The Green New Deal may be stalled on the federal level, but it’s always been local governments that move the needle on progress and have immediate, concrete impacts on our lives. Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu’s proposal – Planning for a Green New Deal & Just Recovery – is a great example of local action in the face of federal inertia, and offers an ambitious vision for Boston’s future.
Regional transit authorities provide a lifeline to millions of riders across the state. Our legislators must commit to funding these crucial pieces of infrastructure so they can continue to deliver necessary services for essential workers in Greater Worcester and throughout Massachusetts.
“Wastewater pollution is one of the greatest issues facing Cape Cod,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “We’ve known for decades that this pollution is destroying the Cape’s bays and ponds and threatening to drag property values and the economy down with it. Residents clearly understand the urgency of this crisis, and it’s about time our officials to end the pattern of do-little and delay and commit to solving the problem. ”
New England is extremely vulnerable to climate change. It’s a crisis not only for the environment, but also for the health of our communities. It will take systemic change in the way we do business, the way we govern, and the way we guide people to solve climate change and move into the next century.
Covid-19 has laid bare the profound impact that your neighborhood has on your health. People in low-income communities of color with higher levels of pollution and overcrowded housing are being sickened and killed by the virus at much higher rates.
Massachusetts regulated six dangerous PFAS chemicals. It’s a good start but, like its New England neighbors, more can be done to safeguard our drinking water.
Too many of Eastie’s residents don’t have access to Boston Harbor despite it being the longest stretch of waterfront in the city and having the most striking views. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us both the need for better open spaces and recreation areas for communities of color and the hurdles they face when it comes to actually using that space. Nowhere is that clearer than in East Boston.
Addressing physical infrastructure only will never be enough to ensure that our communities and our neighbors can both withstand climate impacts and bounce back quickly when catastrophe strikes. The neighborhoods highlighted in this study are currently the highest risk in terms of both the social and physical risks of climate impacts in the City of Boston. The City can and must support and develop climate resilience hubs to ensure that our communities have the resources they need now and into the future.
Addressing physical infrastructure only will never be enough to ensure that our communities and our neighbors can both withstand climate impacts and bounce back quickly when catastrophe strikes. The neighborhoods highlighted in this study are currently the highest risk in terms of both the social and physical risks of climate impacts in the City of Boston. The City can and must support and develop climate resilience hubs to ensure that our communities have the resources they need now and into the future.
“The public absolutely has a right to know if their drinking water is safe,” said Brad Campbell, President of CLF. “These new standards are a major advance in safeguarding our water from toxic PFAS. The provision for three-year reviews will further protect us and will ensure that these critical standards keep pace with the growing body of science on PFAS toxicity.”
