City of Salem

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Re-Imagining Salem Part 2: Setting Climate Solutions Into Action

Cindy Keegan and Patricia A. Gozemba
Are you worried about the climate emergency bearing down on us? Are you overwhelmed? Action is often the best antidote. Together we can turn this emergency into an opportunity for our city, but we need your help.

SAFE members, our environmental allies, and concerned residents are rolling up their sleeves to tackle this challenge and envision not just a green future, but a future that is inclusive, just and sustainable. We want to preserve the city and region we love—and make it better, with good jobs, affordable housing, and diverse residents. Join us on January 27, 6:30-8:30, at the Salem Community Life Center to continue the work.

On November 18, 2019, an overflow crowd of 130 people gathered for an inspiring forum, “RE-IMAGINING SALEM: From Fossil Fuels to a Green Future.” Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll set the tone for promoting solutions, announcing that this spring Salem will initiate an electric vehicle sharing program. Jenna Ide, Director of Capital Projects, just scratched the surface of Salem’s climate initiatives in recounting work on solar arrays, moving emergency infrastructure out of harm’s way, securing 100% renewable electric energy for the city, bike lanes, and coastline resiliency projects such as planting sea grass at Collins Cove.

In small facilitated breakout groups, we thought big and identified our top three issues to address in Salem: transportation, resilience and mitigation planning, and the development of more renewable energy. We came up with lists of ideas to bring to the Legislature, our City Council, and our city administration.

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L-R City Councillor Meg Riccardi, Barbara Warren of Salem Sound Coastwatch and SAFE Advisory Board member Nancy Gilberg.

Mayor Driscoll will kick off the January 27th meeting with a brief overview of city initiatives addressing our top three concerns. Experts who will give very brief presentations to prompt our thinking include:
• Andrea Leary and Aileen O’Rourke from the North Shore Transportation Management Association, on rethinking regional transportation.
• Jenna Ide and Salem Sound Coastwatch’s Barbara Warren, on resiliency and mitigation efforts.
• Larry Chretien of Green Energy Consumers Alliance on the future of renewables; and
• . Cindy Luppi of Clean Water Action on legislative strategies and educational opportunities

SAFE Co-Chair Cindy Keegan will introduce briefly two innovative tools for dealing with the climate emergency, a book and website Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming (Paul Hawken and Tom Steyer) and MIT’s En-Roads, an online policy simulation model for measuring the impact of different climate initiatives from renewables to carbon pricing to carbon capture. SAFE and our allies will do more events on these tools. Stay tuned.

But on January 27th, most of the evening will be spent in breakout sessions with facilitators, as we share our ideas and learn from each other. In deep and engaging conversations, together we’ll identify strategies for tackling these key challenges: transportation, resiliency, alternative energy, public policy, and education.

We all have opinions on what’s special in Salem (beaches, walkability, historic buildings) and what we will lose if we don’t address the climate crisis. We want your help prioritizing issues such as protecting our coastline, running pilot geothermal microgrids, advocating for offshore wind energy, and green transportation. And most significantly, we want to integrate environmental justice at each step along the way as we move into a sustainable future that strengthens our local economy, creates more jobs, and reduces commuting. It can be done.

Our November event was fun and productive. We inspired each other and learned. Come and join SAFE (Salem Alliance for the Environment), and our co-sponsors SERC (Salem’s Sustainability, Energy, and Resiliency Committee), 350.org, and Citizens Climate Lobby. Help us keep up the momentum.

Re-Imagining Salem Part II: Setting Climate Ideas into Action, Jan. 27, 6:30-8:30 pm. Salem CLC 401 Bridge St. Free. Accessible. Parking.

Keegan and Gozemba are Co-Chairs of SAFE.

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Re-imagining Salem: From Fossil Fuels to a Green Future

November 18, 2019. Salem, MA.
SAFE, Re-Imagining Salem: From Fossil Fuels to a Green Future. Speakers from left: Marjorie Kelly, Mayor Kim Driscoll, Jenna Ide, Sonia Hamel, Cindy Luppi, and Moderator Cindy Keegan
© 2019 Marilyn Humphries

 On Monday, November 18, over 100 residents from Salem and surrounding communities gathered at Salem’s Community Life Center to imagine responses to the climate emergency that could not only keep our city the vibrant place we all love—but make it better.

