On September 24 in Springfield, there will be a rally against climate change and air pollution. The rally starts at 11:30 a.m. at city hall. It will last for one hour. As of September 23, more than 130 people had RSVP'd on the event's Facebook page:

www.facebook.com/events/1646776905563353

“It looks like we're going to have a great turnout,” organizer Michaelann Bewsee told the Valley Post on September 23. More information about the rally is available by calling Arise for Social Justice (www.AriseSpringfield.org) at (413) 734-4948.

The world's leading scientists say climate change is a major threat to earth's ability to support human life. Air pollution kills thousands of Americans every year.

One of the best ways to fight climate change and air pollution is to protect farmland and forestland from being converted to roads, driveways, parking lots, houses, Walmart stores and other kinds of so-called “development.” New homes can be created by converting rundown, drafty single family houses to energy efficient multi-family housing. In New York City, rich people live in apartments. Several land trusts in the Valley permanently protect land from development. Their names and contact info are at www.FindALandTrust.org.

Land trusts get most of their money from the government. Politicians decide how much to invest in saving open space versus the military and building prisons. Raising taxes on millionaires is another way to invest in saving farmland and forestland. State governments and the federal government invest in land trusts. Some towns in the Valley have open space protection funds.

Saving open space means people will live closer together, which makes it possible to live without a car. The city of Springfield can invest more in making buildings more energy efficient.