climate action alerts

A regional resource for Cape & Islands climate activists April 20, 2020 | v. 10

Here are the top ways the world could take on climate change in 2020 By Sierra Garcia, Grist, March 19, 2020   The climate think tank  Project Drawdown   first took on  the question “what’s really the best way to stop climate change” in 2017 — and came up with a hundred answers, from cutting food waste to implementing alternative refrigerants. Now, Project Drawdown has updated its original list to incorporate the latest findings. The name references the day when humanity switches from emitting carbon dioxide to storing it and begins drawing down the carbon we’ve dumped into the atmosphere. The team compiled its recommendations, which were first published as a bestselling  coffee table book , based on rigorous scientific analysis of the costs and carbon savings of every solution available at scale today.   Jonathan Foley, an environmental scientist and the executive director of Project Drawdown...explained why we don’t need technological breakthroughs or political miracles to bring the world to net-zero carbon emissions. Read more here.

What is Project Drawdown®? Project Drawdown is a nonprofit organization and coalition of scholars, scientists, entrepreneurs, and advocates from across the globe that is mapping, measuring, modeling, and communicating about a collective array of substantive solutions to global warming, with the goal of reaching drawdown. Read more here. Drawdown LEARN Drawdown Learn ™ is a broad initiative to encourage education and learning about climate solutions based on Project Drawdown’s research, analysis, and insights.  Through its programs and partnerships, it is helping educators and students of all ages to understand the solutions available to address the climate crisis and create new ways of teaching and learning about Drawdown solutions. Read more here.

What others are thinking...

Will the coronavirus kill the oil industry? By Bill McKibben, The New Yorker , April 9, 2020 It’s hard to get mad at a virus, but it’s easy to be enraged by people and institutions that are disregarding the threat it poses in order to further their own profits. Last week, I  wrote  about how construction is set to resume on the Keystone XL oil pipeline, and how it will, in the process, risk the health of indigenous Americans, by bringing in workers from around the country to remote rural areas. (I didn’t know at the time that  JPMorgan Chase , the world’s  biggest fossil-fuel lender , had helped issue a billion-dollar bond to assist.) Read more here. Let’s deploy local solar for all to help restart our economy By Luis Davila, Morning Consul t, April 8, 2020  As we face a once-in-a-lifetime crisis due to the effects of the coronavirus, we also have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reform our energy system to one that is cleaner, safer and more equitable. This improved system can deliver local, affordable and clean energy options to all energy customers, especially low-income families who will be  disproportionately affected  by the effects of the coronavirus.  Read more here.

Cape Cod Climate Emergency News

Climate Emergency Initiative Updates More than 95 Cape Cod climate activists registered for the webinar Planning Your Climate Emergency Campaign in a Time of Uncertainty — with Massachusetts Climate Action Network's Executive Director Carol Oldham. While many town meetings have been postponed and/or deferred all non-budget priority items until the social distancing measures are lifted, Climate Action Network planning and organizing work is moving forward in all communities. If you'd like to know what is happening and how to get involved in your town , please email us at capecodclimate@gmail.com. Tell us your name and town and we'll connect you with activists and coordinators in your community.

If you missed the online training, view it, and another helpful webinar video, here: Planning Your Climate Emergency Campaign in a Time of Uncertainty Taking Action on Climate While Physically Distancing

Take action & legislative news

Take action with Environmental Voter Project this week, EARTHWEEK Get trained to make an impact reaching non-voting environmentalists in key states We know that Election Day is the real Earth Day. Join the Environmental Voter Project this week, and dedicate a few hours of your time to help build an Army of Environmental Super Voters in 2020. TAKE ACTION Get trained in TEXTING by webinar and then TEXT NON-VOTING ENVIRONMENTALISTS in Florida, Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Virginia . Monday, April 20 | 4-6pm | RSVP here. TAKE ACTION Get trained in CALLING by webinar and then call non-voting environmentalists in Pennsylvania to help them sign up for vote-by-mail . Tuesday, April 21 | 4-6pm | RSVP here. TAKE ACTION Join EVP Executive Director Nathaniel Stinnett for a VOLUNTEER BRIEFING from 4:00 to 4:30 pm, followed by a brief PHONE BANKING TRAINING then taking action by CALLING ENVIRONMENTAL VOTERS in Pennsylvania to inform them about the new vote-by-mail option in their state.  Wednesday, April 22 | 4-6pm | RSVP here.

100% of Us Deserve a Better Future Our world is changing rapidly in the face of a crisis. As Congress makes investments in our future, they  must  build a better one – where less pollution is pumped into our air, everyone’s water is clean and safe to drink, and  all  communities are equally protected from the dangers of environmental degradation. TAKE ACTION Help us flood Congress with 50,000 messages by the 50th anniversary of Earth Day – April 22nd. Let's make sure Congress knows what Americans expect of them. Click here to send a letter to YOUR representative and senators.

