Roger Luckmann, Leadership Team member

& one of the coordinators of our Legislative Team

NOTE: Deep Dialogue is on summer break and the next one will be Monday, September 22. Check out our Events Calendar and Facebook page for updates.

Join us for a backyard social at the home of Seth Evans in Brookline. All ECA members are invited!

Here are the details:

• When: Tuesday, August 26
• Time: 12 - 2 PM
• Where: Home of Seth Evans, 393 Lee St, Brookline
• Food: Veggie burgers, fixins, and beverages
• Bring: Salad, munchies, or dessert to share if you can
• Parking: On street and around the corner
• Weather: Rain or shine
• Swim! Bring your swimsuit if it's hot and stay for a swim

Questions? Call Seth 617-605-6037 or Maiyim 857-206-3831.

Our goal is to get to know one another better and support each other. How can ECA Mass help you with your efforts to combat climate change? Join us to talk about our activism in a relaxed setting with other local members. Feel free to invite friends and neighbors whom you want to introduce to ECA. We look forward to being together.

Want to host your own summer gathering at your home or a local park? Contact Maiyim to help get the word out to members in your area.

Maiyim Baron

We have weathered a few heat waves already this summer and likely will have at least one or two more. So, this may be a good time to check out some science-based ways you can still enjoy being active outdoors while staying safe when the temperature hits 80^o F or more.

When you’re out for a run, a walk, an outdoor event, a hike, a bike ride, or other outdoor activity, stay alert for early symptoms of heat exhaustion, which include heavy sweating, weakness, fatigue, dizziness, nausea/vomiting, irritability, and extreme thirst. If you have any one of these, stop what you are doing, rest in the nearest shade at least 30 minutes, hydrate, and get medical help if you are not feeling better in a half hour.

Before heading out in the heat, there are a few things we should all do....

Roger Luckmann

Federal Tax Incentives for Clean and Efficient Energy Ending this Year

If you’re considering a clean energy or energy efficiency project or product, you may have heard that the recently enacted federal “Big Budget” will discontinue some federal incentives. Here is a summary.

• Ending September 30, 2025: federal tax credit for electric vehicles
• Ending December 31, 2025: federal tax credit for most home energy efficiency and clean energy improvements

Here is more information on the impact of the federal budget on the EV tax credit and here is information on the impact for home energy efficiency and clean energy. Since this change was recently enacted...

Arnie Epstein

This fall, ECA’s Plastics Working Group will launch an awareness campaign on the impacts of plastics - both climate and health-related - and make a push to pass our three plastics-related priority bills. We need your help!

Our Three Priority Anti-Plastics Bills are:

• An update to the Bottle Bill
• A ban on Polystyrene
• A statewide ban on single-use plastic bags

Passing these bills would make a big difference in reducing the pervasive impacts of plastics.

What can you do?

Let your state legislators – particularly those in the House – know how important these bills are to you and ask them to sign on as co-sponsors. The plastic industry has already been lobbying against these bills.

If you’re concerned about the impact of plastics on our climate and health, and want to spur the House to action, join our biweekly Plastics Working Group meetings. For more info, contact Dave Damm-Luhr (dldluhr@hotmail.com).

SAVE THE DATE for ECA’s September 9 Chapter Meeting with guest, Dr. Philip Landrigan, an expert on plastics and health (see articles here and here) — and a compelling speaker (see here).

More info also available at Beyond Plastics and Just Zero.

Dave Damm-Luhr & Michael McCord

Attaching a bill to a larger bill, like the environmental bond bill, significantly increases the likelihood it will pass. So, in July, two of our working groups (WG) focused on advocating to include some of their priority legislation in the environmental bond bill, the “Mass Ready Act” (An Act to build resilience for Massachusetts communities, S.2542).

Forest Protection and Building Decarbonization

In collaboration with the Climate Bank Coalition, the Budget and Finance WG pushed for the climate bank bill (Creating a climate bank in Massachusetts, S.786, H.3937) to be included. Similarly, our Natural Solutions WG and their allies advocated to include their top three priority bills aimed at protecting state lands (Watershed forest protection, H.952, Forest protection, H.953 Increased protection of wildlife management areas, H.1048), in addition to the drought bill (H.1003, An Act relative to maintaining adequate water supplies through effective drought management).

The Zero Carbon Renovation Fund coalition, which the Buildings/Energy WG participates in also...

Roger Luckmann

Massachusetts Offers Support for Weatherization and Heating Upgrades

If your home feels too drafty in the winter or too hot in the summer, you’re not alone—and there’s help available.

Through the Climate Action is for All of Us campaign, Massachusetts is raising awareness about rebates, incentives, and tax credits that can help you improve your home’s energy efficiency and comfort—all while reducing utility costs.

Simple upgrades like insulation, air sealing, and energy-efficient heating and cooling systems can make a big difference. Not only will your home feel better year-round, but....

Tina Grosowsky

Bill McKibben, founder of Th!rd Act has a new book coming out August 19 and he's hitting the road to talk about it. Here Comes the Sun is available for pre-order now from all major booksellers.

McKibben will be at WBUR City Space on Monday, September 8 at 6:30 PM and the New Marlborough Meeting House in New Marlborough, Mass on Saturday, September 13 at 4:30 PM.

Here Comes the Sun tells the story of the sudden spike in power from the sun and wind—and the desperate fight of the fossil fuel industry and their politicians to hold this new power at bay. From the everyday citizens who installed solar panels equal to a third of Pakistan’s electric grid in a year to the world’s sixth-largest economy—California—nearly halving its use of natural gas in the last two years, the book traces the arrival of plentiful, inexpensive solar energy.

Maiyim Baron

Starting in September, ECA Mass monthly chapter meetings and Deep Dialogues will require registration to attend. This is already done for Zoom meetings by most other groups and we think you will find there are valuable benefits.

• After registering, you will receive an email with the Zoom link to the meeting as well as the option to add the event to your online calendar.
• On the day of the meeting, you will receive an email reminder.
• After the event, you will be sent an email with a link to the recording and presentation. This can be particularly helpful if you were unable to attend at the time of the meeting. All chapter meetings and Deep Dialogues can also be viewed on the ECA Mass website.

Starting next month, “Save the Date” notifications will include the registration link to use for the meeting. 

Arnie Epstein

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.

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