Are you concerned about the Northern Pass transmission project? Do you want to learn more about what it could mean for New Hampshire and New England’s energy future, for our climate, for energy rates, and for the communities and natural environment of New England and Québec? Do you want to keep up with the latest developments as the project progresses through the permitting process? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you’ll want to sign up for CLF’s new email newsletter – Northern Pass Wire.  In a concise format, Northern Pass Wire will provide the latest news and analysis regarding the Northern Pass project direct from CLF advocates, with links to additional resources from CLF’s Northern Pass Information Center, our latest Northern Pass posts here on CLF Scoop, and CLF’s read more…

With a new logo and a newly redesigned website, CLF Ventures (CLF’s non-profit strategy-consulting arm) is taking its message of “Environmental Gain – Economic Advantage” to the next level. read more..

Here in New Hampshire, the leaves have turned.  What hasn’t changed is that the environmental review of the Northern Pass proposal remains stalled while the project developers – Northeast Utilities (and its subsidiary Public Service Company of New Hampshire) and NSTAR – seek a new route for the northernmost 40 miles of the project.  It’s a disgrace that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has so far refused to use the developers’ significant delay to assess the nature and extent of New England’s need for Canadian hydropower and to develop an appropriate plan to bring that power into the region, as CLF and others have been requesting since April. While DOE is in a holding pattern, CLF is continuing to fight for a fair and comprehensive environmental review of the read more…

Catch up with the latest news from TalkingFish.org, a blog brought to you by CLF and other organizations and individuals who want to see a sustainable fishing industry in New England and abundant fish populations for generations to come. TalkingFish.org aims to increase people’s understanding of the scientific, financial and social aspects at work in New England’s fisheries. Here’s what went on this week: October 20: “Fish Talk in the News – Thursday, October 20″ – A weekly update of recent news stories that might interest TalkingFish.org readers. This week: reactions to Senators Brown and Ayotte’s bill to end the sector system, an interview with chef Barton Seaver, Senator Kerry’s letter of requests to NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco, and NOAA’s announcement that they will fund at-sea monitoring costs through the read more…

This Monday, October 24 celebrate Food Day.  Food Day “seeks to bring together Americans from all walks of life—parents, teachers, and students; health professionals, community organizers, and local officials; chefs, school lunch providers, and eaters of all stripes—to push for healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way.” Maybe you can take your child to a local dairy farm or buy some local, seasonal produce – pumpkins anyone? Events and celebrations will be held all around the country. Food Day’s six principles will show you why eating local is good for the economy, good for the environment, and better for the farm animals themselves. Join Rhode Islanders at 10am at the Statehouse for the launch of the RI Food Policy Council – an effort to expand access to healthy, read more…

As Tricia Jedele recently reported, the US Senate is debating the funding for ocean management programs this week. The National Ocean Policy is certainly one Obama Administration initiative that deserves adequate funding and particularly, as we in New England know better than most, the program for comprehensive ocean planning is one that we can all benefit from. Ocean plans in Massachusetts and Rhode Island are going to be instrumental in helping to protect ocean habitat and maintain healthy and safe coasts while the uses of the ocean increase. A New England comprehensive ocean planning process that engages all New England states and relevant federal agencies, will make sure that current uses like fishing are respected and will help to responsibly develop clean, renewable wind energy projects that also have the benefit of reducing carbon pollution and create new jobs. Who can read more…

With each passing day, the dire reality of PSNH’s coal-fired business model is becoming clearer in New Hampshire.  The cost of operating PSNH’s obsolete power plants continues to grow, accelerating the Company’s death spiral where fewer captive ratepayers are saddled with unsustainable above-market rates as more PSNH customers choose to buy power from better managed competitive suppliers.  We are also learning that Northern Pass will make the situation worse for ratepayers, not better, and that PSNH and its Northern Pass partners are poised to pull in huge profits.  In just the last few days: PSNH revealed that, as it has begun bringing online its $450 million scrubber project at PSNH’s 50 year old coal-fired Merrimack Station, the bill is now coming due. If state regulators at the New Hampshire Public read more…

On Thursday October 27, Tricia Jedele, CLF’s VP and Director of the Rhode Island office will be at the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation in Johnston speaking with a number of esteemed guests on the future of solid waste management the state. Our limited landfill capacity means that planning and strategic decisions have to be addressed now to sustain us for the future. Hosted by the Environmental Business Council of New England’s Rhode Island Chapter, key decision-makers will discuss current and future issues regarding solid waste management and will also discuss options and solutions for reducing and handling solid waste in 2012 and beyond, including recycling, product stewardship, regulatory or legislative amendments and other issues related to the long term management of the solid waste stream in Rhode Island. For read more…

Are you tired of waiting (and waiting and waiting) for the Green Line Extension to be built? Join CLF, the mayor of Somerville,  Joseph A. Curtatone, and other supporters of the Green Line Extension for a mock groundbreaking on Thursday, October 20, 2011 at 6pm in front of Somerville High School. We are gathering to let the Patrick Administration know that we want them to stop the repeated delays and deliver on their legal commitment to construct the Green Line extension.  The Legislature has already authorized bonds to construct the Green Line Extension from Cambridge to Somerville and Medford and the Somerville Community Path.  The project will serve a community that has been dissected by a major highway (I-93), suffers from disproportionate air pollution, and lacks adequate public transportation. However, read more…

A federal commission is about to recommend a new plan for finding final resting places for spent nuclear fuel, and they want to hear from us. The Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future is a fifteen-member group established by the Secretary of Energy pursuant to an executive order from President Obama. The commission’s goal is to conduct a comprehensive review of policies for managing the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle, including all alternatives for the storage, processing, and disposal of civilian and defense used nuclear fuel and nuclear waste. The problem with spent nuclear fuel is that it requires long-term storage, and the federal government has continued to delay acting on a centralized long-term plan. To complicate matters further, the Department of Energy ended a project at read more…