Report Highlights New England’s Emerging Move Beyond Fossil Fuels

As a reminder that sustainability is not an annual event, Better Future Project today released The State of the Movement: New England’s Transition Beyond Fossil Fuels, which catalogues sustainability efforts throughout the region. The report details dozens of local projects that are not simply about recycling or solar panels; rather, people investing time and energy to transform their community one garden, one street, or one building at a time. It demonstrates that the movement beyond fossil fuels is diverse and thriving.

The report is the result of Better Future Project’s Climate Summer program. In 2011, 31 Climate Summer interns toured New England exclusively by bicycle, spreading a simple message: New England needs to move beyond fossil fuels. The riders collaborated with local organizations and individuals in the towns they visited. They lent hands to their projects, co-organized events, and connected them to other efforts in the area, while sharing earned local media with their partners. These Climate Riders will return to towns throughout New England for the program’s fourth year this June, July, and August.

The report focuses on the following categories: sustainable economies, sustainable food systems, waste and materials management, transportation, green spaces, building efficiency, renewable energy, environmental justice, and community resilience. In addition, it includes town profiles that provide information of what specific towns are doing to rely less on fossil fuels, and what organizations people can get involved in.

Better Future Project, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a new, grassroots organization dedicated to moving America and the world beyond energy sources that harm human health, human dignity, and human life. With a focus on leadership development, network-building, and engagement platforms, Better Future Project’s main programs include Climate Summer, Ride for the Future (which will launch in New Orleans in May), and 350 Massachusetts.

To download the report, please visit our Resources page.

Better Future Project is proud to release its first report, Energy Casualties: How People are Dying for our Energy.

This meticulously researched report cites the Pentagon, the CIA, the American Health Association, the Center for Naval Analysis, the World Health Organization and other respected institutions regarding the effects of fossil fuels on society. The report lays the philosphical groundwork for the many security, health, and justice reasons to move beyond fossil fuels.

Later this spring, Better Future Project will release its second report detailing the efforts of residents across New England to transition their communities beyond fossil fuels.

To download this report, please visit our Resources page.

Better Future Project is excited to announce two programs for Summer 2012!

The joint application form is available here.

Climate Summer continues! We’re working hard to build on the relationships and lessons of the first 3 years of Climate Summer, and we’re excited to be working on YEAR 4!

Ride for the Future (a new program in 2012)

In the summer of 2012, our Ride for the Future team will travel exclusively by bicycle together from New Orleans to ExxonMobil’s headquarters in Irving, Texas.  Along the way, the participants will learn from and highlight local efforts to improve communities while transitioning them away from fossil fuels.  At the same time, the riders will highlight the harms fossil fuels cause communities, visiting communities suffering from pollution from refineries and power plants, communities still suffering from the the BP oil spill, and communities suffering from natural disasters in line with scientists’ predictions of a changing climate, including the droughts and wildfires in Texas and hurricane damage across the region.

While learning from those who have suffered from fossil fuels and those who are building a better future, riders will engage in direct community service to mitigate the suffering and ease the transition.  At ExxonMobil’s headquarters, the riders will call for a meeting with executives from the world’s wealthiest fossil fuel company to ask them to recognize their responsibility to help America and the world rapidly and responsibly transition away from fossil fuels.  For more information check out rideforthefuture.org!

Boston, MA— On Saturday, Sept. 24, approximately 1,500 people from across New England joined in the global Moving Planet Day of Action, marking the largest demonstration to date in the greater Boston region of a powerful movement to transition beyond fossil fuels. Participants from over 100 area organizations rallied to hold elected officials accountable to businesses and communities that are already taking strong action to address climate change. Inspired by the global grassroots network 350.org and convened by Better Future Project, Moving Planet: New England was one of the largest of more than 600 simultaneous events in major U.S. cities and around the world.

People of all ages and backgrounds marched together to this Rally for Solutions at the Chirstopher Columbus Waterfront Park, which was hosted by Journalist Steve Curwood, host of Living on Earth, and included speeches from scientists, veterans, community leaders, and students, and music from the bicycle-powered band, Melodeego. Participants met up at North Station, South Station, Park Street Station and Long Wharf North and marched together to the park, chanting and holding signs calling for sustainable solutions. Many had traveled to the city in creative low-emission ways such as biking, walking, roller blading, public transportation, and carpooling.

Better Future Project is proud to have convened local leaders and local organizations in the planning of Moving Planet New England, a day to move New England beyond fossil fuels!

On Sept. 24, on the streets of Boston, join a worldwide event – Moving Planet – calling on our elected leaders, businesses and communities to get serious about moving beyond fossil fuels.  Come on bike or on foot, by boat, carpool or public transportation!  Come with your community, your organization, or simply yourself to help make one big, bold, beautiful statement.

Check out the Moving Planet website for the most up-to-date schedule and details on the event!

Last week, Climate Summer officially kicked off after 2 intensive weeks of training!

During the training the 31 student participants learned from and engaged with scientists, activists, media experts, and community leaders (including BFP staff and consultants) about the effects of fossil fuels, community organizing, messaging and media, bike safety and maintenance, and more!

The students also bonded over their excitement over their shared work this summer: building a better future free of fossil fuels.  Over the course of 7 weeks, the 31 riders are dividing into 6 teams and fanning out across New England to help build a movement to move society beyond fossil fuels.   Three teams are biking around Massachusetts, while one each is biking in Maine, New Hampshire, and Connecticut/Rhode Island, respectively.  Throughout their journey, the 6 teams will collectively bike about 30,000 miles as they visit 42 communities, working in each one to support the efforts of local groups, drive them media attention, and record their efforts for our forthcoming State of the Movement Report, which will highlight the municipal and civic efforts to build a better future free from fossil fuels.

To follow the rider’s journey this summer as they weave through New England, please visit:

Main page: http://www.climatesummer.net/

Blog: http://climatesummer.wordpress.com/

Video: http://www.youtube.com/user/BetterFutureProject

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Climate-Summer/373012675356

Twitter: http://twitter.com/climatesummer

Photo Courtesy of United States Army

Thanks for visiting the Better Future Project website.  If you’ve made it this far, chances are that you are already engaged in building a better future, in one way or another.

We claim no leadership over the movement to transition away from dangerous and deadly fossil fuels to safe, just, and healthy energy sources, but we hope to support, highlight, and provide opportunities to those who are leading the way.

We are excited to join you in this work to build a better future.

Our site is new, and probably has some kinks to be worked out.  Please let us know what you think, and come back soon!

The Better Future Team