Communities of color and those with low incomes not only deserve to enjoy waterfront open spaces for recreation and exercise – it’s also their right by law. And yet, through neglect and outright refusal by corporate interests, too many do not have the chance to run, walk, or even stretch near the water. We can and must do better.
Jul 9
2020
2020
Jul 8
2020
2020
Public Health Expert Refutes Safety of Disposables
Experts are refuting the plastic industry’s claims that reusable bags carry and transmit COVID-19. One public health expert, Dr. Ben Locwin, spoke with CLF about why reusables do not increase the risk of infection, and how washing your reusables with soap or detergent reduces any theoretical risk of transmission.
Jul 8
2020
2020
Maine Takes One Step Closer on Plan to Lower Carbon Pollution
The Maine Climate Council is evaluating a set of recommended actions, policies, and programs proposed for inclusion in the state’s “Climate Action Plan.”
Jul 7
2020
2020
New Hampshire Supreme Court Will Decide Fate of Key Landfill Expansion Permit
To end our “bury or burn” approach to managing waste – and to finally achieve the waste reduction goals that New Hampshire set more than 20 years ago – regulators must establish clear, meaningful requirements that promote waste reduction, recycling, and composting.
Jul 7
2020
2020
Lake Champlain Clean-Up Can Help Drive Economic Recovery
It will take a suite of strategies to rebound from the COVID-19 crisis, but one that should not be overlooked is the Lake Champlain clean-up effort. The federally mandated work to clean up our iconic waterbody can help fuel Vermont’s recovery from the pandemic – creating a win-win for our environment and economy, both in the short-term and in the future.
Jul 6
2020
2020
Heating Rhode Island’s Homes and Businesses Doesn’t Have to Pollute Our Planet
A recent report on transforming Rhode Island’s heating sector offers options to reach our climate goals while ensuring we stay warm during the winter. One of the first studies of its kind, the report is a valuable resource for policymakers and can help the state transition to a clean energy future.
Jul 3
2020
2020
What Are Climate Laws and Why Do We Need Them?
We can still avoid the worst impacts of climate change if we reach net-zero carbon pollution before 2050. We need strong climate laws in every New England state to hit that mark.
Jul 2
2020
2020
What Do Environmental Justice Protections Mean for Our Communities?
Decades of environmental injustices won’t be addressed without strong legislation to drive change. Local organizations are working to reduce burdens on environmental justice communities, but it’s up to the Massachusetts legislature to redress decades of wrongs and put our state on a path to a more equitable future.
Jul 1
2020
2020
What Would Massachusetts’s Environmental Justice Laws Accomplish?
Low-income, immigrant, and communities of color experience more environmental burdens than whiter, wealthier neighborhoods. Having strong environmental justice legislation would make a significant difference in these neighborhoods, in part by simply ensuring residents have a voice in what happens in their own communities.
Jun 30
2020
2020
How Has Racism Contributed to Environmental Justice Inequities?
Environmental justice requires reversing and repairing the impacts of decades of environmental racism. Residents of environmental justice communities are the most likely to bear the burdens polluting industries and infrastructure, while having to fight for their share of resources we all need — healthy homes, schools, transit, food, and open space.