[ Not a subscriber? Sign up here ]
BEACON HILL HAPPENINGS
– “60 groups across Massachusetts join Springfield activists in opposing biomass in climate bill”: Over 60 groups from around the state signed a letter urging the Massachusetts Legislature to reject language in the House’s proposed climate legislation that would pave the way for construction of a controversial and locally opposed commercial wood-burning power plant in Springfield. Read the letter.
– 58 days since the climate conference committee convened… and there is still no public progress made by the 6-member committee on reconciling the Senate (S.2500) and House (H.4933) climate bill versions.
– “State limits “forever chemicals” in drinking water” (Christian M. Wade, CNHI News): [read article]
– Baker admin advisory group proposes suite of climate policies to achieve net-zero: The Baker administration’s GWSA Implementation Advisory Committee (IAC) met this week (9/30) to present a series of proposed policy priorities for the state in order to achieve the Governor’s stated goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. The recording hasn’t been posted yet, but you can read the IAC working group proposals here.
ALL POLICY IS LOCAL
– “Enbridge Agrees To Pause Weymouth Compressor Station Startup” (Chris Lisinski, SHNS via WBUR): “The energy company Enbridge will pause its planned start of operations at its natural gas compressor station in Weymouth after the facility required two emergency shutdowns in the past three weeks, imposing a delay that surprised its critics.”
– “Officials renew call for Weymouth compressor station shutdown” (Jessica Trufant, Wicked Local Hingham): [read the article]
LOCAL IDEAS
– ““You can’t pull up your bootstraps if you don’t have boots”” by Maria Virginia Olano, featuring Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali, via Climate XChange.
– “The Media Must Call Hurricanes, Wildfires and Flooding What They Are: Climate Disasters” by Varshini Prakash, via WBUR.
– “Addressing the climate and justice” by Paul Sale, via the MetroWest Daily News.
– “Attleboro can lead the way for a cleaner, greener world” by Mayor Paul Heroux, via the Sun Chronicle.
– “Local and state initiatives are how to address climate change” by Linda Lancaster and Jan Kubiac, via the Herald News.
– “The Vineyard Wind project will launch Massachusetts into a clean future” by Allie McCandless, via the Daily Hampshire Gazette.
– “Climate bill legislation should address inclusion of biomass” by Sharon Farmer, via the Hampshire Gazette.
OUR LOCAL ENVIRONMENT
– “Why Are Cape Lobsters Dying?: Climate Change A Potential Factor” (Jimmy Bentley, Patch): [read article]
– “Springfield Parks Director Patrick Sullivan receives lifetime achievement award from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency” (Peter Goonan, MassLive): [read article]
CLIMATE EQUITY
– TCI Equity webinar draws crowd, controversy: Over 900 people joined a public webinar held earlier this week (9/29) where state policymakers leading the Transportation & Climate Initiative presented on a slate of proposed commitments intended to advance goals of equity and environmental justice in a regional low-carbon transportation program. Comment to the proposal got heated, as a number of groups pushed back the ability for TCI to achieve climate justice goals. Read the slides and watch the recording (forthcoming) here.
SOLAR POWER
– “Massachusetts is a hotspot for houses of worship turning to solar power, trailing only behind California” (Heather Morrison, MassLive): [read article]
CARBON PRICING DEEP DIVE
– “Independent System Operators (ISOs) & Carbon Pricing: An Explainer” (Climate XChange Editorial Staff): Dive into this excellent original report on the relationship between Independent System Operators (ISOs) whop run electric grids & carbon pricing. The report was researched and written by Lucy Davis-Hup, Emerson Johnston, Mridhu Khanna, and Sudhanshu Mathur, all of whom are State Carbon Pricing Network Fellows at Climate XChange. Read the summary and the report here.
CLIMATE SPOTLIGHT(S)
– “SCPN Spotlight: Anukriti Hittle and Climate Action in Hawaii” (Noa Dalzell, Climate XChange): [read article]
– “‘I Feel Like I Have Already Lost A Home’: Young Environmentalists On Why They’re Fighting For Change” (Miriam Wasser, WBUR): [read article]
THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT
– ““Sometimes you have to make the good trouble” EarthJustice Lawyers Adrienne Bloch and Kim Smaczniak” (Maria Virginia Olano, Climate XChange): [read the article, listen to podcast]
– “ExxonMobil sued for decades of lies” (Carlie Clarcq): [read article]
– “Eversource Energy expects state OK for Columbia Gas acquisition next week” (Jim Kinney, MassLive): [read article]
BEYOND THE BAY STATE
– “California Governor Signs Order Banning Sales Of New Gasoline Cars By 2035” (Scott Neuman & Lauren Sommer, NPR): [read article]
– “How Amy Coney Barrett Could Alter the Future of the U.S.’s Climate Change Policy” (Justin Worland, Time): [read article]
CLIMATE TRANSITIONS
– Camila Thorndike has joined Climate XChange as the National Advocacy Director. She recently completed an MPA at the Harvard Kennedy School as a Bacon Fellow and has experience leading national and state climate advocacy campaigns, and was a co-founder of Our Climate.
– Carlie Clarcq is joining the Office of State Representative Dylan Fernandes as their Legislative Aide. Carlie this week she is finishing up her work as Climate XChange’s State Carbon Pricing Assistant, where among other things, she wrote a lot of the articles featured in this Roundup!
ROUNDUP REDUX
Missed the last CXC Roundup? Here are the top three climate headlines from last week:
- Baker calls for climate preparedness bill, major hurdles remain
- “Climate, Environmental Issues Among Top Priorities at Town Meetings”
- “Be a little less of an individual”
Read the full Roundup here from September 18th, 2020 here.
FOR MORE CONTENT from us subscribe to the Climate XChange Newsletter (Fridays, weekly) and check out the 4th season of the Cooler Earth podcast.
