August 2026 Newsletter

We are affiliated with national Elders Climate Action, a project of Elders Action Network. Check out our websites: ECA Mass and ECA national.

In this Issue

No ECA Mass Meetings in August
Legislative Update
Say No to Recycle By Mail
Climate Summer: Too Hot to Ignore Campaign
What's GSEP?
Stay Safe in the Heat This Summer

ECA Mass Meetings

THERE WILL BE NO CHAPTER MEETING

OR DEEP DIALOGUE IN AUGUST

Save these dates for September:

Chapter Meeting: Tuesday, September 8 from noon - 2 PM

Deep Dialogue: Monday, September 28 from 4 - 5:30 PM - Is Nuclear Power the Answer?

Legislative Update: It's a Wrap

The 2025-26 Formal Session Wraps up with Mixed Results

Following Senate votes, the Senate and House versions of the Energy Affordability Bill and the Environmental Bond Bill have moved to conference committees. The committees will likely take their time in negotiating differences in the two versions and have until the end of the session in January to complete their work.

Bond and Affordability Bills on the Move

The Senate version of the Affordability Bill is responsive to many of the climate movement’s concerns. It does not include cuts to Mass Save or to Alternative Compliance Payments going to the Clean Energy Center and does include reigning in and phasing out the Gas System Enhancement Program (GSEP). We and our allies will be advocating for the final bill to include controls on data centers, on predatory third party energy providers, on biomass and utility business practices, and other measures.

The Bond Bills from both houses include language on studying a climate bank but these important measures are only in one version:

Drought management (Senate)
Plastics reduction, especially a plastic bag ban (Senate)
Air quality monitoring (House)

Unfortunately, except for some funds for municipal reforestation, forest protection measures did not make it into the bill and will have to be filed again next session.

Total Scorecard Shows Wins and Losses

You can see the ECA Mass full legislative scorecard here as of July 30, the last day the House and Senate are holding full sessions. While it is possible some bills that were reported out favorably but not yet acted on could pass both houses on July 30, it seems more likely they will die in committee. We won’t know the final verdict on these bills until after the newsletter goes to press.

Overall, our scorecard results are mixed with a lot of important legislation going into the Affordability and Bond bills, many bills getting favorable report outs but dying in House or Senate Ways and Means, and several not getting a favorable report out from the original committee to which it was assigned. We have a lot of work to do to ensure we get the best bills out of conference and next session to advocate again for many of the policies we support.

If you want to learn more about how to develop your comfort level for legislative advocacy or want to become more involved in the legislative team, please contact either Roger Luckmann or Tina Grosowsky.

Roger Luckmann

Say NO to Recycle By Mail

Susan Keefe, with Beyond Plastics, tracked a TerraCycle package on its 4100-mile circuitous route from Los Angeles to eventually land in an Illinois warehouse. This Beyond Plastics fact sheet explains more.

Ever wonder how to responsibly deal with empty chip bags, candy wrappers, and other plastics that don’t belong in the bin? And what about #6 and #4 plastics that your materials recovery facility doesn’t accept?

For-profit companies like TerraCycle and Ridwell offer to ship plastic away, ostensibly to be recycled. But how much of what gets sent is recycled? And is this better for the climate and pollution? Or are these companies’ false promises only taking advantage of our good intentions and guilt?

By putting trackers in the mailers, sleuths found that recycle-by-mail companies do not live up to their seductive marketing claims. A lot of mail-in plastics end up in warehouses or incinerators throughout the U.S. The zig-zag shipping expands plastics’ carbon footprint, worsening its climate impact with added transport emissions.

This greenwashing approach doesn’t solve our pressing plastics’ problem. Beyond Plastics describes recycle-by-mail as “just another distraction from the real issue: plastic packaging is not designed with sustainable disposal, recycling, reuse or taxpayer costs in mind.”

Remember:

Mail-back does not encourage us to use less plastic, with its illusion that the status quo works.
Manufacturers cannot create new products of the same quality, such as happens with glass and metals.
Plastics, made with 16,000 different chemicals, are not designed for recycling.

The best destination for unrecyclable plastics is the garbage bin. Instead of paying for mail-back programs, spend money to avoid plastics, which will also exert market pressure on companies to use less plastic in packaging. The ultimate solution to the plastic problem is to buy fewer plastics.

Melissa Ludke & Susan Abrams

Climate Summer: Too Hot to Ignore

Join the Visibility Campaign!

Climate Action Campaign (CAC) and many of its grassroots affiliates, including ECA Mass, have organized Climate Summer: Too Hot to Ignore. This nationwide campaign, to be conducted during August Recess in 50 Congressional districts nationwide, including MA-4 (Rep. Jake Auchincloss), will demonstrate to Congressional leaders the broad grassroots demand for climate action and ensure climate remains a top priority for Congress heading into the election season and 2027.

