Fall Speakers Series
Our Climate Crisis: Research and Action for Change
The Blue Hills Climate Action Coalition presents a virtual fall lecture series on the climate crisis, showcasing a diverse mix of perspectives from within the climate crisis movement. Speakers will include climate change researchers, activists, youth leaders and social scientists covering a variety of issues related to climate change, community resilience and grounds for action. The series will be held on Zoom; pre-registration is required to receive the link to join the video-conference. To pre-register, please visit
https://friendsofthebluehills.org/climate2020/ The line up of speakers include:
Thursday, October 8, 6:30pm
Youth in Action on Climate: Sunrise Movement
What are local youth doing to address climate change? How do local actions build on a national movement to bring about a more just and sustainable economy? Join us for a discussion with local Sunrise Movement leaders to hear about their current efforts locally, statewide, and nationally. Sunrise is a Youth-led grassroots organization fighting for environmental justice and the Green New Deal. Sunrise Blue Hills is a chapter of the National Sunrise Movement and we fight for environmental justice as well as racial and social justice. Video link:https://youtu.be/XvOfNy0TfbE
Thursday, October 29: 4:30pm
Climate Justice and Covid-19: What can we learn from these intersecting crises?
Rebecca Herst, Director of the Sustainable Solutions Lab at UMass Boston, will speak about how climate change and Covid-19 are disproportionately impacting historically marginalized communities and strategies for ensuring that our response efforts focus on the people most impacted and keep everyone safe and healthy in our changing climate.
Thursday, November 12: 6:30pm
Climate Danger in the Fore River Basin
The Algonquin (Enbridge) transmission compressor station sited in the Fore River Basin brings many dangers to our region and to our planet. Alice Arena is the founder and president of the Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station in Weymouth, and she will discuss what a compressor is and does, what it means for our health and safety, and what the push for more methane distribution and use will do to our planet.
Thursday, December 3, 6:30pm
The Changing Face of the Blue Hills: Shifting Plant Populations Past, Present and Future
UMass Biology Professor Rick Kesseli will discuss the habitat and biodiversity changes that have occurred in the Blue Hills over the last couple hundred years as well as current trends and impacts that are affecting the region. We will glimpse into the future and look at where these current climate changes might be taking us. https://youtu.be/8CXF2muzbnc
Thursday, December 17, 6:30pm
A Green New Deal for Boston
What could the Green New Deal look like at the municipal level? Boston City Councilor and mayoral candidate Michelle Wu will share her recently published 15-point plan to address climate change and the important role municipalities can play in the future of our planet.https://youtu.be/J_EryUJzKGk
Thursday, January 7, 6:30pm:
Climate Legislation: What's New and What You Can Do
Jacob Stern represents the Sierra Club on the Mass Power Forward, a a coalition of over 200 environmental leaders, community development organizations, clean energy businesses, faith groups, neighborhood health and safety advocates and Massachusetts families fighting for our future. The Massachusetts legislature runs on two-year cycles. Jacob will talk about what policies are on the table for the next two years, how the legislative process works, and what residents can do to advocate for strong climate and environmental justice legislation. https://www.youtube.com/embed/YQ8oN3PwQK8
The Our Climate Crisis lecture series is co-sponsored by Blue Hill Observatory, Blue Hills Trailside Museum, Brookwood Community Farm, Friends of the Blue Hills, Mary May Binney Wakefield Arboretum, Mass Audubon, Milton Public Library, Neponset River Watershed Association, Sustainable Milton and The Trustees.