December Newsletter
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| On November 20th, Governor Healey Signed "The Climate Bill" |
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| Though it took lawmakers several months longer than expected to pass a sweeping climate and clean energy bill, the package got to Gov. Maura Healey's desk in mid-November and she signed it a few days later.
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| The bill builds on previous big climate laws passed in 2021 and 2022, and should make it easier—and faster—to build the solar and wind farms, transmission lines and other pieces of energy infrastructure that Massachusetts needs to meet its mid-century climate goals. |
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| Many of us reached out with emails and calls to our legislators and the Governor to let them know that a narrow energy bill, which only addressed siting and permitting reforms for renewable energy infrastructure, was not sufficient. The bill needed to include a transition from gas to clean heat in our homes and businesses. Climate activists garnered the attention of the public through participating in State House rallies and speaking to the media. The unity of the climate organizations in pushing for a comprehensive bill was critical and successful.
The final Climate Bill includes:
● Siting and permitting reforms—including the strong cumulative impact provisions. ● Allowing utilities to offer non-emitting thermal energy options. ● Prioritizing repair of gas pipelines over replacement.
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| ● Improvements in charging infrastructure to promote EV adoption. ● Massport charter expansion to comply with our state's GHG reduction mandates. |
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| While no one bill will solve the climate crisis, and there is a lot of work still to be done, this bill is a huge step forward and a big win. Let's celebrate that we have made a difference for the children we love. |
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| For more information about what's in the MA climate bill, click HERE. |
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| Climate & Energy Committee
EV charging in downtown Hudson continues to be explored. Earth Day is on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 and our committee has already started planning. If you're interested in helping, please contact Brian White at [email protected]. |
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| Education and Outreach Committee
The Education and Outreach committee held an interesting Climate Café this past Wednesday. Hudson resident Katherine Macchiarola (better known as Kathy Mac) spoke about the impact our food choices have on our carbon footprint. Kathy has a certificate in Carbon Literacy (https://carbonliteracy.com/). When you have information, you’re better equipped to make an informed decision. In the next few days, the recording of this Climate Cafe will be available at https://greenhudson.org/climate-cafes/ |
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| In January, we’ll host a movie night (with popcorn!) to kick off our Plastic Reduction Initiative. We’ll highlight this topic from a number of angles as Green Hudson will be sponsoring an article about reducing plastics in Hudson on the Spring Town meeting warrant. Also, State Representative Kate Hogan will update us on the legislative agenda regarding plastic reduction.
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| Be prepared for future Climate Cafes. Mark your calendars for the 4th Tuesday of each month, and become a regular at our Climate Cafes. Contact Jeanette Millard at [email protected]. |
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| Plastics Reduction Committee
The PRC continues it work on the Plastics Reduction Initiative that includes planning a public FORUM on January 9th at the Union Hall, Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson, 80 Main Street, Hudson, MA 01749 at 7:00 p.m.
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| Meanwhile, you can find Beyond Plastic's Holiday Book suggestions for kids and adults here. And contact Elisa Pearmain if you're interested in joining the Plastics Reduction Committee at [email protected]. |
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| The climate bill that Governor Healey just signed outlined in our lead story is a remarkable achievement that would not have come to pass without our climate movement's powerful, persistent advocacy. While we celebrate this victory, we should also take a moment to thank our legislators who played a role in making this happen.
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| When legislators receive praise from constituyou ents for their actions, they will be more likely to support our climate goals in the future. Please write to Representative Hogan at [email protected] and Senator Eldridge at [email protected]. We've provided a sample letter below which you can copy and paste into your email, or you can modify it, or you can write your own.
