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Town Meeting—VOTE!

Hudson’s Special Town Meeting will be Monday, November 20th, the third Monday in November—the Monday before Thanksgiving. Of particular interest to members of Green Hudson is Article 8, the Wetlands Protection By-law. This proposed change will codify a 25-foot no disturb buffer around all wetlands in town, and it will expand the definition of wetlands to include vernal pools and intermittent streams. There are exemptions for existing structures and a mechanism to appeal the restriction. The article also proposes fines for willful non-compliance.



Long-time residents will remember that a similar warrant article failed to pass at a previous Town Meeting by 2 votes. Please attend the meeting on November 20th to vote in favor of this article which helps to maintain the natural protection that wetlands provide for our streams, rivers, lakes and ponds.



The meeting will be held in the High School Auditorium, starting at 7:30 p.m. There are fourteen articles to be considered at the meeting. A link to the full warrant and information about a number of the articles is available here November 2023 Special Town Meeting Documents. To keep tabs on Hudson Town committee meetings and happenings, visit the Town Hall website regularly: Hudson Town Hall.

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The Green Energy Consumers Alliance is providing free webinars to learn more about your clean energy options. You can register for one or all by clicking on the links below.

Committee Reports

Always welcoming new members ... see committee chair contacts below.



Climate and Energy

The climate and energy committee will present at the December 5th Climate Cafe on strategies to reduce the carbon footprint of your home. This presentation will focus on energy reduction and home electrification. The committee continues to meet twice a month on the first and third Tuesday of each month. Contact: Brian White [email protected].



Education and Outreach

The Outreach and Education Committee had a rousing success with our first official Climate Café. Alexi Dart-Padover gave a wonderful presentation on the importance of Native Plants in your garden and everywhere. Jeanette Millard introduced the audience to Green Hudson including our effort to get input for the Town Climate Action Plan. Brian White spoke on the “urgency of now”. Having had a few false starts it was clear we needed good PR. Janice Habermehl outdid herself on publicity, and we had 25 audience members! Thanks to Tom Green for recording and to HUD-TV for the use of their equipment. Future Climate Cafes will be recorded in collaboration with HUD-TV.



Thanks to Alexi Dart-Padover and our Green Hudson volunteers for making the evening both fun and useful. You can view the presentations at October Climate Café.



Our next Climate Cafe will be on November 15th. Details are listed below under Reminders.



Do you have PR or newsletter skills? The committee can use your help. Contact: Jeanette Millard [email protected].



Plastics Reduction 

The reduction of polystyrene and single use plastics is our ongoing major project. To that end we have recently completed a survey of 44 local restaurants to determine how many are still using polystyrene (Styrofoam) containers as well as other single use products such as straws, utensils, and non-recyclable black plastic. We anticipate meeting with the Board of Health to ask for their support for a proposed plastic reduction by-law to be on the May 2024 Town Meeting Warrant. 



Here are our initial survey results:

Restaurants giving out:

Styrofoam containers: 16 (not recyclable)

Black plastic containers: 19 (not recyclable)

Plastic utensils: 37 (not recyclable)

Giving out or making available plastic straws: 40 (not recyclable)

Giving out home compostable straws: 3; metal: 1; industrially compostable: 1

Giving out industrially compostable utensils: 2

Still giving out plastic bags: 10 (Banned by popular vote at Nov. 2019 Town Meeting!)



We Can and Will Reduce Plastics in our Town
We had planned to bring our results to the Board of Health meeting in early October. Unfortunately, given the new responsibilities of the BOH to oversee the refugees that the state has sent to our town, they were not able to meet with us. We will try again for the November meeting. We plan to bring a plastic reduction by-law to the May 2024 Town Meeting one way or another and ask for your support! 

The states of ME, VT, NY, MD, NJ, DC, CO&WA (begin 2024) RI, CA, HI, & OR (begin 2025) have passed bans on Polystyrene/Styrofoam. Most of these states have also banned single use straws and plastic ware. We should too! The entire EU, and the UK have banned all single use plastic products! Members of the MA legislature continue to sponsor such laws, but they die before being voted on. Please contact your legislators and ask them to pass these bills. In the meantime, each town must do their part to reduce the purchase and use of such products that are overwhelming our oceans, waterways, soil, and air. Green Hudson was instrumental in the banning of single use plastic bags. With your help we can reduce or ban the use of polystyrenes and single use plastics as well!

