TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS likely to reach the market within two years will improve conventional air-to-air heat pump efficiency by perhaps 10 percent or more while reducing the climate risks of refrigerant leaks. The improvements will involve a shift in the refrigerant chemicals used within the pumps. From an environmental perspective, it may make sense for some […]
William Brownsberger
Posted inOpinion
Pride month is special because I am coming out
FOR ME, the Pride parades and festivals are special this year because I am coming out as bisexual. I’ve been married to my wife for almost thirty-eight years. I love, cherish, and enjoy her and I’m not about to change my lifestyle. I am moved to speak openly about myself for all the reasons that […]
Posted inOpinion
Abolishing Senate president term limit was the right thing to do
State Sen. Will Brownsberger, Democrat of Belmont, posted the following to his website after Thursday’s 32-6 vote by the Senate to abolish the eight-year term limit that had been in place for Senate president. CommonWealth reported earlier this week on plans to introduce the rule change. I SUPPORTED ABOLISHING the term limit for the Senate […]
Posted inOpinion
Closing a gap in our climate plans
THE RECENT report from the Commission on Clean Heat is short on numbers and, like any “consensus report,” it leaves some important issues unresolved. But it does identify the challenges we face in decarbonizing buildings in Massachusetts and offer an inventory of options. The state’s basic strategy for cutting carbon emissions is to electrify almost everything […]
Posted inOpinion
Overextended MBTA is moving in right direction
ONLY A GOVERNOR not seeking re-election could close the Orange Line for a month. We need further bold steps like that — further bold steps to simplify the challenges that the men and women working for the T are facing. And I say that as a regular rider of the T. I have long believed […]
Posted inOpinion
We should all be wearing masks
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now recommending everyone wear a face covering, particularly in public settings where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. CommonWealth recently reported on the “to mask or not to mask” controversy. The following commentary originally appeared on the website of Sen. William Brownsberger of Belmont. WE […]
Posted inTransportation
Brownsberger: Take two on reducing congestion
MASSACHUSETTS IS CURRENTLY contemplating a program of investments in regional rail expansion that may cost tens of billions of dollars over several decades. Within that program we need to prioritize the highest value investments. All agree that the top priority is to make the existing system reliable. We have a moral obligation to those who already use rail to […]
Posted inOpinion
What we should focus on in the rail debate
A correction has been added to this story. Congestion at rush hour: That is the problem we should be trying to solve as we contemplate alternative rail and transit expansion programs. At rush hour, rail and transit already carry a significant share of traffic and can likely capture a greater share, reducing congestion for those who continue […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Opinion
Brownsberger: Criminal justice reform top priority
MY ONGOING TOP PRIORITY as Senate Chair of the Judiciary Committee is criminal justice reform. The criminal justice system is filled with committed professionals – police, prosecutors, judges, and probation, parole and correctional officers. Most of the laws that govern the system made sense when they were enacted and are still individually defensible. Yet, taken […]