One Civic Act

Today, I made a donation to the Somerville Community Corporation, which is our local community development corporation. I took advantage of a favorable state program called the community investment tax credit .

Today, I pulled together notes from meetings I had with Somerville’s Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Committee and Bicycle Committee, to update the Commission on Energy Use and Climate Change.

Thanksgiving weekend calls for overeating, but there are so many families struggling with food insecurity, even more so because of the coronavirus pandemic. Today, I made a donation to the Community Foodbank of New Jersey.

Thanksgiving weekend calls for overeating, but there are so many families struggling with food insecurity, even more so because of the coronavirus pandemic. Today, I made a donation to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, which serves food pantries and families in need in Los Angeles.

Thanksgiving tradition calls for overeating, but there are so many families struggling with food insecurity, even more so because of the coronavirus pandemic. Today, I made a donation to the Somerville Homeless Coalition’s Project Soup food pantry.

On this Thanksgiving, it’s powerful to consider how the history I learned in grade school has erased the taking of land from North America’s Indigenous people. Today, I did quite a bit of reading on the movement to acknowledge that oppression. And I signed this petition to support closing Mount Rushmore and return public lands in the Black Hills to the Oceti Sakowin.

Today, I wrote letters to voters in Georgia, to remind Georgians who requested a mail ballot in the general election to request their absentee ballots for the Georgia Senate runoff election in January.

Today, I attended a board meeting for the Charles River Watershed Association. We also had a two-hour strategic planning.

Today, I joined the Massachusetts Climate Action Network development committee to talk about some major gift opportunities.

Reverb is a really interesting organization that partners with musicians, festivals and venues to “green” their concerts, while engaging fans at shows to take action. Today, I made a donation to Reverb. It didn’t hurt that I entered a lottery for an electric VW bus at the same time.

Today, I facilitated a working session for Somerville Labor-Climate Summit’s shovel ready working group. We had only a small group join, but a very productive conversation nonetheless.

Tomorrow, I’ll be facilitating a working session for the Labor-Climate Summit. Today, I setup a jamboard and some instructions for those will be joining tomorrow.

It was a busy day. Today, I joined our monthly planning call for the Least Developed Countries Fund bill. Today, I also joined our working session for the Rocky Mountain Institute building electrification accelerator program. Today, in the evening, I joined a public hearing to discuss Soemrville’s Affordable Housing Overlay proposal for its zoning.

Today, I joined a steering committee meeting for the Somerville Labor-Climate Summit’s shovel ready working group. We’re planning for our group meeting this coming Saturday.

Today, I joined the monthly meeting for Somerville’s Commission on Energy Use and Climate Change. I presented the work from my subcommittee on shovel ready projects.

Today, I had a board meeting for the Massachusetts Climate Action Network. Today, I also had a conversation with a potential board member for the Charles River Watershed Association. Today, I also had a coordinating call, as a member of the Commission on Energy Use and Climate Change, with two members of the Somerville Bicycle Committee and Somerville Bike Safety.

Today, I signed up with, and got approved by, Vote Forward . I’ll be working on getting out the vote in Georgia for the upcoming runoffs for the Senatorial election.

Today, I joined a presentation and launch event for the Somerville Community Land Trust .

Today, I joined a panel on the local access television Somerville Labor Show, to talk about the Labor-Climate Summit. There were six of us on a lively discussion for about 90 months.

Today, I joined a call to thank Denise Provost, my state representative, for her service. She’s retiring when the legislative session ends, after six years on Somerville’s Board of Aldermen and 14 years in the State House. She’s been an unwavering rock representing the city.

Today, I had a series of calls in the evening. First, as a representative of the Commission on Energy Use and Climate Change. I had a coordinating call with members of Somerville Pedestrian Transit Advisory Committee. Second, I joined the Charles River Watershed Association’s governance committee for a call. Last, I joined a webinar hosted by the Massachusetts Climate Action Network on green zoning, which I helped to arrange.

Today, I engaged in a flurry of emails on a number of climate activism topics all day long. From the Commission on Energy Use and Climate Change to the Climate Coalition of Somerville, MCAN. Wow.

Today, I joined our monthly call for advocates of the Least Developed Countries Fund bill in the morning. Today, I also joined the monthly call for the Climate Coalition of Somerville in the evening.

There will be two monumentally important Senate race runoff elections on January 5. Today, I made a donation to the Movement Voter Project’s Georgia Fund . This fund supports local organizing efforts, with local partners getting ready to keep registering voters and get out the vote.

The election on Tuesday has taken a long time to get right, but the media has to come to consensus that the results are clear. Today, I took time to bask in an election that was four years in the making, celebrating a little (but just a little, to keep social distancing). There are still some bureaucratic steps to take, but a new president is sure to take office in January.

Today, I had a call to meet a potential board member for the Charles River Watershed Association. Today, I also had a leadership team call for the Climate Reality Project Boston Metro chapter.

Today, I had a call with another Somerville resident interested in learning more about the Climate Coalition of Somerville. We had a great chat and it was interesting to learn where her environmental passions lay.

The presidential election results are still not conclusive, which isn’t a surprise to anyone. Still, even when the results are known, there’s a good likelihood that there will be legal challenges. Today, I made a donation the Movement Voter Project’s Defend the Election Fund , which is a rapid response fund that will support local groups in critical states should election emergencies arise.

Today, I did a seven-hour shift as a poll worker in Revere, Massachusetts for the national election. I was “tabulation inspector,” which essentially meant I staffed a voting machine and helped voters feed their ballots into the machines. I also processed mail-in ballots through the machine when voters weren’t using it. I was on my feet the whole time, so it was exhausting. But it was really rewarding helping people vote. Everyone is enthusiastic about being part of the election and very understanding when there were hiccups or delays. I was particularly excited when people told me they were voting for the first time.

Today, I joined a monthly call with chapter leaders from across the Massachusetts Climate Action Network (MCAN). Today, I also met with a fellow commissioner on Somerville’s Commission on Energy Use and Climate Change, to talk about our subcommittee assignment on shovel-ready projects.

Today, I finished watching the Green Loan Roundtable, hosted by the Greater Boston Association of Realtors sustainability group. The presentation by a Freddie Mac representative was particularly interesting, with empirical data on home value premiums of 3-5% for more energy efficient homes, and the lower delinquency rates for homeowners in energy-rated homes. And there is a wide array of new lending products available for efficiency improvements.