Best wishes to all as we welcome the new year. At 350 Mass, we stand prepared to take on the challenges confronting us, and we invite you to participate at your own determined level of engagement. Every contribution will help the cause. Our first Greater Franklin Node meeting of 2022 will be this Thursday, January 6, 7:00-9:00 pm. (We have a lot to discuss, but feel free to leave early if necessary.)
Best wishes to all as we welcome the new year. At 350 Mass, we stand prepared to take on the challenges confronting us, and we invite you to participate at your own determined level of engagement. Every contribution will help the cause.
Our first Greater Franklin Node meeting of 2022 will be this Thursday, January 6, 7:00-9:00 pm. (As always, attendees should feel free to leave the meeting early if necessary.)
Here are the Zoom details.
Zoom link for the meeting, January 6, 7:00-9:00 pm.
Join on Zoom
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88924607755?pwd=bHl1empTRVFxYzdZUmVBSGl1Q0p3Zz09
Meeting ID: 889 2460 7755
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88924607755?pwd=bHl1empTRVFxYzdZUmVBSGl1Q0p3Zz09
Meeting ID: 889 2460 7755
Password: 350ma
Dial-in +1 646 876 9923
During the meeting, we will address climate bills being considered by the state legislature, actions to promote national changes, and local developments. Please read the rest of this email for information and actions, whether or not you can attend the meeting. Thank you.
Energy efficiency and retrofitting homes and buildings. All of 350 Mass' nodes are working hard to promote and achieve the organization's priorities, as defined in our Campaign "Bringing the Green New Deal Home" and its three components focused on Buildings, Transportation, and Energy. At this meeting we will focus on the first component, "Building the Green New Deal," that is, requiring that new buildings be efficient and non-emitting, and retrofitting existing buildings, including insulation, energy-efficient appliances, and replacing fossil-fuel heating systems with non-polluting (electric) ones. These changes will occur via legislation, individual consumer choices, and policies and programs adopted by cities and towns. This will be an all-hands-on-deck effort. We ask you to join the Zoom meeting to learn about the campaign, share information about groups and activities in your community, and help us plan and implement this campaign. Also, we ask your help in publicizing this important meeting and inviting others. Thank you.
Next Generation Roadmap Climate Law. In January, 2021 the Massachusetts Legislature passed the Next Generation Roadmap Climate Law requiring the elimination of greenhouse gas emissions. One key to success is to write new building codes and retrofit at least one million homes by 2030, as described in our Campaign (above). Priority would be given to low-income households and environmental justice neighborhoods. Regrettably, progress has been slow. It is clear that Mass Save, the agency currently responsible for these types of home improvement programs, needs to expand its scope beyond insulation and energy-efficient supplies to provide a roadmap that homeowners can use to electrify our homes with renewable energy at a cost we can afford. Add your voice to demand action. Sign the "Times Up For Fossil Fuels!" Card. Help pressure the utilities that run Mass Save to obey the law, and support the call for additional laws and programs to meet the state's climate goals.
Massachusetts legislative action. The House and Senate committees are actively reviewing the many bills proposed for the current 2021-22 session. This is a critical time to support 350 Mass' top three priority bills (click for descriptions). We are asking everyone to contact your legislators via phone or email or, preferably, with a meeting in January, to encourage them to cosponsor these bills. For constituents of Rep. Jeff Roy (Democrat, Franklin, and Chairperson, Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy), the Node is working on setting up a meeting with him; if you'd like to participate, let us know by replying to this email. If you'd like to learn about all the bills that we support, you can find information sheets here.
We hope you can join us Thursday at 7:00. We'll send a reminder Thursday afternoon.
Thank you for your commitment to the struggle for a transition to a just, equitable, and clean energy economy.
Node Co-coordinators,
Carolyn Barthel
Ralph Halpern
