Forum on the Environment: Mayor Higgins & Michael Bardsley to Debate

GREEN Northampton & WRSI are co-sponsoring a debate between Mayor Clare Higgins & City Councilor At Large Michael Bardsley. The debate is scheduled for October 20, 7:30 pm in the auditorium at Northampton High School. It is scheduled to last 90 minutes and will include 30 minutes of Q&A with the audience and the candidates.

Three environmental areas will be discussed: Transportation, Energy Efficiency & Solid Waste Management. Experts in each of the areas will question the candidates. Northampton resident James Lowenthal is the expert on transportation. Tina Clarke is the expert on building energy efficiency. The expert on solid waste management is yet to be determined. WRSI personality Kelsey Flynn will moderate the debate.

“Sustainability and green issues are of the utmost importance to the people behind the scenes at The River and WHMP as well as to a vast majority of our listeners. We’re happy to support a debate that will specifically look at both candidates positions on issues of sustainability,” according to Monte Belmonte at WRSI.

According to co-founder & Director David Starr, “GREEN Northampton works closely with Northampton municipal offices on environmental issues. The City has a sustainability plan that includes a perspective on addressing environmental action. The city’s residents and businesses are apparently presently unprepared to make the behavioral changes that are necessary to reduce our greenhouse gas contribution. It is our opinion that the City needs to be much more involved in educating city residents and businesses about how to achieve the reductions that are necessary to reduce our contribution to carbon PPM to 350 (see www.350.org). We hope that this debate will raise the consciousness of the environmental issues that should concern Northampton at the same time that it clarifies the positions of the candidates on these issues.”

Anyone wishing to ask questions of the candidates at the debate during the audience Q&A needs to send their questions in advance to info@GREENNorthampton.org. Questions are to be limited to one minute.

Moderator Kelsey Flynn is the producer of “Sustainable Valley” on 93.9 the River and WHMP, a weekly radio segment highlighting the people and programs working towards sustainability in the Pioneer Valley.  Kelsey has been on the air in the Valley for going on 10 years and makes her home in Northampton with her wife, mother- and grandmother-in-law under one roof.

James Lowenthal is Associate Professor and Chair of the Astronomy Department at Smith College. He is also President of MassBike/Pioneer Valley, Chair of Smith College’s Committee on Sustainability, and a member of the Northampton Transportation and Parking Commission and the Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee.

Tina Clarke is a Transition Towns Trainer www.transitionus.org and a consultant with 350.org and the MA Municipal Association’s home energy efficiency program.  She has been an advocate, educator, consultant, and director of nonprofit programs since 1985.  In Washington, D.C. she led citizen advocacy training for national faith communities and directed Greenpeace USA’s citizen action network.  She initiated and led environmental campaigns and coalitions as a Campaign Director for Clean Water Action and has been a consultant to over 400 organizations.  She has an M.A. in Public Policy from the University of Chicago.  Her home is a Platinum LEED “Power House” that won the MA Zero Energy Challenge www.zechallenge.com.

GREEN Northampton’s mission is to foster Northampton’s community bonds AND promote environmentally sustainable lifestyles in response to climate change and resource depletion. GREEN Northampton is a 501(c)3 non-profit.

For more information or questions, contact David Starr 413.584.8785 or info@GREENNorthampton.org.