Sunrise activists join with local advocates from Youth Climate Action Now Western Mass.
Northampton, MA. – Sunrise Movement activists at Smith College and local advocates passed a Climate Superfund Resolution in Northampton last Thursday. On Earth Day dozens rally in Amherst, calling on the Amherst Town Council and other municipalities in the Connecticut River Valley to join the call to make polluters pay. Thursday’s resolution in support of H.1014/S.588, “An Act to Establish a Climate Change Superfund”, was the first to pass in Western Massachusetts, following previous resolutions in Boston, Cambridge, Medford, and Malden.
“I’ve watched my generation strike, resist, campaign, lose hope, and get back up again,” said Emma Coopersmith, Sunrise Smith College. “At a time when climate action is blocked at the federal level, city and state climate action is more important and urgent than ever. We cannot let the setbacks in the White House keep us from necessary action. We must get back up and fight on. In Massachusetts, we have the power to hold polluters accountable for the climate crisis and invest much-needed resources into a just energy transition.”
Miya Wranovix, a junior at Longmeadow High School, forcefully called on Beacon Hill to take action, “We will continue to advocate for [the Make Polluters Pay Bill] throughout the legislative session. The youth have spoken. We know what we want, and we are ready to fight for it. The only question is, is Beacon Hill ready too?”
Ira Nathan, Sunrise Smith College urged attendees to connect the recent attacks on climate protections to the broader resistance against the current administration: “We’re not just fighting to avoid the bad – we’re fighting to create the good. To bring about a better world for all. We’re fighting today for each other. We’re fighting for environmental justice at home and around the world. We’re fighting for an end to the Trump administration’s interference with our rights and our future, and against the despicable things they have already done to fellow students who were brave enough to use their voices”
The bill in the MA legislature introduced by Sen. Jamie Eldridge, Rep. Steve Owens, and Rep. Jack Lewis, and requires the biggest carbon emitters to contribute to a Superfund to pay for climate-related damages in Massachusetts. Fossil fuel companies have knowingly endangered our world for decades, putting our lives and livelihoods at risk. They should be responsible for the costs, not taxpayers. The Climate Adaptation Superfund to provide funding for climate adaptation projects across the commonwealth, directly benefiting cities and towns.
- The bill will generate billions of dollars over 25 years from the profits of the biggest greenhouse gas emitters.
- The Superfund will support climate change adaptation projects statewide, with 40% of the funding directly benefiting environmental justice communities.
- The bill mandates that large projects supported by the superfund make use of apprenticeship programs, abide by prevailing wage requirements, and treat workers according to fair labor standards.
- Both Vermont and New York successfully passed Climate Superfund bills in 2024, setting a powerful precedent for Massachusetts to join.