Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice & Environment
Minutes: Monthly Meeting March 16 2022
Land Acknowledgement
Working Group Reports
The Pigsgusset Initiative will be presenting in the April meeting with a short film “Bounty” which was reviewed at their recent meeting
Watertown Faces Climate Change reports recent attention on the High School Reconstruction which recently was approved for funding by the School Building Authority and is on track to be a net zero energy building. Other areas of attention are the Watertown Mall Development, Solid Waste and the Climate Action Plan.
Friends of Bees will be holding their March meeting soon. The DPW and Laurel Schwab from the Planning Department have been working on pollinator plantings.
The Refugee Support Group continues to support local families. They were pleased that a Syrian family with whom they had a longstanding relationship was able to move to Boston, closer to needed medical treatment . Housing is always a big and urgent need. They have been strategizing ways to support people whose asylum cases have been pending for years. Sunday vigils in support of Ukraine and peace settlement are attracting a good number of participants.
Watertown Community for Black Lives has been holding discussions around an article about white moderates getting in the way.
New Peace Working Group Tony Palomba has called a meeting for those interested in forming a Peace and Security Working Group. Check the newsletter for specifics
Presentation Climate Feedback Loops
Local Watertown resident Bonnie Waltch has written, produced and directed a variety of documentary films on the environment. Most recently she has worked with producer Brian Hershey to create 5 short films on Climate Feedback Loops. These films make accessible complex environmental processes, and target legislation as well as the next generation. Excerpts from a film on Permafrost demonstrated how smaller climate effects generate larger changes and accelerate the scope and speed of change. Other areas covered in the films include Forests, North Pole Arctic Ice, Glacial Melting and Atmospheric/Jet Stream changes.
Discussion
Brian Hebeisen, active in both WE3C (Watertown Environment and Energy Efficiency Committee) and WFCC, described achievements and focus of local work. Among these; The Solar Ordinance requiring inclusion of solar on large new developments, new net zero energy schools, and most recently, extensive feedback on the town’s Climate and Energy Plan. The plan is almost completed and will be coming to the Town Council shortly for adoption. Both WE3C and WFCC are gearing up to make sure its recommendations get implemented. Among priorities is a net zero ordinance, energy efficiency building standards, getting off natural gas, widespread switching to heat pumps, a robust transportation plan including on-demand transit, a tree ordinance and forward thinking development.
State Representative Steve Owens noted that Watertown is widely recognized throughout the state for its climate-friendly accomplishments, including its solar ordinance and construction of net zero schools without overrides. On the state and regional level he noted how much more needs to be done to green the electric grid quickly and at a large scale. During night-time, only 8% of our electricity is fueled by renewables, including the burning of wood and trash. For a truly renewable grid, he noted that an abundance of wind, solar, and related storage is needed. Wind energy off the coast of Massachusetts has a huge capacity to serve much of New England. But storage is needed when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining. He hopes the legislature will pass additional climate bills with enforceable targets and funding for wind. He also noted that lifestyle changes will be called for as well as support for vulnerable communities.
Respectfully submitted, Deborah Peterson