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| Dear (Representative Hogan) or (Senator Eldridge), As one of your constituents, I'm writing to thank you for supporting the passage of solid, effective climate legislation this session, particularly the permitting and siting reforms and the provisions for transitioning us off natural gas in S.2967 (An Act promoting a clean energy grid, advancing equity and protecting ratepayers). Your commitment to a clean energy future will benefit all of us. My fellow advocates and I in Green Hudson are excited about the prospects for significant progress on mitigating climate change spurred by S.2967. We look forward to working with you, your staff as well as other key legislators in the coming session to make further progress on the policies and programs we need to meet our climate goals. Sincerely, (your name) (address) |
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| More About the Hudson Transfer Station |
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| Last month we shared the upsetting news of B-P's plans for the new transfer station (the November issue can be found at greenhudson.org). |
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| As more and more people hear the real facts about what an expanded transfer station means to the health and welfare of Hudson residents and our town, people are rising to the call. For instance, one resident created this postcard to call attention to this issue with a call to action: |
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| email the Board of Health. There are several town boards that B-P will need to get approval from, but none is as important as the Board of Health's. It's the Board of Health that can deny the plan. |
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Just as we were about to publish this Newsletter, the Board of Health announced |
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| their December 10th meeting at 5:30 p.m. where this issue, as a continuing conversation, is on the agenda. The meeting can be watched via ZOOM: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/8510... Meeting ID: 851 0933 7335 and Passcode: 036313. Or you can attend in person at Hudson Town Hall – Auditorium, 2nd Floor. (Note: it appears they expect additional people attending this meeting by moving it to the auditorium.) |
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| Continuing our article, the chart below was taken from the Site Trip-Generation Summary on page 106 of the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) that was sent to MEPA as part of their review requirements. It details what B-P expects the effect would be of increasing transfer station trucking to 850 tons per day. Bottomline is Hudson would go from 754 truck trips (in and out) to 1,202 truck trips (in and out). |
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| That's 448 more truck trips a day! And with the bales of compacted trash that we're talking about,
that's 34 (or more) additional trips a day with trucks weighing 80,000 lbs. when they leave the transfer station!; 34 or more additional trips a day! That's more diesel fouling our air, more wear and tear on our streets, more noise pollution, and more disruption for the students at the nearby Mulready Elementary School. |
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| In addition, there will be approximately 314 more trash-collecting trucks, like the ones B-P uses, arriving daily. These trucks weigh approximately 30,000 lbs. when loaded. All with the same environmental and health issues as described above. |
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| People have the power when we work together. Please consider attending the Board of Health's upcoming meeting. |
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| The Importance of Reducing Plastics in Our Town |
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Green Hudson will have a plastic reduction by-law proposal on the Town Warrant for the May 5, 2025 Town Meeting |
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What to Expect at the FORUM |
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Presenters providing detailed insights into the proposed initiative |
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Informative videos showcasing perspectives and real-world examples |
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Guest speakers from environmental organizations
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Local leaders to share expert opinions and experiences
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Come with your questions and curiosity! This is an opportunity to learn, discuss, and make your voice heard on an important environmental issue impacting our community and beyond. |
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| The True Story of Black Plastic Food Ware |
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Lead, cigarette smoke, and heavy metals are all environmental pollutants where chronic low-level exposure can lead to health issues. Plastics may become the newest addition to that list as there is a growing body of evidence that exposure to plastics and plastic additives leads to long-term health problems. It is well known that microparticles, nanoparticles, and additives such as BPA can leach out of plastic water bottles [1, 2]—especially when the water bottle is warmed or abraded. There are other commonly-used plastics that provide direct exposures to humans. These plastics, such as black plastics, are receiving heavy scrutiny lately. |
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| You may find the number ‘5’ on a black plastic food takeout container which designates the container as polypropylene—but this does not tell the whole story. Polypropylene in its natural state is clear to off-white in color and may range in opacity from clear to cloudy depending on its quality and polymerization conditions. Black polypropylene is essentially created by adding soot, also known as carbon black. To continue reading, click here.
[1] https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.10... [2] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/a... |
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| The HeatSmart Alliance is a volunteer group that promotes the adoption of energy-efficient heating and cooling systems. They are available for one-on-one coaching if you're thinking about switching your heating system to a heat pump. Hudson is one of the townships they cover.
Find them at heatsmartalliance.org/. |
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| January's Climate Cafe—Save the Date |
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| 6:00 p.m. at Avidia's Finance Center's Community Room at 17 Pope St. in Hudson. |
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More Truth About Recycling Batteries |
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A number of Green Hudson members recently attended a webinar series, sponsored by the State Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), with a focus on recycling. We learned that there is much more to recycling than looking at the (misleading) triangles with (incorrect) numbers on them! Here are some links to information you might be interested in—and this will raise your Recycling IQ, for sure. |
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| Green Hudson's Next Meeting |
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will be at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 15th, at the Avidia Bank’s Community Room, 17 Pope St. (rear parking lot, side of building near the drive thru) or via zoom.
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Agenda and zoom invites are sent out one week before meetings. |
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| Recycling Volunteers Needed! |
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Have fun! Meet your neighbors and make new friends while helping the planet. Recycling volunteers needed Saturdays.
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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 This newsletter is a work in progress. Send your comments and suggestions for articles, notable resources, relevant books, etc. to [email protected]. 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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