Boston, MA—On April 9, the 100th day of the year, MASSPIRG Students and Environment Massachusetts are kicking off “Earth Month” by organizing a virtual celebration for 100 percent renewable energy. Participants are showcasing their home made signs, posting video testimonials online and submitting letters to local media outlets to renew support for repowering Massachusetts with 100 percent renewable energy by 2045.
“The year is 2020, but we’re still powering our lives the same way we did in 1920. Outdated, dirty fossil fuels are polluting our planet and threatening our health,” said Rania Rahmoune, a sophomore at UMass Boston. “While we’re practicing social distancing, we want to show that there’s broad support to repower our lives with clean, renewable energy.”
Support for 100 percent renewable energy is growing. So far, 13 U.S. states or territories have set 100 percent clean electricity targets through legislation or executive orders. Virginia became the latest state to pass 100 percent clean electricity legislation in March.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty in the world right now around how COVID-19 will continue to impact our daily lives and how it will affect our future,” said Maya Pezzati, 100 Percent Renewable Energy Campaign Coordinator at UMass Boston. “One thing that we know for certain is that fighting climate change is still just as important as it was before, and it will continue to be one of the biggest challenges our generation will have to tackle—that’s why we need Massachusetts to transition to 100 percent renewables.”
Environment Massachusetts and MASSPIRG Students support the 100 Percent Renewable Energy Act (H.2836), filed by Representative Marjorie Decker and Representative Sean Garballey, which would transition Massachusetts to 100 percent renewable electricity by 2035 and 100 percent renewable energy for heating and transportation by 2045. “I want to see Massachusetts go 100 percent renewable because we are already seeing the impacts of climate change, like rising sea levels and warmer days, and soon enough we’re going to be seeing it drastically change the way that we live,” said Julia MacNair, a student at UMass Boston.
###
Environment Massachusetts works for clean air, clean water, clean energy, wildlife and open spaces, and a livable climate. Our members across the state put grassroots support behind our research and advocacy. Environment Massachusetts is part of Environment America, a national network of 29 state environmental groups.
MASSPIRG Students is a statewide, student-funded and student-directed, nonpartisan group with chapters on college campuses. Combining student enthusiasm with professional staff and expertise, we run campaigns to protect the environment and public health, increase youth voter participation, and make textbooks more affordable.