Dear Earth Day Boston supporter,

We are excited to announce that we have awarded 11 grants to schools across the Boston area. These schools will be offered support and financial assistance to hold an Earth Day event in the month of April. Supporting these students and teachers is a great way to fight back against the rolling back of environmental protections across this country. Boston is united in standing up for climate action. We couldn’t have done this without your support. If you haven’t made a donation yet this year, please help us spread the Earth Day message by donating here: https://earthdayboston.giv.sh/70f6.

If you have an event in April that you want listed on our events page, please email us at earthday2020boston@gmail.com.

Sincerely,

Michael Kozuch, Earth Day Boston President

Dear Earth Day supporter,

We are proud to announce that this year, Earth Day Boston is providing financial support and activist training for Boston-area students and educators who organize events focused on climate change during the month of April. If you are, or know, an 8th – 12th grade student or educator, we want you to apply.

We are offering $250 grants to 15 schools within the Greater Boston area. This includes the City of Boston as well as towns within Rt. 128 metro area. Grant recipients will receive:

• a template for planning an event at your school
• 3 online mentoring sessions during which you will receive training and logistical support from fellow students, educators and representatives of environmental organizations.
• Grantees will be given special access to MIT’s Day of Climate at the MIT Museum.

Our Power, Our Planet

To apply for support for Earth Day activities, consider planning a festival or town hall that highlights the impact of climate change and the importance of sustainable practices. Such a festival could include educational workshops, interactive exhibits, and guest speakers who are experts in environmental justice.

A town hall style forum could bring communities together to pass a resolution or commit to action together. Art contests, poetry slams, teach-ins or music can be included in your event.

These activities should help attendees understand how to take action to stop further climate change and meet the Paris Climate Agreement. We encourage creative ways to inspire action using Our Power, Our Planet as a theme.

If more than 15 schools apply, priority will be given to frontline schools and communities. Fill out this form to apply. Deadline is March 7th.

If you want to donate, to increase the amount of schools we can fund, go to our website here.

Sincerely,

Earth Day Boston Board

Dear Earth Day supporter,

Happy Lunar New Year and almost Valentine’s Day. Whichever holiday you are celebrating, it is a good opportunity to take stock of how you are celebrating. Can your choices make a difference for the planet?

With Valentine’s Day coming up this Friday, you can make more sustainable choices if you buy chocolates or flowers. The chocolate scorecard ranks chocolate brands based on environmental stewardship, child labor and many other points. If roses are your thing, One5C has some alternatives that could make the holiday more sustainable. Of course, you could cook a nice vegan dinner at home and that would be even better. 😉 If you must go out, our friends at Red Lentil in Watertown have a Vegan Aphrodisiac Dinner on Valentine’s Day. If you live in the city or want to come in for the night, Lulu Green in South Boston also has a special vegan dinner for Saturday night (Friday is sold out.)

Regardless of what you do, make sure to give the planet and Earth Day Boston a little love. We are about to launch our grant program for schools. Please help us serve as many schools as possible by donating $25, $55, or $250 to support our work.

Sincerely,

Michael Kozuch

President, Earth Day Boston

It’s clear that many people are struggling to respond to the assaults on the environment and other issues we care about. One way to resist the calls for “drill, baby drill” – reduce the need for drilling more oil and gas. The lower the demand for oil, the less of a need for a climate killing product. “American oil companies act on price signals from the market. They don’t pump more because the government tells them to drill more,” said Greg Priddy, Center for the National Interest in a recent Marketplace report. 

How can you do this? Be oil aware. Know your consumption habits that feed the oil industry. Polyester, plastic, pharmaceuticals, jet fuel, and of course, gasoline are all products that feed the climate crisis. Use the 55th anniversary of Earth Day this year to decrease your consumption of fossil fuels by 55%. Here are 10 ways to reduce your consumption of oil and gas:

1. Buy a hybrid or electric car.
2. Change your stove to an induction stove.
3. Install a heat pump in one or more rooms in your home.
4. Insulate and air seal your home.
5. Reduce your airplane travel by at least one trip.
6. Reduce your consumption of single use plastic and polyester clothing.
7. Sign up for 100% renewable electricity. See if your city or town participates here.
8. Conserve energy – turn off lights, turn down thermostats by 2 degrees and air dry some clothes.
9. Drive less – use public transport, bikes and walking.
10. If you have investments make sure they aren’t supporting fossil fuels.

These efforts as well as a reduction of meat consumption can make a difference for the climate, lower your costs and improve your physical and mental health. To make it easier, Massachusetts has financial incentives to take action in many of these areas. Most importantly, take care of yourself. Choose a few things to do. You can’t do everything. See our “taking care of yourself section” on our Take Action page.

Some will tell you that individual actions don’t work, only collective action. However, boycotts are a tried and true method of resistance. The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the grape boycott of the 1960’s are just a two examples. Convince your friends and family members to join you. Collective action, in the end, is a group of individuals doing something together. In our consumer and corporate society, hit the oil companies where it hurts – their bottom line. Join Earth Day Boston to help us use our power to protect our planet by donating here. 

Sincerely,

Michael Kozuch
President, Earth Day Boston

Hello Earth Day Boston Supporters,

Happy Earth Day 2024! I hope you have already celebrated or are planning on celebrating today or throughout the week. The major event in Boston is Extinction Rebellion’s “In Love and Rage” party at 4 pm in Downtown Boston. There is also a movie screening and panel discussion of “Common Ground” at the Boston Common Theater at 6:30 pm sponsored by Soil4Climate, 350MA and MA Sierra Club. Finally, if you can’t go anywhere, you can experience Forest Bathing in your own backyard with Nadine Mazzola via phone or Zoom.

If you miss any of these activities, don’t despair, Earth Day is being celebrated all week. Please check our events page for more ways you can engage with nature and protect our planet. You can help us by donating to Earth Day Boston. We need your support to continue to spread the message of protecting our planet. Carbon dioxide levels have passed a new milestone and although there is very positive news about taking action, we are clearly not doing enough. As a friend posts at the end of his emails, “The planet is outside its comfort zone…we have to be outside ours.” Please do everything you can to support our work and the work of all the organizations fighting for our future.

Sincerely,

Michael Kozuch, President