NEWSLETTER: Springfield Action to Stop Eversource this Thursday, August 7 Ducks + Hummingbirds

Photos by Rene Theberge

Continuing to gaslight the American people, the Trump administration has announced that, despite the escalating climate fueled disasters we are living (and dying) with, they are revoking the science behind the Endangerment finding which provides the government’s legal authority to combat climate change.

Scientists slam Trump administration climate report as a ‘farce’ full of misinformation. 

We are counting on our state and municipal governments to amplify their actions to move us rapidly towards a just transition to clean, non combustible renewable energy. Our campaign to stop the Eversource pipeline system expansion in Springfield and Longmeadow is more important than ever. Please show up in Springfield, if you are able, this Thursday! Scroll down for details.

Gather at Sterns Square at 5:15 pm sharp ( please arrive a few minutes early) for a street theater performance and call to action, followed by a mini-march to the Eversource Open House at Tower Square.

Would you like to carpool? Go to the ride offers/requests doc here

RSVP’s appreciated

In person: https://bit.ly/InPersonRSVP

Online:  https://bit.ly/ZoomRSVPaug7th

                                                           Photo by Rene Theberge

This season, Climate Action Now is excited to collaborate with Flower Work Farm to pilot a cohort of Climate Resilience Volunteers. The purpose is to support a local farm’s climate resilience via rapid response to a climate emergency. In our region, this is likely to be a flooding event.

Volunteers will receive a one-time training that entails a rapid response walk-through of needs and expectations. Volunteers will also commit to a couple of regular volunteer farm work shifts to strengthen relationships with one another and Flowerwork farmers while alleviating regular farm workload.

We are hoping to begin this volunteer cohort in mid-August, so please complete this Google Form ASAP if you are interested.

Photo by Rene Theberge

Take action by Tuesday, August 5 at 5 p.m. to support a bill that ensures towns’ ability to use local zoning bylaws for solar siting.

Please send in written testimony in support of bill H.2312 – An Act Regarding Municipal Zoning Powers. The solar language in the Massachusetts Zoning Act, the “Dover Amendment”, was passed in 1985 in order to make it easier for individuals to pursue home-based roof-top solar. The large-scale solar development we are seeing now is completely unrelated to the intent of that law since there was no large-scale solar at the time the law was written.

The Dover Amendment is sited by the Attorney General to decide that local bylaws that regulate solar siting are “unnreasonable” and “too restrictive”.

Cash-strapped towns are on the frontlines to protect our natural resources and many communities are currently going through expensive court appeals to fight inappropriate project siting. To read more and take action go here.

Photos by Rene Theberge

Biomass Action Alert!

Toxic biomass will soon qualify as a “non-carbon emitting source” for the Municipal Light Plant Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standard unless the Legislature passes An Act to remove woody biomass from the greenhouse gas emissions standard for municipal lighting plants.  

It is especially critical to pass this bill now that the proposed Palmer biomass power plant in Springfield is coming back from the dead.

Removing biomass from the Municipal Light Plant Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standard would take away the incentive for MLPs to enter into new contracts to finance the Palmer biomass plant.

For information and action steps visit the No Toxic Biomass campaign website .