Moving forward on Somerville Climate Forward
Last month, nearly 250 people gathered at Greentown Labs to celebrate the release of Somerville Climate Forward. We were blown away by the support for the plan and the passion of Somervillens to take serious action on climate change. If you weren't able to make it, you can watch the inspiring comments from the speakers here and be sure to check out the great photos from the green carpet!
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The plan, which is now online, includes 13 priority action areas that set Somerville on a path to be a resilient and carbon neutral city. Collectively, the actions in the plan will reduce energy use in buildings, advance low-carbon mobility, help us better prepare for flooding and extreme heat, and make progress towards cleaner electricity for all.
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We have already gotten started on several of the priority actions. Here are just a few:
- This month we're kicking off a project to better understand opportunities to expand electric vehicle charging in Somerville. Over the next six months we will be developing a strategy for expanding charging access throughout the city, with particular attention to creating opportunities for those who cannot easily charge an electric vehicle at home (Priority Action Area 4).
- We have already started working closely with the Engineering Department to improve our citywide stormwater drainage model. We will be using this more detailed model to test various future storm scenarios so we can have a clearer picture of where flooding is likely to occur during heavy rain storms. The final piece of this project will be to develop communications to increase awareness of flood risks to residents and businesses in vulnerable areas (Priority Action Areas 5 & 8).
- We've begun researching and brainstorming new community engagement ideas for our SustainaVille Leaders program. We want this program to be something that you want to get involved with, so we want to hear your ideas on what interests you. Let us know through this survey how you'd like to get involved (Priority Action Area 10).
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In case you missed it...
We made a short video about Somerville Climate Forward. Please share it widely to help spread the word about the plan and what Somerville is doing to tackle climate change.
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New way to go solar - MySunBuddy
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Check out a new way to go solar with MySunBuddy, a Massachusetts peer to peer network, where you can access clean power from systems in your neighborhood! Sign-up to learn more. MySunBuddy is a local start-up that is partnering with the City of Somerville through the Somerville GreenTech program.
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New Electric Vehicle Charging Station
This week a new level 2 electric vehicle charging station is being installed at Kennedy School in the school lot off of Sartwell Ave. This is the eighth public charging station that the City has installed. Once activated, the charging station will be open to the public after school hours and on the weekends. School staff will be able to use the station during school hours. Check the Chargepoint app for details and availability. The station should be activated within the next few weeks.
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Upcoming Events
Commission on Energy Use and Climate Change
The Somerville Commission on Energy Use and Climate Change meets from 7-9pm on the second Wednesday of each month. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, January 9th from 7-9pm at City Hall in the 3rd Floor Conference room. If you'd like to get email notifications about these meetings, please email Oliver Sellers-Garcia.
SomerVision 2040 Kickoff
Take part in the update of SomerVision! The planning process for SomerVision 2040 will kick off on Tuesday, January 15th from 6-8pm at the Armory (191 Highland Ave.). Learn about progress on the SomerVision 2030 goals and the plan for creating SomerVision 2040. Register here.
Wishing you a happy holiday season and a wonderful new year!
Hannah Payne
Sustainability Coordinator, Office of Sustainability and Environment
www.somervillema.gov/sustainaville
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