Dec 20, 2017

Bad Policy Could Crash the Achievements of Self-Driving Cars

There’s a consensus that self-driving cars are on the cusp of bringing about a transportation revolution that will address many environmental and societal challenges. However, it relies on a few critical assumptions about our future that are not guaranteed. The self-driving car industry paints a picture of blissful commutes, less pollution, and fewer accidents. But… Continue reading Bad Policy Could Crash the Achievements of Self-Driving Cars

Autonomous vehicles
Dec 15, 2017

Massachusetts Gives Huge Handout of Public Land to Private Developer

“This is quite possibly the worst decision ever made on who has access to our public tidelands and waterfront,” said CLF senior counsel Peter Shelley. “And it now sets a precedent for even worse privatization of public tidelands in the future.  It comes at a time when the public is justifiably upset that wealthy developers and luxury condominiums are walling off Boston Harbor from the people who paid to clean it up and make it attractive in the first place — the people of Massachusetts.”

Nov 29, 2017

Boston City Council Votes Unanimously To Ban Plastic Bags

… The Massachusetts-based Conservation Law Foundation, in its own statement, praised the ordinance while shifting attention to the noticeable silence on the matter that has come from the Mayor’s Office in recent days. “We are optimistic that Mayor Walsh will follow the lead of 59 other Massachusetts cities and towns,” the statement noted, “and sign… Continue reading Boston City Council Votes Unanimously To Ban Plastic Bags

Nov 29, 2017

City of Boston Bans Single-Use Plastic Bags

“More than 350 million single-use plastic bags hit the streets of Boston this year alone, most of which end up filling our landfills, littering our communities, and polluting our air when burned up in incinerators,” said Kirstie Pecci, Director of CLF’s Zero Waste Project. “This new ordinance protects the health of our neighborhoods and our environment, while at the same time easing the burden on taxpayers and saving local retailers millions. We are optimistic that Mayor Walsh will follow the lead of 59 other Massachusetts cities and towns and sign this ordinance into law.”

Nov 25, 2017

Green Line Extension Back on Track

CLF has been steadfast in our push for the Green Line extension (GLX), but making it a reality has been a rollercoaster ride with twists and turns that threatened to derail this critical public transportation project before it could get off the ground. However, last week, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) took a significant… Continue reading Green Line Extension Back on Track

Nov 16, 2017

Community Voices: Life in the Shadows of the Wheelabrator Landfill

Landfills like this one in Saugus, MA, are notorious for releasing lead, mercury, and other cancer-causing chemicals into our air and water – so it’s no surprise that the surrounding communities are feeling the burden of their polluting neighbor.

Photo: Doreen Weinberg stands across from the Wheelabrator Landfill in Saugus
Nov 08, 2017

One Year Down: Fighting Back and Fighting On for New England

We’re not giving in. Yes, approaching a year after President’s Trump’s election, he seems intent on undermining decades of work to protect public health and the environment and fostering an ideology that denies and denigrates the basic facts of science. But we’ve been here before. In the 1970s, oil companies were intent on drilling for… Continue reading One Year Down: Fighting Back and Fighting On for New England

Photo: Shutterstock
Nov 06, 2017

Landfills, Incinerators, and Waste Disposal: Not a Necessary Evil, Just Evil

What if I told you that I wanted to build a facility in your town that would cost taxpayers a lot to construct, but create only a few low-quality jobs? Once operational, it would contaminate the air and groundwater and poison neighbors’ wells for decades. What’s more, this contamination would be largely ignored, and probably… Continue reading Landfills, Incinerators, and Waste Disposal: Not a Necessary Evil, Just Evil