusetts

This is an opportunity for climate activists to thank progressive government leaders, communicate our agenda, demonstrate our resolve, and speak directly to our state’s elected leadership.

Rally Details

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84158627678?pwd=emgwM2ZBUVBSWkRIdnNrQ3NTek1sZz09

Time: Jan 11, 2023 12-1:00 PM

Meeting ID: 841 5862 7678 Passcode: NewDawn

Legislative Update January 2023

Your Legislative Team Prepares to Hit the Ground Running

The ECA Mass Legislative Team has been brainstorming and reorganizing to maximize the effectiveness of our legislative advocacy in the coming year and to take on the challenge of monitoring and accelerating the Healey administration’s implementation of the Roadmap and Wind/Climate bills passed last legislative session. We have formed sector-specific work groups to focus on decarbonization of buildings, transportation, energy, natural solutions, budget issues, and the development of a Green Bank. The work groups already are laying plans to advance their goals.

The team will support the work groups by:

● Identifying new approaches to advocacy aimed at expediting the development and implementation of climate regulations

● Advocating for the swift establishment of state programs required to advance climate goals

● Organizing information on relevant bills filed this session

● Improving collaboration with our allies in the climate movement, and

● Increasing the engagement of our general membership in legislative action

We are also sponsoring a team of master’s students from the Wagner School of Public Service at New York University to interview Massachusetts legislators and climate movement leaders to identify new means to increase our influence on legislation and to advance our collaboration with our allies.

The opportunities provided by recent state and federal legislation and the arrival of an administration that promises progressive action on climate issues should make this an exciting and rewarding time to be advocating for our climate goals.

If you have been thinking about stepping up your involvement in ECA Mass legislative action, NOW is a great time to explore the many options to get engaged. Whether you have a few hours per month or even more time, we need your help. Contact Roger Luckmann (roger.luckmann@umassmed.edu) to learn more about the opportunities.

MA Wind Power Faces Headwinds

Our state’s commitment to achieving a carbon neutral economy by 2050 absolutely depends on the emergence of a vast and efficient offshore wind industry. Massachusetts has tremendous wind capacity, along with higher consistent wind speeds – both critical to wind power – according to Susannah Hatch, leader of the New England for OffShore Wind Coalition (NE4OSW). Hatch points out that our demographics and geography mean that offshore wind will have a bigger role to play in our region than elsewhere.

While no MA offshore wind farms are currently generating power, Vineyard Wind 1’s 800MW farm will come online in 2023 and power 400,000 homes by the end of 2024. This is promising, but offshore wind also faces big hurdles. Avangrid, the parent company of Commonwealth Wind, recently petitioned the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities to withdraw from existing contracts and receive a higher price for its wind. While probably not fatal, this could create a major delay in the plan to bring Commonwealth Wind online this year to power 750,000 homes.

In addition, the New England Transmission Owners (NETO) submitted comments to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), asserting that New England’s harsh winters and the price hikes due to Russia’s war put the region’s fuel security in jeopardy, which is dependent on international LNG shipments. NETO also said it will be years before clean energy programs can reduce the region’s dependence on fossil fuels, and we need near-term solutions that can remain in place until clean energy is reliably available. NETO’s key recommendation? Expand interstate pipeline capacity for natural gas and/or increase regional LNG storage. And here’s a fun fact: $334 billion is a rough estimate of the assets held by the five companies that constitute NETO.

This is all playing against the backdrop of several factors: Massachusetts winters can be rough; the carbon polluters want to expand their infrastructure; offshore wind is in its infancy in the US; interest rates are skyrocketing; the state has a big stake in wind; climate change is accelerating. The situation is dicey.

ECA Massachusetts is part of the NE4OSW Coalition. Its 37 member organizations from Massachusetts represent environmental NGOs, labor unions, academics, and businesses. This regional alliance plays a crucial role in advocating for progressive wind policy and the education of the public needed to bring offshore wind online ASAP and in the education of the public.

