Chelmsford, thank you for your support of the Resolution to Address Climate Change.
It passed at the Spring Town Meeting.
Out of 21 applicants, the Select Board chose the following residents to be members of this new committee:
Sean McGuigan
Caeli C. Tegan
Bethany Ward
David A. Drayton
Sally Johnson
Bern Kosicki
Brittany L. Doherty
David A Sperry
Badhri Uppiliappan
Chelmsford's Town Reps passed the Citizen’s Petition at the Spring 2021 Town Meeting proposing that Chelmsford charge a committee with studying and making recommendations for specific strategies and actions for the town to achieve a goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Science overwhelmingly reports that climate change is happening, and that human-produced greenhouse gas emissions are by far the biggest cause.
Furthermore, recent studies have shown that global warming is occurring faster and the negative effects on society everywhere are likely to be greater than predicted only a half-decade ago. Consequently, in April of 2020, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts established a 2050 statewide emissions limit of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.
In recognition of the need to address global warming and in accordance with the Commonwealth’s net-zero emissions goal, Chelmsford hereby resolves to reduce fossil-fuel-based energy use in town facilities, vehicles and operations, and to promote actions that residents and businesses may take to reduce their carbon emissions.
Be it resolved that the Select Board will charge a Committee with studying and making recommendations for specific strategies and actions for Chelmsford to achieve a goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and also to recommend intermediate targets that are consistent with the overall final objective.
The Committee will provide a report of findings and recommendations to the Select Board annually, and will also provide an overall assessment of Chelmsford’s progress toward net-zero emissions to the Select Board every five years.
A note on the climate resolution:
Chelmsford has already done a lot to address climate change by improving energy efficiency, constructing solar arrays and aggregation of electricity with 100% renewable options. With this track record why are we proposing a new committee? The answer is that we need a larger group of dedicated workers to take the next steps. We are proposing that this committee:
• Draft a Plan to achieve Net- Zero Greenhouse Gases emissions in the town by 2050. This is an intensive activity that needs dedicated attention over an extended period to be completed successfully. A committee composed mostly of town volunteers can draw up this plan with town oversight using free state-approved software tools, and can do it without the cost of hiring professional consultants. Arlington is an example.
• Join with Climate Committees from other towns to lobby the Commonwealth for new and larger incentives to address its stated goal of Net- Zero emissions by 2050. Lowell, Westford and Pepperell already have committees. The conditions are right for new state incentives now.
• Recognize that a town Net-Zero plan will probably be needed for Chelmsford to respond to new state incentives, so it’s prudent to anticipate this and draw one up now.
• The existence of a vigorous working committee dedicated to planning for Chelmsford to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 will demonstrate that our town has the will and human resources to respond to this upcoming challenge. This committee can also suggest decisions that Chelmsford can make on its own without waiting for state support.
We, the undersigned, support the Chelmsford Resolution to Address Climate Change
Matthew Zimmermann
Catherine Loew
Jerry Loew
Donovan Loew
Andrea Loew
Maria Loew
First Baptist Church, Chelmsford
First Parish UU Church, Chelmsford
Anne Richards
Chris Rodger
Donna Barbosa
Brittany Doherty
Julianne Carney
Richard Tang-Kong
Bern Kosicki
Pat Kosicki
Tom Amiro
Carrie Wetzel
Melinda Phillips
Michele Robbins
Melissa Dempsey
Lynn Piper
Allison Murray
Karl Bischoff
Karin Bischoff
Dale Lueck
Rebecca J. Gore
Warren R. Flewellen
Hugh Southall
Kathryn Cryan-Hicks
Phillip Hicks
Rep James Arciero, 2nd Middlesex
Chelmsford Recycling Committee
Chelmsford Tree Committee
Connie Laubach
Anne Worth
Mark C. Carota
Lauren Mahoney
David Drayton
Elizabeth Fei Drayton
Elizabeth Mattson
Jean Clements
Deb Pasternak, Sierra Club MA
Charles Needles
Lisa Marie
Adam Schertzer
Leah Kennedy-Jangraw
Michael Allen
Max Ward
Joyce Brady Bean
Jennifer Colton
Maureen Stone
Judi ONeil
Janice Hohenstein
Tracy Fagan
Alison Kristoff
Brian Petro-Roy
Kathryn Lefebvre
Caroline Jordan
Kristine Debellis
Jeffrey Thurlow
Chris Sweetnam
Donna Pease
Carol Bruell
Jonathan Moore
Domenic Giammarco
Natalie Mersha
Nadina Wright
April Danielson
Nicole Geada
Lynne Hartley
Lindsay Hogan
Alison Horner
Emily King
Lynne McSheehy
David M. Braslau
Patti and Peter Spawn
Chloe Glover
Gail Held
Linda Coles
Sarah Linskey
Austin Thoren
Alisha Peeriz
Diane Colucci
Peter Ginivisian
Catherine Ginivisian
Amy Molloy
Brian Wilson
Isabelle Clements
Hannah Kunze
Carol McCarthy
John McCarthy
Katherine Miller
Diana Lebeaux
Kathryn Lefebvre
James Kristoff
Alison Kristoff
Ashley Alton
Casey Harrington
Barbara Reilly
Monica Gregoire
Bobbi McCoy
Caroline Senkal
Michael Combs
Georgiana Mueller
Beverly Purtell
Jeanne Hayes
Jeanette Reed
Betsey Driscoll
Kristin MacLeod
Katie Garcia
Jen Vose
Julie Van Gelder
Deborah Lyons
Vs Sanzgiri
Martha Crannell
Darcy Beall
Michael Mersha
Natalie Marsha
Brian Dellascio
Austin D. Thoren
Denise Fiore
Celeste Joudrey
Laura Napiorkowski
Becky Smith
Christopher Bishop
Prachi Mahurkar
Madeleine Plasse
Susan Hamilton
Giancarla Kalpas