2016 Cambridge Climate Congress:
Building a Community of Response
Climate Congress Final Report and Signed Statement of Response
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The congress gathered 97 volunteer delegates from throughout the Cambridge community to make practical recommendations on how all residents can participate in responding to climate change. Grassroots groups Green Cambridge, Mothers Out Front, the South Asian Center and HEET, the Home Energy Efficiency Team support the call for the congress.
“In 2009 at the first Cambridge Climate Congress, the goals were to build awareness of the urgency of climate change and to get the City to do more. Now, most people are aware that climate change is here to stay, and Cambridge and governments at all levels have begun to respond in earnest,” said Quinton Zondervan, president of Green Cambridge and a lead organizer of the Climate Congress. “The issue facing everyone today is how to respond in the best possible way whatever our circumstances and differences. We can’t all be climate activists, but there are steps we can all be taking to play a more active role in protecting our environment. Our hope is that this Climate Congress will help us all be more mindful of what those individuals’ roles will look like,” said Mayor Simmons of her vision for the Congress. The Congress opened with a plenary session on October 1st in Cambridge City Hall with informative presentations on the climate situation and the many ways governments and people are responding to it. In a series of focused discussions, interested delegates then considered the responses available to people from different backgrounds, in different circumstances and with different beliefs. In a closing plenary session on November 12, delegates will convene to adopt a final statement on climate citizenship. |
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Visit our FAQ for more information about the Congress
Agenda for the 2016 Cambridge Climate Congress
Saturday, October 1st - Cambridge City Hall
9:00 AM to 12:00 PM (Presentations linked) Opening Session (video available here)
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9:00 AM Welcome and Opening Remarks
9:30 AM Climate Change Now 9:45 AM COP21 and US National Policy 10:00 AM Massachusetts Policy 10:15 AM City of Cambridge Policy 10:30 AM Individual and Community Response 10:45 AM Local Business Response 11:00 AM Climate Education 11:15 AM Soil Eco-Restoration 11:30 AM The Role of the Arts 11:45 AM Climate Citizenship |
Mayor E. Denise Simmons (Video)
Dr. Paul Kirshen: the state of the climate and its implications for Cambridge today and tomorrow (Video) Michael Green: Energy and Climate Policy, their reliance on policy and actions at state and local levels (Video) Rep. Marjorie Decker: Massachusetts’ Climate and Energy Policy and implications for Cambridge (Video) Susanne Rasmussen: Cambridge’s Climate and Energy Policy and their implications for residents. (Video) Quinton Zondervan: Individual/community actions; response to climate change and energy policies. (Video) Susan Labandibar: Actions by businesses in response to climate change, climate and energy policies. (Video) Kristen Middleton: What children are taught about climate change and local community responses. (Video) Seth Itzkan: Soil carbon and why it is important for Cambridge residents. (Video) Dr. John Fernandez: The role of the arts in building a common response to climate change. (Video) John Pitkin: The challenge of climate citizenship (Video) |
Move to St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 838 Massachusetts Avenue
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM Lunch (Provided by the South Asian Center)
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM First Discussion Group: Ages and Generations (YouTube here)
Wednesday, October 5th - Citywide Senior Center
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM Second Discussion Group: Origins
Thursday, October 13th - St. James Episcopal Church, 1991 Massachusetts Avenue
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM Third Discussion Group: Faiths
Wednesday, October 19th - Citywide Senior Center
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM Fourth Discussion Group: Personal Resources
Wednesday, October 26th - Citywide Senior Center
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM Fifth Discussion Group: Political Values (Cont.)
Wednesday, November 2nd - PLUG Cambridge, 618 Cambridge St.
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM Sixth Discussion Group: Climate Action and Activism
Saturday, November 12th - Cambridge City Hall
9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Closing Plenary Discussion
Delegates to the 2016 Cambridge Climate Congress:
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Adam Sacks
Alexander Gard-Murray Alexander Wei Alexis Rizzuto Alison Altman Alison Field-Juma Ambrose Spencer Anna Albright Anne Shumway Annie Tuan Archana Dayalu Beth Adams Betsy Sowers Bilien Teklu Bill Boehm Bill Green Brian Johnson Briana Lynam Catherine LeBlanc Cleola Payne Dawit Gelaye Dewayne Green Dick Plum Elechi Kadete |
Elie Yarden
Ellen Mass Emmanuel Stefanakis Erik Thorkildsen Florrie Wescoat Franziska Amacher Fred Hewett Gabriel Colburn George Mokray Gladys Maged Grady McGonagill Hannah Pickard James Butler Jayne Piepenburg Jim Brown Jim Newman John Hixson John Pitkin Joshua Campbell Judith Dolgin Julie Wormser Kate Bubriski Kathy Watkins Kazimiera Fraley |
Keith Burrows
Kristine Jelstrup Kshama Ananthpura Lanita Foley Laurence Bluestone Leslie Bliss Madeleine Fletcher Marc Coelho Margo Sulmont Melissa Tucker Michael Brod Mike Connolly Monica Raymond Murray Wheeler Nancy Ryan Nicola Williams Norma Wassel Pamela Blau Patrick Brown Patty Nolan Paula Phipps Peggy Barnes-Lenart Pua Higginson Quinton Zondervan |
Rachelle Ain
Raphaëlle Dubourdieu Richelle Records Rihana Rosalie Anders Rosemary Booth Rozann Kraus Rupal Shah Ryan Cuthbert Sanjay Seth Sarah Hoffman Sayre Phillips Sophie Elias Steve Wineman Steven Keleti Steven Miller Susan Farist-Butler Susan Redlich Susan Ringler Veronica Sargent Walker Gilette Yasmin Padamsee Forbes Yumi Izuyama Zeyneb Magavi |
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Members of the Drafting Committee
Alexis Rizzuto
Elechi Kadete Hannah Pickard John Pitkin John Hixson Pamela Blau Patty Nolan Quinton Zondervan Rachelle Ain |
Charge of the Drafting Committee
The Climate Congress Drafting Committee is charged with writing a statement of climate citizenship for consideration by the delegates at the November 12 plenary session of the Congress. The drafting committee will rely on all the proceedings of the congress, comments and input from delegates and other relevant sources to inform and shape a statement that can gain wide support, build a community of response to climate change and foster effective climate citizenship. If the statement is adopted at the November 12 session, delegates will be given the opportunity to sign the statement.
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Members of the Organizing Committee
Brian Johnson
John Hixson John Pitkin Quinton Zondervan You can contact the organizing committee by sending an email to: congress@greencambridge.org |
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