Sen. Resor named vice-chair of Global Warming Committee
Senate President Robert Travaglini appointed Senator Marc R. Pacheco of Taunton as chairman and Senator Pamela P. Resor of Acton as vice-chairwoman of a new Senate committee charged with studying the impact of climate change on the state and formulating public policy to reduce greenhouse gasses.
Calling it a necessary state response to a growing global threat, Travaglini announced last week the creation of the new committee.
The mission of the committee is to analyze climate change, raise awareness, and investigate new technology and methods to reduce the use of fossil fuels. The committee will have the authority to conduct hearings, review legislation, produce policy reports, and present comprehensive legislative solutions.
Pacheco recently underwent training at the Climate Project, a grass-roots movement to educate citizens about global warming, and was certified to present lessons on climate change. Resor, a lead advocate of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, is the Senate chairwoman of the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture.
The Northeast is the seventh highest producer of greenhouse gases in the world. New data from the Union of Concerned Scientists suggest that if growth in heat-trapping emissions continues, then temperatures in the region will increase by seven to 12 degrees, seasonal droughts will become common, and sea levels will rise by the end of the century. Leading experts agree that drastic changes in human behavior must be made within the next decade. Without immediate action, the worst case scenarios mentioned above are all but inevitable.
“Global warming is poised to alter the Northeast as we know it,” said John Rogers, senior energy analyst for the Northeast at the Union of Concerned Scientists. “We need action soon to prevent the worst effects of climate change, and this new committee will help us find the right solutions.”
Rep. Eldridge appointed to Governor’s Charity Review Committee
Representative James Eldridge announced today that he has joined the charitable grant review committee that the Patrick-Murray inaugural committee created to donate more than $500,000 left over from last month’s inauguration. The inauguration, the most inclusive in state history, emphasized the importance of reaching out to citizens all across the state. The surplus funds will be used to assist charities that further fulfill the inaugural’s civic engagement mission. Eldridge joins over 100 grass-roots volunteers who will determine the charities that will receive the funds.
Charitable organizations will be selected based on their ability to foster local civic engagement, promote personal development, and emphasize individual responsibility. In order to showcase smaller charities that often do not have the staff or budgets to reach the public effectively on their own, grants will specifically be made to charities with annual operating budgets below $3 million. “I think the Charitable Grant Review Committee provides the perfect opportunity to carry forward the spirit of Governor Patrick’s campaign, but more importantly, the opportunity to help some very worthy causes around the commonwealth,” remarked Eldridge, who served as the Patrick campaign’s coordinator for the Middlesex and Worcester Senate district.
The review committee will consist of activists, volunteers, students, and nonprofit professionals who were active throughout the campaign. These individuals will review the proposals online using innovative software provided in partnership with the Catalogue for Philanthropy. Diversity across types of programs, fields of interest, location, and constituencies served will be considered in an attempt to reward a broad cross section of organizations.