The forum, hosted by SAFE, along with the Salem Sustainability, Energy, and Resiliency Committee, Clean Energy Future Massachusetts, Citizen’s Climate Lobby, and 350 MA Northshore, took off from the premise that, if the state legislature passes a carbon pricing bill, state funds will be available to communities like ours to invest in a sustainable future. So what would we like to see?

Mayor Kim Driscoll and Director of Capital Projects Jenna Ide kicked off the evening with an inspiring presentation of what the city has accomplished thus far—from bike lanes to electric vehicle sharing to solar arrays and moving emergency infrastructure out of harm’s way.

Mayor Kim Driscoll kicked off the night.
Sonia Hamel showcasing ideas from around the world.

Presentations from Cindy Luppi of Clean Water Action; Marjorie Kelly, a SAFE board member and expert on what communities are doing to build economies that work for everyone not just the wealthy few; and Sonia Hamel of Hamel Environmental Consulting pointed to real world examples of building resilient and livable communities. From scaling renewable energy to reducing reliance on gas and oil infrastructure for heating our homes to literally buying out the fossil fuel companies to wind them down —an idea Marjorie Kelly called “quantitative easing for the planet”– the presenters challenged the audience to think big.

Following the presentations, audience members engaged in discussions at their tables, talking with each other about:

1) What’s special in Salem, and what will we lose if we don’t address the climate crisis?
Answers: Our beaches, walkability, historic buildings

2) What ideas did we find most exciting or most urgent?
Answers: protecting our coastline, geothermal microgrids, off-shore wind energy, green transportation, a zero-waste city.

3) How do we integrate the principles of a democratic economy—building community, encouraging broad-based ownership, valuing the place where we live—into change going forward?
Answers: Consider environmental justice at each step along the way as we build toward a sustainable future. Consider working with Salem’s anchor institutions—the university, hospital, and museum—to strengthen our local economy, create more jobs, and reduce commuting.

These are only a few of the many ideas generated. A second meeting, January 27, will dive deeper into the proposed solutions, and what commitments we can all make to building Salem’s green future.

All photos by Marilyn Humphries, (c) 2019.
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SAFE Organizes Second Annual “Great Pumpkin Drop”

181104Pumpk024.jpgDead Horse Beach, November 3, Noon to 3 pm. Try your hand at the Great Pumpkin Toss!

You don’t need to do the math to know that untold tons of pumpkin waste from Salem and surrounding communities is going to be off to the incinerators next month. We at SAFE believe that these noble squashes deserve better than to feed a process that emits greenhouse gases and other toxic emissions. So we’re organizing the 2nd annual “Great Pumpkin Drop” to take place in the Dead Horse Beach parking lot on Sunday, November 3, from 12 to 3 pm.

If you’re a Salem resident who’s been thinking about composting, give it a try! SAFE will be offering 50% reimbursement for a year’s worth of weekly composting pickup to the first 10 Salem households who aren’t already current subscribers of Black Earth Compost, which serves our community.

Allow yourself to experience how good it feels when you’ve lightened your garbage output and sent your leftovers to meet the sweeter fate of decomposing organically and enjoying a second life enriching the soil and absorbing carbon from the atmosphere. It’s easy and it makes a difference.

A special thanks to our co-sponsors, SalemRecycles and Black Earth Compost.

See you on November 3rd!

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Rep. Paul Tucker Supports Carbon Pricing

Kudos to Rep. Paul Tucker for taking a bold stand on carbon pricing. In an age where we are looking for leadership to help us solve the problems of the climate crisis, groups like SAFE increasingly turn to our local and state elected officials. Rep. Tucker has not failed us on environmental issues and so much more.

 Putting a price on carbon benefits all

Rep. Paul Tucker (D-Salem)

August 12, 2019 Salem News

Before taking on the job of state representative, I spent 32 years as a member of the Salem police force. I know that preventing something bad from happening is better than responding after harm has already occurred.

That is one of the reasons I am a proud cosponsor of H2810, “An Act to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Promote Green Infrastructure.” Scientists everywhere are telling us the time to act on the climate crisis is now. Change is never easy, but it will be harder if we wait and allow people to suffer.

