A regional resource for climate advocates
September 16, 2022
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Registration opens for the Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative's 5th annual Net Zero conference
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022
8:30am – 1:30pm (virtual)
This free virtual event will highlight varied climate issues facing the Cape and Islands, with discussions on how YOU can make a difference in such urgent times. NZ-22 conference sessions offer insight, inspiration, resources, and case studies focused on impacts and opportunities for large-scale renewables; energy efficiency and decarbonization tools and incentives; and innovative planning frameworks and resources enabling towns to advance local climate planning initiatives, while acting regionally to meet the climate crisis.
Visit our website for continued updates on the conference agenda, presenters and more!
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The Planet's Health & Yours: Facing the Invisible Impacts of Climate Change
Tuesday, September 27, 2022
6:00 PM (Virtual)
Join the Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative, CREW (Communities Responding to Extreme Weather), and CLAMS libraries around the Cape & Islands for an informative presentation by Climate Collaborative executive director Rich Delaney on the Invisible Impacts of Climate Change.
With a lively Q&A to follow, topics include:
- Climate Impacts: Across the globe and across our Region
- Invisible Impacts: Physical Health, Mental Health, Economy, Eco-Justice & Ecosystems
- What You Can Do: Regional, local, and individual action
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Event is co-sponsored by these participating CLAMS libraries: Aquinnah Public Library, Brewster Ladies Library, Centerville Library, Eldredge Library, Eastham Library, Falmouth Public Library, Mashpee Library, Provincetown Library, South Yarmouth Library, Sturgis Library, Truro Library, Wellfleet Library, West Yarmouth Library, Yarmouth Port Library.
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Climate Collaborative in the News |
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CAI's The Point Interview with Climate Collaborative leadership team members
Opportunities to protect the Cape & Islands from climate change
WCAI- The Point, August 25, 2022
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Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative leaders host EPA Region 1 Administrator
By Lauren Gottlieb, Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative, August 31, 2022
The Climate Collaborative had the unique opportunity to meet with EPA Region 1 Administrator, Dr. David Cash at a luncheon graciously hosted by Cape Cod 5 at its new headquarters building (HQ5) in Hyannis.
CC5’s President Robert Talerman and CEO Matthew Burke welcomed the group. The Collaborative's leadership team and officers discussed Dr. Cash's priorities for New England and the Cape, and more broadly, the EPA's environmental justice action plan. (Pictured from left are President Dorothy Savarese, Dr. David Cash, Co-Vice President Fran Schofield and Executive Director Rich Delaney.) See more event photos.
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The Commonwealth & Climate |
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Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station set to unveil water-test results
By Jeanette Barnes, NPR-CAI, Sept 14, 2022
The owner of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station plans to share test results on the radioactive water inside the plant at this month’s meeting of a state nuclear advisory panel.
But Holtec says it could be November or early next year before the company is ready to reveal how it plans to dispose of the water, which totals about a million gallons. Cape-area activists are fighting the possibility of Holtec discharging the water into Cape Cod Bay. Other options include evaporating it, trucking it to a disposal site, or some combination. Read More
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Gov. Baker joins with Berkshires officials to celebrate future Greylock Glen outdoor center in Adams
By Gillian Jones, The Berkshire Eagle, August 30, 2022
ADAMS — With a newly laid foundation behind them, officials gathered Tuesday at the future Greylock Glen Outdoor Recreation and Nature Center to celebrate a project more than 50 years in the making.
“I am a proud town administrator here, of the proud town of Adams — and this is a great day for us,” said Adams Town Administrator Jay Green.
'Greylock Glen' is where big developments went to die. Here's why it's different this time
Well over 100 people joined a dozen officials for the event, including Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Beth Card and Doug Rice, commissioner of the state Department of Conservation and Recreation. Read more.
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Inflation Reduction Act & Impacts |
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Clean Energy Projects Surge After Climate Bill Passage
By Jack Ewing and Ivan Penn, The New York Times, Sept 7, 2022 | Image: Forbes
Investments in battery factories, solar panel manufacturing and mining will help the Biden administration meet targets for reducing greenhouse gases.
In the weeks since President Biden signed a comprehensive climate bill devised to spur investment in electric cars and clean energy, corporations have announced a series of big-ticket projects to produce the kind of technology the legislation aims to promote.
Toyota said it would invest an additional $2.5 billion in a factory in North Carolina to produce batteries for electric cars and hybrids. Honda and LG Energy Solution announced a joint venture to build a $4.4 billion battery factory at a location to be named. Read more.
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How energy, environment issues are playing in Senate races
By Timothy Cama, E&E Daily, Sept 7, 2022
Debates over energy prices and what to do about climate change are continuing to dominate some key Senate races.
Whether those issues will be a decisive factor remains to be seen, but in recent weeks, prognosticators have downgraded Republicans’ chances of retaking the Senate majority.
Forecasting website FiveThirtyEight thinks Democrats have the upper hand to take a real majority in the upper chamber, while Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said recently there is a “50-50” chance the GOP can win. Here are some of the biggest races to watch. Read more
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EJ communities are wary as CCS racks up policy wins
By Jean Chemnick, E&E Daily, Sept 7, 2022
Carbon capture and storage may finally be gaining traction as a way for power plants, natural gas terminals and industrial facilities to lower their emissions.
