Happy summer, folks! Keep reading to learn about what we’ve been up to this spring, and to hear about our upcoming projects.

Dear CREW Community,

Happy summer! As hot days grow longer and stronger, make sure to protect your homes, families, and pets from overheating!

Stories of extreme weather events, policy negotiations, and the impacts of climate change on various communities abound in the media, yet our CREW team continues to march forward. We’re spending the summer gearing up for our second Climate Preparedness Week in September, working with our amazing Somerville CREW team to engage their community, and also welcoming Vernon, Adin, and Mia, our new staff members.

Read on for updates on CREW's successful outreach initiatives and new team members.

Keep an eye out for updates about  Climate Preparedness Week events, especially as we head into September, which is National Preparedness Month. We encourage you to reach out if you would like to host or volunteer for an event in your community!

Do you have any questions or ideas that you would like to share with us? Are you inspired to join or start a CREW? Let us know! We would love to support you and your community!

Cheers!

Craig S. Altemose

Founder and Executive Director

Seasonal Preparedness Tips:

Summer is the time to arrange a beach weekend, kick back with friends, and chill out. Along with the popsicles and cookouts, though, come elevated temperatures and more frequent waves of extreme heat. This summer, make sure you and yours are prepared for extreme heat with these preparedness tips:

• Cover windows with drapes, shades, or aluminum foil-covered cardboard to block heat from the sun.
• Know where the cool places in your community are.
• Never leave a child, adult, or animal alone inside a car on a warm day.
• Stay hydrated.

And if you’re under a heat advisory:

• Avoid strenuous/high-energy activities.
• Get into air conditioning if possible. If you’re outside, get into the shade.
  • Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing.
• Check-in on neighbors (especially elderly and/or sick neighbors).

Check out this graphic to learn some of the signs of heat stroke, just in case! If you see any of these signs in yourself or others, immediately get out of the sun, rest, and hydrate. If symptoms persist for upwards of 15 minutes, seek medical attention.

CREW Events, Past, Present, & Future:

Webinar with Massachusetts Librarians - May 14th

CREW partnered with Massachusetts Libraries to raise awareness for and interest in libraries participating in our upcoming Climate Preparedness Week. Mass Libraries System has pledged a goal of engaging 50 libraries/events for this September’s Climate Prep Week! Check out the webinar here.

Watch CREW on BNN - June 27th

Boston Neighborhood Network News was kind enough to invite us on their channel to talk with host Chris Lovett about our work. Craig Altemose and our new program manager, Reverend Vernon Walker, discussed preparing communities for extreme weather events and connecting networks. Check out the segment here on BNN’s Facebook page!

Second Annual Climate Preparedness Week - September 24th-30th

CREW is organizing our second annual Climate Preparedness Week, held during the last week of September. After last year’s successful inaugural Climate Prep Week, we’re so excited to be expanding our programming throughout the entire state of Massachusetts this year, so watch out for climate readiness workshops, tree-plantings, and more! We are also inviting individuals and group organizations alike to host their own climate preparedness events throughout the week. Those who are interested should contact Vernon Walker at [email protected].

CREW Team Happenings

MEET VERNON, OUR NEW PROGRAM MANAGER!

Rev. Vernon K. Walker  joined our staff in late May, and he will be leading the preparations for Climate Preparedness Week and managing the growing number of CREW teams and Climate Resilience Hubs. A west Philly native, Vernon has spent the past seven years in the Boston area organizing for social action through his work at various institutions. Read his full bio on our site, or check out his intro video!

MEET ADIN AND MIA, OUR SUMMER INTERNS!

We’re delighted to have Adin and Mia join the CREW team for the summer! Both born and raised in Massachusetts, our interns are excited to be working among the communities in which they grew up. Mia is a rising senior at Scripps College majoring in Environmental Analysis and Adin is a rising junior at Boston College majoring in Environmental Sociology (and both are minoring in music, fun fact!). Read their full bios on our site.

Climate Corner: Resilience at the Local Level

Climate, Housing Activists Find Common Ground on Tax

“Climate and housing justice groups are proud to have come together to offer a solution that we hope will work for everyone: Double the real estate transfer fee to equally fund affordable housing and climate resilience.” Check out this great breakdown of Massachusetts activists’ counter-proposal to Governor Baker’s plan to support climate resilience by Karen Chen of CPA Justice and our ED Craig Atlemose. Craig also testified at the bill's hearing on June 18th to show his support for the above proposal. You can read in more detail about the hearing on our blog!

Environmental Justice Efforts

More lawmakers are starting to realize how differentiated the impacts of climate change can be, depending on extenuating social factors. That’s why this group of legislators are joining together to pass these environmental justice bills.

News Updates: Extreme Weather and Climate Resilience in the Media

FEMA Flood Data

Flood insurance claims are piling up across the nation, even in areas far from the shore. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released tens of millions of records from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The data release includes over 50 million policy transactions from the past decade and information on 2.4 million damage claims dating back to 1970, representing nearly $70 billion in payments. Read more here.

The Youth Climate Movement is Just Getting Started

Whether they’re suing the US government for not acting strongly enough on climate change or participating in mass climate strikes across the globe, youth around the world are demanding that politicians take decisive action on climate change. The movement has started to engage a younger and more diverse group of activists, and is only growing.

Show Your Stripes

On Friday, June 21, meteorologists across the country united to show their consensus on the science behind climate change. Using simple graphics from a nonprofit called Climate Central, meteorologists displayed the alarming warming trends in their respective areas. Each graphic shows tangible, objective data of temperatures in a given area, and almost uniformly begin in deep blues, transitioning lighter and lighter until they transform to light pink, and then become darker reds. Check out your area's stripes here!

Extreme Tornado Outbreaks Are Becoming More Extreme

Outbreaks of tornadoes — where multiple tornadoes form over an area in just a few hours or days — are responsible for most of the devastating destruction caused by severe weather, and a new analysis has reached a worrying conclusion about the worst of these outbreaks. Read more here.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and check out our new YouTube channel!

CREW's YouTube channel is up and running! Subscribe to see clips from events like our library seminar, Vernon's introduction video, educational presentations, and much, much more! Share with your friends to optimize climate resilience awareness in your community!

Follow us at @climatecrews on Twitter and like us on Facebookfor emergency preparedness tips, relevant resilience news, and more!

Support our work!

Please help us build neighborhood resilience across New England by donating on our website, or sending a check to 30 Bow Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138.

Your support will make it possible for us to reach out to more communities and help them prepare for extreme weather events.