Climate & Environment

Leading up to the November 4 local election, the Newton Beacon asked candidates in competitive elections for mayor and city council how they would improve climate resilience and the natural environment in Newton.

John Chaimanis, City Council Candidate, Ward 4 At-Large: I have dedicated 20 years of my life to sustainability. I have helped cities work towards net-zero and financed solar projects that can produce enough energy to power 25,000 homes. I have lectured on finance and sustainability at Villanova, Babson, Northeastern and Harvard. Newton has a nation leading sustainability plan, and I am able to understand the financial implications and creative ways of achieving it. We must enhance our tree canopy both through the tree ordinance and by planting new trees which add to the beauty of our city, remove carbon from the air, statistically lower ground temperatures, and improve stormwater retention. Next, we can create a multitude of benefits by working with third parties to finance our energy efficiency retrofits. Upgrading insulation, air handlers, and sensors are common sense ways to immediately cut costs and meet our goals. Many of these upgrades can be done for zero cost up-front and immediately decrease our energy spend. 

Cyrus Dahmubad, City Council Candidate, Ward 4 At-Large: An important part of how we achieve our net-zero by 2050 goal is how we use our land; by allowing for highly sustainable buildings that can house more people while using less land area, we can have a lighter touch on the environment. I’d encourage new multifamily construction to limit provided parking (if any) to electric vehicles, especially if building in the village centers. I’d support the work currently occurring in our Public Facilities committee to transition the city away from natural gas toward a more sustainable, electric future. I’d seek to decrease the cost of solar PV and other building performance adaptations for residents, especially in Environmental Justice communities, and aim to swap carbon-based fuels for solar PV at Newton Housing Authority properties. I’d support a municipal compost pilot, restarting our rain barrel program to help with stormwater management, and other tactical but impactful programs that can have direct benefits for residents.

Lisa Gordon, City Council Candidate, Ward 6 At-Large: Newton has been a leader in addressing climate change, and I look forward to building on those efforts that continue to preserve our open spaces and tree canopy and maintain Newton’s identity as the Garden City. We urgently need a biodiversity plan in addition to the existing climate action plan. Climate resilience is a critical component of fiscal stability and health.

Julie Irish, City Council Candidate, Ward 5: Newton has shown real leadership with its Climate Action Plan, adoption of BERDO (Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance) and passage of the Electrification Ordinance, but we need to keep pushing forward on climate resiliency. We must invest in infrastructure that addresses flooding, from stormwater systems to innovative solutions that protect homes and neighborhoods. Expanding our tree canopy is also critical for cooling, air quality, and long-term sustainability. We must also navigate a clear path between replacing hazardous gas lines and pursuing the transition to clean energy through electrification. I will support practices like energy-efficient buildings, renewable energy, and expanded composting and recycling which help lower emissions while saving costs over time. And it is important that Newton stays connected to state and federal climate resiliency efforts, so we can tap into funding and ensure our local work strengthens broader climate resiliency initiatives.

Josh Kritzman, City Council Candidate, Ward 4 At-Large: The recent revisions to the Newton Tree Ordinance represent significant progress towards environmental sustainability. My committee, Programs and Services, led the effort on those revisions. One of my top priorities is the improvement and reconstruction of our recreational fields. By improving our parks, we improve our air quality and biodiversity.  We must also continue to push the state to improve public transportation, while promoting cycling and walking, in order to reduce reliance on cars. The city council has made great progress shifting the city to renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, through our codes, policies and use of public spaces. But there is always progress to be made. Lastly, we must continue to evaluate and refine our waste reduction practices, including recycling and composting programs. Our plastics ordinance revision has helped reduce the prevalence of non-recyclable materials being sold in Newton, but again, there is definitely more that we can do.

Marc Laredo, Mayoral Candidate: Newton has been a leader in addressing climate change and I look forward to continuing and enhancing those efforts in ways that meet our environmental goals while also ensuring that any requirements we establish are fair and reasonable. This will include addressing stormwater issues, preserving our open spaces and tree canopy, and reducing our carbon footprint in the Garden City.

Garry Miller, City Council Candidate, Ward 5: Facing the climate crisis is a multi-faceted effort. We must not give up on reducing our emissions, but it is also true that we need to face fact that extreme weather events including droughts, extreme heat events, and floods will occur with increasing frequency. That means maintaining our water and sewer infrastructure in a state of good repair. It means maintaining and replanting our street trees and protecting our existing trees to help absorb and buffer water during rain events. And it means creating additional infrastructure such as rain gardens and other natural buffers to runoff. And in particularly vulnerable areas, such as Cheesecake Brook, we need to push forward with projects to control flooding.

Sean Roche, City Council Candidate, Ward 6 At-Large: As a threshold matter, I will work with colleagues and the mayor’s office to identify the climate impact of every action and decision that comes before the City Council to ensure that any tradeoffs we make are fully transparent and explained. I think we should focus on three areas of climate resilience/environment: * Restoring the tree canopy * Providing shade (above and beyond the tree canopy) * Planning for what will inevitably be more flooding We have gotten ourselves deep into a tree debt – we’re losing far more trees than we are replacing. We need a huge initiative to start to reduce that trend. Part of the value of the tree canopy is the shade it provides. As we expect more numerous and more debilitating heat events, we need to supplement the tree canopy with other shade, especially in environmental justice neighborhoods. And, we need to be hard-nosed about the potential of flooding and the risks that we can and cannot afford to take on in flood zones.