“In order to achieve the monumental phosphorus reductions we need to clean up the lake, we need a functioning system to regulate those farms,” said Elena Mihaly, director of the Conservation Law Foundation in Vermont. “We have a lot of concern that the structure right now is not set up for success.”
“Is bottom trawling really compatible with the primary objective of resource protection? I would say probably not,” said Priscilla Brooks, director of ocean conservation at the Conservation Law Foundation. “Many sanctuaries are really sanctuaries in name only.”
“I think it’s time for Maine to go above and beyond what this federal proposal does, and to lead us in a direction that’s not only in compliance with its climate law but also good for the health of the Maine people and the economy,” says CLF’s Greg Cunningham.
Runoff from large parking lots, big box stores, and strip malls is not currently regulated by the EPA. However, these properties contribute significant runoff to nearby wetlands, streams and rivers, CLF officials said.
In Massachusetts, landfills are reaching capacity, and the costs for waste disposal are growing. But expanding landfills or shifting our burden onto others will not fix the problem. Instead, we must produce less trash.
To combat climate change, we need to switch to clean, renewable energy, and that needs to happen now.
As advocates, we cheer when elected officials stand against environmental racism and for equity in siting, but these concepts are often abstract for most of the public. In its tale of two substations, Eversource has unwittingly illustrated the concepts vividly, while proving that infrastructure gets built more quickly when the process is fair and the company works with rather than against affected communities.
Bradley Campbell, Conservation Law Foundation president and CEO, joined to discuss various environmental headlines, including Gov. Maura Healey’s climate plans. For the full story, click here.
The climate crisis is already affecting our lives. From floods to extreme heat, to lack of consistent snow on our mountains, these changing conditions are affecting our health, our homes, our livelihoods and our treasured pastimes here in Vermont.
The state’s Global Warming Solutions Act and environmental justice laws are a great start. They are already having an impact on the ground. Now is the time to build on these successes and go further to protect our communities.
In the last five years, the foundation successfully settled eight lawsuits against bus vendors, four of which serve schools.
“We really have to put the pressure on to get these companies to transition,” said Heather Govern, vice president and director of CLF’s Clean Air and Water Program.
