The Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative (Climate Collaborative) is proud to host an evening with climate leaders and visionaries Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org and Third Act; Soren Hermansen, community energy leader and CEO of the Samsø Energy Academy in Samsø, Denmark; and Melissa Hoffer, the first-in-the-nation state climate chief under Gov. Maura Healey.

The event will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, June 12, 2023, at Barnstable High School on W. Main Street in Hyannis.

The free event, It’s Time for Climate Collaboration, will feature talks by each of the presenters, who are accomplished leaders in the fight to address and mitigate climate change and build adaptation and resilience to its effects. They will share their views on what citizens and local organizations can and should do locally on Cape Cod to address the causes and effects of climate change. Tickets for the event are available on the Climate Collaborative website.

Dorothy Savarese, Board President of the Climate Collaborative noted that “We are thrilled to bring these three luminaries in the climate change field to Cape Cod, who individually are incredible, and together are a force not to be missed as they inspire collaborative climate work on Cape Cod.”

McKibben, an author and activist, is the founder of Third Act, which organizes people over the age of 60 for action on climate and justice. He also helped found 350.org, the first global grassroots climate campaign, which has organized protests around climate change on every continent, including Antarctica. McKibben’s 1989 book, “The End of Nature,” is regarded as the first book for a general audience about climate change. He has since written 20 other books, and his work has been featured in publications like the New York Times, the New Yorker and Rolling Stone. He serves as the Schumann Distinguished Scholar in Environmental Studies at Middlebury College, as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Science, and he has won the Gandhi Peace Prize as well as honorary degrees from 20 colleges and universities.

McKibben will speak about the need to “bring people together and push them forward”.

Hermansen, who keynoted at the Climate Collaborative’s “Net Zero” conference last October, is the director of the Samsø Energy Academy on Samsø Island, Denmark. He was the driving force behind the transformation of the island into a carbon-negative island through the use of alternative energy sources. Over a 10-year period in the early 2000s, Hermansen helped set up investment plans for island residents to buy into a collection of alternative energy sources, including solar. In addition to other measures, residents bought shares in new land-based wind turbines. With 11 wind turbines on the island and 10 offshore and, together with other sources, Samso generates enough energy to meet the entire island’s electricity needs.

Hermansen, who has been called the “Energy Magician of Samsø,” will share information on how the island created its current negative-carbon status. The theme of his remarks will be “If we could do it on Samsø, you can do it here.” He will outline steps his region took to get it done, as well as his thoughts on how Cape Cod could achieve a carbon-negative future.

Hoffer is the first-ever Climate Chief of Massachusetts. Gov. Maura Healey appointed Hoffer on her first day in office, signing an executive order that created this first-in-the-nation climate chief position. Prior to her post with the state, Hoffer served in the Biden Administration as Acting General Counsel of the Environmental Protection Agency. Before assuming the Climate Chief post, Hoffer, who is an attorney, led then-attorney general Healey’s lawsuit against ExxonMobil alleging the company deceived the public about climate change. Hoffer has described climate change as “a defining issue of our time,” and will share some of the things the Healey Administration is doing to address it.

Following McKibben’s, Hoffer’s and Hermansen’s presentations, they will convene in a “fireside chat” format for a Q&A with audience members. Questions will be solicited in advance.

As stated by Dan Wolf, Climate Collaborative Government Affairs Committee Chair, former State Senator and Cape Air founder, “Please join us for an informative, illuminating and inspiring evening that will further catalyze climate collaboration.”

The It’s Time for Climate Collaboration event will be held in the Barnstable High School auditorium located at 744 W. Main Street, Hyannis. The auditorium can be reached through the main entrance to the school. There is no admission charge for the event, however donations will be accepted, with net proceeds supporting the Climate Collaborative and Sustainable Markets Foundation, the 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor of Third Act. Tickets for the event are available on the Climate Collaborative website at https://capecodclimate.org/its-time-for-climate-collaboration/ ‎

The Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative’s mission is to help reduce ways in which the Cape Cod region contributes to climate change and to protect our region from its potentially devastating impacts by convening, communicating, collaborating, advocating and activating people toward action. We deliver on this mission in two ways. First, we catalyze change by identifying and convening the relevant local people and organizations around select climate topics to provide strategic support and facilitation in the development of coherent and coordinated vision, strategies, actions, and advocacy. Second, we communicate and promote progress on these initiatives that are making progress on Cape Cod.

Limited volunteer opportunity! If you are interested in volunteering at the event in one of the following capacities, please email info@capecodclimate.org with your name and why you would like to participate. Thank you!

Cape Light Compact has received state approval on the Cape & Vineyard Electrification Offering (CVEO), a pilot program that will allow the Compact to decarbonize 80 homes on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard at no cost and 20 homes with significant incentives. The program will serve low- to moderate-income residents by providing whole home heat pumps, solar panels, and battery storage. Eligible residents must live in a home with a deed restriction for affordability or meet the moderate-income requirements. Call the Compact at 1-800-797-6699 for more information.

– Ban Ki-moon, Former Secretary-General of UN

Image: NPR

Thursday, May 11, 2023 3:00 PM

Virtual Hearing: https://capecodcommission.org/reg/join, passcode: join

Phone: (929) 205-6099, Meeting ID: 967 5030 5211

CAPE COD COMMISSION: Virtual HEARING NOTICE

The Cape Cod Commission will hold a virtual public hearing on the Park City Wind Project on Thursday, May 11, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. This Project is being reviewed and considered for Developments of Regional Impact approval. At this hearing, the Commission may consider and vote on a draft DRI Decision for the Project.

Letters of support can also be emailed to regulatory@capecodcommission.org.

RSVP for the 5/16 Mashpee event, co-hosted with Rep. David Vieira, here

RSVP for the 5/17 Yarmouth event, co-hosted with Rep. Chris Flanagan, here

RSVP for the 5/22 Barnstable event, co-hosted with Rep. Kip Diggs, here

AVANGRID has scheduled a hybrid open house this month to discuss the Commonwealth Wind project.

When: Wednesday, May 17, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Where: Osterville Library, 43 Wianno Avenue, Osterville, MA

or attend virtually

If you have any questions about accessing Zoom for this month's open houses, please contact Rachel Lake at Rachel.Lake@avangrid.com

Join the Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative, Recharge Massachusetts, Cape Cod Commission, and the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority for an Electric Vehicle Expo!

Take an EV out for a spin, get hands-on experience with charging, and get a feel for how EVs can fit into your life!

Chat with EV owners and visit with regional exhibitors to learn about plans for public charging and EV adoption, clean transportation and clean energy infrastructure, and learn about local, state, and federal incentives!

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

We are a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is reduce the Cape & Islands' contributions to climate change and protect our region from its potentially devastating impacts. We depend upon the generosity of our stakeholders to conduct our work. All donations are tax deductible as allowed by law.

capecodclimate.org

We welcome climate news from your home, school, business, town, faith community, or organization. Please submit your news, events, or article ideas to info@capecodclimate.org.