On August 15, Massachusetts lost a powerful voice for justice. Michaelann Bewsee was a fearless ally and treasured friend whose passion and selflessness profoundly impacted the lives of her neighbors in Springfield and beyond for generations. In her honor, we want to share this piece, originally published in March of 2015, about her work to… Continue reading Protecting New England Together
In the last couple of weeks, the news has reported tragic stories of healthy dogs dying shortly after swimming in toxic algae-choked waters. These stories highlight the dangers of the algae pollution problem here in Massachusetts, where dog owners have been warned to keep their pets out of waters across the state. This is one of many reasons why CLF is fighting so hard to clean up our waters.
Mothers Out Front pioneers new model of activism on climate change
“Enel continues to extract from the city of Lawrence while refusing to protect these historic canals,” said CLF attorney Phelps Turner. “While the ruling will force the company to improve its practices, it falls far short in ensuring this critical resource is no longer littered with trash and putting residents in danger. We’re looking at all of our options moving forward to hold Enel accountable for protecting this core piece of the Lawrence landscape.”
CLF succeeds because we have people like you by our side. In this special annual report issue of Conservation Matters, we are honoring just a few of our many local heroes, people who have devoted their time, energy, and passion to defending our homes, protecting our children’s health, and supporting the vibrancy of our communities.
Extreme weather caused by climate change may damage coastal infrastructure by degrading equipment containing hazardous chemicals or by flooding storage facilities. But fossil fuel companies like ExxonMobil and Shell would rather take their chances and do nothing to ready their facilities. CLF knows, however, that these companies have a legal duty (not to mention an ethical one) to adapt their facilities to the foreseeable effects of climate change.
“Combatting climate change means we have to break our dependence on fossil fuels and go electric,” said Staci Rubin, Senior Attorney at CLF. “Traditional buses are a menace, spreading toxic pollution in our communities and making people sick. These buses are a good first step in the MBTA’s promise to provide a 100% electric fleet, and that transformation needs to happen much faster than is planned.”
Air pollution poses a serious threat to our health, and the emissions from cars, trucks, and buses are some of the most dangerous. In Massachusetts, this pollution does not affect all communities equally.
CLF’s annual Pitch a Blanket event shows how much people around Boston care about protecting public access to the waterfront. They also give people the chance to express their shared frustration about privatization of waterfront spaces and poor public access. This combination of factors has made the waterfront feel unwelcoming to many but the wealthy.
Alex Linkow is the Senior Manager for Impact Investment at Conservation Law Foundation. In this role, Alex works with the CLF Ventures team and its partners to grow thriving New England communities by developing and deploying market-based solutions to address the region’s social and environmental challenges, with a specific focus on creating impact investment approaches.… Continue reading Alex Linkow
