CLIMATE XCHANGE Policy Roundup: STAN is out—Canadian Giant Sues MASS. TOWN—what’s up with the GLOBE EDITORIALS?

CLIMATE XCHANGE Policy Roundup: STAN is out—Canadian Giant Sues MASS. TOWN—what’s up with the GLOBE EDITORIALS?

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ROUNDUP ANNOUNCEMENT- The Roundup is going to be taking a brief two-week hiatus while I am finishing up finals and take a break before working at CABA full-time. Be on the lookout for our next edition on May 28th, which will include new content sections and take a deeper dive into the policies and players driving the climate change conversation.

Have a news story, suggestion, feedback, or any other info for the CXC Policy Roundup? Email: tim.cronin@cabaus.org.

Beacon Hill Happenings--

-Stan is Out: Things are cooling down on Beacon Hill with the resignation of former Senate President Stan Rosenberg on Friday. The move follows an investigation into sexual misconduct by his partner, Byron Heffner, and possible misuse of his office. Although the investigation did not find Rosenberg at fault, it did recommend he not hold any leadership posts going forward. With Rosenberg leaving Senate business should continue, albeit a bit smoother, with the transition to the new Senate President (Karen Spilka) expected in the coming months.

-Climate change activists contemplate why the Boston Globe has been so pro-pipeline recently: Craig Altemose of 350 Massachusetts and Charley Blandy of Blue Mass Group explore a shift in favor of new natural gas pipelines in the Globe’s editorials. According to them, the Globe is at seven pro-pipeline pieces in the last two years, a narrative in stark contrast to the facts as they see them.

All News Is Local--

-Canadian Energy Conglomerate Sues Mass. Town of Weymouth over Compressor Station: Enbridge, the Canadian pipeline operator overseeing the Atlantic Bridge project, sued the Town of Weymouth in federal court late last week. The ruling comes in the midst of a contentious battle over the siting of a natural gas compressor station in the Massachusetts town. Enbridge asserts that the town is violating federal law with its zoning of the site.

State Carbon Pricing--

-Businesses Plan June Carbon Pricing Lobby Day: Members of the Climate Action Business Association (CABA) and Business Leaders for Climate Action (BLCA) are descending on Beacon Hill June 6th to push for the passage of a carbon pricing provision before the end of the legislative session. Business leaders can sign-up here to participate.

Straight From The Swamp--

-“DEAR SCOTT PRUITT,” [Opinion]: CABA Fellow Jonah Kurman-Faber explores the various scandals of EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt via an open letter. “Why is this happening? Because your view on the private sector is out of touch. Through actions and statements, many big corporations are pushing a new message –– climate change is happening, and acting on it is good for everyone.” Read more here.

Beyond The Bay State--

-“Florida and Texas are expected to take the biggest economic hit from climate change” via MarketWatch: A study from Science magazine finds Florida and Texas are likely to suffer the most from climate-change events, including hurricanes, rising sea levels, and warming oceans. Researchers estimate these events to cost the two states over $100 billion in lost GDP.

-“The stunningly lopsided growth of wind power in the US, in 4 maps” via Vox: Why does a massive swath of the country have hardly any wind turbines at all? The people over at Vox dive into this question with a series of insightful maps and graphics. One of the biggest wind power deserts: the Deep South.

Global Climate Change--

-Is the World on Track to Meet the UN’s Energy Goals? No!: Inside Climate News reports on a new energy progress report out by the UN. It finds that renewable energy costs are falling and developing countries are making progress. At the same time, billions are left with polluting fuels for cooking and transportation, a challenge that needs to be tackled directly.
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COOLER EARTH PODCAST EPISODE: The pod people over at Cooler Earthhave another fantastic episode streaming. This week they interviewed their office mates (including your’s truly) about our experiences attempting a zero-waste week in recognition of Earth Day. The result? Let’s say it was a learning experience for everyone involved…

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FOR MORE CONTENT from us subscribe to the Climate XChange Newsletter(Fridays, bi-weekly) or our Climate Action Business Association Newsletter(Fridays).
Have a news story, suggestion, feedback, or any other info for the CXC Policy Roundup? Email: tim.cronin@cabaus.org.

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