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BEACON HILL HAPPENINGS
– “Energy companies spending millions lobbying Beacon Hill” (Steve Leblanc, Associated Press via the UnionTimes): “Companies representing a range of energy interests, from old-school oil and gas to renewables like solar and wind power, are pumping millions into lobbying efforts in Massachusetts.”
ALL POLICY IS LOCAL
– “Markey in Framingham: ‘Catastrophic damage’ if climate change is ignored” (Lauren Young, MetroWest Daily News): “Climate change poses an “existential threat to the planet,” says the causes’s “national leader” Sen. Edward Markey at a Green New Deal town hall Wednseday night. He was joined by U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, who calls it “the defining issue of our time”.”
– “Ehrlich: Changes To Proposed Plastic Bag Ban Puts Stores At Competitive Disadvantage” (Steve Krause, ItemLive.com): “The Massachusetts legislature has watered down a bill co-sponsored by Rep. Lori Ehrlich that would authorize a ban on plastic bags throughout the Commonwealth while charging shoppers a 10-cent fee for single-use bags, and the Marblehead Democrat said that in so doing, the House defeated the original purpose of it.”
– “Melrose mayoral candidates talk environment at Sustainability Forum”(Conor Powers-Smith, Wicked Local Melrose): “The five candidates vying to be Melrose’s next mayor turned their attention to the environment on Tuesday night, Aug. 20, at the Forum on Sustainability.”
– “Swampscott plastic-straw ban begins in September” (William J. Dowd, Wicked Local Swampscott): “In May, Swampscott Town Meeting members approved a selectmen-sponsored measure to ban the distribution of single-use plastic straws and stirrers with beverages in certain town businesses.”
– “Some East Boston Residents Are Wary Of Proposed Electrical Substation” (Miriam Wasser, WBUR’s Earthwhile): “A proposed electrical substation in the Eagle Hill area of East Boston has drawn protest from residents worried about flood risk and safety.”
LOCAL OPINIONS
– “The Amazon burns, but it’s ourselves we need to be praying for” by Maria Virginia Olano, via Climate XChange.
– “It’s time to ban the plastic bag” via the Boston Globe Editorial Staff.
– “Support the legislators supporting clean energy” by Jan Kubiac, via the Cape Cod Times.
– “Youth to adults — join us in the climate fight” by Bill McKibben, via the Boston Globe.
– “Land use and climate change” by Claire Morenon, via the Daily Hampshire Gazette.
OUR LOCAL ENVIRONMENT
– “Study Finds Climate Emissions Higher in the Northeast” (Tim Faulkner, ecoRI News): “Gas leaks are a still a big problem and perhaps worse than initially believed. A new study of Northeast cities such as Providence and Boston found that emissions of natural gas and methane were higher than previous estimates, including projections by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).”
– “Sale Of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant For Decommissioning Finalized”(Associated Press, via WBUR): “The owner of a now-shuttered nuclear power plant in Plymouth has sold the facility to a private company for decommissioning.”
OFFSHORE WIND
– “3 firms competing in 2d offshore wind procurement” (Bruce Mohl. Commonwealth Magazine): “Three companies submitted proposals on Friday for the state’s second offshore wind procurement, an indication that a last-minute budgetary maneuver by Gov. Charlie Baker succeeded in spurring a competitive bid process.”
THE GREEN ECONOMY, STUPID
– “Massachusetts Close to Finalizing a Clean Peak Standard. Good News for Microgrids” (Peter Maloney, Microgrid Knowledge): “Massachusetts is close to implementing a clean peak standard that could bring wider opportunities for microgrid developers. It would also make Massachusetts the first state in the nation to implement the standard.”
GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE
– “Carbon Offsets are Dominating Headlines – Here’s what you need to know” (Matt Potts, Climate XChange): “As the global response to the climate crisis ramps up, carbon offsets have arisen as a central issue in policy decision-making at all levels…That said, there are many controversies and uncertainties around carbon offsets, particularly as it relates to their environmental integrity and ethics.”
2020 CLIMATE
– “The DNC rejects a climate change debate and puts virtual caucusing in doubt” (Anya van Wagtendonk, Vox): “At its summer meeting in San Francisco this weekend, the Democratic National Committee (DNC)… rejected a proposal to allow presidential candidates to participate in third-party debates, effectively ending hopes for a debate focused solely on climate change. Activists and presidential candidates alike had long called for a debate on the issue, and one candidate — former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke — called the decision not to have one “baffling.”
– “Jay Inslee Helped Make Climate Change a Top Campaign Issue. He Says That’s Not Enough” (Justin Worland, Time): “During his six-month campaign for president, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee made climate change a focus of the Democratic presidential primary, forcing it onto the debate stage and pushing other candidates to match his ambitious plans. But Inslee believes that is not enough.”
– “Bernie Sanders’s ‘Green New Deal’: A $16 Trillion Climate Plan” (Lisa Friedman, NY Times): “Senator Bernie Sanders on Thursday released a $16.3 trillion blueprint to fight climate change, the latest and most expensive proposal from the field of Democratic presidential candidates aimed at reining in planet-warming greenhouse gases.”
– “Andrew Yang’s plan to tackle climate change, explained” (Dylan Matthews, Vox): “Most plans to deal with climate change don’t feature the plank “Move our people to higher ground,” but most plans to deal with climate change don’t come from Andrew Yang, the entrepreneur and writer turned dark horse presidential candidate.”
BEYOND THE BAY STATE
– “Berkeley’s Natural Gas Ban Amplifies Carbon Pricing Benefits” (Olivia Hart, Climate XChange): “Last month, Berkeley (CA) city councilors made history by banning the use of natural gas in new buildings.” Read more about what this means.
ROUNDUP REDUX
Missed the last CXC Roundup? Here are the top climate headlines from last week:
- Benson Carbon Pricing Bill Earns First GOP Supporter in State Legislature
- “Massachusetts plastic bag ban is now tied up in Beacon Hill”
- Will A Kennedy-Markey Primary Divide Environmental Community? Probably Not
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