This letter was submitted to the Boston Globe on April 21, 2022, but was not published.
To the Editor:
In his Earth Day “Fireside Chat” with the Globe’s Sabrina Shankman, Governor Baker emphasized his awareness of the climate emergency. When Baker signed the Climate Roadmap Bill last year, the Commonwealth committed to a phaseout of fossil fuels in electricity generation. How can Baker support a new fossil plant?
Guest post by Judith Black
As I listened to their presentations, it was really difficult to understand how they could be allowed to ballyhoo these same technologies year after year, with no real progress, while renewables are here, available, proven, and more affordable. Clearly, their real desire is to maintain the centralized creation, domination, and thus, capitalization of energy production.
This industry is fighting for their lives…not ours.
I presented this document to Peabody Mayor Ted Bettencourt in 2012. That's right, nine years ago. Now compare the ideas of 2012 with the ideas in the letter I just wrote to Mayor Bettencourt, in 2021.
Peabody faces an energy challenge. We now depend largely on carbon-based sources of energy, and these pose major challenges: they are expensive and costs are uncertain, supplies are vulnerable, and the use of fossil fuels threatens society as well as all forms of life through greenhouse gases and global warming. But Peabody can seize the opportunity to transition to renewable sources of energy and save money while reducing harm to the environment.
Guest Post by Tracy Valletti
I’m concerned about the health and future of our city and am against the proposed fossil fuel peaker project. We need a commissioner who will lead with a vision aligned with the residents and city departments to maintain and improve our quality of life. The negative health and climate effects of a polluting plant in our city and our world are real. I can no longer stand by as these warnings are ignored. I will advocate for investments in renewable energy sources that keep our communities clean and affordable. I will engage with residents to come together as a community to create a future that is clean, affordable, and accessible to all.
We must not continue to rely on fossil fuels for everything. There are new ways to provide reliable, affordable, renewable power. Can we provide the peak demand for electricity using renewables?