” Last night I sat with a group of Springfield, Mass. residents who are acutely aware of the health impacts of climate change on their struggling city, and the particular burden that is carried by the poor. Across boundaries of race, class, and religious and ethnic background, this growing band of men and women is organizing to resist environmental injustice and to promote sustainability, resiliency and equality for all Springfield residents.” These words from the Rev. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, are taken from her latest post here.
The rapidly growing Springfield Climate Justice Coalition came together on 6/17, welcoming representatives from 17 organizations fully committed to working together to move Springfield forward as a resilient, sustainable, and equitable city! And more groups are joining every week, adding to our diverse and enthusiastic coalition of grassroots, institutional and faith-based membership.
read more here Sarita Hudson of the Springfield-based Pioneer Valley Asthma Coalition gave a presentation on the health impacts of climate change, with a specific focus on the impacts being felt already by Springfield residents.
We continue to organize around our call for the Mayor to fully fund a position for a lead person to create and implementing a Climate Action and Resiliency Plan for Springfield. A key part of this job will be to work closely with the community to ensure that those most vulnerable to and affected by climate change are directly involved.
We agreed to redouble our efforts to move the City of Springfield, and especially the Mayor, forward, by continuing to engage ever greater numbers of the Springfield community in this grassroots fight for climate justice.