Please join ECA Mass for these events in Coolidge Corner (Jake Auchincloss's district):

Saturday, August 15, 2-4 PM: Honk for Climate. We're piggybacking on Indivisible's regular pro-democracy standouts in Coolidge Corner (from 1-2 PM). We plan to show up with our Too Hot to Ignore signs and T-shirts (provided by the campaign) and ask passersby to show their support by honking or signing petitions (see below). Sign up here.
Saturday, August 15, 1:45-3 PM: Petitioning at Trader Joe's, 1317 Beacon St. in Coolidge Corner. This will coincide with the Honk for Climate standout, happening just 20 feet away. Sign up here. The petition will be delivered to Rep. Auchincloss and House Minority Leader Jeffries and urges strong action on climate.
Friday, August 21, 3-4 PM: Banner Drop at Rte 128/I 95 overpass, Needham. Sign up here.

PLEASE JOIN US FOR THESE ACTIONS. THE TIME FOR CLIMATE ACTION IS NOW. We’ll provide T-shirts, signs, swag and snacks. Stay tuned for more actions in August.

Seth Evans

What's GSEP?

Here's What You Need to Know

We need to end the GSEP (Gas System Enhancement Plan), according to Dorie Seavey of the Based Rates Substack. Mass legislators are now in conference debating S.3143, An Act to save people money, repair the climate and grow the economy which could include much needed reform of GSEP - if we insist on it. Seavey writes that key arguments defending GSEP are wrong and urges the legislature to end the program sooner than the 2030 proposed in S.3143.

GSEP is a complex gas pipeline finance scheme that works against our interests. Read Seavey’s piece and be prepared for more advocacy on GSEP in the months to come.

Tina Grosowsky

Stay Safe in the Heat This Summer

Heat Safety Resources

When it’s super hot outside, we need to stay safe. As elders (along with young children), we’re more vulnerable to higher temperatures. Check out this info from the MA Department of Public Health/Bureau of Climate and Environmental Health - and stay hydrated.

MA Unhealthy Heat Forecast

Community Heat Resources

Heat Index Primer

All heat illness is potentially preventable. So why does it remain so common? Lack of access to AC is one cause, but limited knowledge about the risk of outdoor activities in the heat is another major factor.

A walk in the sun at a temperature of 88°F sounds safe, but with a humidity of 70% the Heat Index (HI), feels like the temperature is 100°F. Add to that 15 degrees for activity in the sun and you would be experiencing a dangerously high 115°F. We might see fewer heat-related illnesses and deaths if more people knew how to:

Find and use the HI
Adjust HI for sun exposure by adding 15 degrees
Adjust intensity and duration of physical activity based on HI
Take account of personal risk factors
Hydrate

Learn how to do all of this here.

Roger Luckmann & Tina Grosowsky

Recycle that Paper Cup!

Finished drinking from a paper cup? What should you do with the cup?

Recycle it. Until recently I didn’t realize paper cups could be recycled.

Now, all empty paper cups – those for cold or hot beverages and compostable ones, too – are accepted for recycling. Even ones with no label go into the recycling bin.

What’s changed?

Recycle Smart MA, an education initiative developed and funded by the MA Department of Environmental Protection, explains that paper cups are made of long, valuable fibers comprising 80-95% of the cup. The interior lining is made of plastic (usually polyethylene, sometimes polylactic acid) for insulation and leak prevention. Previously, paper mills had a tough time filtering out the plastic lining, referred to as a poly coat and regarded as a contaminant. Now mills can separate this lining from the cup’s fibers due to new technology.

Who knew? Go ahead a recycle your paper cups and feel good about it. For more information, check out recyclesmartma.org There is a wealth of information on the website including a recyclopedia search for answering questions.

Rick Lent

Get More Involved & Join an ECA Team

If you would like to become more involved with ECA Mass on one of our teams (Communication, Education, Legislative, Membership, or Research) please contact Tina Grosowsky, tgrosowsky@verizon.net.

Tina Grosowsky

Join our Google Group!

We send announcements of our meetings and Action Alerts to eca-mass@googlegroups.com, which includes all those on our active list.

Please contact Dawn Edell if you want to confirm you are on our active list.

Find us on Social Media

Be a fan and follow ECA Mass on Instagram!

Visit the ECA Mass Facebook page and click the like button!

Did you miss a past meeting?

Did you miss an ECA Mass Chapter Meeting or Deep Dialogue? Or do you want to share one with friends and family?

We have you covered! Videos of past chapter meetings are here and videos of past deep dialogues are here.

WHAT ARE YOU READING?

Would you like to review a book for our newsletter?

Contact the newsletter editor Debora Hoffman.

This Newsletter is Published for Members and Friends of

Elders Climate Action - Massachusetts Chapter

ECA Massachusetts is a chapter of the national Elders Climate Action. We are a movement of elders committed to making our voices heard to change our nation's policies while there is still time to avoid catastrophic changes in the Earth's climate. Visit the ECA Massachusetts website, event calendar, and Facebook page to learn more about our chapter's activities and climate news. JOIN ECA MASSACHUSETTS AND STAY CONNECTED! Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, and for more active participation, sign up to receive Action Alerts and meeting announcements. Fill out our subscription form.

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