MY TURN, September 27, 2023
By BETSY CORNER and MARY LINK
This past week we joined Extinction Rebellion in Boston at the State House during their week of outreach, nonviolent civil disobedience action, and ongoing daily standout on the entry steps. Extinction Rebellion is calling on Gov. Maura Healey to stop all new construction of fossil fuel infrastructure in Massachusetts. It’s a critical step that our state can take in this time of climate emergency. Massachusetts cannot even comply with its own climate law or meet its net-zero targets if fossil fuel expansion projects are allowed to come online.
This summer we’ve experienced unprecedented rain and flooding destroying farmers’ crops, damaging roads, and more here in Franklin County and across New England, while other places are suffering from extreme droughts and recordbreakingheat. Tens of thousands of species have either gone extinct or are at risk due to climate disruption.
Fossil fuel companies have known this would happen since the 1980s, yet they chose short-term profit over the life and health of the earth and all of us. Time is running out to change the course for the future of our planet, the lives of our children and grandchildren. Now is the time to keep fossil fuels in the ground, turning our need for energy to renewable resources and conservation.
Extinction Rebellion has been active for four years and brings together the passion, skills, and energy of younger people and elders who have time and concern. The group offers different ways for anyone who wants to participate, from computer work to leafleting to civil disobedience. It is a creative group, with positive energy and fun, while taking on this serious situation.
There are also other groups that have been working to wake us up to our climate emergency, including the Sunrise Movement and 350.org nationally, and Climate Action Now and others locally. So you can choose which one suits you and get active. If you want more information and motivation, check out the websites for any of these groups or read the excellent short book, “Facing the Climate Emergency” by Margaret Klein Salamon.
Some good news on the national level: The newly announced Climate Corps will put thousands of young people to work serving their communities and fighting the climate crisis. The future health and survival of our earth, of thousands of species, and of our communities, especially those most at risk from climate disruption, depend on all of us. We hope you will join us by finding the right climate group and actions for you.
Betsy Corner lives in Shelburne Falls. Mary Link lives in Ashfield.