Vivian on Climate Change.
If Massachusetts is serious about protecting public health and public safety, the government must be more aggressive and act to stop climate change. As your representative, I will fight to build upon the environmental justice law that passed as part of the Next Generation Roadmap law. I want to continue to invest in resources for environmental justice communities. I also support the HERO Coalition bill, to enact a deeds excise fee to raise about $300 million a year, to increase state financial support for climate resiliency projects and affordable housing in every community.
Every day, we see young activists rising up to make sure that their concerns for their future in regard to climate change are not ignored, that effective legislation is passed, and that there is finally a connection between environmental protection, global warming, sustainable development, environmental justice, and how we as a society can move forward together, protecting everyone’s health.
It is our responsibility to live up to the expectations of these young activists, like Ayan, who is working on my campaign. This is why I am pleased to see that the Massachusetts Senate overwhelmingly passed the Senate Bill (S 2819 An Act Driving Climate Policy Forward), co-authored by State Senator Mike Barrett, which builds upon the Next Generation Roadmap, increasing the state’s commitment towards electrifying the grid, dramatically increasing the number of electric vehicles on the road, expanding the capacity of solar and offshore wind development, and strengthening the green building code to target carbon emissions from homes and buildings towards achieving the net-zero target through addressing greenhouse emissions from transportation, electricity, and buildings.
The new legislation would also establish a $50 million fund to build out EV charging stations in communities across Massachusetts, and create a $100 million Clean Energy Investment Fund, to help incentivize the adoption of electric vehicles. I am also very proud to note that the bill includes a pilot program for 10 communities to go all-electric, which is in large part due to the leadership of Acton and Concord voters and municipal officials putting forward Home Rule petitions to ban new fossil fuel infrastructure.
Over the years, since I moved to Acton, I have learned a great deal about the environment-related challenges we face; such as gas leaks, that are being tracked by the incredible Mothers Out Front, Toxic Chemicals in our water like PFAs, expenses for maintaining the Superfund sites, trash in our streams, construction close to our wetlands and the various efforts by different local and state entities to remedy these.
My vision for a climate-resilient 14th Middlesex aligns with the bold legislation and I will work to ensure that the gains made are not rolled back, and work to make sure that strategies are inclusive and equitable for people in low-income households and communities who have historically been left out of the legislation. I want to strengthen legislation in ways that everyone can see themselves in it. This is why, if elected State Representative for the 14th Middlesex District, I would advocate for the following bills and campaigns:
The HERO (Housing and Environment Revenue Options) bill I support the Affordable Housing & Climate Resilience (S.1853 / H.2890) An Act providing for climate change adaptation infrastructure and affordable housing investments in the Commonwealth, to establish a dedicated revenue source to help communities become more climate-resilient and build affordable housing on their owns terms
Support Senator Eldridge and Representative Uyterhoeven’s S.2170/H.3372 – An Act investing in a prosperous, clean Commonwealth by 2030 (IPCC-2030), to more aggressively move to a 100% clean energy future.
Support Mothers Out Front Clean Heat campaign https://www.mothersoutfront.org/project/future-of-clean-heat/, to make a dramatic shift away from fossil fuels heating our homes and where we work, to 100% clean energy heat
Advocate for the next Governor to implement the Environmental Justice provisions of the Next Generation Roadmap, including fully appointing and staffing the Environmental Justice Advisory Council, which the Baker-Polito administration has yet to do
We as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts have the tools needed to set a standard for the United States and the world for addressing the global climate crisis and protecting the earth.
It is up to us to change the future through small household practices that protect the environment and through electing leaders who have policy expertise and a lived experience of the impact of climate change.