New England is no stranger to ice storms, of course, and the Texas power grid is very different from ours. But we can still heed lessons from the Texas crisis – especially as we look at the future pressures our grid will face because of our changing climate.
Is the systemic idea of Zero Waste actually possible? Yes! But to do so, we need to stop looking at Zero Waste as just a lifestyle and start looking at it as a strategic concept for managing our waste – and tackling the trash crisis.
“DES has been operating with a state solid waste plan that was published in 2003 and expired in 2009,” Irwin said. “Our lawsuit is designed to require DES to come into compliance with the law, start planning in ways that will allow New Hampshire to begin reducing the amount of waste it throws away, and move New Hampshire away from its current overreliance on landfills.”
“State officials are blatantly ignoring the law and communities are suffering as a result,” said CLF New Hampshire attorney Heidi Trimarco. “The state is legally required to have an updated solid waste plan before approving landfill permits, yet it has green-lighted several landfill expansions since the last plan was completed in 2003. Instead of committing to waste reduction and diversion efforts as part of a new solid waste plan, New Hampshire has become a dumping ground for out-of-state waste.”
From the second they are born to their last breath, North Atlantic right whales help our climate by making our ocean more resilient. We need to push for their protection so that they can do their part in helping to create a greater future for all.
“Pollution from the state’s Powder Mill hatchery continues to poison the Merrymeeting River,” said Kenta Tsuda, CLF Staff Attorney. “It’s time the state is finally held accountable for undermining the river’s ecosystem and imperiling public health. The court’s ruling is an important step forward in cleaning up and protecting this river once and for all.”
As the first project funded by CLF’s Healthy Neighborhoods Fund, Chelsea Flats showcases inclusive and sustainable development.
Advocates cheered when President Biden reinstated the Obama-era flood protection standard among his first acts in office. The Biden administration is sending a clear signal that building according to climate patterns of the past is no longer acceptable – we must acknowledge and address increasingly frequent and extreme flooding caused by climate change. Reinstating the federal standard is a critical first step for increasing our national infrastructure’s climate resilience – one that signals the urgent need for action here at home.
Cities with aggressive climate standards are running into roadblocks. Achieving these goals will require strong building energy codes and ending the use of fossil fuels in buildings and homes. We’re starting to see that neither the natural gas utilities nor the real estate industry will sit by quietly as cities and states enforce stronger building codes and ban natural gas infrastructure in new construction.
“It simply makes sense to wait until the permit appeals process is finished before allowing this landfill to accept more waste,” said Heidi Trimarco, Staff Attorney for CLF New Hampshire. “This final proposed stage of the Bethlehem landfill is not needed, and it undermines both the state’s waste reduction goal and requirements for reducing landfilling. It’s time we stop relying on endless landfill expansions and start protecting communities by recycling, composting, and reducing waste at the source.”
