Submitted by the office of Jamie Eldridge
Sen. Jamie Eldridge, D-Acton, participated in a series of committee hearings and community-based service projects last week to celebrate Earth Day, joining millions of citizens across the country answering the call to safeguard the environment for future generations.
Preserving the environment is an issue I care strongly about, not just on Earth Day, but every day,” said Eldridge. “In order to strive for continuous progress, awareness and, most importantly, action, I am recognizing Earth Day with a week of environmentally-friendly events to encourage citizens to answer the call to help lead a change in preserving our environment.”
The Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture Committee on Earth Day ruled favorably on S.359 An Act Relative to Plastic Bag Reduction, legislation filed by Eldridge that would prohibit the use of plastic carryout bags in large retail stores. Communities such as Brookline and Manchester by the Sea both approved a plastic bag ban underscoring the dangers of plastic bags that litter coastlines, consume billions of gallons of petroleum to produce, contaminate the soil with toxic chemicals and kill millions of animals each year that swallow or choke on discarded plastic bags.
The Senate Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change, on which Eldridge serves as Vice-chair, held an oversight hearing in honor of Earth Day on the progress that Massachusetts has made in tackling climate change, including a review of the 2008 Global Warming Solutions Act, the Green Communities Act, and the issue of carbon pricing. Working Sen. Michael Barrett, D-Lexington, Eldridge was successful in passing an amendment to the transportation finance bill that requires the Department of Revenue (DOR) to study how to implement a carbon tax in Massachusetts.
On Wednesday, April 24, Eldridge addressed the 5th Annual Green Difference Awards reception at the State House organized by Green Schools on environmental and energy policy, and was proud to recognize Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School for receiving a Green Schools award for their environmental stewardship.
Senator Eldridge will carried forward the spirit of Earth Day by leading a Q&A session on the updated Bottle Bill with Acton-Boxborough Regional High School students and participated in Acton Cleanup Day, an event he founded in 1995, to pick up litter from the streets, streams, and neighborhoods of Acton.