Contact Elisa Pearmain to help our campaign bring and pass a plastic reduction by-law to Hudson in 2024. [email protected].

Massachusetts News

Massachusetts’ Climate Chief Announces Plans

Massachusetts Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer announces a “whole-of-government” approach to dealing with the climate crisis. The report makes recommendations to Governor Healey regarding the climate-related practices and policies of executive department agencies. It presents 39 recommendations focused on concrete strategies to finance investments necessary to meet emissions reductions mandates and resilience goals, ensure spending is consistent with the statutorily-mandated Clean Energy and Climate Plan, accelerate electrification of the power, building and transportation sectors while keeping energy justice front and center, amplify Massachusetts’ global leadership in clean energy and climate tech, grow the workforce necessary to build a clean energy future, and protect the natural and working lands so vital to achieving net zero by 2050. Read the press release here: Climate Chief Announces Whole-of-Government Approach to Climate Change. Read the full report here: Full Report.



U.S. Climate Alliance

The U.S. Climate Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of 25 governors has announced new commitments to decarbonize buildings across America. Governor Healey is among those 25 governors and has committed Massachusetts to multiple decarbonization efforts. Read more here: Climate Alliance Decarbonization Plans.

Islay’s Terrace: Hudson’s Newest Eco-friendly Store

Check out this new store in town where everything is hand-made or chosen by Hudson resident, Jillian Audrey. Jillian’s care for the planet is apparent from the wide selection of zero-waste products offered as well as the earth-friendly production of the beautiful gifts, hand-made yarns, pottery and more. “The work sold in our shop is all handmade, small batch, and made by individual artists, not big factories. Many of our artists use eco-friendly and sustainable business practices that help and give back to our environment.” See more at Islay’s Terrace.

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Inspiration Resources

The days have grown dark—literally and metaphorically. If you are asking, “What can I do?”

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marine-biologist, activist, writer Ayana Elizabeth-Johnson has a guide to help you find your path of service. Originally envisioned specifically to combat climate change, this Venn diagram is a guide for any path of service to people and planet. We are all one, all connected, people and planet. Any way each of us finds to act on behalf of life on Earth is a plus. Each in his or her own way. And if that path brings you to Green Hudson whether in big or small ways, we welcome you. See more at Venn Diagram.

Reading stories or listening to podcasts of climate and social activists at work can inspire us in our own efforts. Our September issue highlighted such a book, Not Too Late, co-edited by Rebecca Solnit and Thelma Young Lutunatabua. Here is another. A Wild Love for the World, edited by Stephanie Kaza, introduces the teachings of now 95-year-old, eco-activist, wise woman, and Buddhist scholar—Joanna Macy with stories from around the globe of how “ordinary people” are weaving her teachings into their activism.

If the world is to be healed through human efforts, I am convinced it will be by ordinary people, people whose love for this life is even greater than their fear.—Joanna Macy

Check it out here: A Wild Love for the World: Joanna Macy and the Work of Our Time.

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Reminders

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Special Town Meeting: to access the Town Warrant, click here.

Save the date: On December 5th at 7:00 p.m., Green Hudson will present the third Climate Cafe titled: Converting to a Zero Emission Home. It will take place at the Community Room at Avidia's Financial Center, 17 Pope St., in Hudson.

 The Assabet River flows through   the town of Hudson providing a   powerful reminder of why we   want to protect the beauty the   earth provides. Scientists are   alarmed as we witness climate   change happening. We need to   do more to put a stop to the   threat.



 Join Green Hudson now to   learn more.

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Recycling Volunteers Needed!



Have fun! Meet your neighbors and

make new friends while helping the planet.

Recycling volunteers needed Saturdays.



For more information:

contact [email protected]

Green Hudson's next meeting will be at

6:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 19th,

at the Avidia Bank’s Community Room, 17 Pope St.

(rear parking lot, side of building near the drive thru) 

or via zoom.



Agenda and zoom invites are sent out one week before meetings.

You are invited

Do you have suggestions for articles, resources of note, inspirations, relevant books to recommend, etc.? Send to [email protected] with the subject line "Green Hudson".



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For more information on Green Hudson ... visit our website at www.greenhudson.org.

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