Dr. James Hansen rallies and testifies for 100% clean electricity in Massachusetts

Dr. Hansen receiving a citation at 3 a.m. for sleeping in a city park.

DR. JAMES HANSEN RALLIES AND TESTIFIES FOR 100% CLEAN ELECTRICITY IN MA

The Leadership Campaign, November 9, 2009

Boston, MA -- Dr. James Hansen joined the Leadership Campaign Sunday and Monday to rally for 100% clean electricity in Massachusetts.  He joined with 155 Leadership Campaign (The LC) participants on the Boston Common for the third consecutive Sunday sleep-out.  They are refusing to sleep in their homes powered by dirty electricity until there is a plan in place to power them by clean electricity.

Dr. Hansen and The LC are calling on Massachusetts to pass a bill that will re-power the State with 100% clean electricity in ten years. Dr. Hansen took a train up Sunday morning to rally and sleep-out with the participants even as he recovers from surgery.   He rallied and slept-out Sunday.  Monday morning he testified at an informational hearing sponsored by the Senate Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change.

Last week twelve Boston police officers roused all sleepers at 3:00AM to take down each person's identification.  It is still unclear whether or not they will be receiving citations for trespassing on Boston Common after hours.  Last night, five police officers gave the participants two minutes to leave or citations would be issued.  Approximately 80 people volunteered themselves for citations, including Dr. Hansen. 

Sunday's rally encompassed the necessity of creating  climate policy that follows the most up-to-date and accurate climate science. Speakers other than James Hansen included: Marla Marcum of Mass. Council of Churches; Linnea Palmer Paton, student of Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Alex Propp, student at Amherst College; Steve MacAusland, co-founder of the National Interfaith Power & Light Movement; Ken Ward of the JP Greenhouse; State Representative Will Brownsberger, Vice-Chair of House Global Warming and Climate Change Committee; and Craig Altemose, Harvard graduate student and Coordinator of The Leadership Campaign. 

Rep. Brownsberger said, " ...Americans are stuck out there in suburbia eating what the corporate food system feeds them.  It's not enough to do the right thing in our personal lives - we have to engage in social action, and that is what you are doing today."

"Our universe is incredibly unjust and inequitable for young people and future generations. " Dr. Hansen said.  "Unless someone can change the direction, young people are really in trouble.  Our governments are not taking actions or planning actions that will achieve this."

Today Dr. Hansen testified in front of an informational hearing sponsored by the Senate Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change.  He testified with Frank Ackerman, Senior Economist at Stockholm Environment Institute; Rt. Reverand Roy Cederholm, Jr., Bishop Suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts; and Dominique McCadden, a student from Northeastern University and participant of The Leadership Campaign.  There was an opportunity for question and answer at the press conference immediately following the hearing.

Hansen began his testimony by saying he wanted to, "plant in the mind a seed - ways Massachusetts can exercise leadership and show the rest of the U.S. kinds of actions that are needed to combat climate change, and that they are possible."  He went on to say, "When we hear politicians say they understand the planet is in peril and they will do something about it - they are not telling the truth.  They are allowing us to go down a path that will give young people and future generations a problem they cannot solve." 

Bishop Cederholm discussed the morality issue on our state's leadership on the climate crisis.  "Massachusetts has and needs to continue to be a leader," He said. "If we don't, who will?  We hope the legislature in this state will answer with: we will. For the sake of generations to come."

Also at this hearing, Senator Marc Pacheco publicly announced his support for The Leadership Campaign's ask.  "We need to have 100% clean electricity within the next ten years." 

The Leadership Campaign is a movement run by Students for a Just and Stable Future, a network of college students across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts advocating for serious and practical solutions to global climate disruption. Find out more on their website,www.theleadershipcampaign.org and follow their blog at:www.theleadershipcampaign.wordpress.com.

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  Upcoming Events

  • 11/15 5:00 p.m. March from M-CAN Conference at MIT with Bill McKibben
  • 11/15 6:00 p.m. Rally on Boston Common with Bill McKibben
  • 11/16 9:00 a.m. Lobby Day at State House
  • 12/7, Copenhagen Conference begins
  
  

Contact: Dan Abrams, dabrams@masspowershift.org, (518) 527-9168; or Craig Altemose, caltemose@masspowershift.org, (201) 841-7105

Link:  http://www.theleadershipcampaign.org/media/hansen_press_release.html