Blog
May 5, 2017 | Facing Another Tough Season, New England’s Groundfishery Needs These Three ThingsMay’s arrival means that summer is finally close. In New England, there is no better time to enjoy a fresh, local seafood dinner than on a warm summer night. For many of us, that means serving up New England staples like haddock, cod, or flounder. These species aren’t only dinner staples, however. They also form… Continue reading Facing Another Tough Season, New England’s Groundfishery Needs These Three Things |  |
May 4, 2017 | Another Day, Another Unneeded Fracked-Gas Power PlantNew England has been stepping away from fossil fuels, and our regional grid operator hasn’t been choosing new polluting power plants. So why are energy companies still trying to build them? |  |
May 2, 2017 | Guest Blog: We Are All “Invested” in New Hampshire’s WaterMindi Messmer represents the Seacoast towns of Rye and New Castle in New Hampshire’s House of Representatives. She has been an environmental consultant for 25 years, working with businesses, banks, and the U.S. government on the presence of environmental contaminants. This blog was originally published as an article in Less Cancer Journal. I am a… Continue reading Guest Blog: We Are All “Invested” in New Hampshire’s Water | |
April 28, 2017 | Bee Protection on the Table in MassachusettsThe dramatic decline in pollinator populations linked to the overuse of a class of pesticides called neonicotinoids is putting our food supply at risk. Massachusetts must take action to restrict neonics and protect pollinators. Two bills under consideration by the legislature present good options for managing these challenges. |  |
April 27, 2017 | Will Our New Secretary of Agriculture Champion All Farmers or Just Big Ag?Our food system must evolve into a resilient resource, and that means supporting our small family farms. Will Sonny Perdue, the new U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, be able to leave his days in Big Ag behind to ensure his department supports farmers of all sizes? |  |
April 27, 2017 | Justice (Not) for All: Trump’s Proposed Budget Eliminates Environmental Justice OfficeTrump’s proposed cuts to EPA’s budget would eliminate the Office of Environmental Justice, which is charged with helping to protect vulnerable communities from the harmful impacts of pollution. |  |
April 20, 2017 | Is a City Playground Protected Land? Massachusetts Supreme Court to DecideThe Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is deliberating a case with significant implications for playgrounds, parks, and other open space across the state. The decision before them is whether Westfield’s John A. Sullivan Memorial Playground, also known as the Cross Street Playground, is constitutionally protected land that cannot be converted to other purposes without a two-thirds vote… Continue reading Is a City Playground Protected Land? Massachusetts Supreme Court to Decide | |
April 18, 2017 | Paving Vermont Farmland: Stopped!Strong Advocacy Leads to Conservation Stopping sprawl in its tracks and keeping valuable farmland available for farmers to use has taken a huge leap forward. In 2016, following a year-long legal case led by CLF, a developer withdrew plans to build a massive, sprawling complex, including shopping, a hotel, a conference center, offices, and housing in… Continue reading Paving Vermont Farmland: Stopped! | |
April 13, 2017 | The Great Neighborhoods Campaign Needs YouFor a neighborhood to truly thrive, it needs healthy people, a healthy environment, and a healthy economy with opportunities for all. That’s why CLF, along with our partners in the Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance, are working to strengthen local neighborhoods in ways that work better for everyone – especially seniors and young people. Together, we have… Continue reading The Great Neighborhoods Campaign Needs You | |
April 12, 2017 | Climate-Damaging Emissions are Down in Massachusetts, but Getting to 2050 Will Take Much MoreLast week Massachusetts finalized and released the state’s latest inventory of its statewide emissions of climate-damaging greenhouse gases (GHGs). The final numbers indicate that in 2014, the Commonwealth released the equivalent of 74.6 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which is a slight improvement over 2013. That’s good news and is far better than the increase in climate-damaging emissions we saw the year before. But a single year of slightly lower emissions isn’t good enough. |  |