Gore Plan Favored in Town Hall Meeting

In a town hall discussion this weekend, a group of Massachusetts environmental activists called for the federal government to implement a plan by former Vice President Al Gore ’69 to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from U.S. electric generation within 10 years.

Speakers at the discussion—which was co-sponsored by Harvard’s Environmental Action Committee—said that Gore’s plan, known as “RePower America,” was highly viable because it focused on the importance of dealing with carbon dioxide emissions on a national level, and not on a state level.

“Massachusetts can be the national leader in this,” said Kate Chang, a staff member to Massachusetts congressman Michael E. Capuano.

“We can be the ones to bounce back first and stronger—we’re not in debt, our political leaders are on board and we have the brain power not only in the five-college area,” Chang said.

Gore’s campaign outlines the reduction of carbon in the atmosphere from its current level of 387 parts per million to below 350 parts per million.

Activists at the town hall event said that in the short term, they would focus on encouraging their state representatives to support Gore’s initiative.

“Our larger campaign of demonstrating support for bold and ambitious action on climate change here in Massachusetts will have an effect on the climate negotiations through our Senator John Kerry,” said Craig S. Altemose, co-coordinator of Massachusetts Power Shift, a state network of climate activists. “The more we can show him support exists in our state for strong solutions, the better he will be able to negotiate a strong treaty for us.”

Audience members said that this weekend’s town hall meeting opened a forum to demonstrate broad-based community support for clean energy and to put interested community members and groups in touch with organizations campaigning locally for clean energy.

“It showed a growing interest in the 8th congressional district [of Massachusetts] for RePower America,” said spectator Todd A. Mooring, referring to Gore’s plan.

Altemose said that he believed that the staff members of elected officials in attendance had obtained a better understanding of the pressing need for states to become involved in national energy issues.

“Just as importantly,” he said. “[the town hall] helped to further deepen a growing relationship between our network of students and our congressional representative.”

The discussion, held in the First Parish Cambridge Unitarian Universalist Church, included panelists from “Clean Water Action,” “Massachusetts Green Jobs Coalition,” and “Green Corps.”

—Staff writer Carola A. Cintron-Arroyo can be reached at ccintron@fas.harvard.edu.