But environmental justice advocates worry that it will become a lifeline for fossil fuels in a carbon-constrained world — one that comes at an unacceptable cost to the communities that have long suffered from the polluting facilities built next door. Read more.
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This New England utility will soon pay EV owners to help to back up the grid
By Lisa Prevost, Energy News Network-Northeast, Sept 7, 2022
The New Hampshire Electric Co-op is testing a “transactive” energy rate that pays owners of electric vehicles and battery storage systems for discharging power back onto the grid during periods of high demand. The largest electric distribution co-op in New England is experimenting with real-time energy rates meant to help members wring more value out of their electric vehicles and battery storage devices. Read more.
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Habitat Cape Cod Raises $242,404 through Solar Matching Campaign
By Montana Samuels, The Patch, Aug 22, 2022
(YARMOUTH PORT) – Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod is excited to announce that the organization recently met and exceeded a $75,000 Matching Campaign that will fund Habitat’s Solar Program.
Habitat for Humanity supporters Ken Foreman, Anne Giblin, and Bill Overholtz made the challenge in July 2022. Just a few short weeks later, Habitat matched and surpassed the original goal with a total of $242,404, using an email campaign to local volunteers and donors. The money will help continue Habitat’s goal to increase alternative energy sources in the homes the non-profit constructs. Read more
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Our View: When Theory Becomes Reality
By The Cape Cod Chronicle, Sept 14, 2022 | File Photo
Responding to human-caused climate change is no longer theoretical, nor even the stuff of long-range planning. It’s costing all of us real money today.
Towns are now seriously pondering the possibility that rainfall deficits like the one we’ve endured for more than a couple of years will cause droughts with increasing frequency. A couple of decades from now, we might not be worried about how to maintain green lawns but how to ensure there’s adequate clean water for our basic needs. There are other ramifications: water conservation reduces water department revenues, which might someday mean the need for rate hikes or taxpayer subsidies. Read more
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Facing Eco-Anxiety with Active Hope
An inter-generational and interactive discussion on developing resilience and hope in the face of climate and other crises
Sunday, September 18, 2022
2:00 - 3:30 PM
Bread & Roses Bookstore
302 Main Street, Hyannis
Join Susan Starkey, Climate Collaborative board member and co-chair of the Faith Communities Environmental Network, for a "table talk" on how to develop your resilience and creative power through Active Hope, a systems-thinking approach to face the multi-crisis mess we are in. Enjoy a vegan snack and a coffee while deepening into this inter-generational conversation. The event is free and open to the public.
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Family Tree
By Rosanne Shapiro, FCEN and HarwichCAN member
I.
I must go back and sit
beneath curtains of green,
cradled by grandmothers
I never knew. Gnarled
limbs and roots
burrow deep in the soil,
carrying ancient family codes
that emerge transformed
into supple young branches
swaying in the breeze,
a generation of carefree children
and grandchildren.
II.
I must go back and sit
in this family home,
generations sharing
a four-season roof
as we used to do
before
we grew restless
and moved
away from the source.
III.
I must go back
to remember
the comforts of family
now grown sparse,
unlike this luxurious home
its generations surrounded
by beloved ancestors.
IV.
I return to this family home,
its layers of life and growth,
its years of connections
giving rise to new life,
in the dance of nature
centuries old,
moving to music
of rustling trees and birdsong,
the quiet of moonlight,
sunset and twinkling stars.
V.
Beneath this family tree
I breathe in connection
with Earth, my family home –
who I am
where I come from
where I’m going.
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Wednesday, September 21, 2022
5:00 - 6:30 PM
Red River Beach, Harwich
Connect with the earth and with each other in these times of chaotic change and uncertainty about the future of life as we know it on this planet. Hosted by the Harwich CAN, the gathering will take place at the west end of Red River Beach (to the right as you face the water). Park as far to the west end as you can, then walk a few minutes to find us, follow the sounds of the drums.
What to bring/wear: Layers, it may be cool or windy. Please don’t wear scented products, or clothing. Bring beverage or snack as needed, and a chair or blanket to sit on. Hats, nets, bandanas to protect head from no-see-ums and other pesky insects. Please use natural insect repellent as needed, rather than aerosol commercial products.
Something to share: a poem, a song, an instrument (drums are welcome and will be greeting us as we arrive), a dance, a dream…an object to place in the center of the circle.
Safety: If you aren’t feeling well, or have recently traveled outside the country, or have been in contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19, please use your discretion about coming, and wear a mask.
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It's A Climate Emergency!
What We Can Do!
Wednesday, September 28, 2022
7:00 – 8:30 PM
Wellfleet Public Library
55 W Main St, Wellfleet, MA 02667
(Free, seating limited, masks required)
To combat climate change, the Wellfleet Energy and Climate Action Committee is hosting a series of three workshops on how individuals can reduce greenhouse gases to help reach net-zero emission goal by 2050.
Solar Photovoltaic Arrays: How it works, how much can you save, how to get started, and a Q&A session with PV vendors. Read more here.