Introduced by state Rep. Jennifer Benson, D-Lunenberg, H2810 creates a carbon fee on all fossil fuels sold in the state. It returns 70% of revenues from the carbon fee to Massachusetts households and vulnerable businesses. And it invests the remaining 30% in renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean transportation and resilience. H2810 is the perfect prevention part of the equation to accompany state Rep. Thomas Golden’s bill H3997 that, if passed, would address the impacts of the growing climatecrisis. A carbon fee is a charge on gas, oil and coal distributors for every ton of carbon dioxide their products release when burned. It requires polluters to pay for the cost of polluting the atmosphere and contributing to the global warming that is creating the climate crisis. The fee starts low and increases slowly over time, giving all of us an incentive to shift from dirty fuels to cleaner options.

Nobody wants to pay more for energy — and many people, especially low and middle income households, don’t have the ability to pay even a little bit more. That is why most of the revenues from thecarbon fee go right back to consumers. On average, low and middle income households — and all households that conserve energy— will get rebates that are the same as, or slightly

larger than, any increase in energy costs.

The remaining revenue from the carbon fee — a projected $400 to $600 million per year — will be available to cities and towns for initiatives that address the warming climate. That means the carbon fee will be paying for the infrastructure we need to move to a cleaner economy. The fee could provide money for new transit lines, community solar, renewable energy installations, and financial programs to enable tenants and homeowners to invest in housing upgrades.

H.2810 requires that 40% of investments be used for projects that benefit low and middle-income households. This is crucial, because lower income people are least able to make the transition to clean energy and are most vulnerable to the potential impacts of the climate crisis.

In addition, $16-28 million of the funds raised each year will be added to the state’s fuel assistance program. Plus, the bill provides protections for workers and loans for small businesses.

Addressing our climate crisis is a huge task. The United Nations is urging all governments to “put a price on carbon” and economists believe that carbon pricing is one of the best things we can do to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

H2810 uses a “polluter pays” model to raise hundreds of millions of dollars each year for the new energy and transportation infrastructure our state needs. I am proud to support this bill and look forward to working with my fellow legislators to get it passed this session.

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Mayor Driscoll: Put a Price on Carbon

“We know that the federal government will not act.  It is up to our state leaders to show bold leadership, for our state and region, and for the country.” –Kim Driscoll and Alex Morse

 

 

Salem’s Mayor Kim Driscoll and Holyoke’s Mayor Alex Morse published a compelling op-ed in Commonwealth Magazine citing the ravages of the climate crisis on their cities. The horrors range from battered and destroyed sea walls to flooded neighborhoods to damaged infrastructure to, in Holyoke, new residents who are climate refugees who need and receive help from a caring community.

Salem and Holyoke both former  industrial  cities hosting coal-fired power plants are over 100 miles apart. One a coastal city and the other a  mid-state municipality.  The climate crisis is real for both communities.

Read what they have to say about supporting Rep. Jen Benson’s H2810 An Act to Promote Green Infrastructure and Reduce Carbon Emissions:

Mayors of Salem, Holyoke Call for Carbon Fee

WE ARE THE MAYORS of Salem and Holyoke, two medium-sized Gateway Cities. Our communities are more than 100 miles apart, but both are feeling the impacts of climate change. We are experiencing severe storms, unpredictable flooding, drought, and damage to homes, businesses, roads, and infrastructure.  Climate change is disrupting city operations and straining budgets.

In Salem, a coastal city, extreme heat, extreme precipitation, sea level rise, and storm surges present the biggest challenges.  Flooding during winter storms in January 2018 was among the worst Salem has seen in over 50 years.  Ocean waters and rain-filled city streets stranded motorists and brought down power lines.  Salem’s sea level is expected to rise four feet by 2050, and the community’s critical infrastructure – its emergency power, wastewater treatment, roadways, and even its evacuation routes – is all located within flood zones.

Meanwhile, Holyoke is challenged by changing weather patterns near and far.  Holyoke has more Puerto Rican residents per capita than any American city outside of Puerto Rico.  When Hurricane Maria devastated the island in 2018, 2,200 displaced families came to Holyoke and 247 children enrolled in the city’s schools.  The number of oppressively hot days continues to rise in Holyoke, as it has across the state, stressing the health of low-income and elderly residents, particularly if they cannot afford cooling.

Salem and Holyoke are fully committed to reducing our cities’ greenhouse gas emissions, but we cannot solve climate change on our own.  We need bold, state leadership.

The Massachusetts Legislature needs to act, this session, to pass H2810, An Act to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Promote Green Infrastructure.  Sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Benson of Lunenburg, the bill establishes a fee on the carbon in fossil fuels and returns most of the revenues from that fee to Massachusetts households and businesses.  It invests the remainder in local renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean transportation, and resilience.

