This summer, 10 right whales died, including Wolverine, the great-grandson of famous right whale matriarch Kleenex. Each whale death this year means families lost mothers, fathers, siblings, and grandchildren — a family tree that’s losing branches. Calving mothers like Kleenex are crucial to the right whales’ survival.
We live surrounded by trash, especially single-use plastic. It’s in our homes, schools, restaurants, offices, communities, and the environment. There’s so much waste that it can be easy to miss its full scale in our lives. Manufacturers and brand owners have created this throw-away culture by mass-producing disposable goods. But when it comes time to… Continue reading Can You Slash Your Trash for One Week?
New Englanders don’t need this dirty fossil fuel.
The world’s oceans are in dire straits. A startling UN report confirms what we at CLF have been saying for years: Without drastic measures to halt climate-damaging emissions and protect our oceans, life in New England, and around the world, will be forever changed. If we act now, we can still protect our oceans and way of life for future generations. But we don’t have a moment to waste.
“These troubling allegations suggest unlawful conduct at the highest levels of the agency and possibly among lawyers at the Department of Justice,” said Erica Fuller, a senior staff attorney at the Conservation Law Foundation. “The officials charged with protecting this species appear willing to misrepresent the facts and the science to both the court and the public, because they’re hell-bent on doing nothing that might save right whales from extinction.”
Roads, drinking water wells, landfills, and other infrastructure are susceptible to rising groundwater, too. “We actually have infrastructure that’s inland that we need to be thinking about as well in terms of reliability and functionality in the face of climate change,” said Elena Mihaly, staff attorney at Conservation Law Foundation.
“Transportation emissions are worsening the climate crisis, and it’s about time the region worked together on a solution,” said Amy Laura Cahn, Director of CLF’s Healthy Communities and Environmental Justice program. “Underserved communities have endured the majority of pollution and a lack of healthy transportation options for too long, and they must be the first to see the benefits from a clean transportation system. While today’s plan is a good first step, we need to be working on all fronts to reduce emissions and improve air quality.”
“Once again the Trump Administration is pandering to big oil and gas at the expense of our health and our communities,” said Emily Green, CLF Staff Attorney. “This new rule attacks critical state standards that keep our air clean. As we run out of time to tackle the climate crisis, this policy moves the country in the wrong direction. It leads directly to a dirtier, more polluted future. No one, not even automakers, wants to hit reverse on these standards.”
“This report is yet another reminder that dithering by world leaders in the face of the climate crisis is becoming more costly and deadly by the minute,” said Bradley Campbell, President of CLF. “Neither the stroke of a Sharpie nor well-intentioned rhetoric can avert or obscure the irreversible damage already done to our oceans and our security. Only a quantum leap in climate leadership can limit the scale of the catastrophe and avoid utter betrayal of future generations.”
As I remember the lives lost in Puerto Rico to Hurricane María, I urge you to join the millions of people on strike today demanding climate action and climate justice. We have the solutions to solve the climate crisis, but we need our political leaders to take action – now.