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Sweating keeps you cool, but climate change is making it harder
By Lauren Sommer, NPR- WCAI, Sept 7, 2022
This summer, NPR's Science Desk has been looking into the science of sweat. As the planet gets hotter, it turns out perspiration isn't what it used to be.
And even though we've gotten used to checking the outdoor temperature or even humidity, there could be another measurement to pay close attention to. In the final installment of this sweat series, climate reporter Lauren Sommer has this look at what the future may hold for the human body's ability to cool down effectively. Listen here.Read or Listen her
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Business & the Climate Crisis |
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Billionaire No More: Patagonia Founder Gives Away the Company
By David Gelles, New York Tiimes, Sept. 14, 2022 | Photo credit:Natalie Behring for The New York Times
A half century after founding the outdoor apparel maker Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, the eccentric rock climber who became a reluctant billionaire with his unconventional spin on capitalism, has given the company away.
Rather than selling the company or taking it public, Mr. Chouinard, his wife and two adult children have transferred their ownership of Patagonia, valued at about $3 billion, to a specially designed trust and a nonprofit organization. They were created to preserve the company’s independence and ensure that all of its profits — some $100 million a year — are used to combat climate change and protect undeveloped land around the globe. Read more.
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USDA NRCS presents
Challenges and Opportunities in Organic Urban Agriculture
Tuesday, October 4, 2022
3:00 pm (virtual)
Organic producers of all sizes and across all landscapes must follow the same national standards to meet the requirements of USDA organic certification. However, certified organic farmers and farmers using organic growing practices may have different production and market opportunities and challenges when growing in an urban environment. This webinar will explore research in this field, as well as perspectives from farmers on growing organically in urban spaces.
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Cracking the carbon removal challenge
Founded by MIT chemical engineers and winner of an XPRIZE Carbon Removal milestone award, Verdox is working to move the needle on climate change.
Leda Zimmerman, MIT News, Sept 15, 2022
By most measures, MIT chemical engineering spinoff Verdox has been enjoying an exceptional year. The carbon capture and removal startup, launched in 2019, announced $80 million in funding in February from a group of investors that included Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures. Then, in April — after recognition as one of the year’s top energy pioneers by Bloomberg New Energy Finance — the company and partner Carbfix won a $1 million XPRIZE Carbon Removal milestone award.
Can Verdox meaningfully reduce the planet’s growing CO2 burden? Voskian is sure of it. “Going at our current momentum, and seeing the world embrace carbon capture, this is the right path forward,” he says. “With our partners, deploying manufacturing facilities on a global scale, we will make a dent in the problem in our lifetime.” Read more.
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It’s Happened Before: Paleoclimate Study Shows Warming Oceans Could Lead to a Spike in Seabed Methane Emissions
Shallow deposits of frozen methane beneath oceans may be more vulnerable to thawing than previously known.
By Bob Berwyn, Inside Climate News, September 2022
The slowdown of a key ocean current could release methane that is frozen in layers of organic seabed sediments along some of the world’s coastlines, a new study shows.
Cold temperatures and high pressure on sea floors currently sequester about one-sixth of the world’s methane, a potent but short-lived greenhouse gas, in an ice-like form called methane hydrate, or clathrates. Sudden thawing of those clathrates could result in a surge of methane emissions that would spike the planet’s fever. The new research, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that some of the shallower layers in the Atlantic Ocean could be more vulnerable than previously thought to warming that could release that methane, and that such events have happened in the distant past. Read more
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Dutch homes built on wooden piles are rotting after severe drought
By Pablo Fernandez Cras, Bloomberg News, September 2, 2022
Inside Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, Rembrandt’s masterpiece The Night Watch appears to be hanging straight, as do other famous works by Vermeer and Van Gogh. While standing outside the gargantuan red-brick building, however, eagle-eyed engineers noticed the museum was sinking 15 centimeters (6 inches) to one side.
While the Dutch have long feared that climate change would see their homes engulfed by rising sea levels, Europe’s record drought is showing that too little, not too much water, could spell disaster. As many as one million Dutch houses built on pile foundations face similar problems to the Rijksmuseum and are at risk of collapse. Read more
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‘Timber Cities’ Might Help Decarbonize the World"
By Bob Berwyn, Inside Climate News, September 12, 2022
Buildings constructed with more wood, and less cement and steel, would help decarbonize the construction and housing industries in line with global goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions 50 percent by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2050, new research shows.
The paper, published Aug. 30 in Nature Communications, explains that building mid-rise wood dwellings to meet the demand from rapidly expanding urban populations could avoid about 100 gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions through 2100—about 10 percent of the reduction needed to cap global warming below 2 degrees Celsius. Read more.
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St. Mary's Episcopal Church Season of Creation Forum
Upcoming forum features APCC executive director Andrew Gottlieb
Sunday, October 2, 2022
11:00 AM
St. Mary's Episcopal Church
3055 Main Street, Barnstable 02630
Join via Zoom here or attend in person
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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.
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The Climate Collaborative's Climate Action Alerts newsletter is curated and edited by
Fran Schofield with production assistance by Lauren Gottlieb. 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.
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