In general, the Coalition agrees that the spike in inflation and interest rates support increasing the prices to be paid for wind energy. The price may go up, but wind will be cheaper than carbon-based energy in any scenario, once the externalities of carbon are factored into the equation. While it is aligned with governmental policy makers, the Coalition is like a David facing the Goliath of carbon-based energy providers. ECA is backing David.

-- Michael Sales

Do You Know the Best Ways to

Shrink Your Carbon Footprint?

I don’t think you can care about the planet and climate without also wondering about personal behaviors that may contribute to these troubles. For years I have avoided disposable plastic ball point pens, simply because I knew they would exist for millennia in some landfill. I recycle my running shoes. I drive an EV. I am a vegetarian who grows much of his own food. But which of these actions, and others like them, make a difference? And which ones make the biggest difference?

A recent New York Times opinion piece (Dec 15, 2022) explored this topic, and I recommend you take their survey. The article makes a strong case for fighting misconceptions that have been intentionally promoted by some business interests. For example, recycling has long been championed by plastic (and petrochemical) manufacturers; the article points out that the fossil fuel industry has spent billions on advertisements telling people to recycle. However, a large proportion of plastic items can’t be reused or remanufactured and so end up in landfills. Many Americans also confuse the benefits of recycling (less pollution) with the potential to address climate change.

Which of the findings stood out to me? Does growing my own food or driving an EV or refusing plastic containers really make a difference? The article focuses on a dozen common actions familiar to us all.

Biggest impact:

· Living car free

· Using renewable electricity

· Avoiding a long flight

· Eating a vegan diet

Moderate impact:

· Installing heat pumps

· Eating a vegetarian diet

· Eating organic food

Small impact:

· Buying fewer things

· Lowering the room temperature

· Using energy-efficient appliances

· Car-pooling

· Recycling

I hope that through my actions I may make some small difference or at least be a good example for my grandchildren. However, I also know that my biggest impact on the future climate comes through my participation in an advocacy group like ECA Massachusetts. Remember Margaret Mead’s advice: “Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has.”

-- Rick Lent

MA Youth Climate Coalition Seeks Mentors

For February Lobby Week

Third Act's Banking on our Future Campaign

Elders Climate Action is ALL IN on encouraging our members to TAKE MONEY OUT of financial institutions that finance fossil fuel infrastructure. That’s why we will be supporting Third Act’s Banking on our Future campaign this winter.

Without the trillions of dollars of financing from the nation’s biggest banks, the Fossil Fuel industry could not continue to build fracking wells, gas terminals, and pipelines at a time when rapid decarbonization is required. We, as older Americans who possess a relatively large share of the nation’s savings and retirement accounts, can help change the banks’ behavior, but we must act in unison, and with clear purpose.

Third Act is organizing a campaign to get the largest culprits – Chase, Citibank, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo – to stop the money pipeline. First, individuals write letters to tell their banks to stop the loans to the fossil fuel industry. If they don’t, we will remove our funds from those institutions on March 21, 2023, to make the loudest statement possible!

To learn more about the campaign, and to access letter templates to send to your bank, and a toolkit of other actions you can take, please visit the campaign website: https://thirdact.org/our-work/banking-on-our-future/

What We're Watching

Bill McKibben

"Brief but SPECTACULAR" on PBS New Hour

You won't want to miss McKibben's "brief but spectacular" video about Third Act and fighting for the climate and our democracy. Only four minutes.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/brief/430904/bill-mckibben

This Newsletter is Published for Members and Friends of the

Elders Climate Action - Massachusetts Chapter

ECA Massachusetts is a chapter of the national Elders Climate Action. We are a movement of elders committed to making our voices heard... to change our nation's policies while there is still time to avoid catastrophic changes in the Earth's climate. Visit the ECA Massachusetts website, event calendar, and Facebook page to learn more about our chapter's activities and climate news. JOIN ECA MASSACHUSETTS AND STAY CONNECTED! Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, and for more active participation, sign up to receive Action Alerts and meeting announcements. Fill out our subscription form.