It’s impossible to list all everything we love about Watertown- the Charles River waterfront, our unique industrial history, and yearly celebrations like Faire on the Square, to name a few. All these things make our City special, which is why we need to take action to preserve them for future generations to enjoy!
There are many ways to take action, but here we’re focusing on a few ways to make a big impact towards our climate and resilience goals.
Ready to Show our City some Love?
These actions can be considered ‘high-impact’ related to reducing our emissions and adapting to climate change. However, there are many other actions people can take to help us make our community healthier, safer, and more resilient.
Individual actions are valuable because they help us reach our community goals and bring a cultural shift that drives our city towards a sustainable future.
The source of the energy we use is absolutely crucial to whether we will reach our emissions reduction targets. Luckily, now everyone in Watertown has the opportunity to choose renewable electricity through Watertown Electricity Choice. And we strongly encourage existing WEC customers to consider opting up to 100% renewable energy. Since January 2022, WEC rates are cheaper than current Eversource rates! Even if you rent your home, you can participate- all metered electricity customers within Watertown are eligible.
The fuel used for our daily transportation is a major source of GHG emissions in our community. Try brainstorming about how you can choose a ‘clean’ commute – walk, bike, scooter, or carpool with a neighbor, for example.
Of course, not everyone has the chance to walk or bike to work or school, but every trip that doesn’t involve you driving alone avoids those greenhouse gas emissions.
We know from recent outreach efforts and surveys that Watertown residents are passionate about preserving and enhancing our natural spaces. Adding trees and greenspace has many benefits, including reducing GHG emissions by storing carbon dioxide, improving local air quality, providing habitat, flooding mitigation, and mitigating heat on hot days.
Below are some examples of what you can do to support this important action area (and some are applicable even if you rent your home):
- Plant and maintain native plants and/or pollinator plant species in the planting strip between your sidewalk and the street
- Request a street tree in front of your property
- Participate in our “adopt an island” program and enhance a traffic island with greenery
Showing your love for Watertown can take a lot of forms, but for us it means trying to improve the health, safety, and livelihoods of our community while taking care of it for future generations to enjoy.
Start by exploring one (or all!) of these high-impact action areas and share these ideas with friends and family.
And finally, check back here often to stay in touch with City initiatives and be part of collective action for a more sustainable and resilient Watertown!