Fossil Free Divestment Working Group
Next meeting: Mon., Feb. 10, 7 pm, at 26 Greenleaves Dr., Amherst
Notes from FFD-PV meeting, January 6, 2014
Present: Alan Eccleston, Linda Harris, Alice Swift, Darcy DuMont, Bev Weeks, George Aguiar
Faith communities
Linda reported on Friends Fiduciary’s October action to exclude coal mining, production, and utilities relying on coal, from their portfolios. They also further refined the screen for companies engaged in oil or gas exploration, production, refining, and transportation. Friends Fiduciary is an investment vehicle for Quaker organizations.
Municipal divestment
Concord, Wayland, and Sudbury are starting to work on this. they are advised to really do their homework and be prepared to answer questions. Also they may want to condense the wording of their resolutions to make them clearer.
State divestment
Rep. Michlewitz received over 200 letters from all the nodes during the “Dec. blizzard” of letters. Now we need to keep the pressure on.
350MA will sponsor an information session for legislators. Other plans include an indoor event (possibly a lobby day) and some sort of dramatic outdoor event such as lights projecting a message in a highly visible way or marking flood high water lines with in coastal districts.
Springfield Forum January 25, 10 am to noon, Springfield Central Public Library
Volunteers are needed, from 8 am, to help set up for this event. Panelists include someone from WNEC and from Progressive Asset Management, Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, Carlos Rodriguez, communityr organizer, and Chuck Collins.
Outreach is going well, but additional publicity would be good. Letters to the editor would be helpful.
Suggestions: video tape the Forum and send link to legislators; have attendees fill out postcards and leave them to be mailed.
350MA Pioneer Valley node
Nodes in eastern MA are meeting regularly and taking action on the Divestment and the Climate Legacy campaigns. FFD-PV can reclaim our original heritage by re-establishing our relationship with Climate Action Now. The purpose would be to work on the goals outlined in Darcy’s Jan. 5 e-mail (please read). Basically we need to keep up pressure on Michlewitz, Rosenberg, and DeLeo, increase engagement with legislators, continue outreach and media actions. Darcy is hopeful that Ellen Story can help us find out what is holding up the bill in committee.
Next meeting: Mon., Feb. 10, 7 pm, at 26 Greenleaves Dr., Amherst
Submitted by Bev Weeks
