Weekly Meeting Times:
MASSPIRG at MassArt meets at 7pm Every Monday in the Kennedy Building Student Center, 2nd Floor. Feel free to stop by!
Check out what we'll be working on this semester:
Global Warming Solutions
Global warming is the greatest crisis our world faces today. We are still relying too much on fossil fuels and our Arctic icecaps are melting.
To limit rising temperatures, we need to reduce our global warming pollution 25-40% by 2020 and 80-95% by 2050. To achieve this, we must transform the way we produce and use our energy, moving our state, country and the rest of the world towards energy efficiency and renewable sources of energy.
We need to act locally and think globally. This summer, a weaker form of the American Clean Energy and Security Act was passed in the House. This fall we’ll be working to strengthen the bill and pass it in the Senate before Pres. Obama and Sen. Kerry go to Copenhagen to negotiate for worldwide action on global warming in Copenhagen.
We still have a long way to go. Big oil and coal companies will continue to lobby against meaningful reform. But we are going to ensure that when Sen. Kerry represents our state amongst world leaders this winter at the UN Conference on Climate change, he will continue to push for better solutions. To generate this support, we’ll be taking thousands of photos and signatures from people across the state to deliver to Sen. Kerry before he heads to Copenhagen.
In order to win in the Senate, we need to demonstrate overwhelming support for global warming solutions. To do this, we’ll be educating the public that solutions are possible AND will strengthen our economy with the creation of good, green jobs.
Zero Waste
Massachusetts generates nearly 14 million tons of trash every year, and 6.6 million tons of this waste is buried or burned. Landfills contaminate our environment and incinerators release toxic chemicals into our air. And the problem is only getting worse-we’re burying and burning 15% more trash than we were 10 years ago.
There are very clear solutions to these problems. We can move our state towards a system of zero waste by reducing, reusing and recycling more of our trash.
Nearly 80% of our trash could be composting, improving packaging and expanding reusing and recycling systems. There are many simple ways, if enforced, we can move towards zero waste, such as updating the Bottle Bill, enforcing waste bans and extending curbside recycling programs.
Towns like Nantucket have already made significant progress towards zero waste. In addition, these programs will create 10 times as many jobs than traditional waste disposal.
This fall is the time to act. The current Solid Waste Master Plan in set to expire at the end of this year and the Commissioner of the DEP is currently developing a new one. This plan will determine how Massachusetts manages our trash for the next 10 years.
We’re going to get the DEP to adopt a SWMP that prioritizes reducing, reusing and recycling. We’ll do this by generating broad support from the public through generating support at public hearing, gathering massive amounts of petition signatures across the state, getting attention from the media and educating the public.
Hunger and Homelessness
The recent economic downturn of our country has made the problem of hunger and homelessness only more prevalent. Our friends and relatives are losing their jobs and homes.
In 2008, we lost 2 million jobs and currently 70% of food banks are unable to meet the needs of their community. We are facing a drastic time of need. But, there are many ways to do something about it!
This semester, we’ll be working hard to help out those in need. In addition to ongoing service events, we’ll be overseeing the National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week on campus in November, raising money and volunteering at local food banks.
Public Transportation
Everybody wants a safe and clean transit system. But our current system just isn’t working. Our reliance on cars and planes means that our transit system consumes more oil than the whole economy of every other country in the world except for China. Our tailpipe emissions account for a third of the nation’s global warming emissions
SAFETEA-LA, the national fund for transportation, expires in Sept, will likely extend until 2010. Currently, most of that money goes towards building new highways. We want $300 billion to go to earmark state projects, including high-speed rails surrounding Boston.
Congressman Capuano from Boston sits on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. We’ll be working hard to make sure that Capuano hears our support for a drastically improved public transit system. We’ll be raising awareness and educating our community with a number of great events, while building support to revamp the way we travel.