CLF President John Kassel (right) accepts check for a Clean Diesel project from EPA Region 1 Administrator Curt Spalding

CLF Ventures, Conservation Law Foundation’s non-profit consulting affiliate, has been awarded an EPA grant to help two New England charter fishing vessels reduce their diesel emissions. The project will repower four “tier 0″ marine engines on the vessels The Atlantic Queen, out of Rye, NH and The Captain’s Lady II, out of Newburyport, MA. Jo Anne Shatkin, PhD, CEO of CLF Ventures, said the funding will allow CLF to work with the two vessels to reduce their impacts on air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and to reduce fuel costs.

EPA’s Clean Diesel projects help create and retain jobs, as well as reduce premature deaths, asthma attacks and other respiratory ailments, lost work days and other health impacts associated with air pollution from diesel engines. John Kassel, CLF president, accepted a check for $391,500 from EPA Region 1 Administrator Curt Spalding at a ceremony today in Boston. Read EPA’s press release here.

(L-R) Tim Harwood, VP for Development, CLF; Deb Cary, Director of Central Sanctuaries, Mass Audubon; and Liz Carver, Managing Director, EIA at the July 16 Discovery Day at Broad Meadow Brook in Worcester. (Photo credit: Malene Christensen, Mass Audubon)

On Saturday, July 16, the Environmental Insurance Agency (EIA) joined about 200 adults and children for a free day of guided walks, raptor demonstrations, and wildlife crafts at Mass Audubon’s Broad Meadow Brook in Worcester, MA. Since 2010, EIA has been the exclusive sponsor of Mass Audubon’s Discovery Days, a series of free, activity-filled open houses at wildlife sanctuaries across the state. Join EIA at the next Discovery Day at Drumlin Farm in Lincoln on August 6, and at upcoming Discovery Days in Milton’s Great Blue Hills, Attleboro Springs, and Wellfleet Bay this fall. View the full Mass Audubon Discovery Day schedule here.

EIA is a unique kind of insurance agency that helps policyholders save money and protect the environment through its auto or homeowners insurance products. A subsidiary of Conservation Law Foundation, EIA rewards policyholders who “go green” by driving less than the average in their community. With EIA, the less you drive, the more you save — and a portion of every EIA policy helps fund CLF’s efforts to fight air pollution and climate change, reduce gas consumption, and promote accessible, affordable transportation choices throughout New England. EIA and CLF are actively working to establish mileage-based, or Pay-as-You-Drive (PAYD) auto insurance in New England. A 2010 study commissioned by CLF and EIA suggests that the PAYD approach would significantly reduce miles driven, auto accident losses, insurance costs, and greenhouse gas emissions, creating a win-win-win situation for insurers, consumers, and the environment. Learn how you can protect your car, protect your planet, and save money with EIA at http://eiainsurance.com/.

In partnership with the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), CLF Ventures recently released Land-based Wind Energy: A Guide to Understanding the Issues and Making Informed Decisions. (PDF, 1.6MB)

Wind energy has the potential to play a significant and beneficial role in an energy economy that seeks to rely less heavily on fossil-fuel based electricity production. For this reason, many communities are currently trying to learn more about wind energy development and determine whether it makes sense in their city or town.  Land-based Wind Energy provides municipal officials and other local decision-makers with clear overviews of wind energy siting issues as well as best practices for community engagement.

Specifically, the guide includes:

• Guidelines for how to assess the quality of available information and how to resolve conflicting points;
• Overviews, contextual information, and recommended reading on important topics like wind turbine sound, shadow flicker, health, property values, and energy project economics; and
• Recommendations on how to structure a robust local review process when siting wind energy projects. By this we mean a process with full participation by relevant stakeholders, transparent decision-making, and durable outcomes with public support.

Download the guide, and learn more about CLF Ventures.