The sun brings us the seasons, and, nowadays, it can be harnessed to bring electrical power to our homes and businesses. Solar is a clean, renewable, and affordable way to support our modern lives. Likewise, the Earth’s soil gives us a steady source of heating and cooling that we use in geothermal technology, and the forests restore the air we breathe and power our heat pumps to make our homes comfortable.

 

Sierra Club Connecticut is working hard to help pass legislation on renewable energy, climate resiliency, and waste reduction in the Connecticut General Assembly this session. These include measures to support increased adoption of solar and heat pumps. Other bills support composting programs, food donations to the hungry, and banning dangerous chemicals like rodenticides and neonicotinoids. By the time of the June 7 issue, we will know which bills passed the legislature and are waiting for the Governor’s signature, so right now is the perfect time to contact your state legislators in support of bills you care about.

 

We are also advocating to make solar more accessible and available in Connecticut. Read “Help Shape the Direction of Solar in Connecticut” to learn about the status of solar and the study that has launched at PURA to improve and reauthorize solar programs in Connecticut. In many places, the wind is another renewable source of electrical power with great potential. On the East Coast of our country, many of the best sites for wind energy development are offshore. Currently, there are several offshore wind (OSW)  farms in progress that promise to provide energy for thousands of New England homes. The State of Connecticut and the Connecticut Port Authority showed true vision by redeveloping our State Pier Terminal in New London, now the only active East Coast offshore wind marshaling terminal with unobstructed access to the ocean. We are proud of our State’s achievements, which have brought major contracts, jobs, and economic redevelopment to Southeastern Connecticut, and clean power to the region, with much more to come. It will also bring us cleaner air, lower energy costs, and better health! OSW will continue to grow despite the ups and downs the industry has faced and the resistance of fossil fuel giants. We have an excellent fact sheet on OSW: How Connecticut Can Win with Offshore Wind on the benefits OSW is bringing to our state.

 

Our current political atmosphere has caused confusion and doubt around the future of OSW development. The next few years may slow the transition to clean energy, but the Sierra Club will continue to fight to protect our environment and public health, in the courts and in the legislatures. We will stand together with our membership in defense of our values of conservation, equality, and justice. 

 

Please contact us or join us at an event if you’d like to get more involved. We are now posting events as a regular feature in the Quinnehtukqut. As always, all our events and outings can be found on our Events and Outings calendar. 

 

I would like to highlight an exciting event by the Sierra Club Greater Hartford Group — The Growing Danger of Nuclear War and What We Can Do About It on Tuesday, May 20 at 7:30 p.m. The distinguished speaker, Ira Helfand, MD, is a member of the International Steering Group of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), the recipient of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize, and Past President of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, recipient of the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize. He is also co-Founder and Past President of Physicians for Social Responsibility. This event will be in person and on Zoom. Don’t miss the chance to hear from such an internationally recognized expert! Please register for planning purposes.

 

 Be sure not to miss our very active Hikes and Outings page (sign up for Meet Up required).

 

Stay calm and hike on!

 

Susan

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Susan Eastwood is Chapter Chair of Sierra Club Connecticut.