Living Large in Cambridge,Massachusetts

I have never physically ventured to the intellectual mecca that is Cambridge, home of Harvard,etc.  And yet,I feel somewhat familiar with the city in a way due to the prominent place it occupies in Robert B Parker’s Spenser series, So, it was that I greeted the latest news from that liberal bastion. not with shock, but almost with resignation.

What are the Cambridge folks attempting to do? Why, control what you eat, literally. And not just what you eat. The  Cambridge Climate Congress ( gotta love that name, huh) has put forth a number of proposals that will impact, if adopted by City Council, every area of life. There are a number of proposals in the 20 page document being considered;so I will narrow my focus to just  a couple.

One proposal would create a”temperate zone” program. By definition, buildings would be neither heated or cooled during fall and spring. One  has to wonder if the proposal would strictly adhere to the calendar in setting these parameters. So, if there were a bitterly cold day on say March 23 or a very warm day on September 30, how would it be handled?  Would the term buildings include private residences and if so, what type of enforcement mechanism would Big Brother use ?

Number two involves food, always a popular topic. The folks in Cambridge  are advocating vegetarianism and veganism. As a part of the process, there would be “meatless” or “vegan” Mondays. The proposal actually  uses  words like asking/mandating schools and restaurants to adhere to this  program.

Even more ominous sounding to me would be the creation of a Climate Emergency Response Board to monitor response to te climate emergency, “by all sectors of Cambridge.” Wonder if Mayor Denise Simmons involved algore in this process? He has to be loving this because if  a town full of smart people  makes this work on any level at all, think of the potential for it to spread . This  gives hope to folks like  Michigan Professor Richard  Rood, who seems to like all the proposals.

What ever happened to freedom of choice on food, Cambridge? Folks must not be smart enough to do it on their own,huh?