No movement in the history of the United States has failed once it involved more than 3.5 percent of the population participating in strikes, according to Sarah Reyes, coordinator for the Hampden County hub of the Sunrise Movement.
It was with that idea in mind that Reyes, a senior at Longmeadow High School, hoped to mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on Wednesday by holding the day’s largest strike yet.
“But you can’t have mass mobilization of young people amid COVID-19,” she said.
Instead, Environment Massachusetts, Climate Action Now and MASSPIRG sponsored a “Virtual Celebration for 100 Percent Renewables.” The celebration, held via Zoom, a video conferencing service, featured several guest speakers, including Reyes, and drew nearly 150 viewers.
The speakers, from state Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, to Peter Schneider, clean energy organizer with Environment Massachusetts, pushed for the passage of H.2836, “An Act Re-powering Massachusetts with 100 Percent Renewable Energy.” The bill, put forward by Rep. Marjorie Decker and Rep. Sean Garballey, would, among other things, transition the state to 100 percent renewable energy by 2045; establish a council for clean energy workforce development; prioritize local ownership of renewable energy generation; and require municipal lighting plants (MLPs) to purchase 100 percent of their electricity from renewable energy sources by 2035.
Speaking in support of the bill, Schneider stated that Gov. Charlie Baker’s goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, which he announced in January, is not ambitious enough.
“The reality is that it might represent little to no improvement over the state’s existing climate goals,” Schneider said. “We need to transition as fast as we can, and really, Massachusetts should be a leader in the country.”
Indeed, the state has plenty of potential when it comes to generating renewable energy, he said. The state could generate 19 times as much electricity as it consumes each year just by using offshore winds. Additionally, he said 47 percent of Massachusetts’ electricity use could be generated from the sun if solar panels were installed on every roof.
Comerford noted the importance of working with the building sector, which she said is responsible for 40 percent of the state’s carbon emissions. She also wants to see young people be involved in the renewable energy transition.
“The urgency of young people is unparalleled,” she said. “I feel it’s one of the things that’s going to make the critical difference.”
“I’ve found so much incredible power in being surrounded by young people who are building toward this incredible vision of society,” Reyes agreed.
H.2836 has been referred to the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, after which it will head to the House Committee on Ways and Means, Schneider said. Votes in the House and Senate would follow, after which the governor could sign the bill into law.
On the federal level, the speakers — including Reyes and state Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, D-Northampton — also pushed for the passage of the Green New Deal, a proposed package intended to address climate change at the federal level.
With the “Virtual Celebration for 100 Percent Renewables,” which organizers had planned to hold in Amherst, needing to be held online as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, speakers also addressed the relationship between the pandemic and environmental justice.
Sabadosa cited a recent study called “Assessing nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels as a contributing factor to coronavirus (COVID-19) fatality” conducted by Yaron Ogen, a researcher at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg in Germany. The study, Sabadosa said, shows that 78 percent of COVID-19 deaths occur in areas with increased pollution.
“We’re seeing this in the United States as well,” she said. “We’re seeing that COVID-19 patients who are exposed to higher levels of air pollution are more vulnerable.”
On the flip side, state Rep. Natalie Blais, D-Sunderland, and state Rep. Daniel Carey, D-Easthampton, noted the significant changes they’ve seen to the environment since a stay-at-home advisory has been in effect.
“Gas emissions have fallen as we have sheltered in place across our globe,” Blais said. “If anything, we’ve seen a glimpse of what our future could look like.”
“We also see the way the Earth is responding to us not being in our cars,” Carey added, noting that he recently saw deer running through Holyoke. “It’s so beautiful to see the wildlife returning to these places that used to belong to them.”
But, what will happen when the pandemic eventually ends and life returns to normal?
“When we come out of this, we can take these glimpses of what we got and turn it into reality,” Carey proposed, “and not just get back into our cars.”
Comerford said she is encouraged the state will pass more ambitious environmental justice legislation, given the support from residents.
“People power really is what wins the day inside the state Legislature in the commonwealth,” she said. “The sort of people power that’s here (at this Earth Day celebration) is exactly what’s needed.”
Reach Shelby Ashline at 413-772-0261, ext. 270 or sashline@recorder.com.