Here at The Greenway, we celebrate Earth Day in our park all year round, from our daily work in organic horticulture, supporting native pollinators and contributing to efforts that lessen CO2 emissions, like using electric vehicles and battery-powered lawn care tools.
This year, as we mark yet another meaningful Earth Day celebration, we stand with the other members of the Boston Green Ribbon Commission’s Cultural Issues Working Group by sharing this message–crafted by our Collective Voice Project Team and vetted by our Executive Committee–which reflects the commitment of cultural institutions across the region to remain committed to advancing climate initiatives.
CIWG GROUP STATEMENT
We are Boston’s cultural institutions. Our City is home to the country’s first public library and public park, one of the country’s oldest ballparks, some of the finest art and music venues, and revolutionary historic landmarks connected to our country’s birth. We are also home to many histories, people, places, and movements that have long been overlooked and that we are working to reveal.
We face an existential climate challenge. The City of Boston aims to be carbon neutral by 2050, as well as resilient to flash flooding, heatwaves and rising sea levels. At a time when climate action and environmental protections are being rolled back and deprioritized at the national level, local commitments are more important than ever.
Arts and culture have the power to open our hearts and minds and help us see things in new ways. Our goal is to harness that power to achieve a climate-safe future. Even though our cultural institutions are dedicated to different passions, we share two critical beliefs:
- Climate change is an urgent problem.
- We can make a positive difference by addressing climate change proactively, creatively, and collaboratively.
We need heart, vision, and political will to make the changes in our City and our lives that will ensure a safe, healthy, and creative future. By joining together we aim to reach and inspire all Greater Boston residents with a sense of what is possible when we take productive action on climate change. Because we love this City and the people who live, work, and visit here, we’re driven by our desire to ensure a safe, bright future for all.
–The Green Ribbon Commission’s Cultural Institutions Working Group
