On a small triangle of land between Bennington and Lawrence Streets stand picnic tables, corrugated metal beds bursting with flowers, and trees in planters of hot pink, lemon yellow, and royal blue. It’s an uplifting treat in this Lawrence, Massachusetts, neighborhood and a considerable contrast to what stood here before – a jumble of parked cars… Continue reading A Cool Place in the Neighborhood
Utility companies are not preparing for the cost of climate change-fueled weather, and consumers are paying for it.
Urban forests have health and climate benefits. But many communities struggle with nurturing and maintaining them. We looked at solutions to help urban forests grow.
CLF identified common challenges and barriers, best practices, and gaps in research in order to develop a strategy for accelerating urban forestry efforts in New England.
Here are six ways that urban forestry can help our communities if we choose to invest in it.
“We want the companies to take a hard look at their infrastructure,” said Epke, “and make sure that they are doing things such that the system is ready for the coming and current impacts of climate change, and do so in a fiscally responsible way.”
“Allowing these companies to keep charging customers for storm cleanup over and over is an outrage,” said Johannes Epke, CLF. “It should be up to the utilities to make their infrastructure resilient to the frequent, climate-driven storms we’re seeing more and more. It’s time to change state rules that allow these companies to pass the bill on to Massachusetts families and businesses and hold utilities responsible instead.”
Around New England and around the country, the summer of 2023 was a summer of extreme weather.
Climate justice is about recognizing that climate impacts, such as extended heat waves, stronger winds, and intense rainstorms, disproportionately affect marginalized communities. It calls for urgent action to prevent further harm and ensure equitable access to clean energy solutions, prioritizing historically marginalized communities for a sustainable and fair future.
Climate change means heat waves are getting longer and more frequent. But cities can prepare by implementing three simple steps.
