The Healthy Neighborhoods Equity Fund is a groundbreaking example of impact investing that marries margin and mission in a marketable fund focused on social determinants of health in the built environment.
Completing a new neighborhood development is just the beginning of the story. The true success of such targeted investment will come with the changes it brings to a community over time. That’s where Vedette Gavin, CLF’s Director of Research, comes in. “The reality is that the relationship between development and health is extremely complex,” she says.
The story of North Atlantic right whales is a sadly familiar one. Historically, they were targeted by whalers because they were commercially lucrative and easy to kill. Today, with barely 500 North Atlantic right whales left on the planet, they face threats from warming waters, which push their food sources north, as well as fishing net entanglements and ship collisions.
As Director of Agriculture and Environment for Nuestras Raíces, a Holyoke-based community organization, Rafael Herrero is overseeing an ambitious effort to train 100 new farmers in earth-friendly practices over the next two years.
CLF President Bradley Campbell said, “Community health is vitally dependent on neighborhood design and smart investment, which is why CLF is proud to partner with MHIC on projects researched and designed to promote affordability, mobility, and better health outcomes.”
Fighting Big Gas How One Community’s Fight Could Shape the Future of New England Restoring Lake Champlain Reasons for Hope after Decades of Degradation Local Food 2.0 Training a New Generation of Farmers in Western Massachusetts Whale Watch Saving North Atlantic Right Whales from Extinction Measuring Community Health A New Research Model Puts the Community… Continue reading Conservation Matters Summer 2017: Year in Review
This 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
Today marks the start of the National Governors Association summer meeting in Providence, Rhode Island. Held over four days, the meeting will bring together more than 30 governors from across the country to discuss the most critical issues facing our nation. However, one of the glaring omissions from the conference’s agenda: climate change, specifically state… Continue reading New England Governors, Stand Up for Paris
“No matter how you slice it, the future of Massachusetts’ energy grid, economy, and environment relies upon offshore wind. Today, the Commonwealth took a big step toward making that future a reality,” said Conservation Law Foundation Staff Attorney Megan Herzog. “Though we are disappointed that regulators did not heed our call for an earlier deadline to get turbines spinning, we are confident that wind developers can propose catalyzing projects that deliver clean energy to Massachusetts residents as quickly as possible while protecting our valuable marine and coastal resources. Conservation Law Foundation will stay engaged every step of the way to make sure Massachusetts fully seizes this opportunity for healthier air, local jobs, and climate-friendly electricity.”
Last week, I gave a presentation on the pollutants that plague Lake Champlain. On one slide I focused on the negative impacts of microbeads – miniature plastic balls so tiny that they slip through wastewater treatment systems and wind up in our lakes (and rivers, streams, and ocean). Once in the water, microbeads don’t biodegrade… Continue reading The Threat of Plastic Pollution
