The hour that the ship comes in
“And the words that are used for to get the ship confused will not be understood as they’re spoken. For the chains of the sea will have busted in the night and be buried at the bottom of the ocean.
A song will lift as the mainsail shifts. And the boat drifts out to the shoreline. And the sun will respect every face on the deck the hour that the ship comes in.” excerpt from: When The Ship Comes In by Bob Dylan ©1963, 1964 Warner Bros Music.
Mighty Green Massachusetts is the 2012 voter education project of the Massachusetts Environmental Voter Education Fund. Mighty Green Massachusetts is hosted online by the Ocean River Institute.
Mighty Green MA builds statewide partnerships and provides tools to advocate as a more powerful force in elections and environmental policy making on both Beacon Hill and in municipalities. We listen, educate, instruct, and practice stewardship.
“Oh the fishes will laugh
As they swim out of the path
And the seagulls will be a’smilin’
And the rocks on the sand
Will proudly stand
The hour that the ship comes in”
Lend us a hand for a greener and bluer Massachusetts before November 4th.
Join with us to act on behalf of six blue-green bills on Beacon Hill.
The entire Massachusetts House of Representatives and many Senators are up for re-election.
Here are the bills to speak out for and to inform candidates of your priority:
The new Massachusetts Endangered Species Act addresses community concerns about managing development in a sustainable way to protect state listed species as well as places special to people.
The Old Growth Forest Permanent Protection Bill protects old-growth forests for the purpose of protecting exemplary forest habitats, maintaining biodiversity and establishing ecological benchmarks for assessing the health of forests statewide that includes a system of permanent old-growth forest reserves.
The Dam Safety Removal and Repair Bill will increase opportunities to remove unneeded dams and help restore rivers to a more resilient, natural condition reducing the risks of flooding and enabling aquatic animals to survive.
The Sustainable Water Resources Bill establishes a process to develop science-based stream flow standards to document groundwater input and to ensure that fisheries and other fresh water species are sustained while meeting water supply needs for public health and safety.
The Expanded Bottle Bill will extend the state’s bottle bill beyond a refundable nickel deposit on carbonated beverage bottles to include containers that hold water, ice tea and other non-carbonated beverages, and to benefit bottle redemption businesses.
The Safer Alternatives to Toxic Chemicals Bill will curb the use and proliferation of toxic chemicals by mandating when there is a safer alternative it must be used. Entrepreneurs who develop safer chemical alternatives are assured of sales in Massachusetts.
Now is the time to speak out. MA House and Senate candidates should hear clearly the interests of their constituents in regards to responsible environmental stewardship laws.
Please comment and we’ll deliver your concerns as the highest priority to state decision-makers.
An additional action to take is to contact your local candidate and make clear that a reason for your vote is the expectation that the legislator will work for passage of bills that will better environment, economics and the well-being of local communities.
Click here for bill descriptions and an opportunity to comment.
