QCAN members brought some special guests to our meeting with Mayor Thomas Koch on February 19: young people from Quincy’s elementary, middle, and high schools. Evelyn Dawson, Gaetano Belfort, and Maya Dijkstra spoke eloquently about the changes they have seen in the local climate even in their short lifespans and the imperative for government leaders to act to ensure a safe and healthy future for coming generations.

Mayor Koch listened attentively and agreed to look into replacing the thousands of styrofoam lunch trays used and discarded each day in the Quincy Public Schools. QCAN members also discussed Green Municipal Aggregation, curbside composting, a single-use plastic bag ban, wetlands protection, electric vehicles for the city fleet, efficiency standards for public buildings, and the need to hire an assistant for the city’s energy manager.

After the meeting, QCAN board member Julie Mallozzi showed Mayor Koch the standardized composting bins used by the City of Cambridge in their successful curbside composting program.