King Tide street flooding accentuates need for action.
Areas of Boston, such as Morrissey Boulevard, received ample flooding on November 16 from the King Tide. City Councilor and Boston Mayoral Candidate Michelle Wu, alongside climate activists, came together to demand a response to the effects of climate change. Present were speakers Ross Quinn, a youth activist with Sunrise Boston, and Kannan Thiruvengadam, a climate activist. They held a press conference in Dorchester, where they discussed how coastal communities like Boston will be impacted.
“Flooding is also not the only harm from climate change that we are already experiencing in this moment, in our city. Over the summer, the heat has gone up, and up, and up,” said Wu. “We know that the cost of doing nothing, for climate, is tremendous. The cost of delaying is tremendous. It’s time to actually see action, not to talk about more discussions, not to talk about more guidelines, but to specifically commit to accelerating our deadlines for decarbonization, to specifically commit to resilient storm water infrastructure, to taking action and funding these initiatives.”
Wu recently released a city-level Green New Deal and Just Recovery Plan for Boston. According to a press release, her proposed policies include accelerating decarbonization deadlines, to include “a carbon-free municipal footprint by 2024.” The plan will also “create district-level storm water planning districts” and “advocate to decarbonize port industries and prioritize green infrastructure at ports.” In addition, it maps out a strategy for creating new, green jobs and workforce development.
Shira Laucharoen is a reporter based in Boston. She currently serves as the assistant director of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism. In the past she has written for Sampan newspaper, The Somerville Times, Scout Magazine, Boston Magazine, and WBUR.
