“We will see Shell in court for putting the New Haven community in danger of life-threatening toxic spills,” said Brad Campbell, President of Conservation Law Foundation. “These fossil fuel companies have been deceiving regulators and the public about the risk of the climate crisis for years. It’s past time for them to be held accountable for putting communities and the environment in harm’s way.”
President Biden recently signed this first-of-its-kind climate bill into law – but what does it mean for climate action here at home?
“The U.S. is long overdue for real action on climate,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “This bill will help slash emissions at a time when the impacts of the climate crisis are being felt around the country. We still have work to do at the state and local level to respond to this crisis and bring emissions down to zero by 2050.”
“This bill includes some important steps forward in limiting biomass subsidies and supporting the offshore wind industry,” said Caitlin Peale Sloan, Vice President of CLF Massachusetts. “However, there’s a lot of room for improvement when it comes to environmental justice. The state needs to take a stronger stand in protecting these communities from air pollution, creating access to an electrified commuter rail, and our leaders must do more to equitably phase out fossil fuels once and for all. We’ll continue our push to make these critical changes a reality in the next session.”
Just as CLF helped to lead the passing of landmark laws in almost every New England state, we must now watchdog their implementation. Because the consequences if these laws languish are too dire to be ignored.
“Offshore wind is a crucial element of our nation’s strategy to address the climate crisis, but it must be done in a way that protects vital ocean wildlife and habitat,” said Dr. Priscilla Brooks, Director of Ocean Conservation at CLF. “With fewer than 350 critically endangered right whales remaining on earth, every loss is a tragedy. The vessel speed restrictions and adaptive management measures agreed to by South Fork Wind will go a long way toward protecting these whales from being injured or killed by project vessels.”
A rule that governs one of New England’s electricity markets, the Minimum Offer Price Rule, has been extended for two years. Here’s why that’s a bad deal for New Englanders.
“It’s clear that we can’t wait any longer to fight climate change,” says James Crowley, Staff Attorney for CLF Rhode Island. “Rhode Island has a climate law that demands cuts to polluting emissions – and this irresponsible expansion would absolutely lead to more emissions. The Board made the right call in requiring a full review and safeguarding our health and future in the face of the climate crisis.”
As nearly every New England state has instituted mandatory cuts to climate-damaging pollution, the term “net zero by 2050” has popped up a lot. What does it even mean?
Our health is inextricably tied to the environment’s health, especially for communities overburdened by climate change. It’s for this reason Vermont needs an environmental justice law.
