Green Hudson July Newsletter
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| Hudson Will Have a Workshop at the Massachusetts Health Officers Association (MHOA) Annual Conference in November |
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| The workshop is titled "From Plastic Waste to Policy Change: The Power of Partnership and Community Action in Hudson" and will be presented by Lauren Antonelli from the Health Department and Elisa Pearmain, Tom Green and Jim Whalen from Green Hudson. |
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Plastics pose growing risks to both environmental and human health, from pollution in ecosystems to chemical exposure in daily life. This presentation highlights the Plastic Reduction Initiative undertaken by the Town of Hudson and Green Hudson, the town's environmental community group. Attendees will learn how citizen advocacy, public education, and municipal leadership aligned to address these concerns. The presentation will detail the collaborative process between Green Hudson and the Hudson Board of Health, including research, stakeholder engagement, outreach and advocacy, which ultimately led to the successful passage of a plastic |
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| reduction bylaw at Hudson's Annual Town Meeting on 5/5/25. Attendees will gain insight into the steps needed to replicate similar initiatives in their own communities. |
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| Committee Reports: On Summer Break |
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| The Climate and Energy Committee |
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| The Education and Outreach Committee |
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| The Plastic Reduction Committee
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| The committee is planning our third year of Climate Cafes. If you'd like to make some suggestions for topics to focus on, or help with the planning, please contact: [email protected]. |
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| Hearings held by the Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy (TUE); Transportation; Environment and Natural Resources (ENR); and Labor and Workforce Development committees have already addressed numerous priority bills. Many environmental and climate group members have testified in support of several natural solutions, transportation and budget/finance bills and specifically on these six bills: |
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New developments in legislation we're following closely include: - The Governor’s energy affordability bill (H.4144)
This includes many proposals we support on energy cost savings:
- Mass Save,
- speeding up distributed clean energy interconnection, and
- protecting consumers. - An omnibus plastics bill (S.2541) passed out of ENR
This includes some measures we favor—and others we'll be advocating to change. - The Governor’s Environment Bond bill—Mass Ready Act
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| The House has adopted some new joint rules that mean votes on bills may occur significantly earlier in the session than is usual and will be more accessible to the public, along with most written testimony. Overall, these changes are helpful to climate. |
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| While Trump has just signed into law a disastrous bill that will end many subsidies for solar, wind and electric vehicles (and other clean energy initiatives), we wanted to give you some good news to remind us all that the fight goes on, and that in some cases legal efforts, industry and state and local progress will continue. Here are a few examples.
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Second Chance for a Sustainability Self-Assessment |
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| Solar Power in MA Massachusetts officials enacted a revamped version of its solar incentive program last week that developers and advocates say should keep the state’s solar industry moving forward even as the Trump administration pushes to undermine federal support for clean energy. |
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| “In short, the program makes Massachusetts a very healthy market for solar,” said Nick d’Arbeloff, president of the Solar Energy Business Association of New England. “We’ll still be able to present a compelling case to an investor.” |
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| Solar Power Panels on window sills and balconies? According to Bill McKibben’s substack post, the U.K. will soon be joining Germany in allowing its citizens to have solar power generators on their windowsills. There are already some 1.5 million of these Balcongraftwerk (balcony power plants) fitted to windowsills saving families 30% of their |
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| energy bills with no installation fees. Apparently, these small units pay for themselves in six years. We could be doing this too! |
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| From The Washington Post's Climate Coach ... |
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| Climate Coach Michael J. Coren invited readers to share creative solutions for reducing single-use plastics—the responses were both personal and powerful.
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Among the featured voices was our very own Tina Grosowsky of Green Hudson, right here in Massachusetts. Tina helped pass a local plastic reduction initiative in Hudson that eliminates the use of nonrecyclable plastics in restaurants and grocery stores.
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Her work is a model of how local leadership can ripple outward. |
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| It’s a reminder that the fight against plastic waste isn’t just national—it’s deeply local. Tina’s advocacy shows how one town can set an example for many. |
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| August 2nd : Hudson Brewfest Returns |
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| The Hudson Rotary Club's 10th Annual Spirit of Hudson Brewfest will return to the vast open space at the Hudson Elks on Saturday August 2, 2025. There will be 40+ breweries showcasing beer, cider, seltzer, spirits, and more. This marquee summer event will additionally include food trucks, live music from Disco Lemonade, outdoor games, and more. The Brewfest will be open from 2–6PM for VIP access and 3–6PM for General Admission. |
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| Green Hudson, once again, will be managing the dump (liquids), recycle, compost and trash stations. We're seeking volunteers to help out. Please contact [email protected] to learn more (ask about special perks). |
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| Your Second Chance for a Sustainable Self-Assessment |
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| For our June Climate Cafe, we did something a little different. Audience members received a "sustainability self-assessment," which they answered on their own. The questions explore what actions people have taken in their own homes (inside and out), with no judgement! We then discussed which things seem easier or harder, and what people wanted to do this summer based on their assessment. |
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| We invite you to do the same. Check each action you have already taken, and circle the actions you want to do. Then sit back and look at the whole picture. What will you be doing from your list? |
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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] |
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| 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. And don't forget about our nature trails! Join Green Hudson to learn how you can help make Hudson greener. |
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| 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". Share Green Hudson’s Newsletter If you found something of value in this newsletter, please forward it to others who might be interested. And, if you’re reading someone else’s copy and would like to receive your own newsletter each month, please subscribe by emailing [email protected]. For more information on Green Hudson ... visit our website at www.greenhudson.org. |
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