If New Englanders hope to address the climate crisis, more of us must upgrade our old oil boilers and gas furnaces to electric heat. Our buildings are responsible for nearly a third of all the carbon pollution overheating our planet.
The Salem Harbor site where a coal-fired power plant once stood is slated to become a clean energy offshore wind port terminal in 2026, launching New England definitively into a clean energy future.
Melissa Hoffer has released a report outlining recommendations for the Healey Administration’s agenda to tackle the climate crisis. Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) released the following statement in response.
“The climate crisis is impacting every community in Massachusetts, and we wasted valuable years under the prior administration waiting for firm commitments and real action on the ground,” said Caitlin Peale Sloan, Vice President of CLF Massachusetts. “The Climate Chief’s report underscores the vast challenges facing the Commonwealth in this fight as well as the opportunities for climate solutions that work for all our residents. It’s time to get to work.”
“This level of dysfunction and irresponsibility defies explanation,” said CLF attorney Seth Gadbois. “The previous administration was clearly more interested in cutting a ribbon than getting this project done safely and correctly. CLF sued to ensure that this extension was built, and this is now an opportunity for the Healey administration to commit to public transit and repair public trust.”
“Single-use plastics are a scourge on our environment and our communities,” said CLF zero waste attorney Mara Shulman. “These products hasten the climate crisis and endanger the health of people and wildlife. Governor Healey’s ban is a great step towards making Massachusetts a leader in fighting the plastics crisis.”
“It’s time to finally address the plastics crisis in Massachusetts. From modernizing our antiquated beverage container deposit system, to banning single-use plastic bags at checkout, to making producers of plastic packaging responsible for reducing packaging and managing plastic waste at its end of life, there are several pending bills that will take us in the right direction. We stand with our elected officials and pledge to keep up the momentum because there is no time to waste in taking a bite out of waste.”
“The stench and polluted air and water from Twin Rivers has negatively impacted the health and quality of life of community members for too long,” said CLF attorney Erica Kyzmir-McKeon. “Everyone in this community has a right to clean air and water. This facility needs to own up to its unlawful actions and prioritize stopping this pollution for good.”
Two proposed projects in Massachusetts aim to transform what were once centers for dirty energy into starting blocks for our clean energy future. In the process, they could provide a blueprint for reimagining our working waterfronts. Massachusetts’ waterfronts have always played a critical role in the state’s economy, supporting our fishing, shipping, and energy industries,… Continue reading Setting the Stage for Our Clean Energy Future
Here’s how and why CLF is pushing the Healey administration to reach net zero by 2050.
“Allowing these companies to keep charging customers for storm cleanup over and over is an outrage,” said Johannes Epke, CLF. “It should be up to the utilities to make their infrastructure resilient to the frequent, climate-driven storms we’re seeing more and more. It’s time to change state rules that allow these companies to pass the bill on to Massachusetts families and businesses and hold utilities responsible instead.”
