Many of us lament the amount of plastic used to package the food products we consume, especially since we know that so much of it is not recycled even if put in the recycle bin. So much of it ends up in landfills or worse. We may want to use less, but plastic producers seem intent on selling more. Is there another option?
Our November virtual coffee will feature two speakers whose goal is to reduce the use of plastics and other packaging:
Debra Stark of Debra’s Natural Gourmet will speak on the issue of getting the state law changed that forbids shoppers from using their own containers for bulk food purchases.
Sarah Becker of MASSPIRG will tell us about their national campaign calling on Whole Foods to ditch single-use plastic packaging.
Attend via Zoom and find out what we can all do to help reduce the mountains of plastic entering our homes and environment.
Please register for the meeting using this link. After registering, you will receive an e-mail with the Zoom link for the event.
Panel Discussion
MA Livable Future:
How Can Massachusetts Lead on Climate?
This week, the leaders of the world are gathering at COP26 26th to craft a response to the accelerating climate crisis, whose devastation we are witnessing in every corner of the earth. Sadly, we already know the outcome: our leaders will take some actions, but not enough. Instead of acting with unity and courage, they will continue to jockey for national advantage and ignore the deadlines and opportunities in front of us.
[Our] words sound great but so far have not led to action. Our hopes and ambitions drown in their empty promises… Our leaders’ intentional lack of action is a betrayal of all present and future generations.
The group Call2Action, along with over thirty Democratic Town Committees and supporting organizations, invite you to join a virtual forum on “A Livable Future: How Massachusetts Can Lead on Climate?” We’ll hear:
- A word of welcome from US Senator Ed Markey, our climate champion in Congress, on the current budget battles that will determine our national future
- a report from Bill McKibben, the world-famous founder of 350.org, on what he observed at the UN meeting – and what it means for us
- an analysis by Cabell Eames, political director for the Better Future Project, on how the governor is slow-walking the new climate law – and what we must do
- The Rev. Vernon Walker, director of Communities Responding to Extreme Weather, on how the connections between the climate crisis and the injustices low income communities and communities of color must be met by a unified response.
Space may be limited, so please register soon at massclimateaction
MassDEP Webinar
Massachusetts Solid Waste Master Plan
Monday, November 22, 12 – 1 PM
The Massachusetts Climate Action Network (MCAN), the statewide organization of which ConcordCAN! is a chapter, has been working with the 41 communities with municipal light plants to help them take action on climate through better governance and transitioning to cleaner energy. MCAN released its second MLP Scorecard report last month, which compares the different light plants in several areas including emissions reduction, energy efficiency and transparency. The report is super-informative. Kudos to MCAN’s Clean Energy Director Logan Malik and Executive Director Sarah Dooling for this impressive work. We are happy to report that Concord’s light plant CMLP was ranked very highly (#1), though there is much more to accomplish as we move towards 100% emissions-free energy. You can find out more and get involved with CMLP by attending meetings of the Municipal Light Board.
You can read MCAN’s most recent newsletter here summarizing all of MCAN’s activities.
Massachusetts Climate News
MCAN’s Municipal Light
Plant Scorecard released
The Massachusetts Climate Action Network (MCAN), the statewide organization of which ConcordCAN! is a chapter, has been working with the 41 communities with municipal light plants to help them take action on climate through better governance and transitioning to cleaner energy. MCAN released its second MLP Scorecard report last month, which compares the different light plants in several areas including emissions reduction, energy efficiency and transparency. The report is super-informative. Kudos to MCAN’s Clean Energy Director Logan Malik and Executive Director Sarah Dooling for this impressive work. We are happy to report that Concord’s light plant CMLP was ranked very highly (#1), though there is much more to accomplish as we move towards 100% emissions-free energy. You can find out more and get involved with CMLP by attending meetings of the Municipal Light Board.
You can read MCAN’s most recent newsletter here summarizing all of MCAN’s activities.
Join the Cooler Concord Community
The CoolerConcord.org website is a community resource for sustainable action in Concord and nearby communities. It uses a web platform built by MassEnergize, a local nonprofit dedicated to helping communities become more sustainable. The website uses several of the features from the old Cooler Concord site, but with many improvements to boost its impact. From the website you can:
- Take actions ranging from Heat Pumps and Electric Vehicles to Ecological Landscaping, Climate-friendly Investing and more, with clear info on impact and steps to take;
- Browse testimonials from other Concordians about actions they’ve taken, or leave your own;
- Create a user profile and keep track of the things you’ve done or are planning, ask questions, and share your experiences;
- Join a team with friends and neighbors working together to make a difference on carbon emissions;
- Track the impact of the actions taken individually and together as a community or team, from a carbon calculator built into the site.
Please visit CoolerConcord.org and give it a try We encourage you to create a profile, join or create a team, see what actions you’ve already taken or are interested in taking, and leave a story or two about your experiences.
A renowned climate scientist shows how fossil fuel companies have waged a thirty-year campaign to deflect blame and responsibility and delay action on climate change, and offers a battle plan for how we can save the planet.
Recycle. Fly less. Eat less meat. These are some of the ways that we’ve been told can slow climate change. But the inordinate emphasis on individual behavior is the result of a marketing campaign that has succeeded in placing the responsibility for fixing climate change squarely on the shoulders of individuals.