The next meeting of 350MA of Greater Lowell will be held Thursday, June 12 at the Christ Church United, located on 180 E. Merrimack St. Lowell, MA 01852. So if you are looking to get involved, your presence at the meeting would be greatly appreciated and welcomed. There were only four of us at yesterday morning’s meeting.
An important topic for the upcoming meeting will be divestment from fossil fuels at the state and local levels. The city of Lowell is not currently invested in any fossil fuels, so 350MA of Greater Lowell is hoping to build support for a bill that would ensure that future investments do not include fossil fuels. There is also a campaign to divest the entire state of Massachusetts from fossil fuels. You can read more about the proposed bill here: http://350ma.org/state-divestment/.
I thought I should also point out an important episode of the Cosmos with Neil DeGrasse Tyson. The episode was heavily laden with global climate change and the impact humans have made on the planet. An important feature was his explanation of the difference between weather and climate. You can watch the clip here:
Finally, please join us for our next meeting of 350MA of Greater Lowell. Again, it is located at the Christ United Church on 180 E. Merrimack St. Lowell, MA. The more people that join, the better chance we have at fighting climate change on the local, state, and national levels!
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Mill City Grows is a non-profit organization based in Lowell, MA. It promotes food justice by creating and growing urban gardens and farms. Besides the West Street Middle School, Mill City Grows has contributed in many ways to what I hope is the beginning of a sustainable future. Through community involvement and education, the organization embodies all the values necessary to transition to sustainability. Its methods, if applied city-wide, could be part of the model for transitioning Lowell to a sustainable city. These methods include education, community involvement, and promoting healthy living.
I attended “Community Build Day” at the Smith Street Community Garden in Lowell to volunteer with Mill City Grows. The opportunity was not only informative but also very inspiring. There were about 25 people there to volunteer alongside Lydia and Francie, the co-founders of the organization. The neighborhood the garden is located in is very congested, and the garden brings much needed beauty to a sea of concrete and buildings. Twenty-one new raised beds were built and filled with loam from a local farm. In just two days, this lot was transformed from an overgrown, litter-filled eyesore to a beautiful community garden. It was clear that people were proud of their accomplishments and felt a sense of control over their environment. I must admit that I, too, felt the pride with them, having contributed to beautifying their neighborhood. It would be impossible to argue against such a cost-effective way to create healthier lives at a local level. 350.org is a worldwide grassroots organization dedicated to fighting climate change. Tonight is an incredible opportunity for those of us residing in the Greater Lowell area to become involved in this organization. |