IT COULD BE the shot ban heard ‘round the state. Fed up with thousands of tiny booze bottles littering his district, and concerned about the public health impact of a product […]
Environment
Posted inEnvironment
Troubling environmental pattern emerging again in New Bedford
MASSACHUSETTS IS TAKING significant steps to address climate change. From the release of the Clean Energy and Climate Plan to the creation of the climate chief position, there are signs […]
Posted inOpinion
The dirty truth of Northfield Mountain’s ‘clean’ energy
CLARIFICATION: Northfield Mountain officials raised several issues with this commentary following its publication that prompted clarification and wording tweaks. The pumped storage facility is not powered by natural gas; it […]
Posted inEnvironment
Healey tax credit could help ease cost of septic system repairs
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE A SINGLE SENTENCE in Gov. Maura Healey’s tax plan that went largely under the radar during the governor’s media tour last week could mean a significant […]
Posted inOpinion
Pushing back against the defenders of natural gas
WE TAKE exception to Arnold Wallenstien’s recent commentary, in which he argues against a rapid transition from gas to renewable energy. First, he fails to consider the alternative to a rapid […]
Posted inOpinion
Decarbonization road map has some gaping holes
GOV. MAURA HEALEY has gotten off to a good running start on implementing the Commonwealth’s plans to combat climate change by establishing an Office of Climate Innovation and Resilience within […]
Posted inEnergy, Environment
Avangrid seeking price relief on offshore wind, hydro projects
THE CEO of Avangrid told financial analysts on Wednesday that his company needs price relief on two of the biggest renewable projects in New England – a major wind farm […]
Posted inOpinion
Is mining lithium in Maine a cost of going electric?
WHETHER THEY know it or not, both Maine Gov. Janet Mills and Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey have bet big on lithium, a critical element for making batteries for electric vehicles […]
Posted inOpinion
Getting to yes on climate change response
CLIMATE CHANGE is real. So too is a massive transformation underway of electric power generation markets and transmission networks. That transformation is largely driven by public policies focused on electrification […]
Posted inEnvironment
Pollution inequality must stop; enforce roadmap law
MASSACHUSETTS IS HOME to some of the greatest inequalities in pollution in the nation. According to Northeastern Professor Daniel Faber, Boston ranks fourth for disparities in air pollution and Massachusetts […]
Posted inOpinion
Septic system commentary was misleading, wrong
AN OPINION PIECE in CommonWealth that argued against adoption of the Department of Environmental Protection’s updated regulations governing septic systems was misleading and just plain wrong. Let’s review the facts. […]
Posted inOpinion
Everything is wrong with DEP’s Cape proposal
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 […]
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 […]
