Green Hudson October Newsletter
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| Bill McKibben's Newest Book Reviewed
by GH's Elisa Pearmain |
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As a long-time climate activist, I have followed the writings and activism of Bill McKibben for many years. Now into my 70's I am involved with the organization Third Act (www.thirdact.org) that he founded for climate activists over 60. Bill is a environmental reporter, and a writer for the New Yorker Magazine. He has just released his 21st book called Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Change for Civilization. (W.W. Norton & Co. 2025). |
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As someone who reads Bill's weekly newsletter, The Crucial Years, (https://billmckibben.substack.com/), I can attest to the depth and thoroughness of his research, and connections to people worldwide in the climate sciences. I have read the book and find it both hopeful with what is happening worldwide and scared to death at how little time we have to stop the worst climate changes from continuing. |
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To continue reading, please click HERE. |
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| Climate and Energy Committee |
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| The Climate and Energy Team is meeting at the Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson, 80 Main Street in Hudson at 5:00 pm on Sunday’s before our regular monthly meeting (the third Sunday of each month). Green Hudson will host a table at the Hudson Light and Power Open House on Saturday 10/18 from 10–1:00. For more information, please contact Brian White.
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| Education and Outreach Committee |
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| Green Hudson sponsored local solar energy entrepreneur, expert, and advocate Mark Durrenberger for our recent October Climate Cafe. Durrenberger spoke in some depth about solar power: its strengths, challenges, and Hudson's particular situation regarding solar power. There was lively discussion throughout, and plenty of information was shared. A video recording will be posted soon on our website (GreenHudson.org) as well as on HUD-TV. We'd like to thank Mark for his informative and engaging presentation, as well as his candor and humor.
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| In our November Cafe we will try something new: "Green Gifting in 2025." A number of GH members will present some new and creative (and some time-worn but loved) options for gifts for children and adults that are non-carbon-creating options. We hope to encourage creative reuse of materials to make nice gifts, educational things for young and old that are not didactic, and other fun ideas.
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Come get ready for the holidays, and bring your own examples of gifts you love to give that align with your values, specifically your desire to help loved ones stay healthy and love the Earth. |
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A quick reminder that our Climate Cafes are now on the FIRST Tuesday of every month, upstairs in the Hudson Public library. We start at 7 p.m. and end promptly at 8:15 so library staff can head home in a timely manner. Also please remember that all of our Cafes (starting in September of 2023) can be found on our website as well as on HUD-TV. |
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We appreciate the support of the library staff and HUD-TV in making these cafes possible, and helping us record and edit them. |
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Hudson's Master Plan: The Town's Director of Planning, Kristina Johnson, has convened a team of volunteers to work with a consulting group to identify areas of focus for the master plan update process. We are pleased that the group includes two members of Green Hudson: Jeanette Millard and Tom Green; along with close to a dozen other townspeople. The group will be holding a number of public input forums, the first of which is the evening of October 29th. There will also be a table at Hudson's downtown Halloween event, on October 30th. Keep a lookout for further details from the official Master Planning group and Kristina Johnson. And if you haven't yet, sign up on the Town's website for announcements of meetings and other Town events (TownofHudson.org). |
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For more information, or to join this busy committee, please contact Jeanette Millard.
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Plastic Reduction Committee: A few more tips for reducing your exposure to microplastics
(courtesy of Beyond Plastics, BeyondPlastics.org)
- Instead of using laundry detergent packed in a big plastic bottle, choose a powdered detergent (7th Generation, or Meliora Cleaning Products have great lines) or try a concentrated tablet (Blueland has a good line). Please note that although they advertise themselves as "plastic-free," many detergent sheets are made of a type of plastic called PVA, so we recommend skipping them.
- Fabric softener/dryer sheets tend to be filled with toxic chemicals that are bad for your health (and your dryer). Use wool dryer balls to make your clothes softer.
- Since we breathe in a lot of microplastics, consider getting an air purifier with a HEPA filter to remove particles from the air.
