UPDATE: Vermont is once again caught in the midst of a blinding heatwave. Our state has never been this hot for this long in June – and it’s not letting up. From Maine to the Arctic Circle and around the globe, regions that typically don’t experience this type of heat are breaking temperature records. Like… Continue reading UPDATE: Dangerous Heat Waves Demand Immediate Climate Action
CLF is focused on driving forward a future that is equitable and healthy for all, while also confronting the most urgent environmental threats in the here and now. The work we do, together, in the next five years will lay the foundation for the 50 years that follow.
“COVID-19 has laid bare the tragic impact toxic emissions and air pollution can have on our health,” said Emily Green, Senior Attorney at CLF. “Rolling back rules designed to create cleaner air and reduce climate-damaging emissions defies reason – and the law. We must hold this administration accountable for its continued attacks on our health and our environment.”
“In addition to being a major source of air pollution, the Merrimack Station coal-fired power plant has been destroying the health of the Merrimack River,” Tom Irwin, Director of Conservation Law Foundation New Hampshire said. “It’s inexcusable that EPA, after determining this outdated facility would require modern cooling towers, would reverse course and put the interests of Big Coal over the health of such an iconic water body.”
ExxonMobil’s climate neglect puts local communities in danger.
“With COVID disproportionately affecting communities long exposed to the brunt of air pollution, reducing transportation emissions is more important than ever,” said Staci Rubin, Senior Attorney at CLF. “This delay will give state leaders an opportunity to ensure an equitable implementation of TCI that prioritizes the communities facing the largest health impacts from pollution. Our leaders must honor their commitment and begin this program in 2022.”
“It’s an historic moment in which we’ve seen the decline and impending demise of coal, as renewables nationally and within this region have surpassed it, both in the numbers of generating plants, but also, more importantly, how much power they’re generating on a daily basis,” said Greg Cunningham, vice president and director of the Clean Energy and Climate Change Program at the Conservation Law Foundation.
Even as we mourn the lives lost to COVID-19 and absorb the heavy toll it has taken on our economy, we must recognize that the old “normal” left too many communities unhealthy and especially vulnerable to the pandemic. Replicating that old “normal” will squander an opportunity to reduce climate danger while building healthier and more just communities for all.
Here in New England, only Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Maine have binding laws that set enforceable limits on the emissions that cause climate change – the same emissions scientists say must drop to net zero before 2050 to avoid the worst effects of climate catastrophe.
“Building new ways to deliver low-carbon energy to our region is a critical piece of tackling the climate crisis,” said Phelps Turner, Senior Attorney at CLF. “DEP was absolutely right to impose significant environmental conditions on this project and ensure that it does not harm critical wildlife areas. NECEC will allow New England to retire dirty fossil fuel plants in the coming years, which is a win for our health and our climate.”
