Sept. 10th Roundup: Offshore Wind Delays Threaten MA Climate Targets

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BEACON HILL HAPPENINGS

– “Offshore wind delays highlight increasing challenge to Massachusetts’ climate goals” (Benjamin Storrow, Climatewire via Energy News Network): “The Bay State’s carbon-cutting efforts now face a series of hurdles that threaten to undermine its ability to slash emissions further. It plans to rely to a great degree on buying large amounts of clean electricity. Actually building projects to deliver that power is proving a challenge.”

– “AG Healey Calls on Government Leaders to Protect North Atlantic Right Whales” (Cape Cod Today): “Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey today called on the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers (NEG/ECP) to immediately act to protect the North Atlantic right whale, a species on the brink of extinction.”

ALL POLICY IS LOCAL

– “As The Threat From Climate Change Looms, Revere Beach Gets An Extreme Makeover” (Adam Reilly, WGBH): “What happens when the beach gets less bucolic?… What’s more, the future could be even messier. In 2018, a report from the Union of Concerned Scientists projected that, in 2045, 1,105 Revere homes worth a collective $375 million could be at risk of chronic flooding, more than any other community in Massachusetts.”

– “Climate change: Residents urged to join Sept. 20 protest in Wellesley” (Cathy Brauner, Wicked Local Wellesley): “Wellesley residents are being urged to join Wellesley College students in a climate protest taking place in Wellesley on Friday, Sept. 20. The protesters will be among millions across the planet taking part in global climate strikes.”

LOCAL OPINIONS

– “Sun far from set on Massachusetts’ solar ambitions” by Meagan Greene, via the SouthCoast Today.

– “Addressing our planet’s climate emergency” by State Representative Natalie Blais, via the Greenfield Recorder.

– “Facing a climate emergency” by John Anderson and Joy Kaubin, via the Greenfield Recorder.

– “Mass. should accelerate solar development” by Peter Rothstein and Jeff Cramer, via the Commonwealth Magazine.

– “Wayland resident: Gov. Baker, Merkel, and the Weymouth Compressor Station” by Sabine von Mering, via Wayland Wicked Local.

– “Environmental rights are on the same level as human rights” by Drew Sullivan, via the Massachusetts Daily Collegian.

OUR LOCAL ENVIRONMENT

– “Scientists Want Your Vacation Photos From Acadia National Park” (Associated Press, via WBUR’s Earthwhile): “Scientists say vacation photos from Maine’s Acadia National Park could help them understand changes in fall foliage as the world warms.”

2020 CLIMATE

– “The Busy Advocate’s Guide to CNN’s Climate Town Hall: Our Top 6 Takeaways” (Tim Cronin, Climate XChange): “On Wednesday (Sept. 4th) ten 2020 Democratic candidates took to the stage for a first-of its-kind, seven hour ‘climate crisis town hall’ moderated by CNN. As Vox puts it: “It was also the most substantive discussion of climate change policies ever broadcast on primetime television.” Seven hours is a marathon of a long time to watch anything, so we put together this handy guide for those climate advocates and 2020 Presidential race aficionados who are looking for just the highlights.”
 

GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

– “The next target in the climate-change debate: your gas stove” (Valerie Volcovici & Nichola Groom, Reuters): “Dozens of cities in liberal-leaning states such as California, Washington, and Massachusetts are studying proposals to ban or limit the use of natural gas in commercial and residential buildings.”

THROWBACK TUESDAY

– “It’s raining carbon pricing bills on Capitol Hill: a comparative look” (Noa Dalzell, Climate XChange): “Since the 116th Congress began in January, seven carbon pricing bills have been introduced at the federal level, four of them in the last month. Some of these bills will do a better job at effectively and equitably reducing emissions than others, but all are important in promoting a much-needed dialogue around carbon pricing on Capitol Hill.”

ROUNDUP REDUX

Missed the last CXC Roundup? Here are the top climate headlines from last week:

  • The Inside Scoop: What’s Gonna Pass In 2019
  • “Viewpoint: My trucks drive 5,500 miles a day, and I think we need a carbon price”
  • “State Delays Review Of Proposed Natural Gas Compressor Station In Weymouth”

Read the full Roundup here from September 4th, 2019 here.


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