As families across New England were preparing for this last holiday season, NRG Energy, a Texas dirty-energy giant (over 80% of its massive power holdings burn fossil fuels!), quietly filed its request with the Massachusetts Energy Facility Siting Board (EFSB) for approval to construct its newest fossil-fuel power plant: a new, 350 megawatt gas- and…
Feb 10
2016
2016
Feb 5
2016
2016
Right Whales and Cashes Ledge: How to Make a Good Thing Last
In late January, North Atlantic right whales scored a big win when the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) expanded the critical habitat for the endangered whale from 4,500 square nautical miles to 28,000 square nautical miles. The original area included only a portion of Cape Cod Bay and an area east of Nantucket near the Great…
Jan 29
2016
2016
Gov. Baker’s Clean Energy & Climate Plan Merely Skims the Surface of Meaningful Climate Action
Last week, the Baker Administration released its first update to Massachusetts’ Clean Energy and Climate Plan. This plan – a requirement of the state’s landmark climate law, the Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) – is intended to guide the state in reaching its statewide emissions limits of 25% below 1990 levels by 2020. In its…
Jan 26
2016
2016
Update: Massachusetts’ Senate Passes Climate Adaptation Management Plan
The Massachusetts Senate is voting on a climate adaptation plan that will help our communities prepare for climate impacts. Find out why this bill is important and how you can help get it passed.
Dec 9
2015
2015
Defending Our Climate before the Supreme Judicial Court
On January 8, 2016, Massachusetts’ highest court will hear a landmark case brought by Conservation Law Foundation, Mass Energy Consumers Alliance, and four courageous teenagers – Isabel Kain, Shamus Miller, James Coakley, and Olivia Gieger – asking that the Global Warming Solutions Act finally be fully enforced.
Dec 5
2015
2015
News From COP21: New England States and International Partners Commit to Get More Zero-Emission Vehicles On The Road
Thirteen jurisdictions – nations, U.S. states, and one Canadian province – calling themselves the “International Zero-Emission Vehicle Alliance” announced that they have jointly committed to ensure that all new car, SUV, and truck sales are zero-emission vehicles “as fast as possible, and no later than 2050.” Four of those states are right here in New England.
Dec 4
2015
2015
Massachusetts Attorney General’s Report Confirms New Gas Pipelines Aren’t Needed
New England does not need new natural gas pipelines, now or in the future. That is the main – and resounding – conclusion of a new study released a few days before Thanksgiving by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey.
Nov 16
2015
2015
Bee Grateful! Pollinator Protection Bills to be Heard by the Massachusetts Legislature on 11/17
On Tuesday, November 17, the Massachusetts Legislature’s Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture will hold a public hearing for a trio of bills relating to pollinator health: H. 731, H. 3417, and H. 655. A previous CLF blog post outlined the importance of pollinator health, detailed the alarming recent decline in honey bee…
Nov 6
2015
2015
Governor Baker: The People Have Spoken, and They Want a Marine National Monument
The people of New England, and especially Massachusetts, have spoken – and they want a Marine National Monument in the Atlantic. More than 160,000 people have signed their name in support of a monument designation, including over 10,000 from Massachusetts alone. We’ve received public letters of support from coastal businesses, faith-based organizations, and aquaria. And…
Sep 17
2015
2015
Cape Cod’s Bays Reach Clean Water Milestone, But the Real Work has Just Begun
This week, EPA approved an update to the Areawide Waste Management Plan for Cape Cod, in an effort to address the nutrient pollution crisis that is killing the bays of the Cape. This approval marks a watershed moment in CLF’s advocacy on behalf of clean water on Cape Cod, but there is much work left…