In the face of accelerating climate change, the scale and scope of resilience work is growing far beyond what policy makers in the late 20th century thought possible. The general risk of not acting at the needed scale far surpasses the downside risk of any single action negatively impacting an ecosystem.
Accelerating climate change demands ‘agile systems’ thinking — and action
Posted inTransportation
The next MBTA commuter rail contract is likely to look similar to the current one
Details of the decision will be rolled out at a downtown Boston meeting later this month.
Posted inEnvironment
Without FEMA resilience money, Mass. communities scramble to save flood prevention projects
One month since the Trump administration shut down a resilience funding program, communities dependent on the money for major infrastructure projects are still reeling.
Posted inOpinion
Massachusetts has a literacy problem. We ignore it at our peril.
Six out of every ten children in Massachusetts cannot read or do math at grade level. Eight out of ten low-income, Black and Latino children are not performing at grade level. Only half of white children are proficient.
Posted inEnvironment
How higher temperatures and more pollen are affecting the health of Boston residents
Extreme temperatures pose a health risk on both ends of the spectrum as increasingly hot days can contribute to heat stroke and worsening seasonal allergies, while the bitter cold can aggravate respiratory health issues and cause hypothermia.
Posted inEnvironment
How these Massachusetts communities are pushing forward to meet state climate goals
In the absence of federal funding and support, municipalities feel added challenges on their paths to net zero but many chug along with the state’s help in projects to decarbonize buildings, municipal fleets, and put up solar arrays.
Posted inOpinion
Autism is not an ‘epidemic,’ as RFK Jr. suggests
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s comparison of current prevalence rates to those from the 1980s or earlier ignores this historical context. Autistic people have always been here. We are simply doing a better job of recognizing and supporting them.
Posted inEducation
Tutwiler: Immigration chill leading to “extended absences”
According to the state’s top education official, some Mass. schools have reported “extended absences” for students as a result of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement.
Posted inEnvironment
Utility companies target heat pump incentives for cuts to pare back Mass Save budget
“These cuts represent some of the best options of bad options,” said Kyle Murray, the Massachusetts program director at the Acadia Center about the new compliance plan for Mass Save, which reduces the budget for heat pump incentives and program to help residents use one vendor for energy efficiency upgrades.
Posted inPolitics
Massachusetts donors, businesses sent millions to Trump’s 2025 inauguration fund
Trump’s inaugural committee reported the names and figures earlier this month in a filing with the Federal Election Commission.
Posted inThe Codcast
UMass Pres. Meehan on higher ed crisis response
CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith is joined by Marty Meehan, president of the University of Massachusetts system, to discuss UMass’s work in climate technology and its response to the federal government’s attacks on higher education.
Posted inOpinion
Why we were in handcuffs at Hanscom Airfield
Private developers are working with the Massachusetts Port Authority on a proposal to expand Hanscom’s private jet capacity with 17 new hangars, the accompanying fuel tanks, and other infrastructure. A coalition of neighbors and environmentalists had been working since at least 2023 to oppose the plan with petitions, meetings with representatives, and yard signs.
Posted inOpinion
Abundance with input: We can build housing and energy systems without ignoring community concerns
Collaborative processes structured to include the needs and expertise of citizens can lead to sustainable and effective outcomes when paired with clear policy goals, firm process constraints, and effective leadership.
Posted inEnvironment
Massachusetts postpones rule requiring truck makers to sell electric vehicles
After pressure from industry groups, Massachusetts has delayed the enforcement of a truck emissions rule that Trump administration is trying to eliminate.
Posted inOpinion
The case of the State House cod caper
Posing as tourists, the thieves entered the State House late in the afternoon and headed for the fourth-floor gallery overlooking the House chamber.
Posted inEnvironment
When the river rises
By 2050, severe floods that were expected to happen once every 100 years will be three times more likely to occur in the Connecticut River Valley in Massachusetts. But the uneven distribution of resources across municipalities leaves some towns less equipped to plan for and respond to disasters.
Posted inState Government
MBTA zoning law targeted by GOP budget amendments
Even following a Supreme Judicial Court ruling in January against Milton that deemed the law constitutional and gave the attorney general’s office the ability to enforce it with legal action, unrest remains in other communities — many of which are using Auditor Diana DiZoglio’s contention that the law is an “unfunded mandate” to pursue further legal action.