STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE STATE ENERGY and environmental officials responsible for making sure Massachusetts meets its greenhouse gas emissions reductions commitments already had their work cut out for them and now a proposal to adjust the baseline that emissions are compared against could turn up the level of difficulty even further. The Department of […]
Climate change
Posted inOpinion
Grid operator should stop crying wolf
NEW ENGLAND’S fossil fuel interests and electric grid operator are at it again. Every winter, they issue dire warnings that our region’s power grid won’t be able to handle the stress of another season of extreme weather. As this week’s CommonWealth story highlights, 2022 is no different. It’s time to call out ISO-New England (our […]
Posted inThe Download
Fault lines in New England’s climate plan
Electricity in many ways is the key to the region’s climate change plans – bulk up and decarbonize the New England power grid and then use the green electricity to move cars, trucks, and heating systems off of fossil fuels. It sounds like a solid plan, but this winter Massachusetts and the rest of New […]
Posted inEnvironment
Fault lines in New England’s climate plan
ELECTRICITY IN MANY WAYS is the key to the region’s climate change plans – bulk up and decarbonize the New England power grid and then use the green electricity to move cars, trucks, and heating systems off of fossil fuels. It sounds like a solid plan, but this winter Massachusetts and the rest of New […]
Posted inEconomy, Race/Racism
Combating climate change could yield societal change
IT IS HARD to miss the urgent calls to do something about global warming. The Paris Agreement, Greta Thunberg, President Biden’s infrastructure legislation — the unusual climate patterns and the destruction they cause serve as a call to action from every corner. But climate change is not just about climate. It’s also an opportunity to […]
Posted inOpinion
Boston Green New Deal should include downsized Logan Airport
HIGH ON BOSTON Mayor Michelle Wu’s agenda is a municipal-level Green New Deal. Indeed, the new mayor recently declared that she is “looking to make Boston the greenest city.” The Boston Green New Deal document, released in 2020 by then-Councilor Wu, makes clear that this undertaking is not simply about dramatically cutting carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions; it is also […]
Posted inOpinion
Lower the voting age, the planet depends on it
DEVASTATING WILDFIRES, destructive hurricanes, extended droughts, and rising sea levels: These effects of climate change, feared by scientists for decades, are now reality for innumerable communities around the globe. Yet, despite these undisputable warnings from our planet, legislation to cut emissions consistently stalls in state and federal legislatures. America’s promise to remain dedicated to the […]
Posted inOpinion
Real work starting now at Pier 5
THE BOSTON PLANNING and Development Agency’s decision to reject the three proposals advanced for privatization of Pier 5 in Charlestown is welcome news, but now the real work begins. The community succeeded in blocking the privatization and redevelopment of the pier and now we need to come up with a better alternative. The Boston Planning […]
Posted inOpinion
Why we need to identify Green Zones
PRESIDENT BIDEN has signed an infrastructure bill that includes $21 billion for environmental remediation and $150 billion to boost clean energy and promote “climate resilience.” This money presents a tremendous opportunity for our communities to increase green infrastructure, address environmental inequality, and foster innovation, focusing on common environmental problems found in Black and Brown sections […]
Posted inEnvironment
Maine judge deals blow to Mass. climate change plan
A MAINE JUDGE dealt a blow on Thursday to a key Massachusetts initiative to address climate change by importing hydroelectricity via a 145-mile transmission line running from Quebec down to Lewiston, Maine. Judge Michael Duddy refused to issue a preliminary injunction barring a voter-approved law blocking the transmission line from taking effect on Sunday. The […]