The world’s oceans are in dire straits. A startling UN report confirms what we at CLF have been saying for years: Without drastic measures to halt climate-damaging emissions and protect our oceans, life in New England, and around the world, will be forever changed. If we act now, we can still protect our oceans and way of life for future generations. But we don’t have a moment to waste.
While the Commonwealth ranks first in the nation in energy efficiency, it could be doing more to save families and businesses money while cutting pollution.
“Our climate and our health require us to switch from gas-burning cars to clean electric,” said Amy Laura Cahn, Director of CLF’s Healthy Communities and Environmental Justice program and a member of the Massachusetts Zero Emission Vehicle Commission. “The rebate clearly works, and we need more resources, not fewer at this critical time for our climate. We hope to see a short-term funding fix soon, but the State House and Baker Administration must commit to long-term and large-scale investments to keep this popular rebate in place.”
“Once again the Trump Administration is pandering to big oil and gas at the expense of our health and our communities,” said Emily Green, CLF Staff Attorney. “This new rule attacks critical state standards that keep our air clean. As we run out of time to tackle the climate crisis, this policy moves the country in the wrong direction. It leads directly to a dirtier, more polluted future. No one, not even automakers, wants to hit reverse on these standards.”
As I remember the lives lost in Puerto Rico to Hurricane María, I urge you to join the millions of people on strike today demanding climate action and climate justice. We have the solutions to solve the climate crisis, but we need our political leaders to take action – now.
Nearly 30% of climate-damaging emissions nationwide come from transportation. Switching to electric cars and powering them with clean energy like solar and wind will slash our emissions and help us avoid the worst effects of climate change.
CLF’ers Elena Mihaly and Tom Irwin show that you don’t have to live in a major city, or even on a paved road, to benefit from driving an electric car.
As the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument turns three, we’re celebrating the critical role it plays in safeguarding the health of New England’s ocean for generations to come – and highlighting the need for more places like it in our ocean.
It’s that time of year again—National Drive Electric Week! Every year, people across the nation celebrate the benefits of electric vehicles and showcase their cars during events throughout the country. From not shelling out money at the gas pump to not spewing pollution, there’s a lot to celebrate. Pollution from transportation, including the cars and trucks we drive every day, is the leading cause of climate-damaging emissions in New England. If we want to tackle the climate crisis, we have to fight for cleaner cars and a cleaner transportation system overall.
UPDATE: It’s the one-year anniversary of the Merrimack Valley gas explosion, and communities are still recovering from the disaster. It’s a stark reminder that we need to prioritize the health and safety of our communities, which means getting off dirty gas. Our aging gas infrastructure is expensive, leaky, and dangerous. We have cleaner, safer alternatives like electric stoves and hot water heaters ready to go. It’s time to swap out polluting gas for clean energy that doesn’t run the risk of exploding.
