Among the issues Amatul-Wadud is raising in her run for Congress are climate change; universal public education; and affordable, high-speed internet access for every resident of the 1st Congressional District.
Markey cited solar and wind power as future drivers of the economy and he questioned why the Trump administration did not see it as a source of jobs for unemployed workers, especially the blue-collar workers Trump purports to represent.
In the spotlight, State Senate President Pro Tempore Marc Pacheco kept his cool as, one by one, residents stood up to complain about the sound pollution and visual impact of wind turbines.
The project calls for a 40-story wind turbine that would not only take care of the town’s energy needs, but also throw off enough extra to sell to other towns and school districts. It is predicted to save the town $100,000 annually.
“The power companies are running wild. They don’t have to answer to anyone. It’s tragic for something this good.”
-- Edwin Williams, CEO of Williams Stone who had donated the land where the town of Otis had intended to build a wind turbine to provide the town’s electricity needs
Maybe all the rainbows we’ve been seeing lately have a message for us about the pots of gold, both real and metaphorical, that await us on the other side of the storm of climate change.
“The wind turbine is better than mowing down 200 acres of trees for a solar array, and has minimal impact to the environment for the same amount of electricity.”
-- Chris Bouchard, former highway superintendent and member of the Energy Committee.
“I’m here today because I cannot look my daughter in the eye if I have not tried to protect her future while our leaders on every level fail to act on climate change. We must not let [our leaders] act for the short-term gain of a few.”
-- Anne Goodwin, of Mothers Out Front
