A Renewable Energy Certificate is a way to measure and track the production of clean energy. It’s how states and utilities track how much clean energy is being produced by renewable energy sources and which electrical utilities are buying that power.
A Renewable Portfolio Standard is a way for states to ensure their electric utilities – and by extension, the states themselves – are making progress on clean energy. The best policies heavily emphasize clean renewables like wind and solar.
The impacts of Hurricanes Harvey and Laura on oil and chemical facilities in Texas and Louisiana were foreseeable. Yet, Big Oil giants like ExxonMobil and Shell have left their facilities there vulnerable – and now the surrounding communities are paying a terrible, long-term price. It is difficult to grapple with such a massive corporate failure. We can’t risk the same happening here in New England.
As we celebrate the four-year anniversary of New England’s national monuments, CLF is part of a growing movement of scientists, policymakers, businesses, and conservation organizations in the United States and around the world calling for the global protection of at least 30% of land and 30% of the ocean by 2030.
Communities across New England deal with the crude repercussions of local incinerators every day. As long we allow these facilities to operate, they will continue to poison our planet and our people.
UPDATE: Temperatures across the Northeast have soared this summer. As emissions rise and climate change worsens, extreme heat becomes more common and more people face these deadly conditions. We need to take action to prevent things from getting even worse — and to help those most affected.
We know that to protect biodiversity and build our ocean’s resilience to climate change, we must protect much more of New England’s ocean.
“Big oil has known about the risks of the climate crisis for decades, and their silence and inaction speak volumes,” said Brad Campbell, President of CLF. “The communities surrounding these terminals are constantly at risk of being inundated with a stew of oil and toxic materials. It’s long past time for these companies to step up and prepare their facilities for flooding and extreme weather. The courts must hold them accountable under current law to avoid catastrophe.”
In times of change and upheaval, there is also room for hope and inspiration. While we collectively have much hard work ahead of us, we also have much to commend. Our hope is that this report offers insight into the work that your support makes possible – and inspiration for what we know we can accomplish together.
This spring, the Trump administration reversed stronger protections for our nation’s waters, putting people, animals, and local businesses at risk. CLF and our partners are fighting this latest attack: We’re taking the administration to court.