- Microplastics in the air also settle on surfaces so dusting regularly is helpful.
- Speaking of dusting, microfiber dust cloths and towels are made from plastic. Opt for towels and dust cloths made from 100% natural fibers like cotton or linen.
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| Please attend the Town Meeting on Monday November 3rd at 6:30 p.m. (Note new earlier start time.) Due to a clerical error made in transcribing our Plastic Reduction Bylaw onto the Town warrant a couple of words were altered which changed the intent of the bylaw. As we made clear in all our presentations and literature, the bylaw bans any plastic items that cannot be recycled in town, and these include plastic utensils and plastic straws.
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| To minimize the price differentials between compostable utensils and straws, and plastic ones, we included in the bylaw that restaurants would only give out the compostable ones on customer request.
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| Unfortunately, the language of the final bylaw read incorrectly that “plastic” utensils would only be given out on customer request. This totally negated the intent and purpose of the bylaw.
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| Lauren Antonelli, the Director of the Health Department, with some help from yours truly, and with the final approval of the Town Council has fixed the wording. What will be voted on at November Town Meeting is only this correction and not the whole bylaw. |
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| We need you to come and support us in this final stretch.
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| Listening Sessions–As we did when the bylaw was being introduced to businesses last spring, the Health Department will again be offering all businesses the opportunity to attend one of two zoom sessions in early November to clarify any ongoing concerns before the bylaw takes effect on January 1st 2026. Green Hudson members will also be available to go to restaurants to offer suggestions and clarifications. |
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| Thanks for your support. To join our Plastic Reduction Team please email Elisa Pearmain @ [email protected] |
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| The Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy Committee (TUE) held a hearing on bills addressing Mass Save home energy audits, large building decarbonization, making home energy efficiency ratings available to home buyers, funding for retrofitting affordable housing, and incentives to get towns to develop plans for decarbonizing.
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| The Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee will be holding a hearing sometime soon on reforestation. The role of trees, particularly mature trees, becomes increasingly important for drawing down CO2 when it is hard to get off fossil fuels.
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| Senators Reflect on Climate Issues–You may want to check out this podcast of a conversation between Senators Brownsberger and Barriett where Barrett has a lot to say about the past, present and future of climate policy in Massachusetts. He acknowledges that decarbonizing buildings may be our greatest climate challenge and is optimistic about the Senate passing Governor Healey’s energy affordability bill.
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| Healey’s bill may be acted on soon by the House, and some sources are saying it may be a relatively narrow bill and not another omnibus climate bill as others have speculated. We will continue to keep you posted on important developments in the State House and be sending out Action Alerts at key moments when we need ECA members to speak up. |
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| As Seen at Vic's Diner in Downtown Hudson! |
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| Make Polluters Pay petition update |
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| On Tuesday, October 21st, at 10am, Tina Grosowsky will be going to the statehouse to deliver thousands of Make Polluters Pay (MPP) petitions to our legislators. In coordination with the Massachusetts Chapter of Elders Climate Action, the plan is to have as big of a group as possible join Tina at the statehouse. We can show our power on paper and in person! Learn more here: https://www.polluterspayma.org/make_polluters_pay_petition_drop_25 |
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| Carbon Goals Tracker Will Help MA Communities Gauge Progress Toward Eliminating Fossil Fuel Use |
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| On September 8, Massachusetts Climate Action Network (MCAN) launched the Carbon Goals Tracker, a powerful new tool for Massachusetts communities. The free tracker helps communities set goals for the residential adoption of three key technologies–electric vehicles (EVs), heat pumps (HPs) and roof solar installations (PVs)–and then evaluates and tracks their progress toward decarbonization. (View the September 8 presentation.) |
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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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Green Hudson's monthly general meetings are open to the public and held the third Sunday of each month, from 6–7:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson, 80 Main Street in Hudson. |
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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. Join Green Hudson now to learn more. |
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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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