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.
“Electric cars, trucks, and buses are the future,” said CLF Senior Attorney Emily Green. “Cutting transportation emissions to zero is a critical piece of confronting the climate crisis and protecting public health from toxic exhaust. This is yet another example of states leading the way while the federal government turns back the clock on environmental progress.
Like COVID-19, severe heat waves are not an “equal opportunity” health threat. The most disinvested neighborhoods — those dominated by buildings, pavement, and parking lots — are hit the hardest. The built environment of these places absorbs and traps heat, creating a “heat island effect” that makes them dangerously hotter than other neighborhoods while worsening their air quality.
Communities of color and those with low incomes not only deserve to enjoy waterfront open spaces for recreation and exercise – it’s also their right by law. And yet, through neglect and outright refusal by corporate interests, too many do not have the chance to run, walk, or even stretch near the water. We can and must do better.
“The FMCB took on a monumental challenge and helped stabilize the T during a time of crisis,” said Staci Rubin, Senior Attorney at CLF. “Now was simply not the time to let the T board dissolve, and the legislature clearly recognized that fact. A one-year extension is a good interim step, and we look forward to working with the legislature to implement a permanent T successor board that includes riders and is empowered to create a world-class transportation system for the region.”
Decades of environmental injustices won’t be addressed without strong legislation to drive change. Local organizations are working to reduce burdens on environmental justice communities, but it’s up to the Massachusetts legislature to redress decades of wrongs and put our state on a path to a more equitable future.
After a victory in the first phase of our lawsuit to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales, now we’re asking the court for protective measures in the second phase.
UPDATE: Vermont is once again caught in the midst of a blinding heatwave. Our state has never been this hot for this long in June – and it’s not letting up. From Maine to the Arctic Circle and around the globe, regions that typically don’t experience this type of heat are breaking temperature records. Like… Continue reading UPDATE: Dangerous Heat Waves Demand Immediate Climate Action
Priya Gandbhir joined CLF in 2020. She is a Senior Attorney in the Clean Energy and Climate Change program. In this role, Priya works in pursuit of a clean and just energy future by, in part, working collaboratively with local community groups, advocating and litigating before public utility commissions, and engaging with New England’s regional… Continue reading Priya Gandbhir
The string of nor’easters we had in 2018 was a wake-up call: There was a viral video of a dumpster floating down Seaport Boulevard. But the unfortunate reality is a lot of the Seaport is already built out. The city of Boston has done a great job of planning for climate change, but we’ve moved pretty slowly on implementation, so the opportunity we had to leverage private development to get dollars for some of these district-wide resilience projects has come and gone
