Letter: Toward Equitable Building Decarbonization

‘We are digging our own grave’.

 I quote the UN President at the COP26 summit. The urgency of the environmental situation in the world is unparalleled and getting worse!

As an activist since the 80s for our beautiful blue planet, the only one we will ever have, I totally concur with the expression above. Time is of the essence and any good action, big or small to protect Earth, makes a difference.  Small is beautiful! Local news have the mission to help as much as possible to stop the ecocide.

Today I’d like to ask your help to urge the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities  to ratify the Mass Save Three Year Plan as is.  It will advance policies on equitable building electrification in Massachusetts. This is urgently needed to reverse climate change!

The Sierra Club supports the plan and wants to reiterate the following details:

• The Baker administration’sClean Energy and Climate Plan calls for a million homes to receive energy efficiency retrofits by 2030. They should prioritize homes in underserved environmental justice (EJ) communities to promote much needed equity. They should also promote incentives to landlords to serve more renters so they can access energy efficiency benefits.

• All communities will highly benefit from housing retrofits, affordable heat pumps, more efficient appliance standards,as well as funding for standard pre-weatherization requirements facing low-income households, including roof repair, asbestos removal, knob and tube wiring removal, etc.

• It is critical that we address language isolation by providing direct connections to follow up services with contractors who speak the needed language, create career ladders for high road jobs, and build relationships with community organizations.

Laura Rojo MacLeod

Laura Rojo MacLeod is a Sierra Club volunteer