Success! After two prior attempts foiled by bad weather and rough seas, last weekend Brian Skerry at last reached Cashes Ledge and was able to explore this extraordinary, ecologically important seascape – a first for the peripatetic Skerry. For two days Brian and his crew swam in Cashes’ unearthly kelp forests, among its waving amber fronds and remarkable red cod, making pictures that will reveal the mysteries and beauty of this unique New England treasure so far unknown to most. read more..

Moving to a clean energy future means keeping the dirty stuff out. If you are cleaning house in a dust storm, the first thing you do is close the door.  Environmental groups gathered to show the need to close the door in New England on tar sands oil – the dirtiest of dirty oil. We are moving in the wrong direction to bring oil in and through New England that increases global warming pollution even more.   Tar sands are a carbon bomb that will catapult us past several dangerous climate tipping points. It has no part in our region’s clean energy future. A new report, Going in Reverse: The Tar Sands Threat to Central Canada and New England, outlines an array of threats associated with tar sands. In late May, read more…

Conservation Law Foundation filed an Amicus (Friend of the Court) brief on behalf of Conservation Law Foundation, New England Coalition, Vermont Natural Resources Council and Vermont Public Interest Research Group in support of the State’s appeal to overturn the decision of Judge Murtha that Vermont has no say regarding Vermont Yankee. Not so fast. As the Brief notes, the Vermont Legislature has clear authority to determine whether to allow the continued operation of Vermont Yankee. Vermont’s laws do not conflict with federal law and they are part of a decade of energy legislation focused on moving Vermont’s power supply away from older and more polluting power sources, like Vermont Yankee.  There is a much longer history here. Vermont Yankee is a tired old nuclear plant and its owners are untrustworthy. Our brief read more…

These are dark days on the climate front.  Daily, we get new news about the impacts of global warming like a megabloom of tiny plants under Arctic sea ice, the first news of observations of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere passing the 400 parts per million mark, blowing past the “safe” level of 350 and taking greenhouse gases to levels not seen in 800,000 years. And the policy front – where solutions are crafted and implemented – is a painful vacuum, especially at the level of the U.S. Federal government. But there are glimmers of hope in the form of folks who tell the truth and frame a path forward.  One of them is U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse who gave a powerful speech on the Senate floor yesterday about the read more…

This week on TalkingFish.org: the last post in our interview series with fisheries biologist Mike Palmer and a weekly roundup of interesting news stories. read more..

The Great Bay estuary – often referred to as New Hampshire’s hidden coast – offers many opportunities for recreational and nature enthusiasts.  The subtle beauty of Great Bay is captivating, especially in early morning when the estuary is filled with the sounds of wildlife. So whether you enjoy kayaking, hiking, fishing, birding or nature photography, summer is the perfect time to explore the wonders of Great Bay. Because of its shallow waters and strong tides, boating around the estuary gets tricky.  A safer way to explore its waters is by kayak and offers the best option for enjoying the bay’s diverse habitats. There are several easy water access points for car top boats which can be found here. My favorite launch spot is Chapman’s Landing in Stratham on the Squamscott read more…

This week, the New England Power Generators Association (the trade group for most of the region’s power plant companies, also known as NEPGA) released a new study analyzing the potential effect of the Northern Pass project on New England’s energy market – the first independent study addressing this issue. More than two years after the deeply flawed energy study that Northern Pass’s developer commissioned and has cited unrelentingly since, NEPGA’s study is an important, credible contribution to the public discussion surrounding the Northern Pass project. The new study’s conclusion: the supposed energy benefits of the project – that it will lower the region’s energy costs and diversify the region’s power supply – won’t materialize. The study also shows that the economic merits of the current proposal are much weaker today read more…

It began with our tomatoes. As I’ve written before, my wife and I are avid gardeners and have grown tomatoes many times before but these – these tomatoes were proving difficult to grow. This was not due to the plants, but due to me and to the setting in which we were growing them: the rooftop of our apartment building in the city of Somerville, MA. read more..

Not that long ago I wrote here about Daniel Yergin’s latest book, the long-awaited follow up to his authoritative history of human use of oil. I concluded by noting: [How] difficult [it would be for] Dr. Yergin to fully confront the dilemma implicit in his work – that the presence of affordable hydrocarbons (oil and/or natural gas) for indefinite future will create a strong pull constantly moving us away from making the reductions in our greenhouse gas emissions that science tells us we need to make in order to save ourselves. Sadly, this is not a challenge that Dr. Yergin has taken up. The New York published an essay by Dr. Yergin in its widely-read Sunday Opinion section about the changing face of petroleum supply as the United States has read more…

Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) is giving away VIP tickets to WBUR’s live recording of On Point featuring special guests environmentalist Bill McKibben, musician Martin Sexton and On Point’s Tom Ashbrook and Jack Beatty. These VIP tickets – including a pre-show reception with food, beer & wine and the On Point team – are selling for $175, but CLF is giving these tickets away for free. The show is Thursday, June 14, 7 p.m. with a pre-show reception beginning at 5:30 p.m. Ticket winners will be announced tomorrow, Tuesday, June 12th. For a chance to win tickets, visit our Facebook page and share the status announcing this offer or like our Facebook page! Event details: When: Thursday, June 14, 7 p.m. (Optional pre-show reception begins at 5:30 p.m.) Where: Paramount Center, 559 Washington St., Boston. Directions and read more…