This month, Seeking the Current wowed audiences across New Hampshire with the sublime beauty of Québec’s Romaine River – a wild, natural wonder that will essentially be destroyed by a new complex of hydropower projects, now under construction.  This complex is only one part of Hydro-Québec’s ongoing building boom – the keystone of the Canadian utility’s aggressive strategy to increase exports to the United States. The film also showed filmgoers that there are better, cheaper alternatives to new hydropower, including wind, solar photovoltaic, solar hot water, biogas, and investments in energy efficiency.  If these alternatives were scaled up and put in place throughout the province, Québec could still export more power to the United States – but without constructing new dams and reservoirs. During the discussions after the film (one read more…

This week's stories from TalkingFish.org - eating local seafood at Rhode Island restaurants; opinion on Wednesday's Fishermen Rally in Washington, D.C.; and a roundup of news stories. read more..

A few weeks ago I attended a conference in Washington, DC that brought together environmental groups from all over the country. In speaking with my colleagues, I was reminded of how this country is a patchwork quilt: each of us brought a unique set of challenges, a strong independent sense of identity, and solutions to regional challenges – solutions that are sometimes adopted at the national level. This certainly is true of New England. Over the last year, two events have emphasized the importance of interregional coordination. In the process, they have reminded me of New England’s long history of regional cooperation to advance nation leading clean energy projects, and of the way in which those have been adopted on the national stage. The first of these issues is FERC read more…

I know a lot of people in Exeter are concerned about water quality in the Squamscott River and the Great Bay estuary as a whole.  During a town election last week, Exeter residents decided to vote with their wallet and approved three warrant articles related to the treatment of wastewater, totaling over three million dollars. This is good news for the Great Bay estuary and an important step forward by the town in meeting the requirements of their draft Clean Water Act wastewater discharge permit.  CLF strongly supports the draft permit and we applaud the decision by the town’s voters to get behind a cleaner and healthier estuary. The first measure approved by Exeter voters will allow the town to develop a Wastewater Facilities Plan to meet the reduced nitrogen limit proposed read more…

I am not the only person to find a sharp description of our unfortunate political and cultural situation in W.B. Yeats dark meditation on the aftermath of World War I: The Second Coming. Many remember that poem for the hair-raising question that comes at its end, “. . . what rough beast, its hour come round at last, Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?” However, the poem also famously states: “The best lack all conviction, while the worst / Are full of passionate intensity.” It is hard to imagine a more accurate statement of the problem around the climate debate where denial is often presented with powerful zeal and, too often, truth is presented in a tentative manner. However, fortunately, sometimes the tellers of truth show powerful courage.  Doctor Michael read more…

In a sharply worded decision, the Vermont Public Service Board made clear yesterday that it intends to holds Entergy to its commitments. The Board stated that the provision of Vermont law that allows licenses to continue while a new proceeding is underway “does not provide authority for Vermont Yankee to continue operating, and storing spent nuclear fuel derived from such operation, while Entergy VY’s petition for a new or amended CPG remains pending.” (p.25). The decision makes it clear that Entergy’s current license includes obligations that preclude storing fuel generated after March 21, 2012. (p.19) It also recognized that the Board order approving the sale to Entergy back in 2002 relied on Entergy’s promise not to operate after 2012 unless it had approval from the Board. (p.18) The Board further read more…

As the scheduled retirement date for Vermont Yankee approaches, it becomes clearer than ever that this costly, tired, leaky and polluting plant’s days are numbered. The disappointing Federal Court decision that limited action by the Vermont Legislature to close Vermont Yankee kept intact review by Vermont utility regulators. That review began and Entergy is being pressed hard to justify its continued bullying and defiance.  Conservation Law Foundation’s recent recommendations note: The Vermont law that was not struck down by the federal court precludes storing waste generated after March 21, 2012. Entergy’s current authorization precludes operation after March 21, 2012 except for decommissioning. The sale of Vermont Yankee to Entergy in 2002 was approved based on a promise not to operate past March 21, 2012. The broken promises from Entergy continue.  A read more…

This week's stories on TalkingFish.org: an opinion piece from the Pew Environment Group on the Fisheries Investment and Regulatory Relief Act; thoguhts on the Boston Seafood Show; and a weekly roundup of fish-related news stories. read more..

It has been apparent for some time that anyone who lives, works or is generally attached to a coastal community should be very concerned about the effects of sea level rise flowing from global warming. A comprehensive new scientific paper and data tool, that builds on prior analysis, like the “Climate’s Long Term Impact on Boston” from 2005, is getting broad and deep press interest. What is particularly striking is the ability to use this tool to look at the likely and predictable effects of sea level rise on particular places.  For example, applying the tool to the Boston waterfront confirms that epicenter of new development in the city is right in the bulls eye of sea level rise and if current trends continue the only way to enjoy the read more…

Update – The debate about this phenomena continues.  See compilation of further ruminations about continued available petroleum and climate from a variety of powerful voices in another post from June 11, 2012.  And some of the same ideas are chewed on in an interesting op-ed by Reuters editor Chrystia Freeland in the August 9, 2012 New York Times. In 1991 Daniel Yergin published his massive history of the petroleum industry, The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power. Regardless of what you think about Yergin’s perspective on the topic, it is hard to dispute the complete and authoritative nature of that book. It provided a guided tour through the life of one of the defining industries of the 20th century and remains a powerful and surprisingly readable look read more…