“All you need is the plan, the road map, and the courage to press on to your destination.” –Radio legend Earl Nightingale (1921-1989) How do we, efficiently and effectively, complete the transition from an energy system rooted in fossil-fuel generation to a much-needed clean energy system for our region? As participants in last week’s Lessons…
Dec 23
2014
2014
Oct 24
2014
2014
Why Is Hydro-Québec So Intent on Overselling Its Hydropower?, Part II
CLF has been asking questions about the carbon footprint of large-scale Canadian hydropower since before the Northern Pass project’s inception. I recently raised our concerns in my list of three ugly numbers behind the regional push for more hydropower imports, pointing out that, in the first decade after flooding, greenhouse gas pollution from new hydropower…
Oct 3
2014
2014
3 Things No One is Telling You About Rising Energy Costs
Rahm Emanuel, President Obama’s first White House chief of staff, was once quoted as saying “You never want to let a serious crisis go to waste,” referring to the opportunities to pass sweeping bills in the wake of the 2008 financial meltdown. Over the past weeks, we’ve seen that sentiment put into practice by some…
Sep 18
2013
2013
New CLF Ventures Study to Reward Drivers for Driving Less
“Pick a Day, Commute Another Way.” That’s the theme of this week’s Massachusetts Car-Free Week, when the state joins over 1,000 cities in 40 countries around the world to encourage motorists to leave their cars at home and try bicycling, walking, public transit, carpooling, or vanpooling to work. With transportation as the state’s largest and…
Aug 9
2013
2013
Reading Your Street: What You Can Learn About Natural Gas Infrastructure
You’ve heard of the writing on the wall, but what is all that writing on the sidewalk and the street? You’ve seen it—yellow, orange, blue, red and white. Some of it is pretty easy to decipher like “DS” for “Dig Safe” or “STM” for “steam” but some of the drawings look more like ancient hieroglyphics.…
Aug 6
2013
2013
The Most Important Thing You Will Read Today – The Clearest Statement on Climate Science From the Most Definitive Source
You just can’t find a more solid, conservative, reliable and grounded group than the American Geophysical Union. Since 1919 the AGU has been the hub of the physical sciences in the United States providing a gathering place and information exchange for earth, air and space scientists and then communicating carefully reviewed scientific information to the…
Jun 25
2013
2013
President Obama Steers U.S. Climate Policy Towards the Lighthouse of New England Leadership
President Obama has always talked a good game on climate. But simply stating that “for the sake of our children and our future we must do more to combat climate change” is not a substitute for action. Today, the President proposed a package to step up the actions of the federal government to confront and…
Jun 10
2013
2013
“No supportable basis for optimism” and “ever higher costs”: PUC Staff calls out PSNH’s failed business model
This past Friday, staff from the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission and The Liberty Consulting Group issued the results of their investigation (PDF) into the impacts of PSNH’s failing business model and “ever higher costs” to consumers. The Union Leader and NHPR were quick to quote the report’s damning conclusion: In summary, the situation looks…
May 31
2013
2013
Air Quality Alerts; What You Can Do About Them
The heat is here! Even though it’s technically still spring until late June, it feels as though summer has already come to stay in southern New England. While we New Englanders pride ourselves on being able to handle all kinds of weather, the health risks posed by poor air quality shouldn’t be ignored. On a…
May 10
2013
2013
EPA Must Follow the Law, Set Rules for Power Plants
While harm from climate change becomes more apparent every day, EPA is dragging its feet in setting much-needed limitations on greenhouse gas emissions from new power plants. This failure is a plain violation of the Clean Air Act. So CLF recently took the first step to spur EPA into action. Working with attorneys at Clean…