On October 17, 2019, QCAN held a Candidates’ Night at United First Parish Church exploring local environmental issues. Eleven city councilor candidates participated, along with mayoral candidate Brenda Ryan and Mayor Koch’s chief of staff, Chris Walker. They discussed responding to climate science, recycling and food waste collection, net-zero building standards, electric vehicles in Quincy, climate preparedness, and leading by example. Several incumbents mentioned QCAN’s advocacy in connection with the city’s progress in addressing climate change.

View a video of the full program on QCAN’s Youtube page or click these direct links for shorter videos of:

• Ward 1 candidates
• Ward 5 candidates
• Ward 6 candidates
• At-Large candidates
• Mayoral candidates

Brief clips from each participant can be found at these links:

• David McCarthy, ward 1 candidate
• Joe Murphy, ward 1 candidate
• Steve Christo, ward 5 candidate
• Chuck Phelan, ward 5 candidate
• Bill Harris, ward 6 candidate
• Will Isenberg, ward 6 candidate
• Noel DiBona, at-large candidate
• Nina Liang, at-large candidate
• Anne Mahoney, at-large candidate
• Frank Rubino, at-large candidate
• Joann Sullivan, at-large candidate
• Brenda Ryan, mayoral candidate
• Chris Walker, Mayor Koch’s chief of staff

Update: Dr. Templer’s talk is online here.

New England is known for its forests. For the blaze of color that explodes every fall, the dazzling stillness of a newly fallen snow, the austere refuge that drew Thoreau to “live deliberately” by Walden Pond.

But what will become of these iconic landscapes in a warming world? Pamela Templer, a biology professor at Boston University, will discuss her research on the topic at a free public lecture on Tuesday, October 29, 2019, at 7 pm. The talk will be held at the Thomas Crane Library at 40 Washington Street in Quincy and is co-sponsored by the Quincy Climate Action Network, Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station, and the library.

(Image: bluepoint – Flickr, CC BY 2.0)

The research has important implications for New England. “I think of our forests as natural filters,” says Templer. Trees pull pollutants out of the air, draw the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and lock it in their wood and roots, and soak up pollutants from soils, preventing them from contaminating waterways.

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Save the date! QCAN will once again be hosting a Candidates’ Night focused on environmental and climate issues for city council and mayoral candidates. Join us at the Church of the Presidents at Quincy Center from 7 to 9 pm on Thursday, October 17, 2019. If you can’t make it, check out our YouTube channel after the event for videos of candidates’ answers.

QuincyCAN volunteers meet monthly, and our meetings are open to the public. They normally occur at 7 pm on the second Wednesday of the month at the Houghs Neck Community Center. But on September 11, 2019, the meeting will be held in the upstairs community room at the Stop & Shop on Southern Artery at 7 pm.

QCAN organized the first Quincy Environmental Fair on July 27, 2019, in collaboration with the Thomas Crane Public Library. Hundreds of people came to participate in green activities, enjoy local entertainment, and learn what they can do to fight climate change and protect the environment.

It was also a wonderful opportunity from a range of different groups to meet each other and find out about each other’s work. We appreciate the support of the library and the City of Quincy and hope to make this an annual event!

PARTICIPATING GROUPS

Boston Harbor Now and Harbor Islands Rangers, Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs, City Compost, City of Quincy, ENC Environmental Science Department, Energy Sage, Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station, Green Energy Consumers Alliance, New England Energy Efficiency Co., Quincy Asian Resources Inc., Quincy Climate Action Network, Quincy Farmer’s Market, Save The Harbor/ Save the Bay, South Shore Vegans, Surfrider Massachusetts, Thomas Crane Library, United First Parish Church, Wollaston Garden Club

PERFORMERS

Atlantic Youth Orchestra Chamber Players, Clann Lir Academy of Irish Dance, Jon Gorey, Urban Development

• Free green activities for all ages
• Electric vehicle ride-alongs
• Live local entertainment
• Free bike valet

Sat. July 27, 2019, 11 am – 2 pm
Rain Date: Sat. Aug. 3, 2019, 11 am – 2 pm
Thomas Crane Library lawn
40 Washington St, Quincy, MA

Co-sponsored by Quincy Climate Action Network and the Thomas Crane Public Library

Participating Organizations: Black Earth Compost, Boston Harbor Now, City Compost, City of Quincy, ENC Environmental Science Department, Energy Sage, Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station, Green Energy Consumers Alliance, Harbor Islands Rangers, Quincy Asian Resources Inc., Quincy Climate Action Network, Save The Harbor/Save the Bay, United First Parish Church, Wollaston Garden Club, and more

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.

The year is getting off to a promising start! On January 28, 2019, Mayor Tom Koch mentioned several green initiatives in his “State of the City” address. They include issues that QCAN has been advocating for, including a plan to increase the fraction of our electricity sourced from wind and solar, called green municipal aggregation, and the creation of a group to study the feasibility of collecting food waste in a separate bin on trash day. He also wants to ban plastic bags in Quincy, plant more trees, protect marshland as a hedge against sea level rise, and improve the energy efficiency of city buildings and vehicles. Read his full comments below: Continue reading →