THE VERY IMPORTANT rules debate is soon to be upon us, where lawmakers set forth the framework under which the entirety of the two-year legislative session will take place. Just like in sports, teams must establish rules before they can take to the field and compete. Under the leadership of Senate President Karen Spilka and […]
Environment
Posted inOpinion
Pass the climate change bill again
IN VETOING An Act Creating a Next-Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy,Gov, Charlie Baker contradicted his stated commitment to climate leadership, undermined the state’s clean energy sector, and dealt a[nother] blow to environmental justice communities in the Commonwealth. The explanation provided in a five-page letter falsely pits economic growth against climate, health, and equity in […]
Posted inEnvironment
February 19 is deadline for new climate change law
IN THE WANING hours of the 2019–2020 legislative session, the Massachusetts House and Senate passed a climate bill that would have taken important steps toward a cleaner, healthier, safer future. This bill would have set efficiency standards for appliances, required at least 40 percent of our electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030, and […]
Posted inEnvironment
Theoharides explains $6b cost figure
THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE between Gov. Charlie Baker and the Legislature on climate change legislation comes down to an issue where the two sides don’t seem very far apart at all. Baker, in his roadmap for getting to net zero emissions by 2050, set a target for 2030 of a 45 percent reduction in emissions below […]
Posted inOpinion
The best way to use our ‘available’ wood
MASSACHUSETTS GENERATES a lot of wood. Sturbridge, for example, spent more than $300,000 removing trees killed by drought and gypsy moths. Utilities, local and state governments, and private contractors chop down lots of trees for safety and environmental reasons. Industries also produce clean wood residue from manufacturing and crating. It all adds up to millions of tons […]
Posted inEnvironment
Mariano, Spilka take defiant tone on climate change
HOUSE SPEAKER Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka on Tuesday set in motion passage of the same climate change bill that passed the Legislature last session and was vetoed by Gov. Charlie Baker. The two leaders issued a statement with a defiant tone, taking issue with several of the points Baker made in his […]
Posted inEnvironment
Questions on Baker’s $6b climate change cost estimate
THE SENATE’S POINT person on climate change legislation said he doesn’t know where Gov. Charlie Baker came up with his estimate that the Legislature’s target for emissions reductions in 2030 would cost state residents an extra $6 billion. “Boy, would I like to know,” said Sen. Michael Barrett of Lexington. “I have never – and […]
Posted inOpinion
Debunking Baker’s 6 reasons for climate veto
ON THURSDAY, Gov. Charlie Baker announced he would veto the Next Generation Road Map climate bill, a bill that would take a big step forward in advancing Massachusetts’ response to a public health emergency. Since his first failed run for governor as a climate denier, Baker has generally positioned himself as someone who is pro-climate […]
Posted inEnvironment
In veto letter, Baker objects to a lot in climate change bill
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER on Thursday “reluctantly” vetoed a sweeping climate change bill sent to him by the Legislature, saying there were a number of provisions in the legislation “to which I cannot agree.” The governor didn’t go into great detail about his objections, but in a letter to the Legislature he said the bill as […]
Posted inOpinion
For Baker, crunch time on climate change
LAST WEEK, a bipartisan climate bill passed with overwhelming majorities in the Massachusetts House and Senate. Gov. Charlie Baker now has to choose – by Thursday at midnight – between cementing his and the Commonwealth’s position as climate leaders, or withholding the tools needed for Massachusetts to comply with its own climate law. A broad coalition of business, health, environmental, and environmental justice groups supports the bill. It includes key efforts that […]