October Featured Climate Actions
Did the People’s Climate March re-kindle your drive to take action to stop catastrophic climate change? Are you wondering what to do next? The suggestions below can get you re-focused on ways you can fight the climate crisis! These featured actions are brought to you by the Climate Action Group of the Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence and are now also circulated at the Haydenville Congregational Church, the Co-op Power newsletter, and in the newsletter of Climate Action Now, where an archive of past monthly actions is also available.
- Personal: Air seal and thickly insulate your attic and basement. These areas usually are the biggest heat-loss areas in a home, by far. Insulation without air sealing is practically useless, and you will benefit by installing considerably more insulation than recommended by the standard energy audit (typically R38). Choose an insulation contractor who is experienced at air sealing and ask him or her about whether upgrading to R60 makes sense for your house.
- Community: Help organize for the Oct. 20 March to the Springfield City Council to demand a Climate Action Plan for Springfield. The Springfield Climate Action Coalition will join with Arise for Social Justice, Climate Action NOW and others on October 1 at 6 pm at the South Congregational Church, 45 Maple Street, in Springfield. The purpose of this meeting is to organize for the march from the North End of Springfield to Springfield City Hall on the 20th. At that City Council meeting Springfield’s proposed Climate Action Plan will be debated.
- State/National/Global: Attend the Climate Change Forum at Amherst Regional H.S. on Thurs. Oct. 9 from 7-9 pm. Attending will be State Senator Rosenberg, and State Reps Story, Kocot, Kulik and Mark, as well as the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. There will be an open mike where you can comment, question, and lobby for your climate cause.
- Inform yourself: Read Naomi Klein’s new book This Changes Everything: Capitalism and the Climate. It is described on Amazon as “a brilliant explanation of why the climate crisis challenges us to abandon the core ‘free market’ ideology of our time, restructure the global economy, and remake our political systems”.
