Cod, Climate Change, and Protected Areas
According to a new study, rising water temperatures put fish eggs and spawning adults at higher risk than juveniles and adult fish. Since previous studies mostly only took adult fish into account, this close look at different life stages gives us a better idea of what the climate crisis means for our fisheries and how we can help save Atlantic cod. One big takeaway: protecting spawning areas, where the vulnerable are, is more critical than ever.
We sat down with CLF Senior Science Fellow Gareth Lawson to discuss the implications of the study and the future of Atlantic cod.
President-Elect Biden Chooses John Kerry to Lead Climate Efforts
“Secretary John Kerry’s appointment ends four years of climate denial at the highest levels of government, offering hope that the Biden Administration will confront the climate crisis with the urgency it demands,” said Bradley Campbell, President of Conservation Law Foundation. “This global threat will affect every aspect of our lives: our homes, our economy, our security, and our health. Mr. Kerry will need to hit the ground sprinting for the U.S. to re-establish itself as a climate leader.”
Massachusetts Still Needs a Roadmap to Beat Climate Change
On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the Baker administration announced that Massachusetts will make reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 legally binding under the state’s Global Warming Solutions Act. However, the state’s landmark climate law still needs a clear path forward to reach that goal.
HOV lane to return Monday, and a bus lane on the Tobin may soon follow
Staci Rubin, a senior attorney with CLF, also said in a statement that the measures will help ensure transit riders are prioritized when the economy kicks back into gear. “Now is the time to improve transit options and avoid the gridlock that plagued our region before the pandemic,” she said.
MA Officials to Reinstate I-93 HOV Lane
“Now is the time to improve transit options and avoid the gridlock that plagued our region before the pandemic,” said Staci Rubin, Senior Attorney at CLF. “Reinstating the HOV lane and committing to pilot bus lanes on both I-93 and the Tobin Bridge will drastically improve commute times and protect the health of overburdened communities like Chelsea and Somerville.”
How to Move Beyond Environmental Justice as a Trend
I grew up in communities that needed environmental justice the most. I also lived in neighborhoods that already had the resources and ability to make change. Still, I didn’t understand the difference or know what the environmental world called the movement until later in life. I could only connect the dots when I had more access to education and a framework for understanding the issue.
Eversource, State Plow Ahead with East Boston Substation Plans
“Three years ago this month, state energy officials totally disregarded—as ‘disruptive’—the attempts of Spanish-speaking residents to participate in a critical decision that will affect their community for decades,” said Amy Laura Cahn, Senior Attorney and Interim Director for Healthy Communities and Environmental Justice at Conservation Law Foundation, “Since that time, the EFSB has consistently failed to live up to its language access obligations under federal law. In yet another insult to this community, residents with limited access to technology will be further marginalized by a remote hearing.”
How One Change in Fisheries Management Can Help Save the Atlantic Cod
To help rebuild the cod population, scientists and managers must know how many fish are being caught by fishing boats. Thankfully, a recent vote by regional fishery managers brings us one step closer to collecting that valuable information.
CLF Appeals Permit Allowing Bethlehem Landfill Expansion
“Continuing to expand polluting landfills is the last thing New Hampshire needs,” said Tom Irwin, Vice President and Director of CLF New Hampshire. “The state got it right the first time when it determined there is no need for this landfill expansion. It’s time – at long last – for New Hampshire to make good on its policy of reducing waste, rather perpetuating its burial of it in landfills and putting our communities at risk.”
Biden Win Sets the Stage for a Greener Future, But Local Action Is Still Vital
The presidential election result is a welcome relief – especially amid the ongoing stresses of an unrelenting pandemic, hobbling economic hardship, and an overdue racial reckoning. We all deserve to take a moment and celebrate that. But even as we see the core values of our democracy vindicated after relentless voter suppression efforts, now is not the time to grow complacent.