By Steve Morabito
With the official start of summer, Revere will again showcase some of our beloved natural and open spaces — Revere Beach, Belle Isle Marsh, the Pines River, and Rumney Marsh Reservation.
Revere’s tremendous wealth of natural spaces is one of the many things that makes our city so special, which is why we need to prioritize preserving and protecting these jewels of Revere.
In recent decades, Revere has also felt the brunt of environmental impacts, from health and environmental impacts from Logan Airport, industrial dumping, and now sea level rise stemming from climate change.
Climate change is an existential threat to our planet and something we see firsthand in Revere, from storm surges breaching our seawall, flooding in Beachmont and Riverside, and massive waves forcing the closure of the Winthrop Parkway.
Climate action and resiliency starts at home. Locally, we must prioritize climate resilience measures to make residents less vulnerable to the impacts of storm surges and sea level rise. The City must immediately perform an environmental audit of the City to identify measures that lower our carbon footprint and save taxpayers money, including transitioning our vehicle fleet to hybrid and electric. Revere should pilot a curbside composting program and utilize composting at large-scale events to reduce solid waste. We must expand investment in our parks and green and open spaces. Revere should fast-track its street tree planting program to reduce urban “heat islands†that make summers hotter in our city.
On the City Council, I have led sustainability efforts, supported the creation of a community electricity aggregation program that delivers clean energy for lower prices to residents, lobbied for passage of the Decker-Garballey 100% Renewable Energy Act, and helped City Council advocacy efforts advocacy efforts against the Saugus Ash Monofill facility.
By protecting our environment, we also reduce the impacts of sea level rise, make our air and water cleaner, and enhance the health of our residents. It’s time that Revere gets serious about environmental sustainability.
Steve Morabito is a present City Councilor and Candidate for Mayor.
