David delivers proclamation at "Step It Up" rally
April 16 ,2007
Energy savers step up the message:
Valley joins national day of action on warming
By Jenny Boas, Daily Hampshire Gazette
Valley joins national day of action on warming
By Jenny Boas, Daily Hampshire Gazette
Six-year-old Lilliana Wells made a paper windmill
and learned about how to save energy Saturday. The
first-grader came with her mother to the Step It Up
rally in Northampton's Pulaski Park.
'We live out in Ashfield and just happened to be in town today, so we came here,' said Lilliana's mother, Lauren Preston-Wells, 37. 'I've been considering putting solar panels on my house, and I've also been researching wind turbines in Massachusetts. This has been really helpful - I got some info on solar power and also on wind energy to take home with me.'
In every state around the nation, in more than 1,400 places Saturday, people gathered in parks, town commons, on statehouse steps, on the top of melting glaciers on Mt. Rainier and even underwater on the endangered coral reefs off Key West, Fla. The nationwide protest is part of an effort to push Congress to fight global warming, cut energy consumption and reduce the country's greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050. In Northampton, more than 500 people gathered to listen to music and learn what they could do to help save the planet from global warming.
'I think this turned out to be a great event,' said Karen Bouquillon, one of the people staffing the Northampton Department of Public Works booth. Bouquillon handed out fliers and pamphlets, urging people to reduce, reuse and recycle.
'It's especially exciting that we got such a nice day for it,' she said.
Booths ranged from information on recycling and biking in the Valley to collecting rainwater for use in the garden. There were speakers from the Center for Ecological Technology and the Food Bank Farm, who talked about cutting back on energy use, buying locally grown food, and getting involved politically.
'There has been great community spirit here today,' said David Narkewicz, a Northampton city councilor, who delivered a proclamation on behalf of Mayor Clare Higgins, designating April 14 to be Step It Up Northampton Day.
'It's been a great success and I'm proud to see that so many people have come out for this,' Narkewicz said.
As people milled around the park, huge papier mache puppets of the Earth and a phoenix bird danced gently in the air and participants listened to music from the Lonesome Brothers and the Hilltown Chorus.
'Ride your bike. Use your feet. It feels good,' said James Lowenthal, a Step It Up Northampton speaker and professor of astronomy at Smith College. 'Just cut back a little bit. It will make such a difference. Bike and walk instead of driving and get involved politically, even if only a little bit. You have to tell the government that you don't want that money to go to making the roads bigger and you have to let them know what you do want.'
Lowenthal, a Northampton resident for 10 years, rides his bike more often than he drives. Before he taught at Smith, he was a professor at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. During the five years that he worked there, he said he only drove to work three times. The rest of the time he rode his bike.
After the events in Northampton wound down, some people went to surrounding towns for other events. Among the dozen other events in the area associated with Step It Up was a People Powered Parade in Easthampton.
'I think it was a fantastic success,' said Meredith Broberg, of Sustainable Energy Easthampton, one of the main organizers of the parade that made its way around town. 'It was great to see people we hadn't met before come out and join us.'
The parade consisted of about 30 people on foot, bicycles, skateboards and roller skates.
'We came out today to join everyone else and show our support against global warming,' said Ken Harstine and Sandy Ward of Holyoke. On rollerblades, the couple made their way along the road, following bikes that led the parade around Easthampton. 'We came here from Holyoke by electric scooters, so we didn't even use any gas to get here.'
The parade ended at the Manhan Cafe, where information was available about what people could do to use less energy.
'We support limiting global warming,' said Sarah Briggs Cornelius, of Northampton, who attended the events in Pulaski Park with her 4-year-old-son.
She watched him in the playground as she listened to the Hilltown Chorus. 'We've downsized quite a bit, and we live now in a smaller condo in town. My husband is often able to take the bus to work.'
Briggs Cornelius, a native of Germany, was surprised by the difference in the amount of actions taken for sustainability in this country, compared to her native land. 'They have such better mass public transportation in Germany and you can't go far without seeing wind turbines,' she said. 'When we came to this country we were shocked at the difference.
