Dear Friend of Greater Boston PSR,

We at Greater Boston PSR are grateful for the many concrete results of our advocacy this year.  

Nuclear effort. Your efforts and contributions led to decisive local action in support of broader nuclear war prevention. Thanks to our efforts and to the leadership of Boston City Councilor Liz Breadon, on December 8th the Boston City Council unanimously adopted a resolution calling on our federal leaders to make nuclear disarmament the centerpiece of its national security policy. We are now focusing on passage of a similar Resolution (S1556) at the State legislature.

At the Boston City Council Meeting, Councilor Breadon held up a petition from 300 students at Boston Latin School, who had recently heard a compelling talk by GBPSR board member Dr. Ira Helfand, urging the council to pass a resolution stepping back from the brink of nuclear war.

Climate work. Working alongside many of our grassroots allies, GBPSR advocated successfully to stop a proposed biomass incinerator in Springfield, safeguarding the health of Springfield residents and protecting our air quality. Our effort to strengthen the Department of Energy Resources' Renewable Portfolio Standard by stopping the classification of dirty biomass as a renewable energy source is ongoing.

We continue to raise awareness of the risk of fossil fuels to human health–both directly and as the principal driver of the climate crisis. In addition, we educate policymakers, health professionals and citizens about the immediate health benefits of improved air quality. To this end, we have:

• Testified to the EPA, state legislature, Department of Public Utilities and other government entities about the health risks of methane, biomass and diesel 'peaker' plants;
• Advocated at Boards of Health in Massachusetts to solicit their partnership in calling for health and environmental impact assessments of the proposed peaker plant and compressor station in Peabody;
• Educated our fellow clinicians about the health risks of fossil fuel derived hydrogen.

Is it enough? No — there is so much work left to do. The problems that we address are growing more acute every day.

We have innovative ideas and ambitious goals — but our success depends on you. Will you donate towards this important work today? Your tax-deductible gift will help us increase our reach.

 DONATE ONLINE  or by check to: 

Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility
PO Box 470563
Brookline, Massachusetts 02447

We also welcome you to join our efforts by lending your skills and interests to our work. If you would like to volunteer, please reach out to us via info@gbpsr.org. With your help, we can continue to tackle these and many other critical issues in 2021.

Thank you for supporting Greater Boston PSR and helping us continue our mission of transformative change.

Brita E. Lundberg, M.D.

Chair of the Board

Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility

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Additional Greater Boston PSR 2021 key accomplishments:

• Partnered with allied groups for the successful passage of “BERDO,” a Boston building ordinance that requires the largest carbon polluters, including hospitals, to reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2050. 
• Partnered again with International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War and featuring music by Yo-Yo Ma and the Longwood Symphony Orchestra at our annual fall event honoring Greater Boston PSR co-founder Dr. Bernard Lown. You can listen to this fantastic concert here.
• Organized a successful webinar on nuclear weapons in collaboration with the Massachusetts Medical Society that drew more than 250 participants from around the country. 
• Called out shortsighted energy pricing by ISO-New England that must be updated to increase representation of renewable energy sources.
• Successfully advocated for passage of Boston City Council resolution urging the U.S. Congress to fulfill its obligation to prevent nuclear war.
• Advocated for numerous bills on Beacon Hill, including the Future of Heat bill that would provide incentives for utility-scale networked ground-source heat pumps and allow utilities to sell thermal heat.
• Advocated at the Department of Public Utilities to require utilities to meet Massachusetts greenhouse gas emission reduction targets (20-80 plan).
• Advanced public awareness of the connection between cooking with gas stoves and pediatric asthma.
• Raised awareness of the risks of adding fossil fuel derived hydrogen to methane, which will increase indoor air pollution several-fold and create explosion hazards.
• Spoke at many venues about the health benefits of electrification, such as induction stoves and air-source heat pumps. 
• Worked with allies at the East Boston Climate Coalition, a group of organizations including Conservation Law Foundation, Sierra Club, Belle Isle Marsh, to enforce laws mitigating the effects of climate-change driven coastal flooding on Boston’s most at-risk communities. As part of this, we have advocated for community access to the waterfront  and against temporary solutions that benefit only high end development.  
• Alongside our grassroots allies, successfully advocated for air quality monitors at the compressor station in Weymouth. We also continue to raise awareness around the many negative health impacts of the compressor station and have demanded a legislative review of the health impact assessment process and a prospective health study.
• Called for stronger air pollution standards and improved enforcement in Massachusetts.