Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can
fail; without it nothing can succeed. Consequently, he who moulds
public sentiment, goes deeper than he who enacts statutes or
pronounces decisions. He makes statutes and decisions possible or
impossible to be executed.
--- Abraham Lincoln ---
(August 21, 1858)
Greetings,
For more than five years, members of Sustainable Belmont have waged a
battle for the hearts and minds of the Belmont community over climate
change concerns and what can be accomplished as a community to reduce
our carbon emissions. Those battles were successfully waged and won at
the Town level as the carbon emission reduction goals, of 80% by 2050,
put forth in the Climate Action Plan were adopted by a vote of the
Selectmen and Town Meeting. And while those efforts were acknowledged
last spring by the Environmental Protection Agency at their New
England Region awards ceremony, even with those successes, along with
the creation of a permanent Energy Committee for the Town, Sustainable
Belmont’s most significant challenges still lie ahead.
How do you start a social revolution?
How do you capture public sentiment?
How do you channel public sentiment into meaningful action?
The free kick-off event of the Cool Belmont campaign takes place this
Sunday, October 3 from 4-5:30 pm at the Beth El Temple on Concord
Avenue. Representatives from organizations that partnered with
Sustainable Belmont, in petitioning to become a Massachusetts Climate
Action Network Cool Mass community, and others on the Sustainable
Belmont email list, are invited to take part (that means YOU). Those
community deliberations will be the first salvo in what promises to be
a long, challenging and arduous campaign. No one said this was going
to easy, and the hard work is ahead, but Belmont is a community worth
fighting for!
Won’t you join us? It would be a shame to start the revolution without you!
Our monthly meeting is next Wednesday October 6 from 7-9 PM in the Flett Room
at the Belmont Public Library on Concord Avenue.
John B. McAlpin Chair Sustainable Belmont
Sustainable Belmont October Monthly Meeting Reminder and ENewsletter
Monthly Meeting : Wednesday October 6
FLETT ROOM Belmont Public Library, Concord Ave.
7 9 PM
A. Welcome 7:00 7:05
B. Announcements 7:05-7:15
C. Remainder of the meeting will be a debriefing and discussion
of the October 3 Cool Belmont kick-off event held at the Beth El
Temple and consideration of “next steps” in the Cool Belmont campaign.
2. UPCOMING EVENTS
October 1 - Nov. 5, FREE. An Urban Wild: A Photographic Exploration of
the Silver Maple Forest and the Alewife Reservation by Belmont
photographer Parrish Dobson. Mass Audubon's Habitat, 10 Juniper Rd.,
Belmont. Opening reception, Sunday, 10/3 5 - 7pm. Sales of photos will
benefit the Land Acquisition Fund of the Belmont Citizens Forum.
Sunday, October 10, FREE. Support the 10/10/10 Global Work Party
sponsored by 350.org by joining one of 5249 (and counting) events
scheduled in 176 nations across the planet to do their part to promote
locate event opportunities in the greater Boston area. Locally there
are many events to choose from supporting a wide variety of interests.
Help Sunday October 10, 2010 be a day of global service to be
remembered.
Monday, October 11, 8am, FREE. Join the fun at the Second Annual
Belmont Serves Day, sponsored by the Belmont Religious Council. Meet
at St. Joseph Parish Hall on 130 Common Street. Find out more and
Sat., October 9, 10am 2pm, FREE. Saving the Earth, Savings for Wellesley
Wellesley College has made a number of energy-saving improvements this
fall. Free community events will encourage participation in
sustainable options. More info:
Sunday, October 17, 11am 5pm, FREE. Newton’s Green Solutions 2010,
Newton Center Parking Lot on Centre St., Newton, MA.
Green exhibitors at Newton's annual Harvest Fair. Directions:
Sunday, October 24, 1-4pm, FREE. Beech Street Center. Envision Belmont
Community Forum. Come to a participatory community event that will
look at the town budget and community values. Sponsored by the Belmont
Vision Implementation Committee.