A carbon fee is a charge on gas, oil, and coal. The fee is based on the amount of carbon dioxide these fuels emit when burned.  As this fee slowly rises over time, dirty energy becomes more expensive, and customers are encouraged to reduce their use of fossil fuels and move to cleaner energy options.

Many people, understandably, are concerned that this approach will cause the prices of gas and heating fuels to rise. However, unlike most governmental fees that disappear forever into government coffers, 70 percent of the revenues from the carbon fee will be given back to Massachusetts residents and businesses in the form of rebates. Every household will get two rebate checks a year.  People who use less energy – including the vast majority of low- and moderate-income households – will get back more in rebates than they pay in any increased fuel costs.

Every person will receive a basic rebate, then low- and moderate-income residents will get an additional amount, to protect them from increased costs. Rural households will also get an additional rebate to compensate them for the extra distances they often have to drive.

The remaining revenue from the carbon fee – an estimated $400 million in the first year and $600 million by the fifth year – will be invested in local projects that help people transition away from fossil fuels and prepare for the unavoidable impacts of climate change.  The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center will administer some of the funds, and municipalities can apply to develop local projects, such as community solar installations, new public transit, energy upgrades at local schools, community cooling centers, and flood control measures.

To make sure that everyone benefits, the proposed legislation requires that 40 percent of investment funds be directed to low- and middle-income households and communities with lower median incomes.  In addition, $16 million to $28 million of each year’s revenues will be added to the state’s fuel assistance program, and additional funds will be used to help workers retrain for new clean energy jobs.

We know that the federal government will not act.  It is up to our state leaders to show bold leadership, for our state and region, and for the country.

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Indoor Air Quality-Methane in Our Houses?

None of us should be living in homes with leaking natural gas/methane that causes asthma and COPD. But some of us do. Usually we’ll smell the gas, but sometimes we become so accustomed to the odor (turning on a gas stove) that we begin to ignore it. Don’t.

Compound the known presence of leaking gas in our buildings with research showing that close to 90% of the gas that we are using in MA is sourced through fracking and a serious health threat emerges. Physicians for Social Responsibility show in their recent report Too Dirty, Too Dangerous, that numbers of the chemicals used in fracking pose serious threats to our health. Recently, researchers at Harvard, BU, and major area hospitals have begun to analyze the elements in the gas we are using and have found known carcinogens that are especially dangerous for children and seniors.

Bob Ackley of Gas Safety Inc. continues to volunteer with SAFE in tracking down indoor gas/methane leaks. Check out this video showing how Ackley tested in Salem homes in August 2018.

Through the generosity of Ackley, SAFE will continue this testing beginning again on April 12, 2019. Stay tuned for programming from SAFE on this project and other gas leaks projects this summer.

If you want to work with SAFE on gas leaks, email Pat Gozemba at salemsafe@gmail.com with the subject line “Gas Leaks.”

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Coastal Resiliency Forum 12.6.18, 7pm 12 Federal St., Salem, MA

Need convincing about why we should have hope as we tackle Coastal Resiliency? Michael Kimmelman shows and tells us what Rotterdam is doing. Succeeding in dealing with rising seas, “The Dutch Have Solutions to Rising Seas. The World Is Watching.”

ROTTERDAM, the Netherlands — The wind over the canal stirred up whitecaps and rattled cafe umbrellas. Rowers strained toward a finish line and spectators hugged the shore. Henk Ovink, hawkish, wiry, head shaved, watched from a V.I.P. deck, one eye on the boats, the other, as usual, on his phone.

Mr. Ovink is the country’s globe-trotting salesman in chief for Dutch expertise on rising water and climate change. Like cheese in France or cars in Germany, climate change is a business in the Netherlands. Month in, month out, delegations from as far away as Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City, New York and New Orleans make the rounds in the port city of Rotterdam. They often end up hiring Dutch firms, which dominate the global market in high-tech engineering and water management.

That’s because from the first moment settlers in this small nation started pumping water to clear land for farms and houses, water has been the central, existential fact of life in the Netherlands, a daily matter of survival and national identity. No place in Europe is under greater threat than this waterlogged country on the edge of the Continent. Much of the nation sits below sea level and is gradually sinking. Now climate change brings the prospect of rising tides and fiercer storms. Read more