Ward 2 City Councilor, Emily Norton recently led a presentation hosted by the Climate Crisis Subcommittee of the Newton Democratic City Committee and Green Newton: “Preparing for Climate Change: Is Newton Doing Enough?” Norton, who is also the Executive Director of the Charles River Watershed Association, shared the urgency for Newton and all communities to take action now, as climate change impacts are already upon us. Citing this Vulnerability Study Newton conducted in 2018, she underscored the need to look at different ways to mitigate and build resilience to the increased heat, drought, and flooding Newton will be facing in the near future. She emphasized nature-based solutions – not just planting more trees but replicating natural processes and taking a more holistic approach to address the impacts of the decisions that we make – such as development, road construction, etc. – may have on the environment.
The City is currently in the process of making improvements to Albemarle Field. On June 6 at 7:30 PM, the Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) will hold a virtual public meeting to share details on a project they are working on with the City of Newton regarding flood mitigation. The field is already vulnerable to flooding during intense rainstorms which are likely to increase due to climate change. Register here.
In addition, CWRA is hosting a fun, informational, and inspirational event on June 8, 6:30 PM at 34 Tyler Terrance, Newton Centre. CWRA will highlight the role it plays in protecting not just the river itself, but the entire watershed, from environmental harm and climate impacts.
Councilor Norton has also been working on other environmental initiatives. She is a lead co-sponsor on a docket item to amend the Tree Preservation Ordinance, has voiced concern over the installation of artificial turf fields, led on banning nip bottles, and has sponsored an item banning the use of rodenticides. She was also instrumental in bringing municipal aggregation (the process where municipalities can aggregate the electrical load of customers within their borders to procure a competitive supply of electricity – Newton Power Choice) to Newton. When asked about the recent announcement that the City has signed a new electric supply contract that would provide 95% of electricity from renewable sources such as solar and wind as the standard default, Councilor Norton said “I am thrilled to see Newton continue to be #1 when it comes to powering our city with clean energy.”
— Editor’s Note: Amy Sangiolo also serves as Vice-Chair of the Newton Democratic City Committee, Chair of the Climate Crisis Subcommittee, and hosted the presentation referenced in the article.
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