From:                                         Liza Ketchum <lizaketchum@comcast.net>

Sent:                                           Monday, June 3, 2019 11:37 AM

To:                                               RPS, DOER (ENE)

Subject:                                     Changes to the renewable portfolio standard

 

To John Wassam,

It has come to my attention that the governor wants to label the burning of wood and waste as Class I renewables.  This makes no sense.  As you must know, trees sequester carbon, while burning wood contributes CO2 to the atmosphere.  The theory that trees can be replanted ignores the fact that trees take decades to mature.  As I wrote in a letter that was published in the Globe last year, we need to renew our forests and plant more trees in order to meet the requirements of the Global Warming Solutions Act.  In addition, burning waste is dangerous and unhealthy.  It risks releasing mercury and other toxins into the air.  As reported in numerous medical studies, climate change is already causing an increase in childhood asthma across the country.  The incineration of waste would aggravate this dangerous health crisis.

 

The recent U.N. report on the climate, released this spring, warns that we have just over a decade to enact the changes that will save our planet from catastrophic damage.  A million species are at risk of extinction—and the health and welfare of humanity is at stake.  Given our state’s proximity to the ocean, with the risk of sea level rise, Governor Baker needs to take bold action to reverse warming.  We need to put our efforts into the creation of more renewable energy—wind and solar—two industries that have already created thousands of new jobs across the state.  That would be a win/win for the Commonwealth.

 

Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

Liza Ketchum

199 Coolidge Ave. Apt. 505

Watertown, MA 02472

617-926-4507