Spotlight on education and activism

Sandwich High School student teams with Cape Light Compact, others to promote virtual home energy audits Coronavirus isn't stopping this youth's climate action work Nico Gentile, a Sandwich High School student and member of the Climate Collaborative's Youth Climate Action Network team, has been focused on climate change "for a long time" (i.e., since seventh grade). As a several-year member and current president of the Sandwich High School STEM Academy Science Club, Gentile has cirected his climate attention on educating youth about climate change and making his school and community more climate-friendly. A co-organizer of the Youth Climate Action Summit, which drew more than 100 attendees from across the Cape last November, Nico's group also built a school garden and were in process of raising money to plant trees around the school when the virus outbreak occurred. Since then, Nico's been working with Cape Light Compact and RISE Engineering, a team that designed remote home energy audits to help get online home energy audits up and running and volunteers to test it. "I've heard amazing things about the remote HEA, which the CLC released las week," he explained. "My experience with the Summit and the Club has shown me how one can make climate-friendly modifications to homes hrough energy audits, which offer the public a free opportunity to improve their homes and community environments. Now, through CLC's Virtual Home Energy Audits (see below) and with so many people at home with freer schedules, this is a great opportunity to take advantage of these audits. Further, many modifications such as more energy efficient lightbulbs can be delivered to your house in a social-distancing-compliant way." Nico is also talking with the CLC about helping market the organization's vast array of energy efficiency programs to students and families on the Cape. To learn more about Nico's work, email us at capecodclimate@gmail.com . 

CLC partners with National Energy Education Development Project in new remote learning program Remote energy education programs offered for parents, teachers during pandemic Cape Light Compact , the Cape and Islands' award-winning energy services provider, is offering energy education resources to parents and teachers of Cape Cod and the Islands in collaboration with the National Energy Education Development Project (NEED). According to CLC executive director Maggie Downey, “Even during the COVID-19 outbreak, it is vital for children and families to learn the importance of energy consumption and preservation, and their global impacts.” Each week's lesson plans are broken out by grade range and cover the following topics: Energy Sources Electricity and Electricity Generation Energy Conservation at Home Measuring Your Electric Consumption Lessons are available every Monday in April and may be extended if schools remain out of session beyond May 4. For more information, visit CLC's website here.

Cape Light Compact Offers Virtual Home Energy Assessments and 100% off Approved Insulation Upgrade s Cape Light Compact recently began offering Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard residential customers the option of completing a Virtual Home Energy Assessment as a way to move forward with their home energy assessment. A Virtual Home Energy Assessment provides the same expertise and personal care as an in-home visit, except your Energy Specialist interacts with you remotely, by phone or video service. During a Virtual Home Energy Assessment, the Energy Specialist will identify energy-saving opportunities in your home and then prepare a custom energy report. This report includes information on equipment rebates and no-cost products, as well as access to 0% financing and a limited time offer of up to 100% off approved insulation (terms and conditions apply). Click here to learn more!

Events, education, etcetera

The Post-Virus Economic Recovery Should Be a Green One Join Senator Ed Markey for an informative ELM webinar this Wednesday Wednesday, April 22 | 12-1:00 PM | RSVP here The Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM) is pleased to present U.S. Senator Ed Markey, who will discuss how a strategic and coordinated economic recovery could simultaneously support our economic, climate, and environmental justice goals. The webinar will be moderated by Elizabeth Henry, President of ELM, and is part of ELM's Wednesday webinars series discussing intersectional issues of climate, health, journalism, the economy, activism, and more. Upcoming webinars include: Youth Climate Activism Climate + Elections: Federal, State, and Local And more!

COVID-19 Preparedness & Recovery: An Opportunity for a Stronger New England ACCO offers lunchtime webinar series Join the Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO) for a series of Friday lunchtime webinar discussions examining how New England can respond to the pandemic with an approach that builds a stronger region, revitalizes communities and takes steps to protect them from future disaster scenarios. Registration is limited to individuals in New England states. The Intersection of Preparedness, Recovery, Pandemics and Climate Events Friday, April 24, 2020 | 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM | Register here Prioritizing & Valuing Investments in Resilience Friday, May 1, 2020 | 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM | Register here Managing Shifts in Community Resilience Priorities In Light of COVID-19 Friday, May 8, 2020 | 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM | Register here

Mild to Wild: How Our Backyard Choices Impact Our Environment Another great Woods Hole Research Center webinar Wednesday, April 29 | 2:30 PM | Register here As spring landscaping gets into full swing, some people go all-in on yard design, maintenance and fertilizers, while others largely let nature take its course. Join WHRC's senior scientist Christopher Neill as he discusses how different landscape approaches can affect our local environment, wildlife, and global climate. Chris Neill will present the results of his research and field questions.

Net Zero Stretch Code webinar Thursday, April 30, 2020 | 7:00-8:00 PM | Register here We know that buildings are a big part of the climate problem and we need a Net Zero building code to meet our climate goals as communities and as a Commonwealth. This webinar will provide an update on the Better Buildings Campaign and show what a Net Zero stretch code can look like in Massachusetts. It will also provide insights on what YOU can do to take action and ensure that our decision-makers are held accountable for effecting Net Zero buildings and a fossil fuel-free future.

Did you know?

DYK? How cutting a Super Climate Pollutant is being touted as a no-cost job creator. Read on. DYK? Preserving farmland could help the climate. Read on. DYK? Young climate activists are slowed but not defeated by pandemic. Read on.

DYK? What is stunning residents of India. Read on . DYK? The w armest oceans on record could set off a year of extreme weather. Read on. DYK? How the coronavirus has accelerated coal's decline. Read on.

Massachusetts Legislative Resources Find Your Massachusetts Legislator | Massachusetts Bills and Laws Tracker

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 CAPE COD CLIMATE CHANGE COLLABORATIVE capecodclimate.org 

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The Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative is a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to reach carbon neutrality — or net zero — on Cape Cod and the Islands of Massachusetts by enhancing communication, collaboration, and activism among organizations, programs, and individuals committed to mitigating the climate crisis.  All donations are tax deductible as allowed by law.