Governor Baker has signed the new Mass Climate Law that--

The Martha’s Vineyard Food Waste Initiative is planning to ask Island towns at their 2022 town meetings for funds for a regional food waste composting system. Join the Edgartown Library as they host Eunice Youmans for a presentation about it:  learn the environmental and financial benefits of the plan.

Request the link at programs@edgartownlibrary.org

On Sunday April 11 at 3:00, join the spring's final Climate Cafe on the topic of Human Health. This community forum is convened by MA Audubon and MV Public Charter School high school students. They would love your participation! Find their poster here with a QR code for a zoom link. 

Join Vineyard Conservation Society at one of 25 beaches for their annual Earth Day Beach Clean Up.  VCS is excited to have people come together to share in the spirit of this community service event. Bags and gloves will be provided; social distancing and masks required. If this date does not work, you are encouraged to clean a beach another time this month with friends. For more info visit the VCS website. 

On Sunday April 18, the Rev. Dr. Jim Antal will deliver an Earth Day sermon at the First Congregational Church of West Tisbury, followed by a discussion of his book “Climate Church, Climate World, How People of Faith Must Work for Change.” Worship begins at 10:00am; the book discussion will begin at approximately 11:00am.
In the foreword to Jim Antal’s book, Bill McKibben writes: “This book is written with unusual authority because, for as long as there has been a serious climate movement in the United States, Jim Antal has been at the forefront.

Call or email to register
(508) 693-2842,  wtiscong@comcast.net.
 

The Martha’s Vineyard Commission’s Climate Action Task Force (CATF) Education Committee is excited to announce the first MV Climate Week! This community week long celebration is planned for the first week of November to align with the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow. They are looking for business and organizations who want to design and host a climate related event. Concepts can be wide ranging and any and all can participate.

Read more here, and join a Zoom call to begin discussing plans, Wed. April 28 at either 11:00 am or 7:00 pm.   

Cape Light Compact will be hosting “Main Streets” programs in Oak Bluffs, Chilmark and Aquinnah May 4th-6th. The Compact, in partnership with the Vineyard towns and Chamber of Commerce, will offer local businesses no-cost, on-the-spot energy assessments and install instant savings measures - all at no cost! There will also be enhanced offers available during these assessments including up to 100% reimbursement for additional recommendations. 

 Edgartown Voters -- The VTA Needs Your Help!

Want an all-electric VTA bus fleet that gets rid of the noise and pollution of diesels? Edgartonians have a chance to allow the VTA to reach that goal by approving an article at the town’s annual meeting on May 22 that allows the VTA to install inductive bus charging at the Church Street bus station- a crucial part of the VTA's plan to go all-electric. More details about the plan will be in the May newsletter. In the meantime, learn more at the VTA website.

As the White House Climate Advisor, Gina McCarthy is a force for climate work in our country. She recently sat down with Grist to discuss priority climate work for the year ahead. You can listen to that conversation here. Familiar to the Vineyard, McCarthy joined John Kerry to speak at the West Tisbury School in the summer of 2019.

 MVC Climate Change Resilience Quarterly News

What climate work is underway in our community? How is our regional planning body preparing us for climate change and helping us see ways to mitigate our contribution to the problem? Take a moment to look at the climate related news coming out of the MV Commission in their first newsletter. 

Annual Town Meetings are on the horizon and include a number of opportunities to vote for our climate. There will be more detail in May but here is a list of dates and climate issues.  

Aquinnah - in June 
Oak Bluffs - May 15th - voting on becoming a MA Green Community
West Tisbury - May 18 
Edgartown - May 22 - The 100% renewable energy resolution and VTA electric bus charging station 
Chilmark - May 24 - The 100% renewable energy resolution
Tisbury - June 22 - The 100% renewable energy resolution

The town of West Tisbury is looking for someone to lead and organize their climate related work. A job description can be found here.

As always we end with our thanks for your care and action on climate issues. Please share this newsletter with friends
and encourage others to join our mailing list.
There is much to be done.