The sound of church bells ringing can mean an end or a beginning, or they can represent a warning to the community. In front of a majestic church in Cambridge, church bells rang out for 11 minutes beginning at 6:11 p.m. on the eleventh of February as a peaceful call for bold action for climate change. Drums were beat and trumpets sounded out for as a symbol of warning.
This is our 11th hour calling and we are truly in the 11th hour in the battle against climate change. The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has emphatically declared Code Red. It’s up to all of us to change our future.
We want Massachusetts legislators on Beacon Hill and the governor to pass the Clean Energy bill to transition to 100% clean for electricity by 2035 and 100% clean energy for the building and transportation sectors by 2045.
The challenge is to implement clean energy generation, clean vehicles, and clean buildings as soon as possible. That’s what this bill accomplishes by establishing the Council for the Clean Energy Transition, while assigning representatives of various state agencies and departments dealing with buildings and transportation to come together to reduce electricity generation to net-zero emissions.
This is our Apollo 13 space mission moment with a myriad of technological tools and practices spread across the table. From this, council members will assemble, implement, and administer robust clean energy solutions to the climate crisis specific to the workings of each state agency and department. This is not a small task with 151 government departments in Massachusetts using electric energy.
There’s synergy and many positive spinoffs when managers come together and work across boundaries that separate agencies into silos. We are confident that Massachusetts will be cleaner sooner than 2035 for electricity generation and 2045 for the building and transportation sectors once the bill becomes law and the Council for the Clean Energy Transition is engaged in their work.
We want those campaigning for governor of Massachusetts to commit to undertaking the restructuring to reform utilities and modernize the grid. The outgoing governor has let the utilities take the lead on clean energy reforms and there’s no time for that. We want and need a governor that will lead instead of deferring to the utilities.
We are asking gubernatorial candidates to commit to requiring 50% of climate spending to benefit environmental justice communities. We are also seeking a pledge to maximize the economic benefits by increasing funding of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Council. This organization provides paid internships for hundreds of college students, clean energy and water management training, and manages an extensive directory of qualified resumes.
We can stem the tide of climate change if we come together as a society and demand it. We must call upon our neighbors, our elected officials and the business community to stand shoulder-to-shoulder, sometimes on the steps of supportive churches. After all, we’re in this together.
And so, on the 11th of every month, we will ring the church bell for bold action for climate change. The more people who join us, the more people will hear our clarion call for climate justice
It’s time to get loud.
Dr. Rob Moir is a nationally-recognized and award-winning environmentalist. He is president and executive director of Cambridge-based Ocean River Institute, a nonprofit providing expertise, services, resources, and information unavailable on a localized level to support efforts of environmental organizations. Visit oceanriver.org for more information.