'This area seems more progressive than most of the country, which is one of the reasons we decided to stay here in town,' she continued. 'I get a little hopeful when I see all these people out here today. There is so much caring.'
More information about Step It Up can be found at www.stepitup2007.org along with group photos of the events that were held locally Saturday.
'We live out in Ashfield and just happened to be in town today, so we came here,' said Lilliana's mother, Lauren Preston-Wells, 37. 'I've been considering putting solar panels on my house, and I've also been researching wind turbines in Massachusetts. This has been really helpful - I got some info on solar power and also on wind energy to take home with me.'
In every state around the nation, in more than 1,400 places Saturday, people gathered in parks, town commons, on statehouse steps, on the top of melting glaciers on Mt. Rainier and even underwater on the endangered coral reefs off Key West, Fla. The nationwide protest is part of an effort to push Congress to fight global warming, cut energy consumption and reduce the country's greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050. In Northampton, more than 500 people gathered to listen to music and learn what they could do to help save the planet from global warming.
'I think this turned out to be a great event,' said Karen Bouquillon, one of the people staffing the Northampton Department of Public Works booth. Bouquillon handed out fliers and pamphlets, urging people to reduce, reuse and recycle.
'It's especially exciting that we got such a nice day for it,' she said.
Booths ranged from information on recycling and biking in the Valley to collecting rainwater for use in the garden. There were speakers from the Center for Ecological Technology and the Food Bank Farm, who talked about cutting back on energy use, buying locally grown food, and getting involved politically.
'There has been great community spirit here today,' said David Narkewicz, a Northampton city councilor, who delivered a proclamation on behalf of Mayor Clare Higgins, designating April 14 to be Step It Up Northampton Day.
'It's been a great success and I'm proud to see that so many people have come out for this,' Narkewicz said.
As people milled around the park, huge papier mache puppets of the Earth and a phoenix bird danced gently in the air and participants listened to music from the Lonesome Brothers and the Hilltown Chorus.
'Ride your bike. Use your feet. It feels good,' said James Lowenthal, a Step It Up Northampton speaker and professor of astronomy at Smith College. 'Just cut back a little bit. It will make such a difference. Bike and walk instead of driving and get involved politically, even if only a little bit. You have to tell the government that you don't want that money to go to making the roads bigger and you have to let them know what you do want.'
Lowenthal, a Northampton resident for 10 years, rides his bike more often than he drives. Before he taught at Smith, he was a professor at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. During the five years that he worked there, he said he only drove to work three times. The rest of the time he rode his bike.
After the events in Northampton wound down, some people went to surrounding towns for other events. Among the dozen other events in the area associated with Step It Up was a People Powered Parade in Easthampton.
'I think it was a fantastic success,' said Meredith Broberg, of Sustainable Energy Easthampton, one of the main organizers of the parade that made its way around town. 'It was great to see people we hadn't met before come out and join us.'
The parade consisted of about 30 people on foot, bicycles, skateboards and roller skates.
'We came out today to join everyone else and show our support against global warming,' said Ken Harstine and Sandy Ward of Holyoke. On rollerblades, the couple made their way along the road, following bikes that led the parade around Easthampton. 'We came here from Holyoke by electric scooters, so we didn't even use any gas to get here.'
The parade ended at the Manhan Cafe, where information was available about what people could do to use less energy.
'We support limiting global warming,' said Sarah Briggs Cornelius, of Northampton, who attended the events in Pulaski Park with her 4-year-old-son.
She watched him in the playground as she listened to the Hilltown Chorus. 'We've downsized quite a bit, and we live now in a smaller condo in town. My husband is often able to take the bus to work.'
Briggs Cornelius, a native of Germany, was surprised by the difference in the amount of actions taken for sustainability in this country, compared to her native land. 'They have such better mass public transportation in Germany and you can't go far without seeing wind turbines,' she said. 'When we came to this country we were shocked at the difference.
'This area seems more progressive than most of the country, which is one of the reasons we decided to stay here in town,' she continued. 'I get a little hopeful when I see all these people out here today. There is so much caring.'
More information about Step It Up can be found at www.stepitup2007.org along with group photos of the events that were held locally Saturday.