AS THE WILDFIRES raged out west on July 26, we woke up to a hazy sky that was uncharacteristic of the Boston area. The usual clear and clean skies of living next to the ocean disappeared and our air quality hit a dangerous and “unhealthy” level. As healthcare workers looking at this thick smog, we […]
Climate change
Posted inTransportation
Biden proposes ambitious electric vehicle plan
THE BIDEN administration announced a series of policy measures on Thursday designed to accelerate the country’s embrace of electric vehicles, a move that should make it easier for states like Massachusetts to meet their climate change goals. The White House said it plans to increase fuel efficiency standards for vehicles and place new restrictions on […]
Posted inOpinion
Mass. must lead in combating climate crisis
SIX MONTHS into President Biden’s first year in office, we are witnessing a profound reversal of the anti-environment legacy that his predecessor left behind. Our federal government is poised to make meaningful progress toward combatting climate change. Indeed, the Biden administration recently committed to reducing US greenhouse emissions by 50 percent by 2030. With bold […]
Posted inOpinion
Mass. needs to prioritize shovel-worthy projects
THE AMERICAN JOBS PLAN marks a huge opportunity for our state and country. These funds, in addition to those provided by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), could bring a transformational investment to the Massachusetts transportation system, which for too long has focused on moving cars instead of people. Like states across the country, Massachusetts is preparing […]
Posted inOpinion
No justification for proposed Peabody gas plant
THE MASSACHUSETTS Municipal Wholesale Electric Company and the staff at some participating municipal light plants say that building a new, 60-megawatt combined natural gas and oil peaker power plant in Peabody is absolutely necessary. The proposed peaker plant will run only when energy demand is high – and will cost ratepayers in 14 communities with […]
Posted inOpinion
Mass. should set 100% clean energy mandate
WITH LAST MONTH’S approval of the nation’s first large-scale offshore wind project off the coast of Massachusetts, a clean energy future is within our grasp in the United States. Nowhere is that more evident than in Massachusetts. Our state is poised to deliver 800 megawatts of reliable, clean power to thousands of homes and businesses […]
Posted inOpinion
Gearing up to cope with extreme heat
SUMMER 2020 was one for the record books, and not just because of COVID-19. Temperatures in June, July, and August made last summer the hottest on record in Massachusetts. Throughout a global pandemic that has now caused almost 600,000 US deaths and over 3 million worldwide, the climate crisis rages on, and its impacts – […]
Posted inOpinion
In dealing with climate change, don’t forget solar, storage
LAST MONTH, Gov. Charlie Baker signed landmark climate change legislation. Press coverage that focused on the sparring between the governor and the Legislature over the details obscured the bigger story, which is that both the Legislature and the Baker administration are aligned on the need for Massachusetts to set – and meet – a goal […]
Posted inOpinion
The real work begins now on climate change
THIS SPRING, as flowers and trees begin to bloom in New England, our clean energy industry is also ready to blossom after decades of delays and setbacks. Last month Gov. Charlie Baker signed one of the strongest climate bills in the nation, committing to reduce emissions 50 percent by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by […]
Posted inOpinion
Climate change law codifies environmental justice
MASSACHUSETTS RECENTLY took a significant step towards addressing the problem of climate change, passing An Act Creating a Next Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy. In addition to important provisions aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and building a greener economy, the act codifies—for the first time in Massachusetts—the principles of environmental justice into statute, with a […]