ON CAPE COD, 85 percent of homeowners rely on title 5 on-site septic disposal systems to treat their home’s wastewater. And right now, 100 percent of those homeowners are extremely […]
Environment
Posted inEnergy, Environment
Power grid put under stress over Christmas holiday
A correction has been added to the story. OVER THE CHRISTMAS holiday, the New England power grid relied heavily on oil to meet the region’s electricity needs and for a […]
Posted inEnergy, Environment, State Government, State House News Service
Healey plucks AG aide as energy, environment secretary
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE REBECCA TEPPER, currently the chief of the energy and environment bureau in the attorney general’s office, will continue working under Maura Healey in the new year, […]
Posted inOpinion
More permeable surfaces can help save our waterways
IMAGINE SWIMMING in a water so murky that you can hardly see your toes, a water laden with toxic algae, a water devoid of the marine life we know and […]
Posted inOpinion
Straight talk about plastics recycling
HAS RECENT NEWS left you wondering if it’s worthwhile to rinse and sort your plastic containers? As a lifelong waste warrior and 30-year recycling professional, my answer is an emphatic […]
Posted inOpinion
Cheap natural gas is a thing of the past
DEFENDERS OF THE fossil fuel status quo have long tied environmentalists to the whipping post of New England’s constrained natural gas pipeline network. And it’s arguably true that popular resistance from […]
Posted inOpinion
Getting our state parks back on track
On October 14, Massachusetts Conservation Voters convened a state virtual parks summit attended by more than 20 environmental organizations from across the Commonwealth. This open letter, signed by more than […]
Posted inEnvironment
Report says Boston not meeting climate action targets
Boston University Statehouse Program AN INAUGURAL progress report says Boston isn’t on pace to meet its goal of cutting carbon emissions by half before 2030 and becoming carbon-neutral by 2050. […]
Posted inState House News Service
Waste ban ratchets up recycling
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE A REGULATION from environmental regulators aims to reduce food waste in the state starting in November, moving toward the goal of reducing 30 percent of all […]
Posted inOpinion
Forests: the natural solution to climate crisis
FROM CATASTROPHIC STORMS and record-breaking heat to the rapid decline of bird and insect populations, a day doesn’t pass without news about the dire ecological and economic effects of climate […]
Posted inOpinion
Trees in New England are in trouble
DESPITE THE RECENT RAIN, most of New England remains in the throes of a persistent drought – including an extreme drought in Boston and surrounding areas. For many, droughts may […]
Posted inEnvironment
Rising sea levels challenging New Bedford hurricane barrier
THE HURRICANE BARRIER at the mouth of New Bedford harbor is closing more often as sea levels rise and could be closed one to two times a day by 2050, […]
Posted inEnvironment
State burying, burning too much banned material
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE A COALITION of environmental organizations under the name Zero Waste Massachusetts released a report Thursday morning that examines the effectiveness of waste bans, and calls on […]
Posted inOpinion
Mass. needs to be as bold on drought as it is on climate
WE CAN’T have climate action without drought action. Massachusetts is appropriately regarded as a leader when it comes to climate change and environmental policy. Just this month the Legislature passed, and […]
Posted inEnvironment
Boston seeks to join state pilot banning gas hookups in new construction
BOSTON MAYOR Michelle Wu said on Tuesday that she wants the city to join a state pilot program allowing 10 municipalities to ban fossil fuel infrastructure in most new construction, […]
Posted inOpinion
Climate bill needed for environmental, equity reasons
THE CLEAN ENERGY legislation on Gov. Charlie Baker’s desk opens the door for marginalized communities across the Commonwealth to share in the many benefits of the fight against climate change. […]
Posted inThe Download
Uncertain times for Daloisio, Clean Energy Center
Jennifer Daloisio and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center are both facing a bit of uncertainty. The agency, a key cog in the state’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, is […]
Posted inEnergy, Environment
Uncertain times for Daloisio, Clean Energy Center
JENNIFER DALOISIO and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center are both facing a bit of uncertainty. The agency, a key cog in the state’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, is about […]
Posted inEnergy, Environment
Baker proposes major changes to climate change bill
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER sent the Legislature’s climate change bill back with amendments that appear to rewrite it significantly, including reinstating the governor’s original call for using $750 million in federal […]
Posted inOpinion
National Grid has a vision for fossil-free heat
FOR THOSE INCLINED to reference Greek mythology when discussing Massachusetts energy policy, the attributes of Greek architecture may provide a better blueprint. Striving towards precision and excellence, the architects of […]
Posted inEnergy, State Government
Here’s what’s in the Legislature’s energy/climate change legislation
THE LEGISLATURE suspended its rules and whisked through a climate change bill on Thursday that seeks to make Massachusetts the “Saudi Arabia of wind,” promotes the adoption of zero emission […]
Posted inEnergy, Environment
Compromise climate bill coming down to the wire
HOUSE SPEAKER Ron Mariano tweeted that the Legislature will vote on a compromise bill to combat climate change on Thursday, presumably by suspending rules designed to give lawmakers proper notice […]
Posted inOpinion
Your gas stove is dangerous to your health
THERE ARE ABOUT 43 million gas stoves in the United States. We don’t typically think of them as harmful to our children, communities, and environment, but a growing body of […]
Posted inOpinion
Cut the subsidies for biomass energy
A WELL-FINANCED, industry-led effort has been insidiously recasting burning trees for energy as a climate solution. Massachusetts residents and ratepayers have overwhelmingly chosen to support clean energy – but greenwashing […]