Are you wanting to get more active around the issue of Climate Change? Here are some ideas to get you started or keep you going. These suggestions are brought to you by Molly Hale of the Climate Action Group of the Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence.
Personal: Summer days with the sun high overhead are perfect for experimenting with a solar cooker. Save energy, use during power outages (if it’s sunny!) and keep the kitchen cooler in the summer. Many inexpensive designs are available to make your own at http://solarcooking.org/plans/
Community: Learn Bicycling Street Smarts & Basic Maintenance Repair from Ruthy Woodring of Pedal People in Florence MA. Learn how to navigate traffic confidently, use a bicycle for practical transportation year-round, dress comfortably, and carry things effectively; learn basic repair skills: fixing flats, adjustments, what tools to carry, etc. Two 2-hour classes on consecutive Sundays (ongoing). The cost is a sliding scale from $0 to $40. Bartering arrangements are possible. Bicycles can be provided. Even better, organize some friends to attend together. To set up a date, contact Ruthy by e-mail or call 413-586-8031
State/National/Global: Consider throwing your early support of time and money behind the presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders. He is likely to be the strongest candidate by far when it comes to serious action on climate. Here’s a quotation from theweek.com (5/5/2015): When asked to sketch his plan for a climate policy, the Vermont senator said: “It would look like a tax on carbon; a massive investment in solar, wind, geothermal; it would be making sure that every home and building in this country is properly winterized; it would be putting substantial money into rail, both passenger and cargo, so we can move towards breaking our dependency on automobiles. And it would be leading other countries around the world.”
Inform Yourself: Visit your local bookstore and spend some time browsing the books on climate change. What grabs your interest? What inspires or motivates you?
