If you’re interested in working with us to get Fair Carbon Pricing legislation passed, join us at the next Climate Action Now general meeting. Monday May 18, 7-9 pm at the Unitarian Society in Amherst.
Petition: we now have a hard-copy petition that’s easy for you to obtain online! This is a great way for you to engage people in conversations about carbon pricing. Read the entire petition here: http://tinyurl.com/Fair-Carbon-Pricing-Petition. This is a fully self-service petition! Anyone can copy it off the web, gather signatures wherever you’d like, and when you’ve finished just return signed pages to the address listed at the end. There are spaces for email addresses and phone numbers on the petition but they’re optional. Read more about the petition here.
The petition is addressed to Governor Charlie Baker, Senate President Stanley Rosenberg, and Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo. It calls on the State of Massachusetts to put a price on global warming pollution and emphasizes holding polluters accountable; reducing reliance on fossil fuels; protecting vulnerable populations from negative impacts that could result from carbon pricing; achieving the Global Warming Solutions Act targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 25% by 2020; and to create a safe and sustainable future for future generations.
Building Support: The MA Campaign for a Clean Energy Future is making good progress building support for Fair Carbon Pricing legislation. A highlight of this effort is collaboration between 350 Massachusetts and Climate XChange to identify key legislators from both parties and mobilize constituents to enlist their support. Read more about this effort here.
We now have an online tool that lists key legislators, “point people” across the state (activists responsible to coordinate communications with them) and local organizations in their districts. With this tool we’ll be able to mobilize people across Massachusetts to focus on key legislators, organize actions, and track what’s being done. In the Pioneer Valley, we’re continuing to build alliances and educate people about the issues. Highlights include a recent presentation at a meeting of the Progressive Democrats of America in Northampton, and collaborating with Longmeadow activists on a forum to be held on June 4 (details to follow in the next Newsletter). You can learn more about these activities and how you can participate at the next Climate Action Now general meeting on May 18.
Shaping Legislation: While there is broad agreement about the key principles that will shape the legislation, there are strategies to be worked out that will determine how the legislation is actually implemented. Recently, there has been an in-depth online discussion providing a great deal of useful information about the details underlying these potential strategies. Over the next several weeks we’ll be editing this discussion and will make this available when it’s finished.
