Elliott Place
Guest Writer
In 2020 I decided to devote my energies to the cause of fighting climate change/ global warming, as insurmountable as that challenge may seem.
I was on a quest to reach Net Zero Carbon Emissions in my home, our community, our nation, and our world. This reminds me of the vow I took a while ago with our men’s circle (paraphrased):
I step forward for myself
I step forward for my community
I step forward for my country
I step forward for humanity…
And in alignment with another, more famous, maxim, Think Globally, Act Locally, it made sense to begin with my own community of Hingham, Massachusetts, and to do so with positive actions, not protest.
So in 2021 I joined Hingham Net Zero,1 a citizens group dedicated to – you guessed it – reaching Net Zero Carbon Emissions in Hingham.
Net Zero refers to a balance, kind of like a chemical equilibrium equation, whereby the human-generated carbon being released into the atmosphere (CO2, Methane, etc.) is matched or balanced by carbon being sequestered or absorbed out of the atmosphere (by plants, trees, CO2 absorbing machines, etc.). This balance has been out of whack since industrialization began, and the burning of fossil fuels in first- world countries such as ours, according to a vast preponderance of environmental scientists, has contributed significantly to climate change via global warming
A few other town groups in Hingham had already done preliminary work by becoming a Green Community in 2018, and making small steps toward energy conservation and efficiency in our buildings, town lighting, and so forth. Hingham Net Zero took on the Big One: the goal of reaching Net Zero in Hingham by 2040 (ten years before Massachusetts’ goal of 2050). A measure on this passed at our May, 2021 Town Meeting, which also established a Climate Action Planning Committee (CAPC) with the mandate of creating a Climate Action Plan (CAP). I immediately applied to join that committee as a volunteer, and over the next year-and-a-half we created said plan.2
Our work done, CAPC was subsequently disbanded and a new Climate Action Commission (CAC) was formed by mandate of our town meeting in 2023. I joined CAC, became its vice chair and a leader of our Community Engagement Working Group.
We have been working ever since to oversee the implementation of the Climate Action Plan. Step by baby-step (and sometimes two steps forward and one back) we’ve been successful.
Nothing happens quickly in town politics and, as you can imagine, this process requires tons of active listening (ever hear of that?), articulation, cooperation, and promotion with our town government, several other environmental groups and Hingham citizens. And yes, all the work with you men has served me well. Thank you! I’ve learned a lot and have grown, I hope, in collaborating with different folks.
It never felt like we were banging our heads against the wall – we intentionally worked at getting ‘our people’ in key political positions, worked closely with town government folks as much as possible, and basically established an alliance.
The main challenge has been, and continues to be, the painfully slow pace of town and state government. There is always concern with the town budget, so we have tempered and paced our large ticket demands, and shown how, with NetZero carbon, the town will save money in the long run. We’ve learned to be patient, to bide our time, and to engage the citizens of Hingham to support our initiatives. It’s kind of a boring and meticulous approach, but it has worked.
One last piece: in order to put my money where my big mouth is, over the last three years, my wife Lucy and I have transformed our own home to all-electric, complete with heat pumps, and an electric vehicle (EV). We’ve just completed installation of 30 solar panels on our roof, and now our household is approaching Net Zero. And that’s how this works. Climate Action starts with each one of us committing to reducing, and eventually eliminating, our use of fossil fuels.
Join us!
The actions taken by Elliott and his wife Lucy over the last 3 years are very impressive. Congratulations. I feel that I have too much on my plate right now to even attempt something like this.
Inspiring that you are doing your part in making a better world.I have had some thoughts and taken small actions, buts that I can do more. Thanks.