DALTON, Mass. — The Green Committee is hosting a climate change preparedness public education forum on Thursday,  Aug. 3, at the Stationery Factory. 

 

This free event is a collaboration between the Green Committee, the Stationery Factory, and Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. 

 

The ultimate goal of the event is to educate residents on ways they can reduce fossil fuel by using available funding programs and technology, committee member Steven Marantz said. 

 

"I would say an unprecedented ecological and humanitarian crisis will without a doubt occur if we do not address climate change aggressively," added committee member Todd Logan. 

 

If climate change is not addressed the average temperature of the Earth increases and the tropics will eventually become inhabitable, member Thomas Irwin said. Approximately, 3 billion people, which is half of the population on earth, will be displaced creating "an unfathomable disaster" including lack of housing, food, and resources for the migrants. 

 

"We don't have the resources to be able to handle it and house those people," Irwin said. 

 

"I would say an unprecedented ecological and humanitarian crisis will without a doubt occur if we do not address climate change aggressively," Logan said. 

 

During this free event, experts will speak on navigating funding opportunities for weatherizing and obtaining heating pumps and solar panels for homes, businesses and rentals. 

 

The event will kick off at 5 p.m. in the venue's main stage space that will house MassSave-approved weatherization and heat pump vendors.   

 

Although open to the public, the event is directed toward residents of Becket, Cheshire, Cummington, Dalton, Hinsdale, Peru, Savoy, Washington and Windsor. 

 

Starting at 6 p.m. there will be a panel discussion with Green Energy Consumers Alliance Executive Director Larry Chretien and Berkshire Regional Planning Commission's environmental and energy planner Sherdyl Fernandez-Aubert. 

 

Audience members will have a chance to ask questions following the discussion. Register for the event here.