Vision and mission statement
North Quabbin Energy is an informal network in north-central Massachusetts, started in 2005, that supports and facilitates communication with people and town energy committees to share ideas and projects concerned with issues relating to energy use. Through this informal network of people and direct communication we work to educate ourselves and our neighbors about the true social and environmental costs of our current energy consumption patterns. We also work to find ways of changing our individual and collective habits of energy use through conservation, use of renewable fuels, and support for local and regional enterprises that reduce our dependence on imported resources.
North Quabbin Energy was founded in 2005 out of a conviction that our current patterns of energy use are an “issue of issues” – that is, they contribute to many of the economic, health, environmental, political, social, and other problems that we are struggling to address today. We believe it is necessary to think about the connections among these problems. But we also know that it can be overwhelming when we begin to “connect the dots” and to realize how fundamentally our lives will have to change if we take the challenges of climate change, peak oil, and resource inequity seriously. (Some have referred to this as the “Waking-Up Syndrome.”)
This website represents our ongoing attempt to sort out some of these connections and their implications for ourselves. We hope it will be useful to others who may be beginning to think through these issues and to find ways to make positive changes in their energy use and awareness. The links at left will take you to some of the materials and resources that we have found useful and inspiring, as well as to some projects and statements that we have developed ourselves.
Archived material
I am concerned about clear cutting in residential zones for large scale/industrial power plant solar installations.
Hello!
This is a longish note on from one of your climate allies, a member of the Elders Climate Action leadership team. We are co-signatories to the Environmental Justice Sign On Letter of 12-18-17.
Elders Climate Action of Mass adopted the Global Warming Solutions Implementation Act (GWSIA) as our key priority for the current legislative session. We believe that this priority is consistent with the North Quabbin Energy’s thinking, and we know that now is the time for the big push! We hope that you will agree with us that legislators need to hear from your members via calls and letters to know that you are behind this bill.
In 2008, Massachusetts environmental movement achieved a historic victory with the passage of the Global Warming Solutions Act, mandating an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. However, at present, the state is without a plan to achieve the needed – and legally mandated – goals of this bill. This is a HUGE challenge, which requires a roadmap and coordination – this is why the GWSIA is critically important. It requires the state to model our entire energy economy to find feasible pathways to achieve the goal. Others, including the European Union, have already taken this step and now have a roadmap for moving forward.
The GWSIA is currently in the Senate Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change. The next step is to have the bill reported favorably out of this committee and the deadline is approaching – February 7th is the last day for bills to be reported out of committee for consideration this legislative session. The Chair of the committee, Senator Pacheco, submitted the GWSIA and the Vice Chair, Senator Eldridge, is a cosponsor. There are four other members of the committee listed here. There is both a Senate and House version of the bill. Both versions are with the Senate committee, so this is where we need to focus. It is very important to contact these legislators and let them know that you are backing this bill.
If we take action now, the outlook for getting this legislation out of committee is good. The ECA Mass chapter is joined by others in recognizing the critical importance of this legislation. The Conservation Law Foundation, 350MA, the Massachusetts League of Women Voters, and the coalition of climate activists groups represented by Mass Power Forward have all adopted the GWSIA as a priority.
What we need now is to let our representatives know they must push for the passage of the GWSIA. A letter, postcard, email, or call to your representative can make all the difference. We would be glad to provide samples of boilerplate letters and cards are attached. When contacting your representative, it would be helpful to copy Senator Pacheco, Chair of the Senate Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change. The GWSIA is Senate bill S.479 and House bill H.2149 (Go to your browser and enter MA S.479 or MA H.2149 to see the full text of the bill and current cosponsors). You can find your state Senator and Representative by clicking https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator.
Also, please reach out to colleagues, family and friends – the stakes couldn’t be higher.
We need to Get Real in the fight against climate change. The battle won’t be won without an attainable, coordinated plan of attack. Thank you!
Michael Sales
Leadership Team Member
Elders Climate Action – Massachusetts
mjsales@me.com
617-335-9776