Blog
August 10, 2017 | Connecticut’s Draft Energy Strategy Is Big on Dirty Gas, Short on Clean EnergyBy Caitlin Peale Sloan and Max Greene In July, Governor Malloy released a long-awaited Comprehensive Energy Strategy for Connecticut. While it shows Connecticut’s interest in cutting carbon pollution, this strategy will not help the state reach its clean energy goals. Instead, it would further Connecticut’s reliance on dirty gas and destructive gas pipelines. What the… Continue reading Connecticut’s Draft Energy Strategy Is Big on Dirty Gas, Short on Clean Energy |  |
August 9, 2017 | What Rick Perry’s Grid Reliability Study Means for New EnglandIn April, Department of Energy Secretary Rick Perry ordered a study on the reliability of our electric grid. This should be good news. The infrastructure of transmission lines, substations, and local delivery wires that make up the electricity grid is old and needs to be updated. But it was clear from the language of the… Continue reading What Rick Perry’s Grid Reliability Study Means for New England |  |
August 7, 2017 | The Fight for Solar in Maine ContinuesIn a stunning walk backwards, the Maine legislature failed again to override Governor LePage’s veto of legislation that would have supported solar progress in Maine. Passed in June, the bipartisan bill would have helped create stability in the state’s solar marketplace by ensuring that solar panel customers are fairly compensated for the power they produce… Continue reading The Fight for Solar in Maine Continues |  |
August 4, 2017 | CLF Takes EPA to Court for Allowing Landfills to PollutePresident Trump’s EPA Administrator, Scott Pruitt, is on a crusade to pollute our air by rolling back important rules that keep New England – and the rest of the U.S. – safe from dangerous emissions. But in his rush to shut down important rules that protect our air, water, and health, Pruitt has started cutting… Continue reading CLF Takes EPA to Court for Allowing Landfills to Pollute |  |
August 3, 2017 | Commerce Department Sets Dangerous Precedent in Overrule of Fishery CommissionPresident Trump’s Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross, is making waves in fisheries management—and setting a dangerous precedent that may undermine future efforts to protect vulnerable fish stocks in the Northeast. Earlier this month, Secretary Ross took the unprecedented action of overruling a fisheries management action made by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The Commission… Continue reading Commerce Department Sets Dangerous Precedent in Overrule of Fishery Commission |  |
August 3, 2017 | Denier: Governor Sununu Says Global Warming May Not Be Caused by Carbon EmissionsNew Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu has now openly denied the scientific consensus that climate change is primarily caused by excess heat-trapping carbon in our atmosphere. Initially, we were hopeful the governor might rise above partisan politics and family prejudices (his brother Michael is an outspoken climate denier) to take a responsible position on climate change.… Continue reading Denier: Governor Sununu Says Global Warming May Not Be Caused by Carbon Emissions |  |
July 28, 2017 | Maine Passes New Law to Increase Access to Local FoodMaine lawmakers have made it easier for small farmers to get their products directly to your plate with the recent passage of L.D. 725, “An Act to Recognize Local Control Regarding Food Systems.” This new “food sovereignty” law allows cities and towns to pass ordinances exempting local farmers and food producers from licensing and inspection… Continue reading Maine Passes New Law to Increase Access to Local Food |  |
July 24, 2017 | Marine Reserves are Climate Reserves – and We Need More of ThemI’m riding on a small ferry to an island off the coast of Maine when the captain suddenly slows the boat. He comes over the loudspeaker and speaks in a quiet voice. “On the left of the boat, next to the rocks is an Atlantic Puffin,” he says. Craning our necks, my fellow passengers and… Continue reading Marine Reserves are Climate Reserves – and We Need More of Them |  |
July 18, 2017 | Defining Moment: The Importance of Advancing the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative’s Climate LeadershipPresident Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement has placed a renewed emphasis on local, state, and regional action on climate change. Just last month, 14 states – including four in New England – entered into the U.S. Climate Alliance, vowing to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement within their borders. The… Continue reading Defining Moment: The Importance of Advancing the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative’s Climate Leadership |  |
July 14, 2017 | Boston: When Public Spaces Aren’t Really PublicThis week, the City of Boston proclaimed its dedication to working with developers to create public spaces in the midst of its new construction boom – and ensuring that those spaces are kept public and welcoming. The next day, the Intercontinental Hotel at 500 Atlantic Avenue received a notice from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental… Continue reading Boston: When Public Spaces Aren’t Really Public |  |