We recently headed out to Boston’s Seaport district to remind the people who live and work there about the unique challenges the neighborhood faces due to its waterfront location. our annual reminder took the form of a message projected onto prominent outdoor spots in the neighborhood. We called for action to make the Seaport – and all of Boston – resilient in the face of the climate impacts, like sea level rise, that we know are coming.
Dec 13
2019
2019
Dec 10
2019
2019
Is Rhode Island Really Making Progress on Climate?
According to Rhode Island’s most recent greenhouse gas emissions inventory, the State has already cut its climate-damaging emissions more than 10% below 1990 levels. But there’s reason to question that finding. A recent report shows that the State has been drastically underestimating the amount of dirty gas leaking from its aging gas infrastructure.
Dec 10
2019
2019
Dirty, Fracked Gas Is a Dead End for New England
Fracked gas was once considered part of a lower-carbon future. But this volatile, dangerous, and polluting fossil fuel now needs to be shown the door. Thankfully, as New England’s growing investment in cleaner energy ramps up, this transition is becoming easier. But standing in its way are the last gasps of the dirty fossil fuel industry. And they are not going quietly.
Dec 4
2019
2019
Offshore Wind in the Gulf of Maine Back on Track
Home to some of the world’s strongest offshore winds, the Gulf of Maine can play an essential role in helping meet New England’s climate goals. But the energy of those winds has yet to be harnessed. Over the last decade, progress on this front stalled due in large part to the anti-wind policies of former…
Nov 22
2019
2019
CLF Continues Fight Against Trump Administration Reversal of Clean Car Standards
“Yet again the Trump Administration is pandering to big oil and gas at the expense of our health and our communities,” said Emily Green, CLF Senior Attorney. “As we run out of time to tackle the climate crisis, this policy moves the country in the wrong direction. It will lead directly to a dirtier, more polluted future. We cannot afford to hit reverse on these standards.”
Nov 21
2019
2019
Utilities — Like Eversource And National Grid — Are Weak Links In Climate Defense
In the battle against climate change, Massachusetts must be proactive, not reactive, to the impacts we know are coming. PG&E recently admitted it may take a decade for them to ensure that its wires in California are fireproof. How long will it take Massachusetts’ utility companies to prepare for extreme weather? We can’t afford to wait and find out.
Nov 18
2019
2019
Holding ExxonMobil accountable
Conservation Law Foundation filed its groundbreaking lawsuit against ExxonMobil for violations of federal environmental laws and for failing to prepare its Everett terminal to withstand the effects of climate change. CLF’s complaint alleges that ExxonMobil has been aware of the risks climate change poses and has not taken sufficient action — or “failed to design and implement protective measures” — to address them.
Nov 16
2019
2019
Burrillville power plant proposal is dead
Jerry Elmer, senior attorney for the Conservation Law Foundation, the environmental group that led the fight against the project, alongside the Town of Burrillville, also waited at the courthouse, arriving at the Rhode Island Supreme Court clerk’s office an hour before closing time. “The case is over. Invenergy lost. The climate won,” he said.
Nov 7
2019
2019
Utility and Pipeline Company to Blame for Gas Outage
Just as families in Newport County prepared for a brutal winter night in late January, National Grid cut gas service to more than 7,000 customers, leaving homes and businesses in the cold. They called it a precaution and couldn’t say how it would last. Ultimately, the outage lasted a full week.
Nov 5
2019
2019
It’s official: Invenergy Defeated
“As we said in June, this is a huge victory for Rhode Island and for the health of our communities,” said CLF Senior Attorney Jerry Elmer. “In the face of climate emergency, opening a fossil fuel plant that will spew carbon pollution for decades is simply reckless. After years of lies and misinformation, Invenergy’s efforts to pave over a forest to build this dirty plant have been dealt a substantial loss. This is proof that communities can stand up to big gas and win.”