From Biden to Wu to you

 Happy New Year!

This year is set up to be a productive one for confronting climate change. Though many of the Biden administration’s major climate initiatives are up in the air as congressional Democrats negotiate over the Build Back Better bill, the infrastructure act signed in November takes some significant steps. It includes more than $65 million to upgrade the nation’s electrical grid, a necessary step for supporting renewable energy. It also includes $39 billion to modernize public transit systems, and $7.5 billion to deploy a network of electric vehicle charging stations.

Here in Boston, Mayor Wu has hit the ground running. Two weeks after being sworn in to office, she signed an ordinance requiring the city to divest from fossil fuel companies (as well as tobacco and private prison companies) by the end of 2025. Two weeks after that, she announced lower electricity rates through Boston’s Community Choice Electricity (CCE) program. Through June 30, 2022 (and possibly longer), all tiers of the CCE program, including the 100% renewable Green 100 tier, will have lower rates than Eversource’s Residential Basic Service rate.

Now is a great time to opt in to CCE Green 100. To find out more, join GreeningRozzie and Mothers Out Front for an informational Zoom event, Electricity Providers: Your Wallet, Health and Choices, on Wednesday, January 26 at 7:30 pm.

And check out the many great books about all aspects of climate change and sustainability on GreeningRozzie’s virtual bookshelves at Roslindale’s own cooperative bookstore, Rozzie Bound.

The Roslindale Wetlands Urban Wild – A Moment Worth Remembering

 

By Tom Mcdonald

Rozzie celebrated a milestone environmental and social justice achievement on Saturday, December 11 at the Roslindale Wetlands Urban Wild. Things have been brewing concerning the wetlands on Walter St. and a piece of local legislative (and environmental justice!) history-in-the-making.

After years of effort, the land at 108 Walter street became part of the Roslindale Wetlands Urban Wild for permanent preservation as open space, with a provision for four units of affordable ownership housing. The Boston City Council voted unanimously to preserve the space in May. And in August the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) designated Habitat For Humanity Boston as the housing developer.
 
Though the rain came down hard that Saturday, a hardy crowd of supporters gathered to celebrate the preservation of the Roslindale Wetlands Urban Wild as permanent open space.

We heard rain-shortened but nonetheless gleeful speeches from our community of leaders whose years-long efforts for the Wetlands finally had come to fruition, including Mayor Wu, City Councilors, City Chiefs, and neighborhood activists. They praised the local wetlands flora and fauna, and Roslindale and its amazing residents; and they were encouragingly resolute as they spoke of Boston’s vision for our environmental and social justice future.

Making the City’s Wetlands preservation decision a doubly crowning achievement, the president of Habitat for Humanity (HfH) noted in his turn at the microphone that HfH would be looking for volunteers, possibly in the spring or early summer, to begin building the included abutting four units of affordable housing at 104 Walter with  an eye toward reaching net-zero carbon construction standards! For this Greening Rozzer, the Wetlands celebration emanated inspiration and pride of City. It seemed as if even the rain was celebrating….

Kudos to the Roslindale Wetlands Task Force, to the wetlands for hanging-in patiently while waiting for the protection it deserves, and to Boston and Habitat for Humanity for elevating open space and affordable housing!
 
Let’s keep it coming!